|
"When the
consciousness [soul] speaks; the law [of G-d] receives and executes.
When a farmer plants a seed, he invokes the law [Intelligence].
That which follows is done by the mechanical side of Nature, which has
no volition [choice] of Its own. Involution is the cause and
evolution is the effect. When [we pray] we are dealing with
involution - the first step of the creative order. This is what
the Bible calls the Word. That which follows is evolution, or the
unfoldment of the word, or concept, into objective existence. ...
We are thinking, willing, knowing, conscious centers of Life. We
are surrounded by, immersed in, and there is a flowing through us, a
creative Something ... call It what you will. The sum total of our
thought, will, purpose, and belief, creates a tendency in this Law [of
G-d] that causes It to react to us according to the sum total of that
belief. How much can one demonstrate [cause]? Just what one
can believe. How much can we see, how much can we accept, how much
can we find in our consciousness that is no longer repudiated by our own
denials? Whatever that is, that much can we have. ... We must
instill in our mind the fundamental proposition that good is without
bounds. Only good and loving-kindness shall "follow me all
the days of my life." [Psalms 23] We must get this concept,
rather than continuing to think there is a power of evil as opposed to
the power of Good. We experience good and evil because we perceive
a presence of duality rather than unity. ... Let us realize and work
with this sound knowledge and perfect faith; That as high as we shall
make our mark in Mind and Spirit, so high shall be Its outward
manifestation in our material world." -
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind [Introductory Chapter 2 - The Way It
Works]
"Teacher, which is the
most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord [Intelligence,
Spirit, Power] your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your
mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally
important: ‘Love your neighbor [everyone and every thing] as
yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are
based on these two commandments.”
- attributed
to Jesus, Matthew 22:36-40, The Holy Bible
All too often people confuse
"faith" with religious conviction. When we hear the
phrase, "a person of faith" it is usually referring to someone
who is religious. Yet, faith is not dependent on religion but on
our conviction that what we believe is valid and will be validated by
our faith in it. The mystical Ernest Holmes stated that we should
never underestimate the power of "blind faith" ... for many
people have risen above extreme circumstances with blind faith alone.
As we read in the scriptures, "faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"
.. this "evidence of things not seen" gives us insight
into that which is imperative for us to understand as we seek to
experience the answer to our prayers, and that is "mental
equivalent."
Throughout history people have passed on
beliefs about our relationship with G-d that fit the prevailing culture
of the time. Throughout the Bible we can find evidence of an
evolving awareness of G-d and our relationship to G-d. More
importantly, we can also find an evolving awareness of the power of
faith and belief. Primitive people believed G-d 'intervened"
in human affairs based on their "human goodness" or
"favor" with G-d ... sadly, there are people who continue to
believe in this way and therefore take less responsibility, or credit,
for the power of faith that is available to us all.
Currently in the United States a football
player, Tim Tebow, is getting lots of Media attention and is a hero of
the Evangelical religious movement. Even those who should know
better attribute his success as a football quarterback for the Denver
Broncos football team, to his religion and to a G-d that intervenes due
to his faith and beliefs. Sadly, for those who believe this way it
is easy to hold to a faith in an intervening G-d when Tebow wins, but is
difficult to explain when he doesn't. In the game last week Tebow
had an amazing touchdown play that won the game for the Denver Broncos
... yet, his team lost the game prior to that and the one prior to that.
Tonight [January 14, 2012] the Broncos are playing the New England
Patriots ... Tim Tebow up against Tom Brady. As we look at the
Principle that Jesus taught; "according to
your faith be it unto you" ... we can know that whoever has
the greater conviction [faith] that they will win this game will win it.
Tom Brady is an outstanding quarterback. He may not have Tim
Tebow's religious zeal, but perhaps his faith in his ability to win
football games gave him the win.
Rather than looking for G-d to
"intervene" on our behalf, we must stir up the faith and
belief that G-d has already given us all that is necessary for us to
receive the good results that we seek. If we truly "desire
it" ... we already "possess it" ... but, it is our faith
that gives evidence to that which is not seen. Our faith must
become three-fold; a belief in G-d, a belief in our Self, and a belief
in the Good. This is why the Master Mind
Jesus taught that we are to fill our mind, heart and soul with a sense
of love for G-d and All that G-d Is, thus eliminating all sense of
duality; good and evil, success and failure. And in doing so, we
shall eliminate the possibility that anything can obstruct the good that
we desire to experience ... and beyond this we can experience as much as
we can believe.
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOGS: Living
the Way to a Wonderful Life
Rev
Bates en Espanol
|
