Monthly Archives: February 2017

ON LOVE; PART MCXXIII

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GoodWill IS Love in Action

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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).

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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God

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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).

If we can see God and the Godhead as the Holy Spirit and as Power then we could perhaps better conceive of some modicum of the Truth that IS lost in the doctrinal view that includes a personality as the One Supreme Lord. Whole there IS NO standing definition of God and there ARE many different views of who or what God IS, there ARE some ideas that we have garnered from various sources that can perhaps help us to see, to glimpse, some small part of the reality which surrounds us. In Theosophy, a school of thought that IS considered by many Christian ‘authorities’ as a form of the occult, offers us a definition which we have used in previous posts. This says that God IS that “One Boundless Immutable Principle; one Absolute Reality which, antecedes all manifested conditioned Being. It is beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression“**.

It IS this One Boundless, Immutable, Eternal and Infinite Presence in whom, as Paul tells us, “we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28) and while this idea IS discounted by many doctrinal thinkers, it IS nonetheless True on every level of existence. In these ideas we should be able to glimpse the Truth that Jesus shows us as He tells the Samaritan woman that “God is a Spirit” which IS rightly rendered as “God is Spirit” and not as one among many; this IS how the idea IS rendered in most other translations. And we should see here that this defining quality of God, along with the Apostle John’s revelations that “God is light” (1 John 1:5) and that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), reveal to us that God IS NOT a personality but IS that One Boundless, Immutable, Eternal and Infinite Presence.

In the original text we read that God IS the “One Boundless Immutable Principle” and synonymously that God IS “one Absolute Reality“. While this IS NOT likely related to the Apostle Paul’s use of the idea of principalities, we can perhaps tie these together based upon principality being the chosen rendering by several translators for the Greek word arche. While others render this in terms of ruler and “heavenly ruler” according to its usage in Romans, this same word IS also rendered as ruler and “spiritual ruler” where the connotation appears that such arche ARE against God and Christ.

The Greek word arche however IS rendered as beginning in the vast majority of its uses and it IS in this idea that we can perhaps see some glimmer of the Truth that IS God. Perhaps if we can see past the English word and into a deeper meaning for arche we can understand, at least in those places where this IS rendered as principalities, a Truer picture of God and of the forces that ARE at play in this wondrous creation. Vincent tells us of arche, as it IS used as ruler and and principality and when combined with exousia which IS rendered as power that: These words usually refer to angelic powers; either good, or bad, or both (references omitted).

What IS lacking in this idea and in the ideas that result in the rendering as spiritual or “heavenly ruler” IS any form of True understanding of just what angels or angelic powers ARE. These ideas ARE nebulous at best and that many DO believe that there ARE demons and devils as well as guardian angels has been depicted in art and literature for centuries. A picture of spiritual Life has been created that IS difficult to dissuade as the source of dissuasion IS one’s own revelation and realization of Truth which comes ONLY in striving to keep His words as we read again in our trifecta:

• “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“ (John 8:31-32).
• “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
• “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).

While it IS NOT our purpose here to discuss the idea of angelic powers, we should NOTE that the idea of angels IS a spiritual one and the Truth of it IS couched in those “things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35). If we can see the idea of arche in terms of the First Cause we can then understand the relationship to God and see the idea that the word connotes in the English rendering of beginning. Here we should also see the relationship, the spiritual relationship, between God and man….that “in him we live, and move, and have our being“. This IS a most important realization that shows both the Transcendence and the Immanence of God.

In the reality of the Immanence of God there IS NO sense of religion; ALL men ARE equally the same. ALL ARE spiritual beings living through a physical presence in this world and here we should understand that ALL IS ALL. The Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the Buddhist, the Muslim, ARE ALL the same in this nature as ARE those who follow ALL other religions as well as the atheist and the irreligious. And unhidden within this Truth ARE the words of Jesus who repeats the words of the Lord Jehovah in saying that men “shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” as we read above in the Great Commandments. The reality of this God Immanent IS the reality that the entirety of the Trinity IS Immanent which word means: [L. in and manens, maneo, to abide.] Inherent; intrinsic; internal ¹ according to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.

Jesus shows us this of the Holy Spirit saying that “Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:12-17) and here we should see the Greek word lambano in terms of realization, and this according to Strong’s definition of lambano which reads: a prolonged form of a primary verb, which is use(d) only as an alternate in certain tenses; to take (in very many applications, literally and figuratively (properly objective or active, to get hold of )^9a.

We should remember that these words from the Master ARE NOT saying that the Christian that believes according to his doctrine has the Holy Spirit although this IS the way that this IS understood by much of the church. Jesus IS telling His apostles, True disciples ALL, that “he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you“. This IS NOT to the exclusion of ALL that DO NOT believe according to such doctrines but rather this IS the Master’s showing them two things; first that the Holy Spirit DOES “dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” and this idea should be understood as some DO render it….as “is in you“. By the very idea that He “dwelleth with you” we should see that He “is in you“.

Why then these seemingly redundant ideas of “dwelleth with you” and being “in you“? Here perhaps we must read the previous and on into the next words that show us the reality of these mostly unclear thoughts; NOT unclear to the Master but unclear to the apostles, who ARE trying to understand the synergistic relationship between the Three Aspects of the Godhead. Here Jesus tells us that for the man who will “keep my commandments“, He will “pray the Father” which Strong’s tells us IS: to interrogate; by implication, to request ^9a “that he may abide with you for ever“.

