OUR MIND AND ITS UNLIMITED ABILITIES

OUR MIND AND IT'S UNLIMITED ABILITIES 

Each one us us has the massive power of Mind, and it presents in different aspects. Primarily, through CONSCIOUS, and SUBCONSCIOUS aspects. So then, what are the differences between the conscious Mind and the subconscious Mind? Let's explore some of these aspects that help to define the processes of each. 

The CONSCIOUS MIND is you ... awakened and aware at the present moment. The chooser. It is the OBJECTIVE element of Mind. You are aware of something on the outside as well as some specific mental functions happening on the inside. For example, you are aware of your environment, your breathing, or the chair that you are sitting on. It is your awake-ness. You are aware, that you are aware. 

The SUBCONSCIOUS MIND consists of accessible information and programs. Kind of like RAM on a computer ... always processing what is placed in it. It is your SUBJECTIVE element of Mind. This is the seat of the Soul, your intuitive heart. It can function without the need for primary physical senses. The subconscious Mind is clairvoyant and clairaudient. The subconscious is the creative aspect of Mind. It will manifest whatever thoughts you think. It does not discern whether something is true or not. Whatever you BELIEVE to be true, whatever you FEEL, will impress the subconscious and begin the process of creation. It does not judge, nor does it have any moral obligations. 

“Your subconscious mind is amenable to suggestion. As you know, your subconscious mind does not make comparisons, or contrasts, neither does it reason and think things out for itself. This latter function belongs to your conscious mind. It simply reacts to the impressions given to it by your conscious mind. It does not show a preference for one course of action over another.”

~Joseph Murphy 

You can become aware of this information once your direct and focus your attention to it. Think of this as memory recall. You walk down the street to your house without consciously needing to be alert to your surroundings. You can talk on the cell phone and still drive home safely. You can easily bring to consciousness the subconscious information about the path to your home. You can also easily remember phone numbers, song lyrics, dances, and a vast databank of information and processes that you frequently use.

It is possible that some of what might be perceived to be unconscious becomes subconscious, and then conscious, such as when a long-forgotten childhood memory suddenly emerges after decades. We can assume that some unconscious memories need a strong, specific trigger to bring them to consciousness; whereas, a subconscious memory can be brought to consciousness more easily and with instantaneous processing. 

“The law of the subconscious mind works for good and bad ideas alike. This law, when applied in a negative way, is the cause of failure, frustration, and unhappiness. However, when your habitual thinking is harmonious and constructive, you experience perfect health, success, and prosperity.”

~Joseph Murphy

Our overall Mind consists of the base, and instinctual data as well as the information that we cannot easily access. The storage vault of everything thats happened since we were born. Where our deepest memories are filed away. Every experience whether witnessed consciously or not, is recorded and stored in this vast database. On a deeper level of tucked-away information, this is also your personal hard drive. 

Generally speaking, we don’t have easy access to lesser-used or less-needed information stored beyond the conscious and subconscious arena ... well into the unconscious Mind. During our childhood, we acquired countless memories and experiences that formed who we are today. However, we cannot recall most of those memories. They are unconscious forces (beliefs, patterns, subjective maps of reality) that drive our behaviors. They have the power to manifest into form. And in many cases, we wish they hadn't.

“All your experiences, events, conditions, and acts are the reactions of your subconscious mind to your thoughts. Remember, it is not the thing believed in, but the belief in your own mind, which brings about the result.”

~Joseph Murphy 

What goes into your Mind is hugely important. If you choose poorly, you’ll assimilate bad attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts. If you choose well, you’ll begin to see positive changes within yourself as well as the outside world. If you are fully in alignment with your objectives, choosing the right input becomes much easier. The conscious Mind plants the seed (thought) into the soil (subconscious). There WILL be a harvest, this is for sure. 

“You must remember that a suggestion cannot impose something on the subconscious mind against the will of the conscious mind. In other words, your conscious mind has the power to reject the suggestion given.”

~Joseph Murphy 

The questions remains, what type of crop do you wish to manifest? We can plant seeds and nurture them, but we shouldn’t be constantly uncovering the soil to see how our seeds are doing. We must keep pulling the weeds and watering the seeds, and while that may require a daily investment, it will definite be of great importance. You, are the gardener of your thoughts. Plant wisely. Water the seeds (affirmations) and steer clear of any negativity, and any autosuggestion (an idea that one has originated oneself) or heterosuggestion (suggestion received from another person). Carefully guard the gates of your Mind. The creative process of Life depends upon it. 

Just a thought ...

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

PAUL BEARER

PAUL BEARER

Modern Bible Scholars tell us that Paul (St. Paul) actually only wrote seven authentic Epistles (letters). The Roman Church attributes thirteen to him. So, which is it then? Critical Bible Scholarship using Truth seeking investigations inform us that six of these Epistles are simply counterfeit. Deliberately anti-Gnostic, and purposefully written by the Roman Church scribes to refute Paul's mystical and non-historical Gnostic Gospels. These were the writings of early Christians 200 years or more before the formation and rise of Orthodox Roman Christianity.

