Edna Lister's Sermons from April 1958

It Is Finished

Good Friday, April 4, 1958 outline

Psalm 22:1-17, John 19:30, Matthew 27:35 & Luke 23:46

My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry in the day time, but You do not hear; and in the night season, and am not silent. But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; they trusted, and You delivered them. They cried to You, and were delivered: they trusted in You, and were not ashamed. But I am . . . a reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see me ridicule me: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, "He trusted on the Lord, let Him rescue him. Let Him deliver him, since He delights in him." But You are He who took me out of the womb: You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts. I was cast upon You from birth. From my mother’s womb You have been my God. Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help . . . I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it has melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue clings to my jaws; You have brought me to the dust of death. For dogs have surrounded me: the congregation of the wicked has enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look and stare at me. They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. Psalm 22:1-17

So when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished!" And bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. John 19:30

Then they crucified him, and divided his garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, "They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots." Matthew 27:35

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, "Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." Having said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46

The Roman soldiers, who were in charge of the Crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves, sat at the foot of the cross, drank and gambled, rolling dice as they "divided his garments, casting lots" to see who would get his tunic, mantle, sash and sandals. They appear to have been a hardhearted crew, yet one wonders.

Crucifixion was the common Roman punishment for treason, murder and other capital crimes. Judea was a hotbed of political dissent, and these soldiers must have participated in more than one crucifixion. Like it or not, it was their job. Drinking and gambling are two very earthy methods of escapist behavior.

Yet, "they divided my garment" is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Psalm 22. It is also a proof of reincarnation.

"Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit." When Jesus left his body, the release of Power tore the temple veil. Thunder, lightning and black clouds darkened the sky. The earth shook, and lightning shattered rocks. They reported that the great lintel of the temple doors was cracked in two.

The graves were opened and many saw "the dead" walking among them. The magnitude of Jesus’ surrender raised earth’s vibration until men’s eyes were open to truly "see." When His Father took him, the invisible, which had been lowered, became visible.

What miracles will your surrender produce?

Come Ye Apart

April 20, 1958 outline

Mark 6:31 & Matthew 6:6

He said to them, "Come ye apart into a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Matthew 6:6

"Come ye apart" are mysterious words, as if a secret were about to be shared. That is exactly what Jesus did when he took them apart, share the Mysteries of the Kingdom.

"When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly." This tells us, "Come ye apart" to pray, but where, how, when? We can pray anywhere, anytime or now, but the "how" is the difficulty.

Today, Will Oussler declares that more than "one million unchurched agnostics" and "tired, busy businessmen" go to some weekend retreat for vacations. Why? Because it builds up their bodies and rests their minds just to "come apart" and "be still," even without prayer, just with service. Every denomination has opened some type of prayer "group." A few people, six or more, meet and pray. Since the days of Phineas Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, and Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, metaphysicians and truth centers have had silent groups treating in prayer. All have had almost unbelievable results.

This brings us to the "how." We obey Jesus: "Go into your room and close the door!" It’s a "sometimes" thing that does not always work because of outside interference – self-emotions, resentment, and irritation from the sound of the world’s noises. We take four steps to enter our room of Light and pray: Zip-up in a suit of Light, love God, stay up there, and praise.

We can use two distinct kinds of prayer, in three distinct ways. First is the broadcasting "outgoing" kind, telling God about it, and done more in words. The other is "tuning in," "looking up" kind of prayer, "waiting upon the Lord in the High Place," listening for the Voice, and taking in the message.

Each of these methods has a phase that brings no results. You can be too busy "telling God" about it to hear, or become too "peaceful" to hear, for under inactive "peace," your vibration sinks too low to register high Illumination. As we become peaceful, our vibration falls. We can slip down too easily and too often unless we are wary.

Now, why are there only two types of prayer, but three ways to use them? Why isn’t prayer a two-way "walkie-talkie" kind of affair? It’s no so simple as, "Come ye apart" and "Go into your room and shut the door." What door? To the world, to noise, to self!

First, we must have a "faith-base of operations." A simplified definition of faith is "loving God enough" to trust Him completely, with abandon. Faith is a Principle, but also a "Name" of God to call on.