It IS here that we should see the idea of one’s realization of the Presence of God; here Jesus promises “another Comforter” and while there ARE many doctrinal theories regarding this idea, we should try to see this in terms of the Christ Within. This IS the Presence of God realized by man which Jesus shows us saying that “I will not leave you comfortless:a I will come to you” and then showing us how that this IS possible through the third part of our trifecta where we see just how He comes. ALL of these words and thoughts work together while separately the ARE the cause of so much Christian confusion and doctrinal variations.

And this IS the second thing: that it IS in the revelation and the realization by the man who strives to keep His words that the Christ Within IS manifest in one’s Life; and this manifestation IS “another Comforter” for the apostles. Here we should see that this idea of the Holy Spirit IS the activity of the Christ Within in the Life of the man in this world who has the realization of these Truths; NOT merely knowing the words but KNOWING some measure of the Truth that IS revealed to the mind by the unction by which we “know all things” (1 John 2:20).

Here we have Two Aspects of the Trinity: the Son which IS the Christ Within and the Holy Spirit which IS the activity of the Christ Within in the Life of the man whose focus IS upon the things of God. What then of the Father? We should see here that while Jesus tells us that he “will pray the Father” according to most ALL translations we should see that the idea of will, as the idea of shall above, IS added to clarify the idea according to the doctrinal views of men. We should see here that this request by Jesus need NOT be a spoken one nor even implied in a spoken or prayerful way and that it IS by the force of one’s ability to “keep my commandments” that DOES the asking for the greater revelation of Truth.

That these ARE difficult things to understand IS evident by the questions that ARE asked by the apostles who have been with the Master and who have seen “the works that I do“. And we should recognize here that these men DO NOT have those same misconceptions that ARE the doctrines of men today; these were NOT fooled by the ideas of pistis and pisteuo. These men KNOW the reality of faith and believing as that KNOWING that comes in the trifecta, that KNOWING that comes in keeping His words. This IS the message that IS in the completeness of this section of the Master’s words which we read as:

“Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless:a I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him,If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:12-24).

In these words IS the answer to that question: what then of the Father; as well as the reality of the Oneness of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit IS of the Father; the Comforter IS the deeper reality of the Christ Within whose activity IS the Holy Spirit and the expression of Truth by the disciple in this world. The Oneness of the Holy Spirit and the Christ IS seen in the way that He tells us that “I will come to you” and when we add this to His saying that to the disciples “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” we have the fullness of the Trinity.

Here we should try to see that as ALL men ARE Spirit, ALL men ARE also this same Trinity of Aspects. Here, even if we frame that in terms of having, that ALL men have a Spirit, we should try to see the same idea of the Trinity of Aspects; it IS within the Spirit that IS Life, and which gives Life to the physical form, that there IS the manifestation that IS the Soul and, at such time that one will keep His words, this Soul, this Christ Within, becomes the active expression of that Life in this world. In this we should see the idea that man IS Spirit, Soul and body IS in Truth that a man IS Spirit, Soul and the expression of these to the world through his appropriated body with its mind and its emotional response.

And ALL of scripture IS the textbook on just how to express the Truth of Life through one’s form, an expression which IS given the name of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and “the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father” (John 15:26). And this IS the nature of the words of the Apostle Paul which we have been studying. Here we read that this expression IS to “present your bodies a living sacrifice” and that in return for this one IS “transformed by the renewing of your mind“; it IS this Transformation that enables the expression of the “the Spirit of truth” which IS “your reasonable service“. Repeating the apostle’s words we read:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:1-3). 

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:4-21).

And Paul outlines for us the Way that the Holy Spirit IS expressed through the Life of a man who perforce will DO the positive ideas in his list and eschew the negative ones. We should see these instructions NOT so much as his teaching on the Way to act as one “endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:29) but as one’s way of KNOWING that he IS expressing the Truth, “the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father“. These ideas from Paul ARE our test much like the test that the Apostle James applies to the idea of “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17); and these both can apply to ALL men.

ALL men can see their True self through their expressed thoughts, attitudes and actions; that they ARE in accord with the first part of Paul’s list and “according to the proportion of faith“; and that they ARE expressing the positive attributes of the second part and NOT the negative. It IS by the Power of the God Within, the God Immanent in the Life of everyman that a man can express these ideas from Paul and this Power IS one’s realization of the Truth according to the proportion of one’s focus upon the things of God.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of  God	Potency	Aspect of Man	In Relation to the Great Invocation	In relation to the Christ
GOD, The Father	Will or Power	Spirit or Life	Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN	Life
Son, The Christ	Love and Wisdom	Soul or Christ Within	Heart of God	Truth
Holy Spirit	Light or Activity	Life Within	Mind of God	Way

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.

We repeat here a Quote of the Day that we spent much time with over the course of our essays. In this affirmation we find the Truth of discipleship as we have been ever been expressing and here we can relate our themes of the last few days; “take no thought” for the things of the world and that we approach the Kingdom and discipleship in the nature of the little child, in humbleness, meekness, unashamed in any way and unassuming. The message that this imparts for us today IS that it IS the Soul that is at work in the world of men as it expresses to some degree the purpose, power and the will through Life in this world. These words are from a meditation offered to his students by our Tibetan brother and in which we find greater understanding of the message of the Master. This IS Truly the way of the disciple.

My Soul has purpose, power and will; these three are needed on the Way of Liberation.

My Soul must foster love among the sons of men; this is its major purpose.

I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love. All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light must disappear before the purposes of the Soul.

My will is one with the great Will of God;. that Holy Will requires that all men serve. And unto the purposes of the Plan I lend my little will.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts