Friday 25 February 2011

Weekly Bible Quote 141

For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways - (Ps 9:11)
God is my ever-present help and strength the whole day through

There was a picture, often seen in school-rooms and nurseries in days gone by, of a small child walking across a narrow bridge that spanned a deep gorge. The child was walking confidently ahead while overshadowing him was a splendid and most solicitous angel. Children were taught - and believed - that each one had a Guardian Angel sent by God Himself to watch over them.

Angels are not much in favour or in fashion nowadays, but the principle underlying their existence is the same. Whoever and wherever we are, we are surrounded by the Living, Loving Presence Who never leaves our side, day or night. We have but to turn within and become aware of this Presence to realize that we are safe, secure, guided and encouraged.

Older generations drew comfort from imagining radiant winged beings hovering about and affording heavenly protection. We can be thankful for the same loving watchfulness, understanding that in God we live, move, breathe and have our very existence.

The Path of Truth, Sep/Oct 2010, p. 300.

Weekly Bible Quote 140

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt - (Mt 6:19)

I make use of what I have for my own benefit and that of my fellowmen

How many of us hoard things - things that we never use but which we are afraid to give away in case a time may come when we shall need them? How much better it would be to give them to someone who could make good use of them.

There are people who hoard money and clothes and other possessions instead of using them for their own benefit or for the benefit of those in greater need of them. How many of us, if we looked through our cupboards, would not find things which we do not use ourselves but which we are hoarding in case of a problematical 'rainy day'? How little faith we show in God as our source of supply when we do this.

How much better to enjoy what we have while we can and allow others to share our enjoyment; and to give away what we can spare in a spirit of love.

The Path of Truth Mar/Apr 2009, p. 89.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Weekly Bible Quote 139

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold - (John 10:16)
I do not condemn other religions but seek to understand them

There are people who think that they have found the only path which leads to God. How wrong they are. I think that it iwas Dr Harold Taylor who said: "There are as many roads to the attainment of wisdom and goodness as there are people who undertake to walk them. There are so many solid truths on which we can stand, as there are people who can search them out, and who will stand on them. There are as many ideas and ideals as there are men of goodwill who will hold them in their minds, and act upon them in their lives."

As long as love is the basis of a religion, the form of worship is not important, so let us not condemn others because they do not see eye to eye with us. Each of us must find his own way to God, and the form of religion we have is the best suited to our present standard of growth.

It is not for us to act as judges of another. The ultimate aim of each of us should be consciousness of our unity with the Father.

The Path of Truth May/Jun 2009, p. 125

Weekly Bible Quote 138

Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid - (Matt 14:27)
I will not fear, Father, for I know that You are with me

How wonderful it would be not to fear anything! There are few of us who do not fear something -- ill-health, poverty, the unknown, death -- to name just a few of the fears some of us suffer from. And why do we fear? Because we are lacking in faith. We do not realise our unity with Him Who is all-love, all-power, all-knowledge, and ever present.

That is one of the things we are on this plane of consciousness to do -- to learn that we are one with God the Father and all that He has and is. What He is we potentially are, but not all of us can FEEL this is so -- though we may accept it intellectually.

And if we are one with Him, we are one with each other, since we are all His beloved children.

The Path of Truth Nov/Dec 2009, p. 275.

Weekly Bible Quote 137



We know that to them that love God all things work together for good - (Rom 8:28)
I love God and try to do His Will in order that He may be glorified through me

It may be difficult at times to accept this ; text but if we would only realise the fact, there is a lesson to be learned in every experience that comes to us.
Perhaps we are enduring trials and tribulations that we think we do not deserve, but this is not so. Whatever they may be, we have brought them on ourselves by our wrong thoughts and actions at some time. If we had to suffer undeservedly there would be no such thing as divine justice; and if we could not believe in a just God, to what could we cling?
It is when we are experiencing hardships for which we can see no reason, that we are being put to the test. Can we keep the lamp of faith burning brightly under such conditions? We shall, if our trust in God is a reality. After all, it is quite easy to have faith when things are running smoothly, but not so easy when we are suffering from adversity and cannot understand the cause. But love will enable us to continue to trust in God.

The Path of Truth

Weerkly Quote 136

O taste and see that the Lord is good - (Ps 34:8)
My love for and faith in God are steadfast and He cares for me

If our religion is to be anything more than a form we must prove things for ourselves. We must prove that faith works, for example. Others may tell us what it has done for them but if we are to be convinced we must know it is true by putting it to the test. The experiences of others are not necessarily sufficient for us.

