Living In Spirit

Monday, June 8, 2015

Amended By God

In 1919 the Constitution of the United States was changed, amended, to make the consumption and possession of alcoholic beverages illegal. Now take a moment and consider that. It is a monumental task to change the Constitution, requiring 2/3 of the Senate and House to pass it and then 3/4 of States have to approve it, in 7 years or less! Then, in 1933 the Constitution was changed again to nullify the previous change and make liquor legal again! As you can well imagine it made for some interesting battles on the editorial pages of newspapers. Imagine if talk radio had existed!

The Lord’s Prayer is the amendment establishing our true relationship with “Our Father.” Many within the religious community seem to have missed the memo, that this teaching supersedes all that came before, the essential nature of our relationship with God explained fully. Emmet Fox adds succinctly: “At a single blow this teaching of Jesus swept away 99 percent of all the old theology, with its avenging God, its chosen and favored individuals, its eternal hell fire, and all the other horrible paraphernalia of man’s diseased and terrified imagination.” The Lord’s Prayer states clearly and forever that God is All-Powerful, All-Present, Eternal, the loving Father of mankind who heals, loves and guides His children. Unlike the Constitution that is subject to the capricious will of man, the old theology has been amended, by God, sanctified by the blood on the cross, superseded forever.

The Secret, Wayne Dyer, ACIM, Serenity, Enlightenment, Zen, Emmet Fox, How To Be Happy, Golden Key, Addicts Today, Chopra, Jesus, Healing Path Recovery, Einstein, Marianne Williamson, Sayeh Beheshti, AKUA

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Does God Have Favorites?

The Lord’s Prayer begins, “Our Father” not just my father or your father, but Our Father. This ground breaking truth ends the false belief, that many still cling to unfortunately, that God plays favorites. No individual, no group, race, class or ethnicity holds a preferred or special place with God. He is the Father of all, regardless of race, creed, location or belief, All loved equally and unconditionally. Period. Imagine for a moment if this monumental truth was universally understood. “What tree is so unwise as too fight among its own branches.” Sectarian violence would end. Wars and disputes over territory nonexistent. All who have would rush to help those who want without any reservations or conditions. The Golden Rule; much talked about, rarely employed, would become the Law, the only Law. Consider for a moment what could be accomplished by humanity if we stopped wasting lives, time and resources on all things contrary to the Golden Rule. The Great Carpenter taught that heaven is not a destination, but that we live in it now. Clearly we have had the key to unleash Heaven in our hands for two thousand years, how much longer will we allow false belief and fear to stay our hand from turning it?

Father, make my life a demonstration of your guidance, show me the way of patience, tolerance, kindness and love and provide me with the strength and courage to practice these principles, today, tomorrow and forever in every area of my life. May thy will be done. Amen.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Our Perceptions, Altered

How we perceive the world colors everything we see and believe. Our perceptions are built, layer upon layer by our life experiences and how we interpret those experiences.

Consider:

A homeless person asks for assistance, do you:
1) Act as if they were invisible.
2) Ask them what they need the money for, we will consider it if they can convince us it is for food and not anything we may find objectionable.
3) Simply smile and hand them a few dollars, saying a silent prayer for them since they are a child of God, just as we are.

When I wore a younger mans clothes, not just the homeless, but much of life was invisible to me. Being infallible as only the young can be, why would I consider another’s plight when the universe revolved around me. In time, becoming a husband and parent my vision and perceptions began to change, priorities altered. I could see those struggling, but felt duty bound to lecture and inform these poor unfortunates, because they clearly needed the benefit of my superior world vision. Woe be to me.

“The only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self, is pain.”

The slicing away of self can be a tedious process, but is spiritually invaluable. Through this process today I see more with my heart, knowing that all are children of a loving God, all equal in His eyes, regardless of station, circumstances or shortcomings. Today I know in my heart of hearts that how I treat the least of us will be meted to me in kind, for all reap as they sow and forgiveness the key that unlocks serenity. Today to the above quote I would add “The only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self and alter our perceptions, is pain.”

When we know, who walks beside us, on this path we have chosen, our fears fall from us.