God's Not What You Think

(Note from Rev. Toni:   Remember that Charles Fillmore was writing this in the early 1900’s;  take a deep breath as you read this entry.  Open up to the metaphysical meaning of these ideas.  Also note that the 2017 edition uses the concept of Jesus Christ as Wayshower.)

Jesus Christ, Our Savior

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read Romans 8:1-11.

If God had not planned to make Jesus a continuous working factor in our civilization there would be no good purpose for His having been sent, and for the great sacrifice that He made. He came to show us “the way, and the truth, and the life,” and He promised “Lo, I am with you always.” He also promised that He would be with us as a teacher. “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth.”  No one is overlooked. The helpful hand of Jesus is extended to all. Whoever you are, wherever you are, Jesus in His spiritual consciousness is waiting for your mental recognition. Whatever your object, He will show you how to attain it.  “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do.” Jesus developed the innate powers of mind and body and thereby became a citizen of the heavens or realms where dwell the sons of God. He did this by the power of His word–by releasing the imprisoned electrons of His body and raising them to spiritual consciousness.  Why do we not see Jesus? Optics show that man’s eyes are limited in sight. They are aware of rays of light within a very narrow range. The microscope reveals a world of living things to which the natural eye is utterly oblivious. Both below and above the range of human vision living entities exist. We sometimes feel the presence of what we cannot see.  Affirm: “I rejoice in the restorative power of Jesus Christ now working mightily in a new consciousness of life in my soul and body.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017

Jesus Christ

By Rev. Douglas Duerr

I renew the ageless power of Jesus Christ, my soul shepherd, to open my heart and awaken my consciousness.

Jesus explored his own faithfulness and trusted deeply in the guidance of his Abba, the God of his understanding. His story is one of discovery, transformation, and awakening.  Jesus was exceptional for his divine power, his insight, his advocacy for the marginalized and oppressed, and ultimately, for his great love for all.  Jesus exemplified faithfulness and showed us how to test the inner waters of awareness. As an agent of change in the face of oppression, he demonstrated courage and divine strength. We, too, are called to remember our divine birthright and draw on our power of strength to claim it.  Jesus, who began as a simple teacher and itinerant preacher, showed us the way. The gospel writers and our own inner spirit have revealed the power of his name, his teachings, and his life, so that we may follow.  Listening within to Spirit that leads our way, we are called to the great teachings of Jesus Christ, the soul shepherd of our hearts.

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.

(Note from Rev. Toni:   Remember that Charles Fillmore was writing this in the early 1900’s;  take a deep breath as you read this entry.  Open up to the metaphysical meaning of these ideas.  Also note that the 2017 edition uses the same concept .)

Life

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read John 4:1-26

Life is a phase of Being, the expression of which manifests as animation, activity, and vigor. The consciousness of eternal life places one in the stream of life that never fails.  The whole race needs a spiritual quickening of the life principle; its origin is in Divine Mind. Life is the gift of God. “Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee.” To think intently about life is to quicken it into action. To talk about energy, force, power, life, will make the life currents flow swiftly throughout the whole being.  To Jesus the God presence was an abiding flame –a flame of life everlasting that He felt in every cell of His body making Him more and more alive, cleansing and purifying Him until He became every whit perfect.  By mastering carnality Jesus opened the way for all men to attain eternal life.  During our higher realizations of Truth we are often conscious of this abiding flame working in and through us.  I now make alive all the cells in my organism by mentally infusing into them the Christ consciousness. This is the new birth, which is transforming my body and raising it to electrical energy. This was carried to its fulfillment by Jesus in the resurrection of His body. The next step in divine evolution is the spiritualization of the body, or the Ascension.  The quickening life in me is now brought into expression by my holding and repeating this statement of Truth: “I have the Mind of Christ. My words are spiritually quickened and they are alive forevermore. I am filled with the vitality and vigor and health of Jesus Christ.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017

By Rev. Evelyn Foreman

I am the God seed for life and love.

Life is never more precious than when we lose a loved one. At the age of 86, my father-in-law Raymond C. Foreman laid down his mortal body to live on the other side of life.  I watched as the family grieved his loss, sharing memories and stories, laughter, and tears. What remains through it all is love. In this life and the next, the most important aspect of both is love.  My father-in-law Raymond lived a life of love. When I think about him, I think of life:

L— for Love. Whether cutting cards or cutting wood, Raymond lived what he loved.

