There must be what we call the keeping of the first great commandment, there must be the upward orientation. I might say a word about this matter of upward orientation. It seems that human beings are very slow to learn that the only thing which needs to be experienced is upward orientation. When someone gets into difficulties of some kind, usually what is necessary is completely forgotten. The individual starts to wrestle with his difficulties; and he looks around the field as to who probably has been the author of these difficulties. But there is no solution in that direction, obviously. Why is it that human consciousness is so slow to learn that when the disturbed state appears the only answer is to reestablish right orientation—that's the only answer!
The fact of the matter is that I have given the answer. The answer has been given for how many years?—the one answer—orient correctly, and you will find an abundance of all that is necessary to deal with the situation. “No, my situation is peculiar; it's very special, therefore the Lord should pay particular attention to me.” It is unnecessary—completely and totally unnecessary! Reestablish orientation: that is the first thing. If this focus of government now is to function as a focus of government it can only do so because it knows that everything is available—it's all available once there is right orientation. That's the only thing that is required! And so I emphasize that point because it's a central one insofar as our present experience is concerned.
The affairs of God are much more related to the actual orbit of the earth around the sun and to the particular points of significance in that orbit than they are to the human calendar. We have taken note of the basic substance which fills what human beings think of as space—very tenuous substance, according to the human view. This has on occasion been referred to as the ether. As the earth orbits around the sun it passes through what might be called the solar ether; but then we are aware that there is another movement of the solar system relative to the galaxy, so the solar system is passing through the galactic ether. Besides this, the galaxy itself is in motion and could therefore be said to be passing through the universal ether. These terms describe something, but something which is not, certainly, understood by human minds, even if there is a recognition that such patterns or states of ether exist.
Another way of describing these various levels of ether would be to refer to them as atmospheres—a solar atmosphere, a galactic atmosphere, and a universal atmosphere. All these various levels of atmosphere permeate and bathe this little earth, which would include our little earthly bodies. As long as we exist, physically speaking, we cannot step out of these atmospheres. They are there, exerting influence, whether we like it or not. Obviously such things are not controllable by human beings. They have to be accepted for whatever they are. This fact could be seen as helping to cut human beings down to size, because there is a very deceitful imagination in human minds that human beings can somehow control not only their own affairs in the human sense but everything that's going on on earth. Human beings have this peculiar quirk of consciousness of long standing, to imagine that they can do much as they please on earth without any particular expectation of reaping the consequences; but of course the consequences are constantly being reaped and then the complaints proliferate.
We have some awareness of these things, and that it is very foolish and futile to ignore factors which are scarcely recognized at present, and only include in human calculations those things which are recognized. If we were to compare the things that are recognized with the things that are not recognized, we would find a vast majority in the things that are not recognized, so that virtually everything human beings do is based in a false view of things. If this is so, it would not be surprising if confusion should result, and we certainly observe chaotic conditions in human affairs, spilling over into other affairs beyond them, all based in the fact of a fundamental denial of anything higher than man. Lip service is paid to God, or Allah, or whoever, but this has very little effect upon human behavior. It is modified in minor ways, but scratch the surface of civilized man so-called and it is discovered that he is very little different from his remote ancestors. He has a bigger head, is more conceited, he thinks he knows more, he thinks he’s more capable; but all this view is in fact false and human beings find themselves endeavoring to govern their affairs, individually and collectively, on the basis of their mental views; occasionally, with some, bringing the mental view of God into the picture. Mental views of God are religious beliefs; but a mental view of God does not acquaint anyone with God, merely with the particular idea that the individual has, and that as a rule is not very original. It is mostly of a hereditary nature, perhaps modified a little generation by generation.
Seeing that the mental view actually takes scarcely any of all the vast array of factors that are actually present into consideration, then chaos and confusion are inevitable. It shouldn’t be expected that there would be anything else. When these things occur, as they are occurring, on a large scale and on a small scale, no one should be surprised; for such things are inevitable as long as a mental approach is made, as though the mind could, if not immediately but eventually, understand everything. Here is a false view which leads to destruction, because there are those things going on which are totally beyond the comprehension of the human mind, and what the human mind decides to do does not take such things into account but proceeds to act on a basis which it considers will be beneficial to itself. This is placing human beings at the supreme point, as though everything was designed to be of benefit to human beings. This particularly refers to the so-called resources of this earth but would include much more, to the extent that human beings are able to get hold of much more—maybe the moon could be useful, or Mars, or Jupiter, or something else.