How are we to prove that faith works? By behaving as if the knowledge were already ours. By taking it for granted that it works. And this is the way to increase our faith also. We show our trust in man daily, so why do we not have faith in his Creator?

Love, too, can be proved. The more love we give out to our fellowmen, the more will come back to us. We must give if we would receive. The Master said: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give unto you. For with the same measure that you give, it shall be given to you."

The Path of Truth Vol. 58, No. 1, p. 33.

Thursday 17 February 2011

Weekly Quote School of Truth 135

The prayer of faith shall save him - (James 5:15)
I give grateful thanks that God, my Father is always the fulfilment of my need

When we pray, to whom are we offering up our prayer? If to God, what are we hoping to gain thereby? The granting of a boon, the changing of a condition (brought about by us), a healing of some disease?

God's part is already done in all that concerns us. He is the VINE, we are the branches. Would it make sense for certain leaves on an oak to beg the tree to send up sap to nourish them, to induce the sun to shine on them, to incline the rain to wash them free of dust? The sap will rise because it is its nature to do so, the sun cannot withhold the light which streams out of it, and the gentle rain from heaven falls upon the just and the unjust.

In order to attain peace of mind, to still our doubts we do remind ourselves that God governs; that He is our all-sufficing supply, and is expressing Himself - all that He is and has - in and through us. THAT is what we achieve through prayer - a sense of unity with our Maker, the attunement with him that convinces us that all is good and good is ours to use and to enjoy.

The Path of Truth Vol. 57, No. 5, p. 299.

Weekly Quote From School of Truth 134

Your wounds I will heal - (Jer. 30:17)
Trust illuminates every shadow

Such is the nature of man - unless we know darkness we cannot know light, unless we know sorrow we cannot know joy, unless we know pain we cannot know healing. We have been given freedom of choice. It is a realm that our heavenly Father desires that we fulfil on His behalf.

God's presence overcomes all the difficulties we experience on this plane of consciousness we call our world, but we must prove it. We are sent to do His works during the days we spend on earth. So turn from introspection to the world around you in the knowledge that it is a place prepared for you, that wherever you go you shine His light and dispel darkness, that it contains nothing that can harm you while you place your trust in Him.

If now you experience lack or are downcast or ill, do not fight it. Instead, in mind and heart identify yourself with Him in Whom are no shadows. See yourself carrying His light. Then, in trust, depart your dark place. Go forth and claim His healing by living it. This is what God wants you to do.

The Path of Truth Vol. 55, No. 6, p. 350.

Sunday 2 January 2011

Weekly Bible Quote 133, School of Truth, read by Andre

My heart hath trusted in Him, and I am helped - (Ps 28:7)
With the help of the divine power within me I am successful

Have you undertaken some new work and are you nervous at the thought of it? Know that God is with you to help you - that your intelligence is part of the Divine Intelligence - and accept no thoughts of failure, let God be your guidance.

You should have the will to win, not to fail. To begin a task with courage and determination to succeed is half the battle. As long as you have the thought of failure in your mind you are likely to fail, so cling to the thought of success. As we think so we are, so we must think positively and constructively always.

Be enthusiastic about work. If you do not like it, change your thoughts about it and learn to like it. Bring confidence and energy to whatever task you have to do and trust in the Power of God within you to help you. Enthusiasm pays dividends, so be enthusiastic at all times.

The Path of Truth Vol. 57, No. 4, p. 239.

Weekly Bible Quote 132, School of Truth, read by Andre


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Whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith - (1 Jn 5:4)
I live my life on God's behalf

Being born of God is entirely a matter of acceptance, of attitude. Our Father holds us dear from the beginning but we must claim His love. This is the penalty and great promise of God's gift of free will.

God's presence in us, the "Christ", has overcome the world but for reasons that perhaps we never will understand, it must be demonstrated through the quality of free will we call faith. We can say only that it is a task we must do on God's behalf. The Master puts it thus: "God sent the Son into the world that the world might be saved through him."

So let us stop seeing our lives in terms of ourselves and see it rather as striving to fulfil God's purpose in us and for us. Our victory is His victory. Ridding ourselves of congesting self-awareness opens us to boundless fulfilment of all aspects of life.

The Path of Truth Vol. 56, No. 4, p. 221.