I— for Integrity. He was a man of values, always true to what he believed.

F— for Family. Together with his wife Frances of 63 years, his focus was always on family.

E— for Evangelist. A devoted Baptist, Raymond loved and served God with all his heart, and through all his days. He served God by being an open channel through which God flows. He lived his life as love in expression.
Life, as with love, begins with us. May we come together in love to shine with the vitality of life!

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.

Renunciation

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read Matthew 18:21-35.

The accumulated effects of sins of past lives, is a burden that those who accept it expect to carry for ages, or until they work out of it. They are weary treadmill travelers from birth to death. There is no such hopeless note in the doctrine of  Jesus. He came to bring a full consciousness of abundant life, complete forgiveness, redemption from all sin, and victory over death and the grave.  The law is Truth, and the truth is that all is good. There is no power and no reality in sin. If sin were real and enduring, like goodness and Truth, it could not be forgiven but would hold its victim forever. As I enter into the understanding of the real and the unreal, a great light dawns on me, and I see what Jesus meant when He said, “The Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins.”  The Son of man is that in me which discerns the difference between Truth and error. As I get this understanding, I am in position to free my soul from sin and my body from disease, which is the effect of sin. In spiritual understanding the I AM of man forgives or “gives” Truth “for” error; the mind is set in order, and the body healed. The moment man realizes this he puts himself in harmony with the Truth of Being, and the law wipes out all his transgressions.  In His name I affirm: “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus makes me free from the law of sin and of death.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017

Elimination

By Rev. Ed Townley

Today I appreciate the flow of life in my consciousness. I dissolve all resistance as outdated beliefs and fears disappear and are replaced by new ideas and deeper understanding.

We sometimes try to accumulate new spiritual ideas as we might accumulate new clothing or shoes. We squeeze them into an already-packed mental closet where we may have a hard time finding them when we want them.  That’s why elimination is one of the essential Twelve Powers. The ideas, beliefs, and fears packed into our consciousness need to be evaluated. Are they appropriate to the new dimension of spiritual understanding we’re achieving through this Lenten process?  Do some of the old beliefs need to be released to make room for the new?  No judgment is involved in this process of elimination. The old ideas have served us well earlier on our path—after all, they got us this far! We release them in deep appreciation for the ways they have served us, and we give thanks that new ideas of empowerment and infinite love have ample room to enter our consciousness.

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.

Zeal

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read Luke 10:30-42; 11:1-4.

Zeal is the affirmative impulse of existence; its command is, “Go forward!” Zeal is the mighty force that incites all things to action; the eternal urge behind all things. To be without zeal is to be without the zest of living. Zeal and enthusiasm incite to glorious achievement in every ideal that the mind conceives.  Zeal should be tempered with wisdom. Some persons get so fired with zeal when they first tackle a job, that they quickly grow tired, and fail to carry it through to completion. The need is for control, equalization.  Watch the pull of a giant locomotive; note how it slowly but steadily moves forward, almost by inches at first but gradually increasing until its mile-long train swiftly disappears in the distance.  “The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up” means that the zeal faculty has become so active intellectually that it has consumed the vitality and left nothing for spiritual growth. Excessive zeal in religious forms of worship eats up the purely spiritual. When we become very zealous in observing the rites of the church we are prone to forget the church itself, which is Christ.  The divine command is, “Take time to be holy.” I am quick to do the bidding of Spirit and use a portion of my zeal in establishing God’s kingdom within me. I do not put all my enthusiasm into helping others; my own unfoldment is of great importance to me. I love to aid my brother, but I do not allow that idea to rob me of the power to demonstrate Truth for myself.  I affirm: “My zeal is tempered with wisdom, and I maintain a perfect balance within and without.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017

By Joyce Flowers

I am filled with eagerness, energy, and devotion.  I am filled with zeal!

Like all grandparents, I dearly love each of my grandchildren. But the youngest one has always been special in her verve to connect with us through giggles. She focuses on someone’s face and makes a deliberate effort to communicate through the universal language of laughter.  We learned that she was deaf when she was 18 months old. She cannot hear any human speech. We were stunned to realize all our babble at her was unheard. All this time she has been alone in a silent world.  Nevertheless, as I interact with my granddaughter I see her zeal, her eagerness to bond with us in ways other than language. As we all learn and use sign language, we feel her passion even more to bond with us through her joyful ways. And, as she adjusts to her little hearing aids, her laughter has increased a millionfold.  I am grateful for this blessed child’s example of eagerness, devotion, and love of life, no matter what.