If human beings are here on earth they should have some purpose, which would relate to the overall picture and be included in the universe; therefore the function of man is important in the overall picture, however not for man’s sake but for the sake of the overall picture. The earth was not created for man, but man for the earth. There is a difference! Because human beings are intent upon following out the dictates of their own desires and their own minds, what is actually happening from the standpoint of the fact that the earth is a part of the whole universal picture is being ignored and human actions simply cut across whatever it is that is actually happening. This actual happening is unknown insofar as human beings are concerned because they have been so intent upon the little thimbleful of understanding that they have with respect to what would be beneficial to themselves. So the state which is known on earth is a false state, and rightly that false state should pass away.
Things are not the way they seem to the human mind at all. The human view of the universe is based upon certain assumptions, some of which are now being found to be invalid. So the universe is not at all the way it has seemed. Of course this is something that has occurred periodically during human history: the view that is held at one point is discarded and something else is taken on and this modern view is surely the correct one. Then a little further along it doesn’t stay as modern as it was and it turns into something that is discarded also. In any case, the human mind all on its own cannot possibly encompass what is present. Its comprehension is very restricted, rightly so; the human mind, after all, is only a part of this creation—it is not the Creator. It was indicated in the Book of Revelation that all the world was deceived. It certainly is! The whole outlook of the mental apparatus of human beings in general is askew—based in what may be described as self-centeredness, the whole outlook is false.
We have noted before how the attitude of most people is that we live in a hostile world: everything is agin us, everyone is agin us. We have to be constantly on the defensive; otherwise we will inevitably be overwhelmed. The very attitude of fighting for everything is indication of the sort of outlook that human beings have. As long as we are involved in hassles we will have no sensitivity to what is actually occurring, and the involvement in the hassles comes because of our emotions, doesn’t it? “Things are so unfair!” Well who made them unfair? Oh we can find the devil almost anywhere, but always over there, always somebody else, as though one had no responsibility oneself. Every individual on the face of the earth has responsibility for himself, or herself, and if the world is the way it is, it is because this responsibility hasn’t been handled correctly. Let us not assume that it is somebody else who did it. As long as each individual has that attitude, nobody else did it, according to the human view at least, because it’s always over there. But to find someone who has what it takes to accept personal responsibility, that, generally speaking, is conspicuous by its absence. If there is an acceptance of a personal responsibility it’s usually to associate oneself with a group of people who see the devil over there. We have some remarkable examples of this on the international scene in these days, but it’s not much different from the way it’s always been: the devil is somewhere else, someone else, and one is so lily-white oneself! Who is interested in the truth of the matter? We have presented ourselves before the Lord this morning because we have some interest in the truth of the matter, and some interest in letting that truth be the base for our own living. When it begins to be the base for our own living then our outlook changes. You have discovered that this is so. You see the world in a different way. What I have been considering this morning offers an awareness of the way things are—up to a point at least—which is not exactly in harmony with the way most people presently see things.
We have noted that by reason of this continuing movement through these various levels of atmosphere, and what is present in these levels of atmosphere, there are some changes taking place in the experience of human beings, changes which may be either constructive or destructive. The old state, the old outlook to which human beings have clung for millennia, is in the process of being dissolved. It can’t continue to exist in the changing states of atmosphere. The way human beings should be, the way they were created to be, described as in the image and likeness of God, is in the process of reemerging. Something is coming forth through human beings and in some ways it is driving them crazy, or more crazy than they were before. In another way it is bringing a new experience in living which allows for a new outlook, mentally speaking amongst other things, so that the world is not seen the way it was seen before. But this change in awareness is consequent upon a change in living, a change in actual experience, an emergence out of the imaginary condition into the factual condition.
