Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/12/17

The Pharisees question Jesus. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Welcome back, readers! In today's post we will be examining verses 37-52 of Luke Chapter 11, which as we will see serve to expound on some of the points explored in our last post. 

"And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?"

Jesus, or illumined reason, enters the house (mental dwelling place or atmosphere) of the Pharisee (belief in the supremacy of outward conformity to creed or dogma), to elucidate further on the discourse he began in previous verses regarding the importance of internal belief in and conviction of Divine principle over slavish performance of hollow, man-made ritualism. The Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers present are all personifications of the various concepts comprising the holier than thou attitude of religious dogmatism which, despite its incessant confessions of belief in the power of God, places emphasis on secondary material effects, theoretical philosophies and sectarian theologies. They foolishly champion adherence to the letter of the law (outside of the cup or physical effects) while neglecting the animating spirit of the law (inside of cup or internal I AM shaping all physical circumstance and experience). 

"But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them."

We are called to "give alms of such things" as we have, i.e. giving up those prejudices, predilections, and proclivities of thought and belief, which lead us to criticize and condemn as "unclean" the ideas and actions of others with whom we disagree, as well as placing ourselves in limitation of expression, for of fear of engaging in an "unclean" act. Once this log of ignorance is removed from our mind's eye we will see with St. Paul that "there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that regardeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Romans 14:14) And as Shakespeare said through Hamlet, "For there is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

Once more Jesus refers to the Pharisaical mind's misguided emphasis on external conditions and rituals (illustrated in the form of the sacrificial herbs) over the judgment and love of God (knowledge and application of psycho - spiritual principles and the vitalizing constructive element of love and respect toward God in all forms) demonstrated by their egoistic pleasure in receiving the perks of their religious office, while neglecting the finer points of the Law of God. Through their assumed air and appearance of being holy, wise, and pious on the surface, the Pharisee thoughts and beliefs are "as graves which appear not", leading unsuspecting seekers down into the pit of soul killing superstition, fear, shame, guilt, etc. 

"Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:

That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered."

The lawyers, which represent the unyielding legalistic attitude, give utmost primacy to obeying the exact letter of the law, lay heavy burdens by forcing all to meet every one of their narrow edicts. In laying too much stress on the oppressive mechanistic power of the law they eschew the guiding principle of which the law is the medium, i.e. mercy, equity, justice, and harmony. "For the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." (2 Cor. 3:6) In elevating the isolated operation of their part over the integrated function of the whole, they sow the seeds of disharmony, confusion, and ultimately chaos, individually and collectively.

"Hear, O Israel (awakened and illumined consciousness): The LORD our God (Universal Spirit) is one LORD (in nature, essence, and function)." (Deuteronomy 6:4)

It is adherence to this attitude which results in the killing (through denial and neglect) of the prophets (Divine archetypes and ideas of God's inherent Goodness and Wholeness, looking to bring the spiritual system back into balance).  The "lawyer" consciousness has reared its head countless times through the ages whether in the collective form of inquisitions, dictatorships, oligarchies, tyrannical households, and in the minds of individuals as various complexes and neuroses, persecuting those who dare to speak out and dissent from their superstitious, limiting beliefs. "The blood of the prophets" (the effects of the misapplied and abused Divine Power/Energy) is required of "this generation", who continue to dwell in the same state of ignorant cruelty  as their fathers (destructive concepts and beliefs). Unwilling to transcend the bounds of their own prejudiced limitations, they seek to deny others the knowledge to do likewise, in the collective forms of religious edict, civil oppression, familial tyranny as well as individual psychological complexes, neuroses, and phobias.

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

  

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/6/2017

The Sign of the Prophet Jonah. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good morning, readers: Let's launch into some verses of Luke 11 (27-36) which carry some significant symbolic import.

"And it came to pass, as he (Jesus) spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it."

The "certain woman" of the multitude personifies the attitude of mind which attributes great acts and demonstrations of wisdom to be the result of material causes, i.e. having good genetics, hereditary strengths and tendencies, or the influence of one's family and environment ("Blessed is the womb... and the paps (breasts)"). While these factors indeed have a part to play in the building up of one's character and constitution, they are ultimately subordinate to the higher functioning of spiritual and mental laws (the word of God), which when properly understood and applied can adjust or alter physical conditions for optimal expression of the indwelling Life Principle.