Weekly Bible Quote 131, School of Truth, read by Andre

The Law of God is in his heart - (Ps 37:31)
My whole being I commit to God

It is our will, our desire, our hunger, to achieve that drives us to great heights. Many people may have the same skills as we but it is the quality of our feeling that makes the difference. To be complete in our endeavours we need both head and heart.

This is even more true when we need God to express through us. We may have sufficient intellectual grasp of Him but we also need trust, the courage to act. Without these God remains an idea in our minds, maybe a beautiful and sincere one, but nevertheless only an idea.

Our Father says to us "You are my beloved child with whom I am well pleased.." And if we would truly be His heirs we must acknowledge Him in thought and feeling. It is Divine law. We must say with our whole being "I will put my trust in Him."

The Path of Truth Vol. 50, No. 5, p. 301.

Weekly Bible Quote 130, School of Truth, read by Andre

Peace! Be still! - (Mk 4:39)
I step back from fear and let God in

There come times when we ourselves have to dispel confusion. It is not that we have in an instant to conjure up the answer. Rather it is our certainty that the answer is present in the Mind and Soul of our Father, that if we clear our own mind and heart It will become apparent to us.

Anxiety, that niggling form of fear, is linked to our worldly condition of time. We fear that we are running out of time, that calamity will strike. But God's peace is utterly silent, is utterly motionless, is therefore utterly timeless. It is an act of the purest faith to step back from events unfolding before your eyes, to hand yourself and your world over to Him, to declare "Peace. Be still." Then you open your channels to Him, and His goodness flows into your mind, heart and affairs.

Truth is not for rationalists. It unfolds best before the silent courage which is faith.

The Path of Truth Vol. 50, No. 4, p. 246.

Weekly Bible Quote 129, School of Truth, read by Andre


Be strong in the Lord - (Eph. 6:10)
I do my share towards acquiring faith and God does the rest

Are you a timid person? Do you shrink from making new acquaintances and experiencing new conditions? If so, remember today's text and be strong in the Lord. His Spirit within you should give you the courage you need - but only if you have faith in it.

You may say that you have no faith and ask how you are to acquire it. The answer is, by behaving as if you have all the faith you need. Play the part of one who has absolute faith and see how it will help you. 'Assume the virtue if you have it not,' says Shakespeare, and it is good advice. Modern psychologists tell us the same thing.

Another thing you can do is to make an affirmation such as: My perfect faith casts out all fear. In your true being you are Spirit, and Spirit is perfect, so your faith must also be perfect. Therefore in the quoted words you are making a statement of Truth. Try to accept it as such and bring all Power into action.

We must be fearless and strong if life is to be the great adventure it should be.
The Path of Truth Vol. 57, No. 6, p. 357.

Weekly Bible Quote 128, School of Truth, read by Andre

Every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour - (1 Cor 3:8)
I shall so work that my labour may be pleasing to you, Father

We shall be judged by what we have done rather than by what we have said. It is easy enough to talk but not always so easy to put what we say into practice.

It does not matter what our work is, we should put our best efforts into it, remembering that while we appear to be working for man or for ourselves we are really working for God if we are working well. And does He not deserve the best we have to offer - He Who does so much for us and Who gave us life itself? If we do our best we shall receive our reward though that should not be our reason for doing it. Anything less than our best is not fit to be offered as a gift to Him.

George W. Ballinger says: "How much easier our work would be if we put forth as much effort trying to improve the quality of it as most of us do trying to find excuses for not properly attending to it."

The Path of Truth Feb. 2009, p. 17.

Weekly Bible Quote 127, School of Truth, read by Andre

You must be perfect - (Mt 5:48)
I accept God's wholeness in mind, heart and deed

Many great thinkers are of the view that man and nature itself strive to move in a certain direction because there is a goal or place of stability at the end of such striving. Perfection may lie infinitely distant from us but there is no reason why we should not move towards it, contemplate it, occupy it in heart and mind as we would an ideal room or house.

In times of great distress do not join the tumult, do not engage with the factors you imagine make up your predicament. Rather step back entirely from the situation and enter the Wholeness which is truly your home, where you are enfolded in protecting arms, where all fear is banished, where all is well.

It does not help us to regard the solution to our problems as in a time and place other than where we are now. Reality is within us. Perfection is within us. We accept it, make of it our own in heart and mind, and pass it on in our speech, our actions, our body and our affairs.

The Path of Truth Feb/Mar 2003, p. 39.

