An Easter Message: If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.
Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. – Love, Jesus
From Father Paul
Service: The Key to Spiritual Attainment
…I’m going to take my text this morning from the 16th and 17th chapters of John: The hour is coming, indeed it has come when you will be scattered, every man to his home and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but be ye of good cheer: I have overcome the world.
This is a prelude to my text. My text is the next four verses:
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, Father the hour has come. Glorify Thy Son that the Son may glorify Thee: since Thou hast given him power over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom Thou hast given him. And this is eternal life: that they know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I glorify Thee on earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast sent me to do.
In our striving to gain spiritual attainment, we have forgotten one thing: and that is that we only attain this, really, through our personal service and our lifting up of other people. Now the Teacher sometimes has various things he has to do in the way of discipline; but the real key to spiritual attainment is through our lifting up of other people. …he said, “I have glorified Thee, Now glorify me Father, so I can glorify Thee.” In other words, even the Father in heaven–it was necessary for him to lift up his son which He had sent to us as the great Messiah–it was necessary for Him to lift him up in glory that he could give glory unto his Father in Heaven.
This is on the level of the great divine hierarchy. Even here, these laws hold true, and their working; and you’ll notice that it is the students and the brothers who see the good in other people, in their brothers; it is they whom go ahead, it is they whom advance.
It is the ones who give selflessly in service and find the least fault, actually, that are the ones that come through into the spiritual attainments secure, solid and with a great deal of reality. There isn’t an order on earth that hasn’t suffered the same things that you and I have experienced in this world. We have experienced many great blessings through our Lord and Master which haven’t been experienced as easily as we have; but there is always that living up to what we have experienced and the gifts we have been given. And if we fall short of being grateful, of thanking God and thanking our Lord and Master for what we have received, then we fall short and we will not develop in the sound and secure way that we should.
Even here, our Master whom was sent here, whom came with a distinct mission, whom as commissioned to do so, said: “Father, glorify me that I may glorify Thee.” For how can you be a brother to those whom you live with, those whom are really striving the same as you, when you do not try to lend them a hand? Maybe lending that hand is keeping quiet. Maybe it’s sitting down and talking with them cheerfully as a brother; not necessarily trying to teach them something; just being a friend, a brother to them. Maybe it’s going in and helping with the dishes. Maybe it’s seeing that no one talks against them…It might be any one of a thousand things will turn to be most important to weigh the scale so that they can more easily move along in their attainment; and that they too will be given a chance to give that glory unto the Father. Even our Master in the revelations said “Do not worship me; worship my Father in heaven. Give Him the glory.” He was the one that created this. Yes, I know; as we look back as and we gradually and slowly our eyes are uncovered and we start to see the immensity of this Creation. We start to see the timeless depths unto which it goes, we become a little awed. We wonder what it’s all about. Why are we doing this?
Well, cheer up. There isn’t anybody that’s ever lived that hasn’t; and there isn’t anybody that ever lived that really has attained any real consciousness of the Christ within them, that hasn’t looked at this and said ‘I wonder where it goes to’ But there’s one thing I can assure you of: that if you will follow the ways of creation, and if you will make your objective service, not only in work, but in thought, and here’s one thing that we have oft times missed: you might turn out a good day’s work, this is fine. We all need it–you can turn out a good day’s work; but do you turn out a good day’s thinking? How about that? How about what you think about Mary, James, so who else around you? Do you turn out a good day’s thinking? Ask yourself that; because it is not only the labor of your hands, it is the labor of your mind and your heart that determines what the nature and the vitality and the power of this Order is. Because you could turn out a good day’s work and destroy more than what you had built; ant that’d be a little foolish.
There is always a saying : you have got to climb the ladder, but you must, if you are going up, you must help somebody up onto the next rung below you, so that he will help to lift you up.
Sometimes in acquiring certain things spiritually, we get puffed up rather than really feeling the gratefulness that we should feel. Remember it’s only by the grace of God and the endeavor of your instructors and Teachers that you’re there. Now there’s nothing to get puffed up about, and I assure you, that you will go on for many years learning many things and I assure everyone in this Order that you will spend many lifetimes before you reach the point that you will become a real self-sufficient Self. Because there is too little to know, and it’s trying to learn how little there is that we get the greater cosmic picture of things.