"And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here."

The "evil generation" is composed of the thoughts, ideas, and complexes which, despite acknowledging conceptually the unity and supremacy of God, Infinite Intelligence, Universal Mind, etc., continue to cleave to the notion of existence and necessity of evil, opposition, and the turning of the Karmic wheel, always seeking for a tangible physical "sign", or cause, to rest in, rather than inquiring further beyond the limitations of sense evidence to uncover the hidden spiritual spring. 

Both the people of Nineveh (as recorded in the Old Testament Book of Jonah) and the Queen of Sheba (whose audience with King Solomon is found in 1 Kings 10), representations of the above type of consciousness, were ultimately able to overcome their misguided beliefs through the preaching of Jonah and Solomon respectively; both prophets who, while in possession of some knowledge of the workings of Divine Mind, are still lesser than Jesus, or the fully realized expression of Christ Consciousness. Hence why they will "rise in judgment" against "this generation" of false and faulty thinking, who despite being given the sign of Jesus "the Son of Man" (the faculty of mind to discern truth from error) , refuses to repent (which is translated from the original Greek term metanoia, literally "a change of mind") from the old attitudes.

"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

The single eye here refers to that psycho-spiritual quality of judgment and vision which can see and discern the underlying unity behind all diversity and multiplicity of appearances, circumstances, and experiences that the Infinite Life is through all, above all, and in all. As long as the vision remains double, giving equal attention and attributing equal power to light and dark, imperfection will remain the predominant experience in the objective world whether it be in the form of ill health, frustrated relationships, financial turmoil, or an unholy host of other maladies, individually and collectively. We are to be channels and carriers of the light, shining forth to illuminate both ourselves and others.  

I hope you enjoyed today's post! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 9/5/2017

Jesus admonishing the Pharisees. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good morning, readers! After deviating from last Monday's post to write about the recent slew of criticism of Joel Osteen and the Prosperity Gospel and taking a break for the holiday weekend, I'm back to pick up where we left off on our last meditation, with Luke 11: 14 - 26.

"And he (Jesus) was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven."

The people denouncing Jesus' work of psychological healing as being of "Beelzebub" (prince or lord of devils) represent those which hold the attitude of sectarianism, which upon witnessing an act that doesn't conform to what they believe to be true or for which their narrow viewpoint can't otherwise explain label it evil, or the "work of the devil", rather than inquire about it with an open mind. We need not look too far to see this attitude at work in our own world at all levels: politically, socially, scientifically, spiritually, demanding endless "signs" or justifications for why their hallowed opinions and theories have been rendered insufficient. 

"But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges.

But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you."

Jesus (illumined reason personified) exposes the faultiness of this type of thinking by pointing out that, if he were indeed a servant of evil, why would he be driving out his own? Furthermore he says that, if the work he is performing is evil, then the very same efforts of the Pharisees, etc. are equally so, and they have no right to pass judgment, effectively exposing the pernicious and petty motives behind their accusations, spurred by their inability and refusal to entertain the soundness of Jesus' methods which are born of the "Kingdom of God" (union with the Healing Power and Presence through understanding).

"When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

In the parables of the strong man and the unclean spirits, Jesus illustrates the inefficiency of the methods employed by the Pharisees, which believe that through mere mechanical ritual and obedience to their dogma that the mind and heart will be made virtuous. Unless the mental and emotional houses are cleansed through sincere introspection and reflection, followed by strong desire to change via prayer and meditation, the habits which were temporarily quelled or suppressed due to conforming to external pressures (threats of hell, Divine punishment, Karma, etc.) will only return stronger and more formidable once the same stimuli present themselves, triggering the untreated subconscious patterns and complexes. 

"He that is not with me (creative and transforming power of the indwelling I AM) is against me: and he that gathereth (the wisdom and truth of God) not with me scattereth (through believing in evil, opposition, duality, etc.)

I hope you enjoyed today's content! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

Joel Osteen, Hurricane Harvey, and The Prosperity Gospel

Source: ABC News

Much criticism has been levied as of late against Joel Osteen for his delay in making available the facilities of his mega church for displaced victims of Hurricane Harvey. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this criticism has extended to the so called Prosperity Gospel of which Osteen is considered the chief exponent. In a nut shell the philosophy is one of self empowerment, encouraging believers to approach God with faith and confidence that he will supply their material needs and bless them abundantly. Basically a form of Gospel - based self - help or spiritual psychology (which has deep roots in the New Thought movement), it places emphasis on the ability of the individual to better themselves and deepen their relationship with God through a spirit of optimism, positive thinking, affirmative prayer, and faith; veering away from the traditional Christian sense of redemption, atonement and reconciliation to God through belief in Jesus Christ as personal Savior.

