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"The starting point in
spiritual realization is a right understanding of that One designated as
the Almighty." - Charles
Fillmore
"Jesus had a unique concept of God. To Him, God was not an
object of worship but a Presence dwelling in us, a force surrounding us,
and a Principle by which we live. It is not too much to say that
anyone who catches the idea of Jesus' concept will find himself caught
up in a new consciousness that will change his whole life. He will
never be the same again.” – Eric
Butterworth, Discover The Power Within You
Christmas brings us into a greater awareness of the consciousness
revealed by the Master Mind Jesus, the Christ Consciousness. A
consciousness of not only our eternal One-ness with G-d, but also our
inherent One-ness with each other. His entire teaching emphasizes
this great Truth. G-d is All and All is G-d, is better understood
when we realize that G-d is Spirit, or Mind. Jesus' teachings
emphasized that we live in Spirit; in the Mind of G-d. And as we
consciously seek to embody this Truth in a deeper and more profound
understanding and awareness, our life experiences will take on a warmth
and color that will appear within our mind as joy and happiness, hope
and loving kindness.
The Magi, also known as the Wise Men,
discovered that a new, powerful consciousness had been given birth in
the World. They did not return to Herod because they were told not
to in a dream, according to legend, and instead went back to their own
country, Yemen. This visit took place several years after the
birth of Jesus, and symbolizes that the consciousness was growing and
expanding. Most likely the Magi could not explain what they had
discovered. There were no words in their language to describe it.
Tradition makes this consciousness unique to Jesus, however, this was
not his understanding or his teaching. Jesus knew that we could
all benefit from this consciousness and persisted in teaching the people
how to become more in tune with the Christ within.
In hard, economic times, many people turn to
religion thinking that in doing so they are turning to G-d. But,
this collective-thought is not necessarily true. The Master Mind
Jesus, as we can read in Matthew 6:6 taught something very different:
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and
having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy
Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee." Religion
that teaches us to look outside ourselves for G-d, contradicts this most
important practice that connects us with G-d within each of us.
This G-d within, is the Christ Consciousness that came alive in the mind
of Jesus, but It was given to the World, not to a single individual.
Jesus knew this, which is why it is written in John 16:7
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I
go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but
if I go, I will send him unto you." He knew that as long as
the people looked to him to help them, to heal them, to teach them ...
that they would not "turn within" and find G-d within
themselves.
I believe that we all should celebrate the life
of Jesus, but when we do, we should realize that our celebration is not
about his birthday, or some other legend that has been passed along
through the ages, but because he was willing to stand against the World
and declare the "Truth that will set us free." People
who look for this Truth in the fragments of the historical Jesus won't
find it. Neither will the people who look for this Truth in the
traditional teachings of Jesus. "You must know the Truth, and
the Truth will set you free," he said. And the only way we
can "know the Truth" as he knew it, is to "turn within to
the Kingdom of G-d" and let it be known to us. Jesus knew
that each of us have a spark of the Divine within us, the Christ
Consciousness ... "don't ye know that ye are gods?" he asked,
knowing that none of us could be all of G-d, but that G-d had imparted a
part of Itself within each of us.
Much of what Jesus taught
was not original to him. It had already been revealed to the World
from the One Mind. But, what he did that no one else who
understood this Truth had done, was to teach us that we all have the
right to declare that "I am the light of the world." For
in Truth, his entire teaching was to bring the individual into a closer
and more perfect relationship with the Infinite. We can read in
the Book of Isaiah 43:11
"I, even I, am Jehovah; and besides me there is no savior."
Yet, Isaiah, unlike the Master Mind Jesus, did not grasp the profound
Truth that was revealed to him, that G-d Is All and All Is G-d. As
we seek to embody this Truth, we can celebrate Christmas in the
consciousness that made it possible. I celebrate Christmas in
celebration of the life and teachings of the Master Mind Jesus, with
great gratitude, great respect, and great love.
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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