To the extent that there has been a willingness to let this happen so that there actually has been some change, primarily in attitude, then there has been a clarification in awareness. In one sense nothing is changing. Things have always been the way they’ve always been, but the way human beings have seen things is changing. Now, there are those who continue to manipulate in the ways to which they have been accustomed in the past without apparently any great recognition as yet that they are living in a world that is not the same as it was—the same brash human nature manipulations going on as though the world was still in the state where it could be manipulated. All the manipulation does now is to bring increased destruction, increased disintegration, not only with respect to the particular geographical place where the manipulation comes to focus, but for everything and for everyone. That was described as the dragon being cast into the earth, where he has great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time. He’d better get his manipulation done quick, because he sees the days are numbered, perhaps not as clearly as all that yet.
But there is this which is coming forth through human beings everywhere on the face of the earth, describable as the spirit of God, the Christ, coming forth into manifestation, into expression, and pushing aside what is not in harmony with that expression. This should alert human beings, if they begin to see it, to make sure that they are in harmony with that expression—otherwise, for sure they’ll be pushed aside, and there is nobody on the face of the earth, including all of us, who is exempt. It’s happening whether anybody likes it or not, whether anybody recognizes it or not. The Christian world has long been looking for the second coming of Christ. Here it is! But it requires that all the structures that have been created in the human mind should be dissolved, so that there is no attempt made anymore to try to live according to those structures. That is inevitably fatal. “Behold, I make all things new”—there is the Word, very descriptive, very factual, and there isn’t anyone anywhere who doesn’t sense something of the sort. But human beings cling to their structures, cultures they are sometimes called—cults is what they are.
But the passing of such things is not merely at hand—it’s here, and the intensity of that passing increases. Human beings try to live the way they’ve always lived. There are certain differences in human nature in this part of the world and that part of the world, but it’s all human nature. They try to follow out their ideas, whether they be religious or political or economic, or whatever, all based in this coarse realm in which human beings have existed for so long, losing their sensitivity to the spirit of God. But because human beings lose their sensitivity to the spirit of God, and therefore have little awareness of it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there, and it doesn’t mean that it is not coming forth, and in its coming forth bringing all kinds of things that human beings don’t like, clearing out the rubbish.
Let there be those on earth who rejoice in that coming forth, who rejoice to let their own lives be transformed by reason of a transformation of consciousness, so that there may be present on earth the evidence of what it is that is happening. If everybody resists that coming forth, gets into a battle with it because it’s uncomfortable, then there is no evidence in form of what it is that is coming forth. Nobody knows, and people find themselves in this mishmash of experience, going down to destruction. Let there be those who allow the clarity of the spirit of God to take form in their own living, and then there it is. It becomes evident, both in a direct sense for those that are on hand nearby to see, but also in an indirect sense, because one cannot do anything without having an effect on everything. If the spirit of God is coming forth and finding expression in form on earth because there are those who are willing to let it, that has an effect for all people.
It was said of the birth of Jesus long ago that here was something “to all people.” Well here it is, to all people—this is what it is. We have the opportunity to prove it out, not merely try to believe something. “Oh, Martin said so. It must be so.” Really? I have never asked anyone to believe something merely because I say so. My concern has been to offer something that can be proven out in the individual’s own living, and it is up to each person. The kingdom comes forth in the expression of living through the individual, and when it comes forth through a number of individuals they find that it is something in which they are sharing. They are in agreement with the coming forth collectively then. They begin to know what it is and they begin to be able to see what is happening in the world. What is happening in the world is not at all describable by discussions in the United Nations, or even by observing the events that are going on. Such things are far-out evidence of the fact that there is something pushing forth, but what it is that is pushing forth is only known when there are those who are participating in harmony with what is pushing forth, and are therefore revealing it in their own living. Then there it is! And when it is there in the world then there is a means by which all who will may awaken to the fact, instead of slumbering on in the dream world of imagination. There is a point where people can never wake up.