Though popular (as the success and reach of Osteen's ministry, books, and other products demonstrate) the Prosperity Gospel is not without its detractors, Christian and secular alike. More conservative ministries and theologians consider it a radical misreading of the Bible at best and outright blasphemy at worse, elevating "filthy lucre" to the level of God. Adherents of the progressive Social Gospel as well as secular critics contend it does away with Jesus' emphasis on social justice, helping the oppressed and downtrodden as well as promoting a culture of victim blaming, in which the sick and poor are responsible for their conditions due to "negative thinking." 

In a recent New York Times op-ed entitled "The Cheap Prosperity Gospel of Trump and Osteen", University of Pennsylvania religious studies professor Anthea Butler compares both the President and Osteen's responses to the disaster of Harvey, which she says stem from their shared belief in the tenants of the Prosperity Gospel:

"Natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey are the worst kind of crises for people like Mr. Trump and Mr. Osteen, who purvey their own versions of the prosperity gospel. This is a belief that says if you think positively and make affirmations, God will reward you with financial success and good health. If you don’t, you may face unemployment, poverty or sickness. (Mr. Trump in particular always speaks in laudatory terms about himself and his companies.)

But the problem is that it’s hard to promote “Your Best Life Now” or “The Art of the Deal” to people whose houses have flooded or been blown away, or to evacuees who have only the clothes on their backs."

Furthermore, she adds,

"This empathy-less prosperity gospel also permeates attitudes about the role of our government. Consider when Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson said in March that poverty was a “state of mind.” (See my post on Carson's statement from earlier this summer here) Representative Mo Brooks of Alabama echoed this in a May interview when he said that “people who lead good lives” don’t have to deal with pre-existing medical conditions. This kind of thinking by the Republicans, that individual effort and religious faith are paramount, has desensitized them to poverty, disaster and the vagaries of disease. They have already cut millions from federal disaster aid, and if an uptick in disasters occurs, many more people will die."

All valid points to consider, especially for those of use who are practitioners of New Thought/Mind Metaphysics/Positive Thinking. It can be very easy for us, upon seeing or hearing news of personal or collective misfortune, to become judgmental and say that the person, group, city, town, country, etc. brought it on themselves by "holding fear thoughts", "becoming immersed in the race mind/law of averages", "not staying prayed up", etc. This neglects the hard fact that, despite our best efforts via affirmations, visualizing, and meditation, we live on a physical plane and are susceptible to the cycles and effects of physical forces. While the application of metaphysical principles can aid immensely in overcoming and, as the great Neville Goddard phrased it, "cushioning the inevitable blows of life", we cannot completely escape them as long as we live on Earth.  

Secondly, engaging in such thinking runs contrary to the model of compassion demonstrated by Jesus in the Gospels: every time someone approached him for a healing, he didn't read them the litany of their sins, karmic debt, or tell them "You brought it on yourself with all those bad vibes!" as the Pharisees would have. He simply asked, "What would you like me to do for you?" and proceeded to lift them up through the power of faith and belief in their inherent goodness, empowering them to an awareness of their unity with the "Father within" to overcome their difficulties: "Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” (Matthew 9:22)

With that said, criticisms like Professor Butler's fail to acknowledge the rich history that such prosperity preaching has had in marrying the aims of Emersonian self improvement with societal well - being to help bring about a better, more compassionate and philanthropic world. Early 20th century New Thought writers such as Wallace Wattles, author of The Science of Getting Rich, championed an attitude of creative cooperation in acquiring and using wealth for one's self and their fellow man. Citing the ethic of "What I want for myself, I want for everybody," Wattles ran for Congress twice on the Socialist ticket and, during his brief stint as a Methodist minister, refused to take collection offerings from congregants who operated sweat shops (which lead to his subsequent dismissal from the pulpit).  Elizabeth Towne, the publisher of the popular and lucrative New Thought magazine Nautilus, was a suffragette who in 1926 was elected the first female alderman in Holyoke, MA.

