The Substance Hoped For
January 6, 1936 Outline
John 1:25-42 & Mark 1:14-18

And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands one among you, whom you do not know. It is he who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said,'After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.' I did not know ; but that he should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bare witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon him. I did not know him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen, and testified that this is the Son of God." Again the next day, John stood with two of his disciples, and looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to him, "Rabbi," (which is to say, being translated, Teacher,) "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and remained with him that day (now it was about the tenth hour). One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, he said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone. John 1:25-42

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel." And as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets, and followed him. Mark 1:14-18

The lesson brings out two ideas necessary to faith, which is receptivity, the listening attitude, and discernment, the ability to "see."

John, who represents intellect, proclaims the way: "Behold the Lamb of God." John waited for the Messiah until he saw the dove descending. Two of John's disciples, who were receptive to truth, followed Jesus when he said, "Come and see."

When we stand under Light, "I am become rich. I have found substance." We begin to cast our nets to catch abundance. Jesus told Faith and Discernment, "Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they followed. Discernment of truth always has its nets ready.

When God commanded Joshua to take the Promised Land, He told him to hold every foot of ground as a fortress to hold as common ground, in the world!

The Light now is greater than in Jesus' time. Every foot of ground we have gained is "holy ground." Hold your standard, your banner of Light aloft! "The time is fulfilled." "The Kingdom of God is at hand," beautiful, perfect, complete.

Your Independence
January 15, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York

What is independence? It is forever living in the Garden of Eden, where play equals work and work equals play, not play and work! Where work becomes a game, we love to play. Love is the difference between bondage and complete independence. How? Our dependence on the Power of God by surrender to that Power must be active, knowing, conscious, deliberate, complete, eager and joyous.

"Eden," which means "Divine Presence," is glorious beyond compare, the center of all knowledge, the abiding place of the Tree of Life, of which God says we may "eat thereof and live forever!" The Garden of Eden is a symbol of perfection, play time, a play ground, a good time, to live in a garden, "eternally playing."

What meaning has this for me? Would this work? How would this work? When we really know how to do things we love to do it! When we excel in anything, we like to show it! When we have learned a thing, it is a joy to do it.

We work at play, and play at work! We love to play any game that we enjoy, so we must learn how to work in Joy! We can work for hours in heat or a crowded place when we play in joy through complete independence!

Creation lasted for seven days, so the Bible says. God created for six days, and rested on the seventh. We must hold one day inviolate, no "tilling of the ground," but resting in Light, knowing all things must fulfill themselves. We may do this with creative words, prayer, formulas, methods -- all to keep us resting and knowing. Finally, everything is finished and ready for our perfection.

Mind is the Father, the Beginner, the author of speech. The Mother is the Sustainer of life. The son is the Child, the expression, or product.

The mothering idea illustrates the seventh day. All that we begin shall be finished if the Mother of Love sustained it. Through accepting this idea, we are Creators! "Man's independence is discovered where he discovers his complete dependence on Power."

Surrender to be possessed, commanded, enthralled, and enamored of God. He has made the Garden of Eden perfect for us. He put us in it, yet we put ourselves out! "I will arise in love and go unto my Father's House." Where is his garden? Right where His house is! Here and now.

Let's go! Let's try it. Let us tarry there until the descent of Power from on high, in complete independence and freedom.

Freedom
January 19, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York
1 Peter 2:11-17

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works, which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to the governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do well. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men -- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bond-servants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 1 Peter 2:11-17

This text contains five steps: 1. Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. 2. Conduct yourself honorably among the Gentiles. 3. Let your good works glorify God. 4. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. 5. Do the will of God, which is doing good.

The last four commands, "Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king," form an invisible razor's edge of obedience.

The metal for a razor is heated to 1500 degrees, then hardened and tempered. The furnace is hot on the inside and cool to the touch on the outside. They sharpen the razor's edge using diamonds, and inspect the edge at a 3000 power magnification, using cathode ray oscilloscopes that far out-strip man's perceptive faculty. Photoelectric eyes are used to detect the keenness of the edge. All these activities are used in collaboration to produce an edge that no one can actually see, but which does its job to perfection.