So we share in an increasing awareness, by reason of our own experience in living, of what is occurring immediately around us, and therefore we may intelligently handle it in whatever way it should be handled. We can handle these things that are next to us. We can’t handle anything out there, but in handling what is next to us our right handling of that extends an impact and an influence so that particularly those who are honorable people, and are hungering and are thirsting after the experience of rightness on earth, may be touched. And there are these in all nations everywhere. It has nothing to do with politics. It has very little to do with religion, incidentally, too. All these things that have been customary in the human nature world are passing away. Let them go, and rejoice in the coming, the coming which is actually one’s own experience, not the coming of some belief or other but the coming of actual experience which, if one had a belief before, will likely be very different to what one believed, because beliefs have all been a part of the human state of consciousness which is passing away. It’s a dream state. “Behold, I make all things new … these words are true and faithful.” Let us abide in this state of wholesomeness, holiness. Glory to God in the highest.
Government—the word Jehovah reminds us of this—the action of spirit by reason of us in a specific sense, within the world that man has made. In this matter of government we've taken note of various roles. There is a design, which has something to do with the truth, a design of government in the kingdom; and this implies that there are roles to be played. In a broad sense we have seen these roles in terms of the executive, the legislative, and the educative. As the spirit in action begins to take form on earth, there are rather few people who at that point are on hand to let it happen. The human consciousness of those concerned does not really understand what is occurring, even though some new ideas may be generated and various Emissary beliefs engendered. But regardless of all this superficial stuff, there is something happening. What puts in an appearance in this superficial sense is the evidence of something happening underneath. This has been true with respect to all the various religious and denominational patterns that have put in an appearance on earth. Something was happening underneath which began to take form on the basis of the material that was present in those concerned. But then it tended to crystallize into the forms that first emerged. They might be embellished a little, later on, but the same basic crystallizations.
With the intensification of spirit that has been occurring because of the greater focus it has been given, there has been a force at work which has started to break down some of the crystallizations in the long‑established cults. We recognize that as the evidence of the working of the spirit. It doesn't have any tremendous significance from our standpoint; merely that things are being loosened up a little, so that the material which is present in people may be more easily brought into the design of the emerging spirit if that emerging spirit is allowed to continue to emerge—but it can get blocked by the Emissary concepts just as easily as it can by any other concepts. So we have let Emissary concepts prevail for a while, in order to permit as much spirit as might be possible to emerge through them, but when the concepts are full, then they have to give way—and we understand this happening. We see it as something that is required.
There may be those who tend to bewail the fact that all the Emissary structures that have been builded over the years now look as though they're all going to pass away, but we recognize that they must, as all structures must. We don't wish to equate ourselves with Babylon the Great. Babylon is usually thought of simply as being that great evil world out there; but Babylon includes everything of human nature, including Emissary structures. “Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen.” The present tense was used there; I think we could well use the present tense now. There's a good deal of rubble, a good deal of dust, and many people trying frantically to maintain their lifestyle in the rubble, blinded by the dust.
Our concern is with the government—what it is that is emerging from the standpoint of spirit. Not particularly what form is emerging at this point, but the nature and character of the spirit that is emerging. So we're looking at the spirit of government. Now the spirit of government only is known as there are those who are oriented in that spirit. We think of ourselves as having had some orientation established in our experience, but we are still aware, I am sure, that that orientation can at times be lost. We know it perhaps in little things with respect to ourselves, but we also see it in a larger sense with respect to a total individual occasionally. We think of that person as having good orientation in spirit, moving along, and then one fine day suddenly, it seems—it wasn't suddenly—but it seems suddenly the individual drifts off over the horizon somewhere, and there is a wondering after the beast as to why such things happen. We know very well why they happen. If one loses one's orientation in spirit, one will gain orientation in something else—and one moves according to the orientation. So these things are not particularly surprising when they occur. They may be a little saddening on occasion, because possibly the Lord has invested a good deal of work and so on in the individual concerned and it all goes to waste. But regardless of all that, we are here; and thus far our orientation is intact. So we move on the basis of the fact that this orientation is the way it is now. By the way, if there is a lapse on occasion, the orientation is lost momentarily, then the command is “Repent quickly; worship God”—because a loss of orientation in spirit is always based in the fact that one is worshiping a false god and one is therefore returning into the human nature state.