This ethic is alive and well today, as we've seen in the days after Harvey. New England Patriots owner and multi-billionaire Robert Kraft has pledged to match up to $ 1 million in donations to the American Red Cross for disaster relief; Business titans Google, Amazon, and Facebook will all be matching up to $1 million each in donations, with Apple already donating $2 million, Microsoft $100,000 (and counting), and AT&T pledging up to $350,000 to hurricane affected communities; Houston Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt has raised over $10 million, while countless other celebrities have all donated to various relief organizations and have encouraged their fans to do likewise.

In the Gospel of John Jesus is quoted as saying, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) If the "prosperity preaching" of Joel Osteen - whatever his personal shortcomings -  and others has motivated inspired people to procure life more abundant in all its forms - physically, financially, creatively, spiritually - for themselves and others (and I humbly submit that it has), then we would be well served to give the "Prosperity Gospel" a second look.  

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 8/28/17

The Parable of the Friend at Night. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Good Monday Morning, dear readers: Hope you all had restful and enjoyable weekends! Today we'll pick up where we left off in our last post, which explored the metaphysical dimensions of the Lord's Prayer. After his initial explanation to the disciples' request for instruction in effective prayer, Jesus expounds further in the Parable of the Friend at Night, found in Luke 11: 5 - 8:

"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?

And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."

The crucial factor in prayer, as the parable illustrates, is unrelenting faith in seeing the fulfillment of our desires, no matter how dire external conditions and circumstances may appear. No matter how late the hour maybe for us (in the form of a major illness, medical condition, financial situation, etc.) or if the door is bolted shut (our illness/condition is labeled "incurable", the debt we're in looks insurmountable, etc.) unyielding belief in the desired outcome will, in ways we know not of, move heaven and earth to make it so. 

Contrary to popular opinion this doesn't mean we, through sheer will and might, look to force or dictate the manner in which our desire will be brought to pass. The friend in the parable didn't break the door down and aggressively threat, barter, or negotiate with his cranky associate to give him the bread he requested; he simply asked in humble yet confident expectation that his request would be granted. Likewise we are to bring our own needs before the Infinite by turning within, with full assurance that that which are searching for is searching for us, impressing our subconscious mind through focused emotion and thought with the feeling of the wish fulfilled, then leaving the seeds we planted alone to bear the bounty objectively. 

"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (the subconscious), and when thou hast shut thy door (the evidence/appearances of the senses), pray to thy Father (Infinite Intelligence) which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly (in physical manifestation of circumstances and events which will lead to your answered prayer)." Matthew 6:6

This psycho - spiritual process is akin to achieving physical conception: Upon reaching the point of saturation or union with our prayer, we release it and wait for the first signs of activity. Once we are positive of the signs and evidence, we then take any necessary and needed action to facilitate the objective birth of our desire.

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

In these verses Jesus once more lays stress upon the fact that we are not to waver in our determination for an answer to our prayer, for we will get the physical equivalent of the emotional nature of our request: If we ask in the spirit of confidence, we receive our heart's desire; if we are riddled with doubt and anxiety as to the outcome, we will remain shut out in our current state of limitation.

"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." (James 1: 6-8)

To underscore the point, Jesus uses the analogy of earthly parents being responsive to the needs of their children. If they, "being evil", that is, still subscribing to the conditioned race beliefs of duality, misfortune, limitation, etc., are able to overcome them to give generously and gracefully to their children, how much more so will Infinite Intelligence, "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" give to us when we ask of It?

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." (James 1:17)

I hope you enjoyed today's content! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a small love offering with the American Red Cross to assist with disaster relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey:

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation

  

  

Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 8/24/17

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Hello again, readers! Today we'll begin our exploration of Luke Chapter 11 with verses 1-4, which detail Jesus' teaching the Lord's Prayer to the disciples.

"And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth."

"Our Father, which art in heaven..." Here, contrary to orthodox Christian belief, Jesus is not counseling us to pray to a personal God, dwelling far off in some remote corner of space, but rather is telling us to turn to the One Source, Power, Cause, and Substance, which indwells each of us in our subconscious mind.

