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"And he was
teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to
them: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he
sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured
it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much
soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil.
And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it
withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew
up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell
into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and
yielding thirty-fold and sixty-fold and a hundred-fold. And he
said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
- Attributed to the Master Mind Jesus, Mark 4:2-9, The Holy Bible (American Standard Version)
Most of us are aware that there is an
Intelligence that works through everything. An easy to understand
example of this is the Intelligence that works through a seed, and this
is why the Master Mind Jesus used this as an example in his
parable. Yet, even though we understand this process of growth and
Intelligence at work in and through the seed, many of us continue to
have expectations that G-d will do things "for us" rather than
"through us." All too often, people are disappointed
that they cannot demonstrate spiritual principles with immediacy.
One of the reasons for this is that there is so much written where
people have done so. However, often, the years of study and the
development of consciousness is left out of these stories.
The Intelligence that works in and through the
seed, works in and through us in the same way. And this is why
Jesus' parable is so important for us to understand. The seed
thought, or ideas, that we want to demonstrate in our experience must be
fostered and nurtured in our consciousness until it is embodied.
In other words, we must prepare our mind to accept, believe, and know,
that Intelligence is doing Its perfect work through us, and through the
conditions and circumstances that we find ourselves in. When we do
not see the results of our spiritual work; silent meditation,
contemplation, affirmations and prayer ... it is because we have not
"entered into it." We may want it ... feel deserving of
it, and are grateful for it ... but, until we enter into it and see
ourselves "living it" ... it will not manifest. And we
cannot "enter into it" unless we give it our complete
attention. We must take the time to "live in our mind"
in the way that we choose to live ... and if we are not taking the time
to give our desires this complete attention, then we are not choosing,
we are day dreaming.
It is very easy to know if we really, really want
something ... that we are choosing it above all else. We know this
by how much time we spend developing and expanding the idea of it in our
mind. Do we spend time every day in the silence? Do we write
or speak spiritual treatments or prayers regarding our desires every
day? Do we sit in the silence of our mind and mentally think about
what we desire every day? Now, if we don't do these things, then
we must understand that there is no way that Divine Intelligence can
work "through us." We must "grow" the new idea
within our mind by giving it our attention mentally. Spirit cannot enter into a mind that
is filled with thoughts and ideas that are concentrated on the world
(outer), and find the embodiment of a new idea to be fulfilled.
When we choose to definitely have something specific, and prepare our
mind to receive it, Intelligence works through our consciousness, that
is, through us, through the images we have created in our mind, and
unfolds into our experience what we have embodied.
"So,
while the long history of religious oppression and hypocrisy is
profoundly sobering, the earnest seeker must look beyond the behavior of
flawed humans in order to find the truth. Would you condemn an oak
tree because its timbers had been used to build battering rams?
Would you blame the air for allowing lies to be transmitted through
it? Would you judge Mozart's The Magic Flute on the basis
of a poorly rehearsed performance by fifth-graders? If you had
never seen a real sunset over the Pacific, would you allow a tourist
brochure as a substitute? Would you evaluate the power of romantic
love solely in the light of an abusive marriage next door? ... No.
A real evaluation of the truth of faith depends upon looking at the
clean, pure water, not at the rusty containers."
- Francis S. Collins, The Language Of God
Francis Collins touches on something that is important for us to
register in our consciousness, and that is to always look beyond the
appearances and the experiences of others. He is re-phrasing the
teaching of the Master Mind Jesus on judgment. As
we master this in our mind there is a multitude of wonderful experiences
and opportunities in store for us. Let us not base our
perceptions by sight but
by faith and develop this faith to the point that we can concentrate,
contemplate, and demonstrate definitely every good thing we choose for
ourselves. Let us multiply the good we desire in our mind until at
any point in time we can pause and enter into that which we choose to
be, to do, or to have. As someone once told me, "when you be
it, you will see it." It's time for change ... it's
time to be it!
AND
SO IT IS!
Keep
the faith!
Rev.
Dr. Henry Lee Bates
Visit Rev. Bates BLOG: Living
the Science of Mind
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