Stand still a moment, and "see" a room of Light. Consciously enter this Light, mentally reach down and zipper yourself into a pink cloud that comes up to cover your mouth! This closes and seals your door! A Golden Silence, a Source of Light awaits each soul, and God has endowed all with the ability to enter it. It is an action "within" – in, in, in, and up, up, up.

You can’t be self-conscious and God-conscious simultaneously. You can’t "hear" the world while you listen for God. You can’t hear the "noise" of self-emotions and be God conscious. In short, you can’t be "dual-minded!" We hear the world with our ears, but listen to God with our brain cells. Prayer requires our full attention on God!

Tests of college students proved that the best of students "just half listen!" What kind of listener are you? If your prayer is too much talk, you leave no time for God’s Voice to register.

What are the three ways to use prayer? First, after moving up in consciousness, praise God, and tell Him how much you love Him. Move higher and ever higher into Light. Only words of praise will take you into the Golden Silence.

When you arrive at the Silence, open the way through your mind, not your body, to the outer world and give, give, give. "Treat" all needs in prayer that come to mind. "Let" the Power use you. Tell everyone you "see" in your mind’s eye, "I love you. You are free. You are up." When you’ve exhausted the names and places, just "be still" and "let." "Know" the Power is moving forth again, into every person and place you’ve treated.

Are you finished? No, because you are a twenty-four-hour-a-day channel for giving! The third and most important step is to give, once to the world, and twice to God! Tell God how much you love Him, all over again. Thank Him for the miracles. Dig into the Silence with your Love-anchor. "Come ye apart" again before you contact your world. Don’t come down. Don’t come out! Stay up!

Slowly open your eyes, and slowly move into action. Don’t unzip your protective suit of Light. Feel the Power still using you. Know the Power is using you. Act as if Power is using you! In this state of consciousness, you are undisturbed, undismayed and victorious. "Come ye apart" and live now, for you are now as immortal as you’ll ever be.

Right here and now, you are immortal in Christed atomic substance. This is your first hour of being, because Jesus has called "Come ye apart." You are immortal. Because I love God, I am now Immortal. "Come ye apart, and rest awhile."

Come Ye Apart

April 20, 1958

Mark 6:31 & Matthew 6:6

He said to them, "Come ye apart into a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going and they did not even have time to eat. Mark 6:31

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place, and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you openly. Matthew 6:6

Jesus’ invitation, "Come ye apart," sounds mystical, as though secrets were in the air. He often took his disciples apart to share mystical secrets with them. He told them to "rest a while" and through him they drew Power for rejuvenation.

A religious renaissance is sweeping the world today. "God" is no longer a taboo word, and from the high office of President to the largest business firms, many begin their days with prayer. More than a million formerly unchurched agnostics and professionals who have never prayed now attend nondenominational retreat centers throughout the U.S., to do housework, cook and spend a weekend in complete silence. They return to the world renewed physically, mentally and emotionally because under silence, the Oversoul enters the body. Dozens of truth centers for silent prayer and retreat, based on Jesus’ teachings, operate throughout the world. They operate in quiet confidence, unlike the hoopla that attracts the masses, to lift earth and consume evil and darkness.

One way to pray is giving, broadcasting prayer with many words. The other is a silent, wordless, upward-looking, in-drawing prayer of soul. Neither will work alone, so using them simultaneously is the trick. We apply prayer three ways. We must have a method, a formula and seek three things: Where to pray can be anywhere. When to pray can be anytime. How to pray may trip us. Jesus told us to enter a room, shut the door and pray. Where is this room? What door do we close?

Often we feel like a factory boiler room as we begin to pray, for subconscious conflicts clamor when we become silent. We can’t enter the Golden Silence filled with resentments and irritations, but the average person just suppresses subconscious distractions, pushing them back to the boiler room where they continue to howl and clank. Our prayers ascend as high as our consciousness.

Self thinks of its own negativity. Love enough erases all self, unwise actions, hasty words, monetary worries and guilt complexes. We pay a great price to love – we must conquer self. Balance the day’s book of self with love each night.

How can we commune with God in the Golden Silence while worldly noises, problems and the subconscious all clamor? The secret of successful prayer is to be single-minded and oblivious to the world’s noise and distractions, which is why Jesus said, "Come ye apart."