"God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." John 4:24

Webster's defines Spirit as "an animating or vital principle held to give life to physical organisms." As research in psychology and neuroscience has increasingly revealed, the vast majority of our biological processes, behaviors, actions, ideas, thoughts, and emotions (good, bad, or indifferent) are governed by the imprints made upon the subconscious or unconscious mind by our environments and the beliefs and opinions of parents, teachers, relatives, and peers. It is this "vital principle" that we are to "worship in spirit and in truth" by being discerning in the thoughts, attitudes, concepts, and values that we entertain and form our philosophy of life around. To paraphrase the late Dr. Joseph Murphy, author of The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, the law of life is the law of belief: think good and good follows; think evil and evil follows.

With that established it logically follows that Heaven, rather than being a material realm where a personal God dwells, is symbolic of the state of conscious awareness of and union with the Divine Ideals of peace, harmony, love, compassion, wholeness, and vitality.  Even Saint Augustine, that most orthodox Church Father, thought as much, writing in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount that heaven is "in the hearts of the righteous, as it were in His holy temple."

Furthermore:

"...God is not contained in space. For the heavens are indeed the higher material bodies of the world, but yet material, and therefore cannot exist except in some definite place; but if God's place is believed to be in the heavens, as meaning the higher parts of the world, the birds are of greater value than we, for their life is nearer to God. But it is not written, The Lord is near unto tall men, or unto those who dwell on mountains...

And for the purpose of showing this, when we stand at prayer, we turn to the east, whence the heaven rises: not as if God also were dwelling there... but in order that the mind may be admonished to turn to a more excellent nature, i.e. to God."

And as Jesus himself said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17: 20 -21, emphasis added).

"Hallowed be thy name..."

As written in the book of Exodus, God reveals his name to Moses from the Burning Bush as "I Am That I Am" (Exodus 3:14). A name is representative of the nature of the person, place, or object that it is affixed to. In this case, the name of "I AM" is indicative of unconditioned consciousness. We are to "hallow" the name of God (the subconscious) by meditating on "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report." (Philippians 4:8) We take this name "in vain" by wedding it with false and destructive beliefs such as "I am weak", "I am poor", "I am unwanted", "I am a failure", etc.

"Thy kingdom come..."

This represents the manifold blessings (physical, material, intellectual, spiritual) which are born of joining wholesome, constructive concepts and imagery to the creative, receptive mold of the I AM (subconscious mind).

"Thy will be done..."

The "will of God" here refers to the plan of growth, unfoldment, and evolution of the indwelling Word (Christ Consciousness) of every individual soul.

"But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." Deuteronomy 30:14

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men." John 1: 1-4

"As in heaven..."

Heaven, as we've discovered, refers to the mental state of conscious unity with the Divine Essence.

"So in earth..."

The realm of earth, metaphysically, refers to the objective, three dimensional plane on which the contents we impregnate our subconscious minds with are given physical manifestation on the screen of space. This is at the heart of the well known Hermetic axiom, "As within, so without."

"Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil."

"Our daily bread" is the bounty we receive when we tune in to the Infinite Storehouse, which "knoweth what things" we have need of and will bestow to us "pressed down, and shaken together, and running over" when we ask in confident faith. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." Psalm 23:1

"The forgiveness of sins", when stripped of the sense of wallowing guilt and self pity with which it has unfortunately been equated, is nothing more than the active cleansing and renewal of the subconscious mind, sifting out our false beliefs and perceptions, and cultivating new ones through dedicated and affirmative study, prayer, and meditation. We are also to "forgive" others who may have wronged us by changing our view of them, seeing them in a new light by wishing for them all the blessings of life. In doing this they no longer hold the "debt" of our previous judgment of them.

God, or Universal Spirit, being Love itself, does not "lead us into temptation." It is the metaphorical devils of ignorance, fear, and jealously which divert us from the path of perfection, leading us into limitation and calamity of all kinds (see James 1:12 - 15). Jesus, knowing this, was simply telling us to affirm and cleave to the good in thought, word, and deed, which "keeps us from evil."  

I hope you enjoyed today's content! Until next time, keep on keeping onward, upward, and God-ward.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a small love offering at the Paypal link below. Thank you!

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Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 8/23/17

Source: artbible.net

Good morning readers! Today's reading will focus on the last verses from the 10th chapter of Luke's Gospel, 38-42, which contain one of the shortest but richest troves of metaphysical insight in the New Testament, contained in the well known story of Jesus in the home of Martha and Mary.

"Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving..."