Weekly Bible Quote 126, School of Truth, read by Andre


 
Who is he that will harm you? - (Peter 3:13)
I know that God goes with me along the Path of Truth and I have nothing to fear

You will certainly in the course of your lifetime here on earth meet someone or something that will try to harm you, but Omnipotence which knows no negation is ever with you.

You do not need to protect yourself from, or to take issue with, any form of evil for there is no God- and something else, no Presence in the entire world but His which upholds and blesses all of His creation.

Who is it that watches over the lemming on the snow, that marks the fall of each weary sparrow, and guides, protects and companions every man alive? It is your Heavenly Father, who is nearer to you than hands and feet, closer than your very breath. He is your Rock and your Refuge and there is no one who can deny Him or oppose His Will of All-good, which is ever active for every single entity that He has made.

Believe, accept and KNOW that He is an ever-present help, then live in this awareness each day.

The Path of Truth Sep/Oct 2009, p. 229.

Weekly Bible Quote 125, School of Truth, read by Andre


And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith - (1 John 5:4)
I give thanks that the message of Truth is today revealed
in the minds and hearts of all men

Today, as I turn my thoughts inwards, I realise with gratitude the eternal love and power of the Spirit of God indwelling me. As I think of the Christ and His Message to mankind, I am uplifted in the thought that the same Presence which was in Him, is also in me and all my fellowmen.

The power of God made manifest through Him, is my assurance that I am mightier than circumstance, and give to the Master the honour for showing me the Way. Within me is born this day a new sense of confidence and courage, and a deeper realisation of the omnipotence of Love.

Knowing that the Father, the Christ, and I are ONE and that He promised that the works He did I could do, and even greater, I now consciously go forward realising that within me is the Power constantly sustaining, guiding and blessing me. And for the inspiration of this knowledge I offer my sincere gratitude and reverence to the beloved Christ.

The Path of Truth Jul/Aug 2009, p. 177.

Weekly Bible Quote 124, School of Truth, read by Andre


Let every man be swift to hear; slow to speak, slow to wrath - (James 1:19)
I strive to have an open mind, a considerate tongue and a peaceable nature


It is surprising how much we can learn when we really listen and how much we gain by trying to understand what others have to convey. It is not necessary for us always to be on our toes, ready with a swift and pertinent response, for this means that we are more interested in our own reactions than in the speaker. The angry retort, the hasty judgment, the careless advice, can all be avoided by pausing for a little reflection. When we allow things to sink in before passing comment often there is no conflict, only agreement.

Ponder the deeper significance of a friend's outpouring of confidence and gain time to assimilate the facts and then you will be able to offer the counsel he is seeking or the comfort he needs. To be a good listener requires participation and is an active, not a passive, function.

This pausing, this weighing up, this refusal to react in a negative emotional way inevitably makes one 'slow to wrath' and engenders a more balanced and tolerant attitude.

The Path of Truth Jul/Aug 2010, p. 230.

Weekly Bible Quote 123, School of Truth, read by Andre

The riches of the kingdom are mine and I accept them through love and faith
What a pity it is that we do not all FEEL that the above text is so. Many of us agree mentally with it but when it comes to putting our knowledge into practice, some of us fail. If we are suffering from lack, for instance, we may not be able to accept that all that we need is already ours, and that it is for us to use our faith to bring it from the spiritual realm into manifestation.

God is all love, all goodness, all truth, all wisdom, and all power, and what He is we, potentially, are. Today's text tells us so. What are we to do to enable us to accept it not only mentally but emotionally? We must increase our faith by making use of what we have, however little it may seem to be. We must put it into practice.

If we are poor we must learn to regard God as our source of supply. If we are not manifesting perfect health we must know that we are one with Him in Whom no sickness is - and so with all good things.

The Path of Truth Mar/Apr 2009, p. 87

Weekly Bible Quote 122, School of Truth, read by Andre


Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you - (Matt. 6:33)
Thank you for having provided all things to me, Father, and help me
to deserve your goodness


The Christ, in these words, told people that they should put first things first - the things of the Spirit before the things of the flesh. If they would do that their material needs would be supplied.

There is nothing lacking in God's kingdom, and it is ours to claim whenever we live according to His laws. And the greatest of all laws is that of love; for if we obey the law of love in every detail of our daily lives we can not violate any of the other laws. To live according to the laws is to know true joy.

We all want the good things of life, but we must deserve them by putting the ideals of goodness, truth, and beauty before all else. These should be of more importance in our lives than the things of the flesh - more important than trying to amass great riches, or becoming famous in the eyes of the world, or holding some high position in life. We must put God first.

