2024 Weekly Devotional Essays
If there is no past, and there is no future, then only what appears before oneself is the present. The present was neither 'then', nor will it be 'later'. It is available at the razor-sharp edge of this moment. One can draw the mind's attention to this moment by surrendering thoughts, images, past memories and future anticipations, and by continuously directing the attention to the immediate sensations of breathing and feeling, without resistance. The deconstruction of one's beliefs about time opens one to the possibility of realizing that there is not such a thing outside of one's presumptions about it. The debris that clouds one's experience of the present is limited. Once one has sat in quiet surrender for the duration of these impediments to extinguish from the mind, the silent, awesome experience of Now will finally take their place.
Each passing moment is registered in Consciousness forever. The innate justice of God is that nothing is unknown or unknowable in the Universe, and that all actions carry their own karmic weight. Everything is already the perfect karmic fulfillment of its potential up to and including this moment. The direction one travels in from here is what matters most to one's Divine destiny. One's experience of the world in this life and one's spiritual fate in the next is a consequence of one's Level of Consciousness, which is a continuous product of integrity of choice.
The energy of God is what propels one through anything and everything in life. The very Source of Life itself is a power of Love so infinite, that from it emerges the miraculous, effortlessly. This is initiated by Divine intention. The energy of Love sustains, accumulates and harmonizes, whereas the energy of hatred drains, damages and diabolically disharmonizes. Inasmuch as the Spiritually animate are drawn to God, those that let the opportunities of the day fall by the wayside are not striving to transcend the gravitational pull of the ego. It is Divine Will for all to practice with the intent to draw closer to God any and every given day, and by whatever means of integrity possible. No degree of effort nor surrender, no matter how seemingly insignificant, goes unaccounted for.
Love brings up its opposite — unlove/pain. This can be anticipated, but suffering is optional and experienced only when there is resistance. The presence of pain provides the opportunity to surrender and thereby transcend limitations. The presence of unloving thoughts, feelings and behaviors provides the opportunity for forgiveness, thereby allowing freedom for others while also providing freedom for us. We avoid negativity, but we say "Yes" to the pain and feelings we encounter. We allow them to be there, even asking for more, so that in doing so, we learn to watch them closely and no longer seek to escape from them, and therefore hold onto them. We discover that via forgiveness and letting go, we dissolve all of that which is not our True Self and recognize That which We Really Are.
If you ask in His Holy Name, the Lord is obligated to grant your request, for a shepherd belongs to his flock and vice versa. The Lord is not subject to limitations as the ego is. The Source of life is infinitely powerful. The human mind cannot conceive of infinite power or infinite love beyond merely resorting to imagination about them. Therefore, humility is the key to gratitude just as asking is often the key to receiving, and the Lord's Will for you is a life lived abundantly and with purpose.
Jesus taught that if one has faith only the size of a mustard seed, that he can say to the mountains, "Move!" and it shall be done. Those who walk by faith are blind to sight, for it is what is in their hearts that they follow and not merely what their eyes can see. The presence of hope or the lack thereof can make-or-break a runner in a race, a battalion in a war, and a nation in decline. Hope and courage are the catalyst that transcends fear and places one's faith back in the Divine. When coupled with faith even in the slightest, they summon forth a power greater than can be conceived by man. The Light of God will shine forth into the world and resolve any disputes. Even those who walk through the valley of the shadow of death will fear no evil, for God amidst them is a Tower of Strength, and a Beacon of Hope to the weary.
What I see is the result of my attention; my attention is the result of my thoughts; and my thoughts are the result of my intention. Therefore, if I direct my intention towards my desired outcomes, what I see will tend to be the result. The salvation of mankind depends partly on the thoughts of enough people being directed towards peace and enlightenment every day. The power of these thoughts will uplift all people, regardless of my judgement of 'deservingness', or my understanding of karma. My good thoughts and decisions positively affect everyone — they make it easier for everyone to evolve with me.