Willingness
January 22, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York

Wisdom, Love and Selflessness are the Primary Fundamental Principles of the Universe. Wisdom is always operating as both the Will of God and the will of man. Willingness is listening, hearing and knowing the Will of God.

Abandonment is giving up self. Surrender is abandonment of self to Light under marching orders from your soul. When you abandon self, soul creates impressions on the eye upturned to God.

God told Elijah, "Commit thyself unto Me and I shall bring it to pass." Willingness allows Power to flow through. Unwillingness (selfishness) pushes against Power. Willingness is the Path of Glory.

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:5-15

Roads are intriguing, fascinating. What is over the hill? Everyone wants to know. Some travel in luxury by air, train or auto, others by bicycle or tramping on foot to the call of the road. Even when the roads are snowed over in the mountains, people travel by skis or snowshoes.

We are each paving the road we travel, building for God or building for self. God's laborers, God's husbandry, God's building. Paul said that a "wise" master builder lays a foundation; each builds thereon. Our structures show what material we use.

The fire of life comes and burns the structure. Good material stands, poor material fails us and our work is lost. Man is saved by fire.

We pave the road, block by block, back to God. When we avoid something, we leave a block out, which makes for a bumpy road. Our road displays our ability as master builders, or loss of time in poor building.

Solid foundation. We use all past effort doubled and redoubled. Life as a game; take a chance. Never lose. Make good each time builds block to glory, to life abundant, out of darkness and into Light.

Faith
May 24, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York
Matthew 9:18-32

While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, "My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live." And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. And, behold, a woman, who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment; for she said within herself, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole." But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." And the woman was made whole from that hour. And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, he said to them, "Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleeps." And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, "Thou son of David, have mercy on us." And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" They said unto him, "Yea, Lord." Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it unto you." Matthew 9:18-32

The Master always mentions faith in the stories of healing because faith is the substance of things not seen." We believe in an everywhere evenly present God, in all, through all, as all, as spiritual substance. Really, there is nothing else but spiritual substance, which builds every form, bad or good; all is one substance.

Faith is our foundation, "the thing itself." Faith is the only way we can "look up." Wherever we focus our attention, Power comes riding back. It is free and this is the faith that we are. "All things are possible to those who love God." Faith, love and joy are all spiritual substance, the charity that keeps hope alive.

An auto has a starter and a source of supply, the fuel. Faith operates within the dynamo, generator, or magnet. Faith is our magnetic center of Joy.

Generosity
June 16, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York

A generous person is magnanimous, noble minded, free in giving, munificent, providing amply, abundantly in copious quantity. Such a one is rich and full of soul.

This describes God, our Father, who opened the kingdom to all alike. He made the entrance fee free, just requiring our obedience to Laws, such as the rules we must abide by in a park, a corporation, a law firm, society, or family; all have laws.

To whom is the kingdom readily accessible? To believers in God's generosity. How much do we believe in God's generosity?

What is man's generosity? People are generous with themselves and with things. Yet most people know very little of "generosity of soul." The Father's generosity must become our generosity.

We are generous with complaints, whining, impatience, intolerance or advice, but are we generous with living.

We each have enough joy for today, and we must generously use all we have been given.

How much do we accept as ours? "All that the Father has" is ours to use.

My Yoke Is Light
October 11, 1936 Outline
Buffalo, New York
Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Rest leads to inertia, crystallization, and eventually death. We rest from something. Earth's burdens, old thoughts, old images, all darkness, which is lack, want, and limitations.

We must be empty to be refilled. We "rest from" to make room to receive. "Take my yoke" and through taking it you find "rest to your souls," from the downward pull of earth.

What is this yoke? A yoke of oxen pull their load with patience, endurance, strength, and steadfastness. Our "furrow" is our road to Heaven.

The earth road is full of "I, me, my, mine. I do this. I heal. Look at me. If you really knew me. My family, my things, my possessions. This is mine." Such "ownership" leads to death.

When we're full of "I, me, my, mine," the Gate to glory is "ajar." When our speech is filled with "Thee and Thine," we can see the opening into God's heart. We can't lose, can't fail and can't be left out.

To man, a yoke is impossibly heavy, so it must be God's "possible": "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light," because the yoke is love. Every burden is light when we act in cooperation with Power.

©2007 Society of the Universal Living Christ
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