FORGIVENESS: Part 1 of 2

Forgiveness involves the act of pardoning an offender, letting go of any resentment (based on judgment, revenge, persecution and/or anger), brought upon by a perceived wrong doing to us, by another, and giving up all claim to re-compensation.  The Greek term a·phi′e·mi literally means “let go of.”

Forgiveness is a gift that we give to ourselves; there is a strong relationship between forgiveness and mental health; forgiveness lightens our load and helps us maintain our own inner peace.  Forgiveness is essential, if we are to maintain peaceful relationships with others.  Through forgiveness, the bonds of personal relationships are strengthened.  When we forgive, our relationship with the Creator/God is strengthened and we are blessed with peace and contentment.

When we harbor feelings of judgment, revenge, persecution and/or anger, we slowly poison ourselves with toxic thoughts and emotions. As a result, we repeatedly suffer from poor health, broken relationships, stress, and/or communication difficulties. We lower our vibrational frequency to a level which limits: our ability to ascend to a place of inner peace, love and gratitude, as well as our re-connection with the Creator/God and the Divine Light/Jesus.  

Though we may have suffered at the hands of another, what has happened has happened ~ Let us not allow the behavior of others, to rob us of our happiness, by dwelling on negative thoughts and mentally ruminating over how we have been mistreated.  Let us not allow such thoughts to control our thinking.  Let us move on so we can be at peace, and heal.

Do not let yourself be conquered by the evil, but keep conquering the evil with the good.  Romans 12: 21

Some people with whom we are in personal relationship with, are repeatedly unkind to us.  Forgiveness does not mean that we approve of their behavior or minimize any damage created by their behavior.  Having said that, it is in our best interest to maintain a positive relationship with this person, by not keeping track of any wrong doings this person may have already done to us.  We all stumble in word and in deed on a regular basis. 

For we all stumble many times. If anyone does not stumble in word, this one is a perfect man, able to bridle also [his] whole body. James 3:2  

   

The offender, like each of us, is a victim of human imperfection.  With this realization, we can then allow ourselves to imagine the motivating pain and/or suffering behind the perceived wrong-doing behavior.  When we can imagine this, we can forgive more easily.   

One of the greatest things that any of us have, is prayer.  It is hard to stay angry with someone, for very long, when we are praying for them, so pray for the offender.  

“Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you.”  Matthew. 5:44.

If a person asks for forgiveness, it will serve us well to keep in mind that, if the shoe were on the other foot, we would want the other person to forgive us.  It will also serve us well to do the same for our offender, no matter how often it happens.  Forgiving others for personal offenses, regardless of the number of times involved, is a Christian requirement; there is no arbitrary limit on forgiveness.

Then Peter came up and said to him: “Lord, how many times is my brother to sin against me and am I to forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him: “I say to you, not, Up to seven times, but, Up to seventy-seven times.”  Mathew 18:21-22

Pay attention to yourselves. If your brother commits a sin give him a rebuke, and if he repents forgive him. Even if he sins seven times a day against you and he comes back to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”  Luke 17:3-4

There are times when a person might intentionally hurt us; there are also times when an offender may not be remorseful or ask for forgiveness.  The Creator/God prescribed a way for seeking and receiving his forgiveness. A person must acknowledge and confess his/her wrong-doing, recognize that it was an offense not just to another person, but also against the Creator/God, feel deep heartfelt sorrow and remorse, be determined to change his/her ways, and to the best of his/her ability, fix any damage done. It matters not how far one falls, but the strength of his/her determination to set matters right, rise above the wrong-doing, and move forward.

When we encounter a non-remorseful offender, it is in our best interest to lovingly release the person to the Creator/God, leave the relationship, and move on with our life.  Although divine forgiveness is expansive and generous, the Bible states that we should not pray for those sinning against the Holy Spirit, with no repentance, as this is a deliberate practice of malicious, willful sin, for which there is no forgiveness. 

On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven.  Matthew 12:31 

It is important to remember, that when we release a person to the Creator/God, and walk away, that we do so lovingly, and without judgment.  By imitating the Creator’s/God’s attitude toward forgiveness, we step out of the picture and allow the Creator/God, to examine the offender’s thoughts and heart and guide us on our path. 

Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5  

Return evil for evil to no one. Provide fine things in the sight of all men.  If possible, as far as it depends upon YOU, be peaceable with all men. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but yield place to the wrath; for it is written: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says Jehovah.”  Romans 12:17-19

So it is, Sealed in Faith in the Divine Light/Jesus ... Amen

Manifesting Hope

A strong desire for something, coupled with an expectation of obtaining the object(s) of our desire, constitutes hope . Hope is the belief that our present day desires will, in fact, manifest as reality at some point in the future; it is a universal blessing.

While we look forward to the manifestation of something we are waiting (hoping) for, it serves us well to wait patiently and confidently. In Hebrew, the word for hope is confidence; it implies a confident expectation of the future.

As long as we maintain our hope, that our desire will, in fact, be attained, and we realize that it must be delayed for a certain period of time; we can wait patiently for the manifestation process to complete itself. As long as we sustain hope and patience, we can overcome obstacles and endure trials and pain, no matter their severity or intensity.

When we have a strong desire without a corresponding expectation of obtaining it, we tend to become impatient. Without hope, the darkness of desperation and anguish result.

”But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25

The more that we believe that our hope has a high probabiltiy of being attained, the easier it will be for us to endure any tribulation that comes our way while we are patiently waiting for our hope to manifest itself. Prayer helps to strengthen our faith that our hopes will indeed eventually manifest; prayer raises the vibrational frequency of our hopes.

"In hope, rejoicing; in tribulation, enduring; in prayer, persevering." Romans 12:12

The ability to bring energy/light into form is a great spiritual gift and challenge. By manifesting, we are in active alignment with our spiritual selves, the Divine Light (Jesus), and the Creator (God).

“To each person has been given the ability to manifest the Spirit for the common good. “ I Corinthians 12:7

Energy follows thought; therefore, what we think about is extremely important, not only for ourselves but for the universe at large. Thought creates feelings (emotions). Doubt weakens or completely nullifies our ability to manifest. Therefore, it is important for us to identify any/all possible reasons (fears and doubts) which might prevent us from manifesting what we desire.

Desire provides the fuel to power the thoughts we project. The more desire we have, and the more we believe that our desires will manifest, the more successful we will be.

“And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship the Creator (God), and report that the Creator (God) is in you of a truth.” 1 Corinthians 14:25

When we let go and trust that the universe will provide what we need, exactly when we need it, we begin to attract support. Visible and invisible support not only helps move our manifestation process forward, but also help us gain the courage we need, to take, and continue taking, the steps we need to take.

That which we wish to manifest already exists; every possible outcome, conceived of in our thoughts, is already accomplished. When we recognize and are grateful for this knowledge, and expect our manifestations to come into being (form) they will; gratitude greatly accelerates the manifestation process. It may take a little time before our desire to manifest appears; it requires patience to sit back and wait. Our ability to remain patient is in direct proportion to how happy we are.

Manifestations that align our desires with our own individual Soul’s purpose manifest quite easily. Likewise, manifestations that are in alignment with our own, individual Ego, face many obstacles and stumbling blocks along the way. If we keep hitting a brick wall, we may want to turn around and take another path. Manifestation works best when we manifest selflessly, for the greater good; correct alignment of our will brings more energy/light to ourselves and others.

We can only manifest things that are in alignment with our belief that we are worthy. In other words, we can only manifest what we believe we can have. Our ability to be willing and open to receive the gift of manifestation, greatly affects what we manifest; we will only rise to the level of our own resistance.

"It is for this very purpose that I have lifted you so high--that I may make manifest in you My power, and that My name may be proclaimed far and wide in all the earth." Romans 9:17

So it is, sealed in trust, faith and truth, in the Sacred Divine Light.
Amen

Straying off the Spiritual Path

Straying off the Spiritual Path

As stated last week, ample opportunities, are provided for each of us, on a daily basis, to choose whether we want to serve the Earthly Realm or the Spiritual Realm.  Regardless of what drama/temptation/situation presents itself to us, when we allow ourselves to display ANY Attitude/Behavior indicative of the Earthly Realm, we consciously or unconsciously separate ourselves from the Spiritual Realm.