The Path of Truth ; May/Jun 2009, p. 124.

Weekly Bible Quote 121, School of Truth, read by Andre

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed - (Ps 9:9)
Thank you, Father, for setting me free from my burden

There are those of us who think we have handed over our troubles and problems to God and who think we have faith, but who prove that this is not so by continuing to worry. Anyone who really trusted God would not worry - he would not take the burden back having once handed it over.

Certainly we must do what we can to help ourselves. We cannot expect God to do for us those things we are well able to do for ourselves. But if, having done all we can to extricate ourselves from the muddle we have made of things, we still cannot find a solution to our problems, then let us hand them over to God in faith and wait for His aid. He has told us to go to Him if we are heavy laden, and He will give us rest.

The Spirit of all wisdom, all power, and all knowledge is within us. Let us take our troubles to It when they become unbearable. But we must go in love and faith, giving thanks that our needs are already met in His perfect way.

The Path of Truth Nov/Dec 2009, p. 289.

Weekly Bible Quote 120, School of Truth, read by Andre


Love one another - (John 15:12)
Because I know that God loves me, I pass on that love to all mankind

This text is a short and entirely unequivocal directive, yet one that is by no means easy to follow.

Everyone in the course of his daily round meets all sorts of people; some he instantly likes, to some he is wholly indifferent, others he cordially detests. Some, out of the kindness of their hearts, go out of their way to help him and to promote his welfare; others seem to take a delight in obstructing him and even undermining him. His reactions to these various types cannot be identical. Some are bound to be positive - grateful and appreciative, others negative - embittered and resentful, but the command does not discriminate. What, then, is the average man to do?

Quite simply he is to realise that there is an enormous difference between human affection and spiritual love: the one follows upon individual choice, the other responds to the risen awareness that knows that all men are one and that "ye owe no man anything but love."

The Path of Truth Mar/Apr 2010, p. 104.

Weekly Bible Quote 119, School of Truth, read by Andre


For freedom Christ has set us free - (Gal. 5:1)
God's power is my power

How wonderful it would be to be entirely free from fear - and we shall be when we have perfect faith in the Christ Presence within us.

What can we not accomplish when we know that the power of God is also our power to use as we will. We are indeed masters then, and not slaves to circumstances or to other people or to anything at all. God has given us minds, creative minds, which enable us to be what we want to be.

Are you dominated by some person or persons? If so, remember it is your oneness with the Spirit which sets you free. Use the divine Power to break your chains. We are meant to work out our own salvation - to make our own mistakes if we must, but to learn from them and make progress. Knowledge of our unity with God who is All-power sets us free from fear.

The Path of Truth Vol. 60 No. 3, p. 177.

Weekly Bible Quote 118, School of Truth, read by Andre


Be ye kind, one to another - (Eph 4:32)
Let me show brotherly love to all men

You may feel that it is not easy to be kind to everyone, and probably it is not. If people are unpleasant to us the natural reaction is to pay them back in their own coin, but that is not the way to behave. It is not according to the teachings of the Christ.

The people who seem to be unlovable are probably those who most need kindness. These may be the unattractive ones who do not draw others to them. Possibly if someone took the trouble to show them some affection it might alter their outlook. Love warms the heart and brings out the best in people.

Maybe you know someone who seems to give out love to everyone. It shines through his eyes and you always feel better for having met him, do you not?

Look for something to like in those you meet. If we want to criticise we can usually pass judgement, but we should look for the good in others - expect the good from them - and so help to bring it forth.

The Path of Truth ; Vol. 59 No. 2, p. 110.

Weekly Bible Quote 117, School of Truth, read by Andre

Wise men store up knowledge - (Prov 10:14)
I trust God to reveal the solution

When human judgement fails, as sooner or later it will, and our plans don't turn out the way that we hoped, our first reaction may be stubbornly to try to work out "what went wrong?" or "who is to blame?" and thereby to convince ourselves that our correct choices unjustly received the wrong results.

But this is the time to let go of the little "wisdom of men". In your quiet communion forgive yourself for trying to proceed without Spirit. Forgive yourself for thinking that someone or something could stop Divine destiny from unfolding for you. Good always works on your behalf if you are willing to let It. All-knowing always reveals to you how to get back on track.

These experiences accumulate in you as true Wisdom. As your path of Truth unwinds through the hills and valleys of life, it leaves you a more adept traveller, a better steward of God.

The Path of Truth Vol. 56 No. 3, p. 160.