In the original seven Epistles, he writes allegorically and mystically about spiritual mysteries “hidden from the foundation of the world” that affect the Soul of man and it's sojourn here in the Physical world of matter ... Earth, in form/body. Paul speaks of the “indwelling Christ” which is the Divine Spark of God - the Christ Soul - within EVERY human being. Like a pearl within an oyster. Never does Paul refer to an outside Christ, or a historical-Literal Christ in these seven authentic Gospels. This, was for very good reason.

Paul was speaking of the Gnostic Cosmic Christ, relating to the universe or cosmos, especially as distinct from the Earth. “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom, but to them it is not given” ... because these teachings were hidden and veiled among myth and parables ... allegories and metaphors. They were held for worthy initiates into the Inner Mysteries. The “mystery” of the indwelling Christ (Christos), was intended to awaken all of humanity to the incarnated God WITHIN them ... not without them.

And what exactly was this mystery? Before the rise of Roman Christianity, it had been taught for more than two centuries: 

“the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now made MANIFEST (phanerou/φανερόω in Greek) to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles; which is ... CHRIST IN YOU - the hope of glory.” 

~Colossians 1:26-27 

Now let's look more specifically at the word "Phanerou" from the Greek (φανερόω):

"to make MANIFEST or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way"

Note now that the Greek word “phanerou” means to make appear and manifest something from within itself not apparent to the senses. Something not apparent to others who may be simply looking at you. This is the root word we get for the English word "Phantasm." Also, "Phaneros" from the Greek meaning “shining forth ... becoming luminous.”

On the Road to Damascus, Paul had such a spiritual awakening. He changed drastically after that experience of awakening. He came to the realization that the coming of Christ occurs IN men, not TO men:

“Awake though that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” 

~Ephesians 5:14

In other words, awaken from the coma of physical Life, and become one with the Spirit of God dwelling within all of creation. Study the early Gnostics, and Kabbalah, and you will find the Bible to be a guide veiled by allegory for the spiritual journey of what takes place within mankind. Paul was a Gnostic, and the church did it's best to rid the world of Gnostics ... but then came the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library, and many other ancient texts that had not been destroyed by the church even though it tried its best, and the new findings in the last 200 years have set the Spiritual World on its ear. Research everything you've been told. You owe it to yourself to find the Truth. Knock, and the door shall be opened.

Just a thought ...

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

WHICH ART IN HEAVEN

WHICH ART IN HEAVEN

Before we delve into this topic, first let's look at the New Testament Christian Bible Book of Luke 11, and Book of Matthew 6; for the offering of the Lords Prayer:

The Lord's Prayer (King James Version)

"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father WHICH is in secret; and thy Father WHICH seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

After this manner therefore pray ye: 

'Our Father WHICH art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.'"

Now, the King James Version of the Bible uses the word "which," rather than the many other translations that have chosen to use the word "who," or in some cases omit it all together. For example, in the Matthew 6:9 text, we have the following examples from various translations:

Our Father in heaven ... 

Our Father in the heavens ... 

Our Father, who is in heaven ...

Our Father who art in heaven ... 

Our Father who are in heaven ... 

Our Father who is in the heavens ... 

If you've made it this far, you're probably wondering "so what?" Is this just semantics or what? Grammar is an important element of translation, particularly from one language to another. In this particular case, we should look hard at the usage of "which" when referencing the "Our Father WHICH art in heaven." 

Proper grammar usage dictates: "which" is for things, and "who" is for people. We don't use 'which' for people. We use 'who' or 'that' for people. Further, we use 'which' or 'that' for things. We use relative clauses to make clear which person or thing we are talking about. 

Knowing this, the reference to "our Father," is a reference to a thing. Hence, the use of which. Thing you say? Yes. This "thing" is the indwelling Spirit within ALL of Life. The animating Source of all that is. The Life-force that IS God within. The Spirit of animation. This is the thing WHICH art in heaven. The Hebrew word for heaven is "shamayim" and can be translated as lofty, above, beyond. The Greek word is "ouranos" and can be translated as universe, world, sky, upper regions, encompass, high place, seat of order of things eternal. 

The Bible states: "And then Jesus said when they asked him, ‘Where is the kingdom of heaven and when is it going to come?’ he said, ‘The kingdom of heaven does not come with signs to be perceived. You cannot say, ah, it’s over here or look, it’s over there, for I tell you the kingdom of heaven is within you.’” When Jesus says “it is within you,” he is also quoting Moses from the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy:

"‘Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?’ No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart (within you) so you may obey it.”

~Deuteronomy 30:11-14 

You may ask "is there a difference between Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven?" The Kingdom of God, also called Kingdom Of Heaven, in Christianity, is the spiritual realm over which God reigns, or the fulfillment on Earth of God’s will. This phrase occurs frequently in the New Testament, primarily used by Jesus in the first three Gospels. He clearly points to within mankind as the dwelling place of the Spirit of God/Heaven.

Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you” (that is, here) and “at hand” (that is, now). It’s not later, but lighter ... a more subtle quality or dimension of experience accessible to you right in the moment. You don’t die into it; you awaken into it.