We know a Source of Light lies at our highest point of extended Vision. Space is endless. We need not all go to the same place. Our Father has arranged it so that we each have our own individual Source, a "secret place" in which to expand and commune with Him. Turn Imagination up to a Vision of Light as you ascend to the Source. Look up, envision a room of Light made just for you and you are there – it’s that simple.

God must have your full attention. Your ears may hear noises, but you listen to God with your brain cells, and each is an inner "ear." Reach down from your room of Light and encircle your physical mouth and ears with a rose-pink cloud of devotion. Oversoul touches your egoic soul, everything in the subconscious boiler room is drawn up to ascend into that Light, and distractions disappear. This is how you enter your room and close the door to pray.

What kind of listener are you? Are you aware? Some listen with only 10% of their attention. Ascend in consciousness to your Source of Light, become a full listener to obliterate world noises and hear God in this beautiful Sphere of Silence. Two things can disturb you here. You can be so busy telling God what He should do that you can’t hear the vibration of His Voice, like being oblivious to the television while you are doing something else. You can also become so peaceful that you loll in the Light, go to sleep and hear nothing.

You must have time to prepare for prayer, to enter your room of Light and close the door on the world. Give God your full attention. Scattered prayer effort counts and helps save the world, but true prayer power comes in supreme Golden Silence. A proverb says, "By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honor, and life." Humility is the ability to accept and surrender, and loving God enough is the only qualification needed. Your obedience and acceptance of Divine Law give you riches, honors and life.

Now you are ready to pray. First, prepare yourself to give to the world. You don’t want an "empty" body. Praise pushes the button and opens every door to intake Power until you find your body full to overflowing with Light and Love. Tell God you love Him. Heaven is full of so many Courts and Thrones to see, so extend your Vision to Eternity, then tighten your focus. Remain in the Golden Light, praise God and tell Him how wonderful He is.

Broadcast love to the world, to everyone on your lines of Light. Call them all by name and say, "I love you. You are free." Your body becomes a powerhouse, a conduit of Light for the world when you just give and give. How many hours have you spent on other people’s business? If you meant to spend ten minutes with God but gave Him thirty, you may be tempted to rush to make up the time, which shocks the body and you lose the glory you could have held all day.

When you turn back to God, tell Him again how much you love Him. Thank God you have had such a glorious time with Him. Keep your consciousness zipped up from the world in a room of Light. Breathe deeply, slowly open your eyes to the world, and you’ll stay up, on your Mount of Transfiguration. Stand in the Light, filled with life and God’s pure Love. You can easily handle worldly matters when you stay up in consciousness and praise God after prayer. Nothing of earth can hurt you if you are zipped-up in Light. "Come ye apart" and "rest a while" in the Love of God, which is immortal, deathless, ageless and abiding.

Light is the source of indestructible atomic power, and standing in the pure Light of God, you are immortal, invulnerable, invincible, immovable. Remain in the Light where Power still possesses you. As you lean back to "rest a while," praise God that Power moves through hour by hour as you remain with Him. Prayer becomes the ultimate Creative Vibration, as a love song of ecstasy from the heart.

The Miracle of Increase

April 27, 1958 outline

Mark 6:31-44 & John 6:5-14

He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have to eat. So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him, and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat." But he answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?" But he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." Then he commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fish he divided among them all. So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and of the fish. Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. Mark 6:31-44

Then Jesus lifted up his eyes, and saw a great multitude coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" But this he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; and likewise of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, he said to his disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which were left over by those who had eaten. Then those men who had seen the miracle that Jesus performed said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." John 6:1-14

These stories describe the "Miracle of Expansion through Increase." It is an outstanding lesson in the perfect use of what we presently have, yet it almost outshines almost every experience we can have. We can gain a more comprehensive view of each phase of this miracle if we compare the two disciples’ versions.

First, Mark says they had arrived by boat, obviously along a shoreline. Many people were coming and going, and no one had time to rest or eat. So Jesus told them to come apart to a deserted place, by boat. Then John says he went up on a mountain, so it must have been a rugged coastline, a high hill near the shore.

According to Mark, the huge crowd arrived before Jesus and his disciples! They must have watched the direction they were headed, and guessed their destination. They went by land, spreading the word along the way.