I of times remember a thing which happened in one of the temples; there was a picture of a certain great Teacher on the wall and this I assure you was not painted because he wanted it painted. It was painted by an artist who had seen him and went away and painted it; and this man was not a great big 6 foot 6 or anything of that sort; he was just, well, maybe 5 foot 9 or 5 foot 8 or something of that sort. An average build–and there was a young man standing next to me who come into the temple the first night being permitted to come in; he had reached that point where he could–and he stood there and he looked at that and he said ‘is that really him?’ and I said ‘yes, that’s right, it’s him.’ And he said, ‘he doesn’t look very unusual.’
There’s where it sets. Look out for the person you don’t know; because it’s those who don’t look very unusual that carry the great prerogative that move the mountains and that move the destiny of man.
Within you sets that same great power; but you will only acquire greater strength, greater spirituality when you have forgotten it and only serve and glorify your brother, that he may give glory to God. So remember, every time you say a good word about your brother, you’re opening the way for your own opportunity and for his opportunity to glorify God and our Lord Jesus. So forgive him. Work with it, and never mind the titles. It isn’t the titles that count. It is what you’re thinking that counts, and what your service is that counts. Your glory that you give to your Father in Heaven and your brother man.
Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, so was given His Word.
Faith is the inheritance of each person from the Creator but it matters what is believed in. Christ had faith which was united with love for the Father and love for man. With this he could walk across the water. He believed – rather he knew – it was solid enough to hold him in the performance of God’s will – so it was. No doubt dimmed his faith.
The healings which occurred were not merely through outward contact with Jesus, but also through faith which took hold of His divine power. Faith unto salvation is more than mere intellectual assent to the truth. It requires accepting what is desired with no other evidence than the faith itself, which provides the substance through which the miracles will be wrought.
To deny that Jesus performed miracles would be to deny his divine essence and to look upon him as the prototype of a mere believer who preached and lived a life of moral perfection. No, the life of Jesus is a revelation of God Himself – a marvelous manifestation of Divine Action in earthly conditions.
Paul said the Israelites failed of salvation “because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.” For they stumbled at that stumbling stone as it is written, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense; and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
Faith is more than assurance, it is the element that firms and stabilizes, having power to give form and substance to all things. -from The Story of Jesus
Excerpts from Pondering by Rev. Mother Ruth Blighton
Reading from the gospel about Jesus walking on the water and quieting the storm, one recognizes how this can apply to the storms raging within a person, of varied intensity according to temperament. Not necessarily storms of passion, nor always negative, but turbulent winds that blow over the waters of life and soul, making it difficult, regardless of whether the causes stem from people and circumstances outside oneself, or from more personal feelings.
Through Christ the storm is quieted and ceases to rage. Mastery over the inner turmoil can only come about through becoming more like him. We must learn to walk calmly, “fear not”, and speak to the wind and water, “be still”.
~~
When beset by the storms of life, invite Jesus to enter the ship, to still the winds, calm the seas and carry you safe to shore. “Be of good cheer. It is I, be not afraid.”
Easter Son Rise Services” April 18, 1968
Like the women at Jesus’ tomb, people have been going to church for 2000 years to anoint a dead body, even though it is true they have done so with costly spices, and with love. And there in the church, as at the sepulcher, they have been told, “Why seek ye him here? He is risen.”, and they have ever been amazed, as then, at the miracle; but do they really hear?.
Now, shall we not go forth, as they were instructed then, not merely to honor the dead body, but to glorify him as One who lives? One who may be met on the Path at any time, though not at first recognized as the Christ. The stone has long been rolled away from his sepulcher. Let us seek to meet and communicate with Him, and be in readiness for him in the present; for He does live now, both in and around us. (Mark 16:1-8)
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it. Psalm 127
Illumination dissolves all material ties and binds men together with the golden chains of spiritual understanding; it acknowledges only the leadership of the Christ; it has no ritual or rule but the divine, impersonal, universal love, no other worship than the inner Flame that is ever lit at the shrine of Spirit. This union is the free state of spiritual brotherhood. The only restraint is the discipline of Soul; therefore, we know liberty without license; we are a united universe without physical limits, a divine service to God without ceremony or creed.