The Gospel writer, through this story, powerfully illustrates and contrasts two methods of devotion toward the I AM presence (personified in Jesus). Martha represents the active, service orientated state of conscious dedication to spiritual principles, which while starting from a place of sincere and and loving intention to unfold the faculties of the indwelling I AM (depicted in the story as Martha's rushing to and fro to minister to Jesus)  becomes caught up in the realm of physical action and effects. Losing its original spiritual compass, this attitude falls into the commonly held belief that only through great struggle and toil can illumination be reached.

Perceiving the receptive and engaged presence of her sister Mary (the still, assured soul), who sits attentively in the present moment at the feet of Jesus (I AM) to receive inspiration and strength, to be idleness, Martha petitions Jesus:

"Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me."

Jesus, knowing that Martha's steadfast devotion was a necessary step toward contacting the I AM, does not rebuke her, rather taking the opportunity to tell her that she would do well to emulate her sister's spirit of attunement to the now, and not let her works become mere rote habits and rituals, devoid of Divine Love and Inspiration:

"And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

May we all be mindful to always choose "that good part" by honoring the Divine in every moment, now matter how seemingly trivial or insignificant.

Stay tuned until tomorrow, when we will launch into Luke chapter 11!

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Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 8/22/17

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Hello again, dear readers! I hope you were able to enjoy yesterday's spectacular celestial event of the eclipse. For today's metaphysical meditation we'll pick up once more with chapter 10 of the Gospel of Luke, verses 25 - 37.

"And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?"

The lawyer seeking to "tempt" Jesus represents the legalistic consciousness, who only understands the workings of Universal Law on the material level, and considers anything outside of his limited purview to be heretical or blasphemous. Not satisfied with Jesus' affirmation of the Two Great Commandments, in which love of God (who is "above all, through all, and in all" Ephesians 4:6) is equated with love of neighbor, the lawyer demands to know, being rooted in his sectarian preferences and inability to see beyond the letter of the law, "who is my neighbour?"

"And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him."

Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus powerfully illustrates the inner meaning of the principle of "love thy neighbor". The priest and the Levite who go out of their way to avoid assisting the wounded traveler are personified aspects of the same self righteous state of mind as the lawyer who, while quick to preach and extol the virtues of obeying spiritual law to others, lack the conviction to abide by it themselves. 

"This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." Matthew 15:8

It can also be inferred from the text that these "holy" men of the cloth, who as Jesus points out throughout the Gospels reveled in their sense of superiority, viewed the unfortunate traveler as a miserable sinner who got his just desserts from a vengeful, punitive God, for not obeying every last letter of the law. 

"Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers." Luke 11:46

It was a Samaritan, a member of a race whom the Jewish priestly caste viewed as ignorant and inferior, that stopped without reservation to bind and anoint the traveler's wounds and bring him to the inn, giving of his own substance to insure the traveler's speedy recovery, demonstrating his superior faith in God as healer and provider of all.  This illustrates that true charity is not and cannot be confined to the narrow confines of theological and sacerdotal dogma and theory. God, or Universal Spirit, is "no respector of persons", races, nations, and creeds, giving to all freely and lovingly.

"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:32

"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

The attitude personified by the lawyer, now illumined by Jesus (divine reason) realizes the error of its previous thinking, is commissioned to "go, and do likewise," in emulation of the unconditional compassion of the Samaritan.

That's it for today, my friends! Tomorrow we'll pick up with verses 38 through 42.

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Metaphysical Bible Meditations - 8/21/17

Source: http://blog.peacelcmc.org/?paged=40

Good Monday morning, dear readers! After a break for the weekend, I'm happy to present you with the next installment of the Metaphysical Bible Meditations series, which started with our first post last Thursday, where we examined the deeper symbolism and meaning of the first twenty verses of chapter 10 of the Gospel of Luke. Today we'll pick up with verses 21 through 24.

"In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight."

Here, Jesus (illumined mind unified with the indwelling I AM) testifies to the fact that it is only through adopting the childlike sense of wonder and un-cynical belief in the underlying Good, Truth, and Beauty of Life that we shall see and enter into the realm of the Inner Kingdom.

"Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, you shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:3

This simple yet profound truth is kept from those who place too much emphasis on the appearances of sense evidence and the rationalizations of the narrow intellect, who cannot grasp the deeper significance of material phenomena and the spiritual causes behind them. Saint Paul describes this dichotomy in his 1st letter to the Corinthians:

"But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

This is also true of those who cling to the literal letter of orthodox religious dogma and secular law:

"For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

These "prophets and kings", while they seek for the truth, cannot let go of their conditioned assumptions, perspectives, and sectarian beliefs.

"For if ye believe not that I AM he (the One Power, Cause, and Substance), ye shall die in your sins (false perceptions and beliefs)." John 8:24

"All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."

"All things are delivered" to the one who confidently and implicitly believes, as Jesus did, in the responsive nature of "the Father" (Universal Mind).

 "For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Matthew 6:8

"No man knoweth who the Son is but the Father..."

No one who remains bound to material consciousness can perceive and commune with the indwelling Christ (the Son), or the omnipresent Universal Spirit (the Father "who is above all, through all, and in all"). 

"...and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him."

Only by having a receptive, trusting soul can we attain the state of illumined and anointed awareness (the Son), through which will be revealed to use the truth hidden from the foundation of the world, that "I (the Son) and my Father (Infinite Intelligence are one." John 10:30  

That's it for today, my friends! Tomorrow we'll pick up with verses 25 through 37.

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Is It God's Will?

Jesus in Gethsemane. Source: http://art-now-and-then.blogspot.com/2014/05/art-and-jesus-gethsemane.html

Today's post is an excerpt from chapter 5 of my metaphysical primer, Take Away The Stone: Resurrecting The God Within, available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42

After being introduced to the method of affirmative prayer – and experiencing its results firsthand – there can arise in us a feeling of sneaking suspicion: that somehow this is all too good to be true and we’re not deserving of all Life has to offer. Whether it is murmurings of the old ideas that we can only please God through continual suffering in this life, that there is some saintly virtue to be gained in poverty, sickness, and privation, or that we must toil, sweat, and compete in the jungle of the marketplace to earn our daily bread it leads us to ask, “Is it really God’s will for me to prosper?” This is reinforced when we hear politicians and pundits caricature the wealthy as heartless and greedy, as well as by prophets of doom who declare that opportunity is monopolized by an insidious cabal of elitists and that the world is in the clutches of evil.

Earnest study and observation will show such notions to be patently false. The Infinite crafted all things to provide for the continual advancement of Life. If another power or powers existed to hinder, oppose, or challenge this pattern of progression there would be as one writer put it “a chaos instead of a Cosmos”, undermining the march of evolution. This logical, scientific, and mathematical Unity is made clear in the opening words of the Jewish Shema prayer, taken from the Book of Deuteronomy: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deut. 6:4) It is, as the Roman Emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote in his Meditations, “One living being, having one substance and one soul”, behind, through, and in all material forms. It cannot act contrary to its eternal commission to “be fruitful and increase” along all lines.

In the beautiful words of Lao Tzu:

“The Tao is called the Great Mother:

Empty yet inexhaustible,

It gives birth to infinite worlds.”

The belief that God takes perverse pleasure in our suffering is nothing more than humanity’s unfortunate tendency of projecting our own foibles onto the One Source. There is nothing inherently evil in the Universe; all destructive behavior and action are the effects of faulty psychological perceptions. As Shakespeare said through Hamlet, “For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

God, or the Life Principle, has “richly provided us with everything for our enjoyment” (1 Tim. 6: 17), seeking ever new ways of unfolding and expressing its inexhaustible potential through us. The Laws of Life are based on growth, not stagnation, as all the processes of Nature testify. Our desire for radiant health, financial security, creativity, love, and fellowship is Life urging us forward to be, to do, and to have more. God’s will for us is that we “may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Evil, as both Plato and Buddha pointed out, is rooted in ignorance. To sin is to miss the mark and fall into a state of error regarding the nature of Life; i.e. by believing in a vengeful, critical, and testing God or a Devil seductively whispering into our ears. God does not tempt us; neither is there a physical devil, with cloven hooves and a pitchfork, roaming the earth, goading us to commit all manner of degradation. Satan in Hebrew means adversary or deceiver. Satan and his legion of devils as presented in the Bible serve as personifications of the false concepts which assail us daily by means of erroneous sense evidence, uninformed opinions, fatalistic headlines, and fear mongering propaganda, instilling in us a groundless sense of hostility and dread toward Life. They represent aspects of the egoistic attitude that keeps us in a state of spiritual immaturity, damming up the vital current of the Life Principle within us. It is the contrarian spirit of resistance which, in the words of Aristotle, “is the cause of every monstrosity” whether illness, loneliness, poverty, war, bigotry, etc.