Verse 34 says, "Jesus, when he came out, saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So he began to teach them many things." He wasn’t "in," in the sense of being in a building. He came out of the Golden Silence, had compassion, and taught them.

What did he teach them? We know of two great truths: Heaven is a state of consciousness and a place, where he said, "I go to prepare a place for you." Second, he taught that God is both Principle and Personality, and the many ways in which we must take care of life’s every department. We must "render unto Caesar" in earthly commerce, "Look up and be saved" in our mental lives, and "why do you worry" at the emotional-psychological level. Here, here had fed their souls by teaching them.

Everyone was tired and hungry. Mark says the disciples wanted him to send the crowd away, but Jesus said, "you feed them." Two hundred denarii must have been the size of their purse! John says that Jesus asked Philip "where shall we buy bread?" Jesus "knew" but wanted to make them "increase-conscious." Philip knew that they didn’t have enough money for bread if everyone were to eat. Andrew, who represents "strength," knew that one boy had five loaves and two small fish. "Five loaves" represent freedom, and "two fish" represent agreeing and adjusting. The loaves were symbols of increase, and the fish of abundance.

Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." He knew they were weary, and would forget everything he had taught them unless they relaxed. He had them sit in groups of one hundred, the number of a spiritualized individuality, and by fifties, the number of spiritual freedom. In this case, it represents assimilation. As they ate, they would also assimilate the "spiritual" food. While standing, the individual looks down, but while sitting, he looks up. This was a perfect approach psychologically.

What happened when Jesus broke and blessed the bread? The Master held the bread, and "saw" what he held as a "seed!" He comprehended the great Law of Increase, to bless and to praise the seed, no matter how small. For example, the giant redwood trees, which grow three hundred feet tall and live for 3,000 years, throw tiny winged seeds.

You can have no miracle without a Vision of what the seed can grow. Vision is seeing the results of Increase and Expansion while still holding the seed in the hand of your mind and blessing it.

If your miracles are partial or delayed, something is clogging your channels of Increase and Expansion. You must release some opinion or prejudice. You need a spiritual Roto-Rooter to cut the roots. People are afraid to let go, for they fear giving away something they "might need." You have to give to start Increase and Expansion flowing. Use the new seed. Bless it, praise it and put it on a cloud of Light to grow, never forgetting to sustain and nourish it. Then go about your business. Jesus never taught to sit and concentrate to produce "something from nothing," out of thin air.

What did Jesus see? Not five loaves and two fish! Wheat fields produce millions of loaves of bread. Oceans produce billions of fish. Five thousand needed to eat of the loaves and fish. The Master didn’t have several jobs to do, just one. The hungry 5,000 were waiting expectantly on the outer. Their need became a "sight draft" on Power, which Jesus added to his Vision. He drew Power into visibility as Substance.

You never ask for self, or say "mine" to draw on Power. You need a sight draft to draw it through you. Seek a need in another, and use it to envision enough for everyone and to spare. When we think we are giving too much, we stop giving and cut off the sight draft on the Power moving through, and sag at the seams. Our Vision must be great to start the flow of Increase. No vision on earth today is great enough – none! No one has ever touched the fringes of what "might be."

"Ye are gods, and it does not yet appear what you shall be." God’s Vision is of Universes! He is all we see, all we shall see, all we shall use! The Power of Increase is limited only by us. We must "see" only the results of our Vision, not the need.

Miracles never end! They gathered up twelve baskets after they had fed all. It went right on increasing until he put the fragments into the baskets. We can’t be foolish about this. Jesus did not say we needed to feed 5,000, yet if the need arises, we must step up! Let your Vision be great enough, and never stop nourishing that Vision!

A Miracle of Increase

April 27, 1958

Mark 6:31-44 & John 6:5-14

The story of the loaves and fishes describes the Miracle of Increase, and is loaded with action, for it illustrates bringing the invisible into visibility. Mark and John recorded the miracle under the same chapter number, six, which represents the double Trinity of Increase. Mark says Jesus went to a deserted place, which describes a perfectly serene and uncluttered consciousness. John says Jesus went up on a mountain, a high place in consciousness, and when he "came out," he emerged from the Golden Silence. The crowds who followed him respected his retreat into the Silence. Jesus had communed with God, was inspired, and the poor people moved him to compassion. He began to build the crowd’s vibration to a higher rate, and began to teach them that heaven is a state of consciousness and a place, that God is Personality and Principle. Most religious creeds go just so far in one direction or the other, but we worship God as both.