The illumined walk without fear — by Grace.
-from The Infinite Way by Joel S. Goldsmith
Letter to the Brotherhood from Father Paul: HOOM newsletter February 1973
Dear Brothers in Christ,
As we approach the Easter Season, you’ll find that there are many wonderful things taking place. Your Order and mine is truly going through the initiations of a solar nature, that is those things which it is experiencing have reached that intensity in which we will find a permanent form, under which we will operate. Which I believe at the present time we have found, but will be some time yet in getting into operation.
The Host has privileged us and given us great gifts of service, some things which will be a short time before they are truly made manifest…other things which you can see already, I’m sure. Let us all look to ourselves and our own development, personally sharpening our tools, really working with the Self, really, that we may be ready to go into the field, which needs our help, not only as persons, but other organizations.
Most important, most important, let us not forget that one of the great services which we may perform and should is the keeping straight of our thinking and preparing of our own beings and vehicles. Because let me remind you that you are broadcasting stations which have a tremendous influence on the surrounding areas of your living, working, and going got school.
This above action on your part will make it much easier for a great reality to be realized this Easter and pass along to those who do not yet understand, but who are truly seeking the cosmic reality of Creation, that they, too, might help to bring about that day of Light and peace that shall come and is coming to the Earth around us.
Yours in Christ,
Father Blighton
Excerpts from introduction to Discipleship in the New Age by Alice Bailey
Only those who are beginning to come under the influence and the control of their own souls and are, therefore, mentally focused and attuned, are eligible for the training offered by the Hierarchy. Devotion, emotional reactions and sentiment are not enough. Esoteric training is also an impersonal matter; it is concerned with the development of soul consciousness and with the expansion of that consciousness to include, and not exclude, all forms of life through which pulses the life and love of god. The true disciple is ever inclusive and never exclusive. It is this inclusiveness which is the hallmark of all true esotericists. Where it is lacking, you may have an aspirant but you do not have a true disciple. There is far too much exclusiveness extant today among esotericists and in occult schools and too much theological separativeness…
.[speaking of disciples working with a Tibetan Master] None of the people chosen for instruction and for inclusion in the Ashram of the Master are saints or perfect. All are, however, true aspirants and will go on to the very end in spite of pain and sorrow, discipline, success, failure, joy and a spiritual recognition of almost unattainable goals. Some have been on this Path of Accepted Discipleship (technically understood) for many lives. Some are venturing for the first time–consciously and with deliberate effort–to tread the Way to God. All are mystics, learning to be occultists. All are normal people, living useful, modern lives in many different countries in the world. Some are orthodox Protestant Christians by profession; others are Roman Catholics; still others are Christian Scientists or belong to one or other of the more mental cults; some are quite unattached and free from affiliations. None of them regards his particular brand of faith or his particular religious background as essential to salvation; he knows that the only essential is belief in the spiritual realities and in the essential divinity of mankind. This belief necessarily involves a heart full of love, a mind open and illumined by right orientation to truth and a life dedicated to service and to the alleviation of human sufferings. This is the determined goal…a goal which they have not yet attained and a mode of life which they have not yet perfected. They are, nevertheless, unalterable upon their way and that way is the WAY. Christ said “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life”; these aspirants, working under a great Disciple of the Christ, are beginning to grasp some of the significances and implications of that statement which holds true for all time and for all disciples, because “as He is, so are we in this world.”
Great Invocation
Let the Forces of Light bring Illumination to mankind.
Let the Spirit of Peace be spread abroad.
May those of goodwill everywhere meet in a spirit of cooperation.
May forgiveness on the part of all Beings be the keynote at this time.
So let it be, and help us to do our part. (1935)