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.

Will

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read John 1:1-18.

The will is the executive power of the mind. The commandments of Jesus teach the Father’s will. Those who keep them are therefore at one with the will of God.  It is possible to get very close to the kingdom of heaven by doing good works and surrendering to Spirit the various faculties of the mind, but we can never fully enter into and abide in heaven, or divine harmony, without surrendering all that makes up the personality, of which the will is the center.  The will may be said to be the man, because it is the directive power that determines character formation. When man wills the will of God to be done, he forms spiritual character. The use of the regenerate will is for the sole purpose of spiritual unfoldment.  When the will of man adheres to wisdom faithfully, and carries out in its work the plans that are idealized in wisdom, it creates in man a consciousness of harmony and peace. Spirit breathes into such an individual continually the necessary inspiration and knowledge to give him superior understanding.  I bring the divine will to bear in my consciousness by understanding, by appropriating universal wisdom, by affirming, “Not my will, but thine, be done.”  God is potential, unformed will; man is manifest God will. I now link my will with the principle of divine force in order to develop superior executive capacity.  After this manner I am swiftly bringing forth faculties that under the slow action of mortality would take ages to develop.  I affirm: “The will of God is uppermost in my consciousness, and I am glorified in my understanding.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017
By Rev. Stan McNeese

The will of God directs, guides, and expresses through me and as me.

The will of man is a powerful force directing our energies into tremendous creativity and manifestation. But the outcome of that manifestation—how productive and loving it is—depends on whose will is being exerted.  In his book The Untethered Soul, Michael Singer writes, “Will is a real force that emanates from your being … The power of Self, when it is concentrated and directed into the physical, mental, or emotional realm, creates a force, and we call that force ‘will.’”  However, he goes on to say, “It’s amazing to see what we end up doing with our will. We actually assert our will in opposition to the flow of life.” Charles Fillmore makes strikingly similar comments in his book Keep a True Lent.  As I consider the power and force I have within me to direct energy, I am vigilant in embracing the fruits of the Spirit—love, peace, and joy. Through prayer and meditation, I remember my Truth and allow God to be God in and through me. I allow God’s will to be my will.

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.

Wisdom

From Keep A True Lent by Charles Fillmore

Read Matthew 7:1-12.
Wisdom is of Spirit. One can get flashes of understanding at any time, but the clear light of the Supreme shines steadily on us as we become obedient and receptive to the Supreme’s monitions. Jesus always listened for the “inner voice,” and was obedient to it in His meek and lowly work among the humblest class of men.  Spiritual discernment always places wisdom above the other faculties of mind. It is pure knowing, and comes by kindling the inner light. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable.”

This means that as I call the righteous judge into action I may find my standards of right and wrong undergoing rapid changes, but if I hold steadily to the Lord as my supreme guide, I shall be led into all righteousness.

As I dwell upon this all-knowing faculty within, I become conscious of the Christ radiance lighting my mind, and my whole being is illumined. My thoughts are quickened through their conscious relationship to Spirit. I am flooded with new life, which raises my organism above the disintegrating thought currents of the earth; and thus I am not only redeeming my mind, but am also saving the flesh from corruption.

Spiritual understanding reveals that the resurrection of the body from death is not to be confined to Jesus, but is for all men who comprehend Truth and apply it as Jesus applied it. Realizing that I am awakening to the reality of my higher self, I affirm: “Christ within me is my glory. The brightness of His presence wipes out all darkness, and I am filled with life and light.”

From Be Ye Transformed  Lent 2017
By Rev. Frieda King

Divine wisdom within illumines my way.

As soon as we wake up each morning, we begin making choices.  When we remember our union with God and our oneness with divine wisdom, we can make those decisions centered in wisdom.  Everything shifts when we choose to align with divine wisdom rather than our ego minds. When we understand we have an innate inner wisdom beyond human knowledge, we can allow that illuminating light to move in and through us, guiding our decisions and experiences.

In our thoughts and quiet times, in the inner peace and silence of prayer, we accept the wisdom of God present in us as the Divine Knower, as our constant guide. It is the golden light revealing insights, know-how, and discernment. Aligned with divine wisdom, we make sound choices and positive steps in transforming our lives.

To download the booklet, Be Ye Transformed Lent 2017, published by Unity World Headquarters, click here.

To download the book, Keep A True Lent, by Charles Fillmore, click here.