We see the world in that human nature state because of wrong orientation, earthly orientation. The apex of human nature in the world can be seen in the lust for power. There is much lusting for power in the world, and this is conceived to be the highest ambition, I suppose you could call it. It is in this lust for power that the prince of this world comes to ultimate focus. Power, humanly speaking, is produced in various ways. All the means of producing the power are less than the power—they are a means to an end; the end is the power. We think of money as being a controlling influence in human nature. It is a controlling influence; it is used for that by those who lust for power. Money is one aspect of the means by which power may be gained in the human nature world. There are other means; not just money, which represents something—commodities, natural resources, what have you, are all means to an end in the acquisition of power.
Politics is a means to an end. Usually people who look at this dragon think of these means as being the end. They get into a battle with the means rather than with the reason for the means. International finance—there's an evil ogre which something needs to be done about. But it isn't international finance that is necessarily the point. That is a means to an end in the lust for power, and of course the ultimate fulfilment of that lust is somehow to reach a point—and there must be an apex here—reach a point where power is being exercised over the whole world. We recognize that there are various undertakings which have this intent; but the ones that talk about it are not the ones generally speaking who are going to find themselves in the driver's seat in the end, when that end comes. They don't see that it is the end. They see it as an end in their own lust for power—“Now we have succeeded”—but that point of success is at the same time a point of defeat. We can understand this if we recognize the reality of the kingdom government which is present, because of us and others on earth, largely unseen, unrecognized for what it is but there nevertheless, and operating effectively at a level where the dragon cannot reach. This is why the dragon for the most part is unaware of what is going on, even though in the operation of gaining power in the human sense a great deal of expertise is developed which may be seen as paralleling spiritual expertise. In other words, there are sensitivities developed of various sorts in the pursuit of their goals.
The pursuit of goals is not merely an intellectual pursuit. There are feelings involved also. Obviously, if we talk about a lust for power emotion must be involved. Now I'm not speaking of it in that sense so much as the fact that in the manipulative dealings a person will become sensitive, vibrationally speaking, at the level of human nature function—and it is those who are sensitive in this way who are one step ahead of those who are not. Those who are trying to do it all on the basis of logic and reason are out‑maneuveured by those who use logic and reason too, but they also have this additional sensitivity to vibrational factors. So we see that while all human beings in one way or another lust for power, the power to govern their own experiences, this all builds up to an apex somehow, and with the world being brought together in an external state of unification, the opportunity is provided then, from the standpoint of human nature, for those seemingly contending aspects—heads of the dragon—to culminate finally in one head. As this process continues, the heads begin to thin out.
In view of the fact that such heads usually are there on the basis of their sensitivity to vibrational factors, they have a basis for remaining invisible. Those who are plodding along, like the so‑called Communist conspiracy for instance, plodding along toward their goal, manipulating everywhere of course, as a general rule they don't have much sensitivity—it's pretty brash. And of course that's all right insofar as those who do have the sensitivity are concerned; let everybody focus on these sort of things, which are not the real issue anyway, even though they may appear to be, or made to appear to be. According to Paul we wrestle not against flesh and blood but with spiritual wickedness in high places, the powers of this world, etc. Well, we don't wrestle with any of these things—it’s a waste of energy. Our concern is not to waste our energy against something but to conserve our energy for something—and that which we are for is the kingdom government; because the kingdom government is sensitive to higher vibratory levels than is possible to human nature government, and so there is always the ability to reach to a level of action which transcends anything that human nature can put together. There is a sort of hypnosis in this, because those who are concerned have their eyes fastened on this, so that they have their backs to what else may be happening of which they have heretofore been aware; it doesn't amount to a row of beans in the view of those who have gained a considerable measure of power in the human nature sense. They have the power, after all; they don’t need to worry. Little do they know! That's all right too. But there is something coming together, as we realize from the standpoint of the spiritual government, the kingdom government of which we have some awareness and which we are capable of observing as it emerges in form.
We have observed that form but tended to equate it with Emissary structures, which is not the real form at all; that's simply something that is thought up by wild Emissary imagination. The real form is yet to emerge. We're not concerned with that. The real form can't emerge in any ultimate sense until the unreal form has dissolved, because it is the dissolution of the unreal form that unveils the real form. Now if we say that, we see there is a very close connection between the unreal form and the real form—in other words they are not apart from each other. We well understand the fact that it isn't a matter of Jesus coming on His charger, and the hosts of heaven with Him, and utterly destroy the unreal world, because the fact of the matter is that if such a foolish imagination were even possible, there would then be nothing there. Nothing there but imagination, but there would be no human beings on hand to imagine it. It is the falling of the unreal, of Babylon, that unveils the presence of the kingdom—and the extent that Babylon falls unveils to that extent the kingdom. And the whole process is going on at the same time. It isn't sequential.
So we recognize the lust for power as relating to human nature and as providing an apex goal insofar as the prince of this world is concerned, who takes form through human beings. We're not talking about a vague entity floating around and doing all these things; we're talking about human beings doing all these things. And the things that are being done are very often seemingly more or less all right to human nature, because everybody else is doing it as well, on a different scale and in a different way. So it sort of correlates with what everybody is doing anyway; and the people who are doing it are not altogether that much different from the rest of the human race. If one were to meet up with someone who could possibly be categorized as a luster for power in a very special sense, I doubt if he would be seen as being very different to your next door neighbor or anybody. So let us not categorize these roles that people play; they're all human beings in human nature. Our concern is to open doors so that the state of human nature might be transcended by the lowliest person and the most exalted person in this human nature field—it doesn't make any difference; we don't go striding into the international oil companies executives’ offices with fire in our eyes because all the wicked people are there, as though there were none outside in the street. How ridiculous! Let's not classify and categorize people.
There are people playing roles of all kinds everywhere, but it is the real people behind the roles with whom we are concerned, even if they are where the current human devil may be. All this is of concern to us because in our position of government we need to understand these things and see them in a balanced way and do not work up heat under our collars by reason of the terrible, wicked things that people do in high places. What is being done in high places in the world is actually falling in with what needs to be done from the standpoint of the Lord. In other words, there are a lot of people doing what needs to be done so that we may be saved the trouble. There is a building up toward this apex point. I suppose that somewhere along the way when we are in position collectively, because there really is a government, to say “Thank you very much; we'll now assume the responsibility.” Of course maybe it doesn't come quite that easily but the principle can be seen. So while there are a lot of nefarious deeds going on all over the place, we are assured that the spirit of God is in action. We are assured in that regard if it is in action in us—then we have the assurance—and everything that is occurring is one way or another leading to what needs to happen. And these appalling crises that put in an appearance every now and again, and will continue to do so—worse ones to come—are not seen as portending disaster, except to human nature, but as pointing to the fact of victory, the fact that the creative spirit of God is at work.
The power that is present by reason of the spirit of God we refer to as the power of love. This is the supreme power. There is in fact no other power. Even the power that is being acquired by those who lust after it in the human nature sense is only there because of love—there isn't any other power. It is a stealing of power in this sense, but it is the same power being stolen—fire is being stolen. We are concerned with the power of love but only on the basis of the truth, only on the basis of its operation in the true design and under proper control. That control and design are the responsibility of the kingdom government on earth—in other words, these are our responsibilities. We don't have to worry about the power—there is no lack of power. Human beings think of themselves as being in some sort of a crisis relative to what they call energy. But this is a crisis of human nature, we would agree—too bad! But insofar as power is concerned, I don't think there's any less power available in the universe than there was before human nature had an energy crisis. There's no trouble about the power. Love is the power. It is the one power of the universe. The whole universe is operated on this basis, but it is operated with the power under control and according to a very particular design—and that operation is a living operation, in consequence.