The archetypal theme of good vs. evil, when stripped of its literalist trappings, represents the struggle that occurs in all of us as we grow and evolve, learning to properly adhere to the laws of life. We learn the correct use of spiritual laws just as we do the laws of the physical world. If we were to place our hand on a hot stove top or leap from a ladder we would suffer the subsequent pain and harm accordingly. The same applies for our attitudes: if we are constantly irritated, angry, cynical, sad, and bitter, then we shall see those states reflected back to us in our environments, relationships, and circumstances.

It would be just as foolish to attribute our ills to God’s wrath, the wiles of Satan, or the capricious whims of a cruel Universe as it would be to say that the stove top had bad intent in burning our hand or that the law of gravity had a grudge in bringing us to earth after jumping from the ladder. These forces are impersonal and responsive, producing an equal and opposite reaction to the manner in which they were applied. They should be utilized in a constructive fashion which promotes, rather than negates, not only our own well-being but that of others, society, and Nature as a whole. But, as volitional beings, we are given the tremendous gift and responsibility of choice in thought, word, and deed:

“The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction…

This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.” (Deut. 30: 14 – 15, 19)

Yet we are counseled to “choose life, so that you and your children may live.” (Deut. 30: 19)

The suffering incurred as we discover natural and spiritual laws is valuable in so far as it acts as an aid to growing in wisdom. Pain is a necessary prerequisite for progress: mothers undergo the trials of pregnancy and labor to bring forth new life; the dedicated athlete, musician, artist, and scientist devote years of intense practice to learning and mastering their respective fields, and the medical patient endures the short term pain of surgery, knowing that with the removal of the physical block the body will heal itself. Likewise giving up our entrenched narratives, beliefs, and behavior patterns can be a painful – and at times downright agonizing – process; the influx of new ideas into our narrow consciousness can take on the appearance of an invading army. That is why Jesus said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34)

Opposing this necessary uprooting of the old beliefs will lead us to continue to sin, reengaging in the established cycle of destructive action where we suffer needlessly. It can delve into a psychological “war in heaven” between the new constructive concepts (represented by the Lord’s army of angels) and the resisting forces of limitation (Satan and his legions).

If we don’t succeed in casting out the devils born of our old ways of thinking we will find ourselves in a prison of our own making, from which we will not get out until we have paid the last penny of the coin of hard experience.

This process – a byproduct of our descent into the material world of illusory opposition from our original state of wholeness – is symbolized in the archetypal Fall from Grace. The quest, to use St. Paul’s terms, of “the natural man” to return to the estate of the “spiritual man” is as old as time, conveyed in the religious rites and myths of every culture and clime. Whether in the form of the countless tribulations which befell the children of Adam and Eve after the expulsion from Eden, the ordeals of mythic heroes such as Hercules, Odysseus, and the Knights of the Round Table, or the missions of great teachers like Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad, and Krishna, the method of return and reconciliation with our divine nature is laid before us.

Like the Prodigal Son of old we have, led by our ego driven wills and selfish appetites, fallen hard, pining for mere scraps among the swine herds of ignorance. However, having seen the depths to which our own limited understanding has dragged us, the proverbial light bulb will go off. In a contrite spirit we will begin the trek back to our Father’s house, anticipating a stinging rebuke for our utter thoughtlessness. But where we thought to find anger, there will be joy. Where we expected to encounter disappointment, there were be celebration. Anticipating a clenched fist we will be wrapped in outstretched arms, greeted with kisses, adorned with regal attire, feasted with the choicest food, and refreshed with the sweetest wine. This is the true nature of the Father’s will.

“‘You are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’” (Luke 15:31)

Knowing our true heritage as children of the Most High, we will cease to kick against the pricks of circumstance. Realizing that evil stems from misunderstanding the Laws of Life, we shall no longer actively resist it and thereby perpetuate it, but rather overcome it with right perspective, thought, speech, and action. “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34: 14)

Then we can assume our rightful places as heirs to the Kingdom. “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom… Behold, the kingdom of heaven is within you.” (Luke 12:32, 17:21)

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