The decision to follow God and serve Truth is the only Real decision one must come to decide. All actions depend on this alignment. The lack of this understanding will very well lead one into ignorance and astray from Truth. In fact, the Salvation of man depends on this Divine understanding, and for those destined for Enlightenment, God must become of supreme devotion. Of all options available, there is no greater human pursuit than to worship God and to seek one's own Self-Realization, firstly, and then to share it with others for the benefit of all.
With the rise of human Consciousness on Earth presently just above level 200 comes the Dawn of Truth and signals to the end of the dark ages. Mankind, now in a new and exciting era, is closer to God than ever before. Heaven, now it seems, is being attracted to Earth as man's attraction towards Divinity increases. The material world is becoming infused with the energy of Truth. As one walks about the world, one can't help but wonder what comes next on the Spiritual journey, and what might be in store for mankind's destiny as he advances towards greater and greater expressions of holiness and love.
I am karmically liable for all that I am aware of, from the moment it occurs to my awareness. I am responsible for all actions that are within my power and control, and the contribution of my inner state to the universe. I am completely and totally answerable to God at every moment of my existence. God will never allow temptation greater than can be refused with Divine assistance from on High. It is that which I call upon in times of need. God and Truth are my birthright and my protection in every situation.
I strive to strengthen the areas of my life where I have weakness. Whenever I am faced with a difficulty or an obstacle, I immediately go to God for the answer. I do not allow the seduction of temptation to overcome me. Like in the Zen tradition, I extinguish any and all flames prior to becoming fires, and any and all fires before they blaze out of control. My focus is sharp, and my devotion to my life path is direct and steady. I am careful with every decision I encounter, and at every fork in the road, not to stray from The Way of Truth.
Peace is my inheritance as a child of God. It is my natural state when I am connected to Him. I need only to remove its obstructions to experience what God has for me. A quiet mind buds from within and extends outward to uplift everything around me. There is nothing to desire and no 'thing' to do, for inner stillness, peace and perfection are everywhere in God's Kingdom. Separation vanishes and all that remains is the eternal worship of the Creator in All of His Splendor and Glory.
Whenever I pause to pray, I am reminded that all thoughts are in the Mind of God, and therein all prayers are heard also. My intention is to serve God and in the greatest ways I can. Whenever I perceive that I am in need or someone I care about is in need, I can simply ask the Heavens for Divine help. God, being the source of Infinite Love and Compassion, will send down His angels to protect and guide me, or those whom I ask Him to. My sincere heart is all that is required. When enough prayers are lifted to Him, and the scales finally tip according to His Will, there will be an outpouring of His Love upon that which I pray for, and I will see that my requests have been answered.
You are the Light of Consciousness. You see through the eyes of The Watcher. Through meditation and contemplation, we pull back into That which We Really Are. You don't have to be a person, subject to a world of influences. You don't have to be anything. The illusion is seen for what it is. You Is what you seek already. What you are looking for is what you already Is. Home is the Self, where you cannot be otherwise, except in your own imagination. God is the true home of His Creation, where Love and Faith await you. Rest in that and abide in Him.
As I learn about Spiritual principles that I can apply to my life, I often hear the one of "Like attracts like." As I become attracted to Truth as a lifestyle, it becomes increasingly important to me that I watch what I give my attention to, as I am aware, however subtly, my consciousness will feed into the object of my attention and energize it. I seek the best for my consciousness and that of others, and so therefore as I commit to higher degrees of integrity for myself and those around me, I learn to follow the advanced truths more seriously, and see that the attractor patterns which I reinforce throughout the day and night really do have sustained and contagious effects not only on my own consciousness, but also on the collective.
Faith is easy when practiced continuously as a lifestyle. It's those who have no faith that have a harder life; those who will rather buy into a secular existence; those who will rather trade the Infinite Power of Divinity in exchange for the ego's pity, skepticism and pride. The secular has forsaken them! For it was not built upon the foundation of Peace that God has bestowed on us. So, when the rain came and the waves were crashing around us, those without Faith in the Divine did not even have faith in themselves, and they were drowning in despair.
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