Jesus unfolded the Mysteries in the Sermon on the Mount, and opened Wisdom’s Gates to the disciples. That sermon lifted their consciousness so high that they could increase from exerting their self-will to precipitating Substance into visible manifestation. Jesus never taught people to sit and concentrate, but that we must enliven the seed in our hand to increase it.

Heaven is a place and a state of consciousness right here, right now. We have seven bodies that occupy seven different rates of vibration. For instance, we continue in a body of atomic substance when we leave the physical body during sleep or at transition. We’re aware of heaven when we raise our rate of vibration by ascending to higher consciousness, and as we enter heaven, we occupy a place and a state of consciousness. Thus, we may breathe Power to inflate the atomic body and higher vehicles for healing, which is a complete, pure vibration.

The versions in John and Mark are a little different. Mark reports that the disciples wanted Jesus to send the people away. They understood the crowd’s hunger, but didn’t think of supplying the demand. John states that Jesus asked Philip what they should do, but Philip could see only the insufficiency of supply. Jesus saw the people’s need, the miracle-seed in his hand and knew how to make the seed increase to supply the demand. This episode teaches us to agree with God and adjust to others’ needs. Seeing, then agreeing and adjusting is one of life’s big problems since no two people see life the same way. We become nonresistant when we ascend in consciousness. Enemies expect opposition, so we confuse and bewilder them when we agree until we have no enemies.

Jesus had the people sit in both versions. They were hungry, tired of standing, so he had them relax to integrate his words, or they would have forgotten what he taught. In Mark, Jesus told the disciples to have them sit in perfectly numbered groups. They sat in a heavenly tetragram and were open to assimilation.

Five loaves represent a physical increase, as bread increases when yeast causes it to rise. Two fish represent spiritual abundance. In John, the Master broke the bread, blessed it and prayed before they ate. The people needed a common denominator of Faith and Joy to produce the miracle. We must sit in the heavenly state of consciousness we make. Jesus held the miracle-seed of increase when he took the bread and fish.

A miracle’s success depends on whether you are concerned with your seed, and the work you must do. Bless the seed and use Imagination to "envision" the size of the miracle you want. You’ll delay the miracle unless you "see" the need to surrender to it fully. We need a spiritual drain cleaner to remove our fears and open our channels of Thinking and Imagination. Just surrender to God and give up negativity to unclog your channels. People who can’t conceive the need, the work they must do, lack Vision. Without Vision, we have no miracles.

Each is free to increase his effort and double his output. Jesus went directly to the Source of Power and increased the supply so 5,000 ate of just five loaves and two fish. The group was fervently expectant, and believed absolutely that the Master could do anything. Their fervent belief drafted God’s Power and lowered the vibration of invisible Substance to solid form.

We never treat just ourselves, but others’ problems too. Vision precipitates Power from the invisible to the visible. We must have a need and a fervent desire to help. What we release in prayer fulfills others’ prayers, the Father then doubles that and fills our need. Twelve baskets left over represent the manifestation of the increase. The Power released was so great that if Jesus had not ordered the baskets gathered afterward, that Power would have continued to flow and the increase would have become waste.

You can’t have miracles without envisioning them to increase the Power. "All these works and greater shall you do." Our Vision has grown so great it pulls us through difficult times, but is puny compared with what we will be able to do. Our Vision for the world must be greater. We are the New Jerusalem. See those who hold government office as ascending Creator Gods. New Jerusalem’s government needs Christed men and women in office. Declare them good. Today, our Vision releases only a dribble of Power, and the greatest miracle has not yet come to earth.

Work in silence, without self. Power works perfectly when your Vision is great enough, but don’t act smugly or tell others about your Vision of Power. Nurture it and keep it to yourself. Increase your expression of Faith, Love and Joy. Your need is the seed. Take it in your hand, bless it, fill your aura, then go about your business. Surrender to Power and let only Soul Radiance shine from your eyes!