There is the necessity of the kingdom—“Thine is the kingdom”—this is our concern, the necessity of government. “Thine is the power.” Then the power is available in the right expression of it, because there is the facility which is one with that power; no longer a stolen power. And the operation of that power by reason of this facility is life. “Thine is the kingdom; thine is the power; and thine is the glory.” The result of the kingdom being on hand so that the power can work; then the evidence of that is glory. Glory we recognize as relating to life, to the manifestation of life in form as it really is. So the kingdom government then is obviously the essential factor. We have a little Assembly here in order to give us some experience relative to this government—the government within which there are various roles to be played. In the initial stages of the coming forth of the spirit there were few in number so all concerned had to play all the roles. Now, as there begin to be more people available, the design can be more differentiated and specific roles can begin to appear as dominant ones in the overall role of the angel on earth.
However we find ourselves in the human nature world, so here we are, and many of the things that are characteristic of that human nature world are characteristic of us simply because the human nature world is still here and the restoration has not yet occurred. So we don't rebel against the fact that human nature is still on hand relative to ourselves personally, or in other people in all kinds of other roles in this human nature world. That's the way it is! The Lord recognizes that's the way it is—why shouldn't we? But we learn to function correctly because our orientation is correct in the circumstance in which we find ourselves—and sometimes we find ourselves in disintegrating circumstances. Obviously we do in the human nature world as a whole. We find it also in relationship to our own bodies in whatever measure. This being closest to us and being our direct responsibility, we can perhaps do something about it to some extent—not because we're anxious to preserve the body but because we recognize that the Lord has invested something in us and He better get a return on His investment before we depart. This indicates that as long as we have something to do we'll be concerned to be on hand. But by the same token, if we've done what we came to do we're no longer concerned to be on hand. In other words, a very open attitude here and the matter of death doesn't loom so large anymore.
So in all these things we see the necessity of the true government based in the fact that there are those who are spiritually oriented and who, if they lose their footing for a moment, repent quickly and worship God. Worship God—call to remembrance. This is the action of the spirit of truth, isn't it? It calls all things to remembrance. Let be called to remembrance what we really know. We know it already. If we lose our orientation we may think for a little that we don't, but that's because we lost the orientation, not because we don't. We fool ourselves in that regard. As soon as we regain the orientation, then we immediately discover that we really know how to handle the thing. We don't need to go rushing to somebody else, saying “Help me; help me; handle this for me.” We remain babies if we do that. We see what has happened. Orientation has slipped. All right. Repent quickly. Let it be restored. Worship God. And lo and behold we have all the material necessary, all the understanding, everything that is required to handle whatever it was. And when we do this, small slips in orientation are not all that dangerous, because we immediately repent, and we immediately find ourselves back where we belong and capable of participating in this government, whatever role we are required to play—still, for the most part most of us play all the roles.
In what I say I usually bring to focus what is at the forefront, what is at the spear-point, so to speak, trusting that the rest of the spear will follow through. But the spear has more than a point. There is the head of the spear, which is a complete object in itself, and that's fastened to the shaft, so there's quite a bit to follow through, at all levels. And I trust that what I say is said in the current of the spirit, in which case those who are at any particular level will discover what they need to be at their particular level—but by the same token I am saying, as plainly as I am in position to do, what needs to be heard by those who are emerging into the real world. So provision is made for all concerned, and we need to recognize that this is so in assuming our roles in government—that the only way we can operate is in the current of the spirit. We need to say what the spirit of God would say in us and when that is the case there is something said in every tongue. We speak in tongues. There is something available for each level of experience. In the Assembly there is a much more cohesive thing, and there is a greater sharing of the level at which we need to be operating. Whereas if we had five hundred people in here instead of 49, we wouldn't have such a cohesive gathering, and you couldn't bring it to point and carry it through in the spirit to the level that we may here. You understand that. In the current of the spirit we speak in tongues—tongues that those who are present to hear can understand, and we do take into account the audience which we are addressing.
Government. This is our concern, as you already know. All right, let's govern on the basis of our knowing. This indicates a governed life in the personal sense. We're not going off in all directions. We're not subject to all the human nature moods that may put in an appearance from time to time. Who cares? They're of no interest to us. We’re not interested in human nature as such, just to let it go, let it be dissolved. So we don't allow our life force to flow into these things. We stay together in a cohesive whole and begin to share a greater control in the design of government. That's what we're here to do, with others.