Some Attitudes/behaviors indicative of the Spiritual Realm:

• gentleness
• calmness
• a love of truth
• meek
• peaceful
• teachable
• merciful
• sincere
• tender-hearted
• sensitive
• honest
• forgiving
• patient
• loving
• open
• steadfast
• unwavering consistency
• vigilant
• faithful
• trusting
• modest
• humble
• courteous 

Some Attitudes/behaviors indicative of the Earthly Realm:

• strife
• contention
• self-conceit
• subtle and skilful argumentation
• shrewdness
• bigotry
• bitterness
• racist
• angry
• bullying
• abrasive (in words or actions)
• abusive (physically/mentally/emotionally and/or spiritually)
• disrespectful
• lustful dysfunctional gratification of the passions
• envious
• stubborn
• selfish
• quarrelsome
• malicious
• deceitful
• cunning
• secretive
• crafty
• proud
• haughty
• overbearing
• condescending
• arrogant

It is easy to lose our spiritual focus and our way.  As a matter of fact, it is so easy to do, that we often do not even realize that we are no longer on our spiritual path.  We may be off it for only but a moment or two, or we may stray so far off the spiritual path, that we can not see our way back.  

As you all know, I, like all of you, am a Spiritual Being having a HUMAN Experience; therefore, I, also come face to face with human dramas/temptations/situations which present themselves, on a daily basis.  Depending on how I consciously, or unconsciously, “choose” to navigate these regularly occurring human experiences, I “allow” myself to either stay strong on my spiritual path, or I “allow” myself to be lured off it. 

Case in Point:  This week, I unconsciously allowed myself to temporarily step out of the Spiritual Realm and enter into the Earthly realm.  I behaved in a selfish way; my behavior dishonored a beloved Sister’s Spirit, and temporarily dimmed the light of both of our spirits. 

For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.  James 3:15

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit; Instead, humbly think of others as being more significant than yourselves.  Philippians 2:3 

Can we prevent earthly traits/inclinations, from luring us away from our spiritual path?   … If so, How?

It is written:  I shall make you have insight and instruct you in the way you should go.  I will give advice with my eyes upon you.  Psalms 32:8

How do we gain this insight? … Where do we get this instruction? 

Vigilance in our spiritual studies, prayers, meditations, and regular association with “like-minded” people provide opportunities for us to gain insight and direction, as we navigate the Earthly Realm.  

  

With continued vigilance, we learn to see what is in our own hearts; we see what the Creator/God and the Divine Light/Jesus sees.  We become conscious of the Earthly traits/inclinations which often lead us out of the Spiritual Realm.  The sooner we realize that we are not thinking/acting in a way that is indicative of the Spiritual Realm, the sooner we can correct our thoughts/actions and return to it
. 

If we take the time to process “how” we were lured off the path and “what” we have learned from the experience, we will grow both personally and spiritually (which by the way, is the overall goal of the Church of Ultra Light Consciousness.). 

Self is not ever to be in the forefront; the only true correction for selfishness is true humility.  Humility does not mean that we are obliged to believe or do everything others say, right or wrong; we are not blind to the Earthly traits/inclinations of others; however, honor and esteem are due to each and all.

True humility is having the willingness to view our own importance (needs/desires/opinions/etc.) as being less important than someone else’s importance, in spite of their Earthly traits/inclinations.   When we treat each other with honor and respect in our everyday common conversations and actions … building each other up, both in the Earthly and the Spiritual Realms … not waiting until respect is shown on one side to return it again. … we lead the way, serving as a guide in showing the honor and esteem due to each and all (which incidentally, is one of the spiritual responsibilities of all Church of Ultra Light Consciousness Ministers.). 

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Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  Romans 12:10     

Submit to one another out of respect for Christ.   Ephesians 5:21 

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers and sisters, be compassionate and keep a humble attitude.    1 Peter 3:8  

This is a hard lesson, and very few persons learn it thoroughly.  The Creator/God and the Divine Light/Jesus are served with our spirit, not with our minds.  It is in our spiritual best interest to make a conscious effort to listen with our hearts so that we may agree in spiritual truth; when we fall short of that, it will serve us well if we agree to disagree, in spiritual love and affection.  

When we are able to apply this lesson, we willingly perform humble tasks, without resentment, which may be of benefit to others.  This does not harm relationships; instead, it makes every yoke lighter.  When we genuinely prefer someone else’s experience, light and knowledge to our own - contentment, peace, harmony, love, order and unity are preserved in our relationships.

So it is, sealed in trust, faith and truth, in the Sacred Divine Light. Amen