The Kingdom of Heaven is really a metaphor for a state of consciousness; it is not a place you go to, but a place you come from. It is a whole new way of looking at the world, a transformed awareness that literally turns this world into a different place. The hallmark of this awareness is that it sees no separation between God and humans, between humans and other humans. And these are indeed Jesus’s two core teachings, underlying everything he says and does.

When Jesus talks about this oneness, what he had in Mind is a complete, mutual indwelling: "I am in God, God is in you, you are in God, we are in each other." His most greatest symbol for this is in the teaching from John 15 where he says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Abide in me as I in you." A few verses later he says, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Abide in my love." Again, there is no separation between humans and God because of this mutual interabiding which expresses the indivisible reality of Divine Love.

Also in Jesus’s teachings he says: “Love your neighbor as yourself” in Matthew 22:39 ... as a continuation of your very own being. It’s a complete seeing/showing that your neighbor is YOU. There are not TWO individuals out there. It is a community of ONE ... a common-unity of the one great Life. We are as individual rays of the sun, each containing the entirety of the whole, and yet not being the whole. The whole (holy) is a collective emanation, not a separate and individual consciousness. 

So as we return to the original message of God WHICH art in heaven, we now have a much better understanding that this "God" is not some bearded king enthroned in the clouds, but a Spirit that indwells all of Life. This Source of all that is, is experiencing Life through us, with us, and AS US. The sooner we come to the understanding that all are one, and that I am you and you are me, we will complete the creation and manifestation of "Heaven on Earth." The completed intersection of Spirit and matter (the cross). 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP

CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP

You, are the Captain of your ship (vessel, body, Mind). Before we look at these responsibilities, lets briefly look at the duties of an actual ship's Captain. You'll better understand the importance of your personal position physically, mentally, and spiritually, by using this analogy.

The Captain of a ship holds the ultimate authority and responsibility for the vessel and all those on board. Although crew members may have specific duties, such as navigation, maintenance or staff management, the ultimate responsibility for all activities on board begins and ends with the Captain.

Concerning navigation, the Captain is responsible for getting the ship to where it is supposed to be, and when it is supposed to be there. They study maps and charts to determine the most convenient and least dangerous route to a destination.

The ship's Captain is in charge of operating or piloting the ship. The Captain is an expert on the specific motions and speeds required to maneuver the ship safely. Once at sea, the complete responsibility for every movement that the ship makes lies with the Captain.

The Captain also inspects the ship inside and out to ensure that it's completely seaworthy and safe for passengers and crew. The Captain must be intimately familiar with all regulations and is responsible for ensuring that the ship adheres to every one of them. 

"You are like a captain navigating a ship... You must give the right orders, thoughts and images to your subconscious which controls and governs all your experiences."

~Joseph Murphy

Now that we have a brief overview of the responsibilities and duties of an actual ship's Captain, its time to apply these properties to our own Self. Specifically, our Mind ... both conscious and subconscious. We have the capacity and ability to navigate our experiences through the use of our Mind ... both aspects, conscious and subconscious. 

For starters, consider the functions of this one principle, yet two aspects of Mind. The objective and subjective, the dominant and subservient.

Your conscious Mind is your active Mind. You use it to judge your environment and to make choices and decisions based on these judgments. It continually identifies, compares, and analyzes all of the information you perceive so that it can make decisions about what is relevant to you. 

Your subconscious mind is your passive mind. It’s always awake because it regulates all of your bodily functions, and it records and stores your every experience, even when you’re not consciously paying attention. Neuroscientists have confirmed that 95% of your brain activity takes place beyond your conscious awareness, in your subconscious Mind. Further, research reveals that your subconscious Mind makes decisions about how you choose to feel or act before your conscious mind even perceives the need to make a decision. 

Your subconscious Mind is impersonal because it passively accepts your habitual conscious thoughts without question ... be they true or not. In other words, it doesn’t judge any of your conscious thoughts, in the same way that your computer doesn’t judge the documents you save onto your hard drive. All of the thoughts you think in your conscious Mind filter down into your subconscious Mind and leave an impression. The more often you think certain thoughts, the heavier the impression you leave on your subconscious Mind.

The way your conscious thoughts imprint upon and mold your subconscious Mind determines your personality traits and how you respond to your Life experiences. This is because your habitual thoughts train your subconscious Mind to create associations and shortcuts between all of the thoughts, feelings, and experiences it has stored. You’re able to perform tasks without having to apply conscious thought, such as riding a bike or getting dressed, because the impressions your habitual conscious thoughts make, condition your subconscious Mind to act automatically. It learns how to perform the task and takes control so that you can perform it automatically.

Your habitual conscious thoughts condition your subconscious Mind to identify and classify everything it perceives in a specific way. It learns your patterns and listens to you. For example: if you habitually think about how uncomfortable you feel around strangers and imprint this into your subconscious Mind, these thoughts turn into a belief. And since belief is critical, your subconscious Mind concludes that every new person threatens your sense of safety and comfort: “Strangers make me uncomfortable, this is a new person, therefore I should feel uncomfortable.”

“Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny."

~Lao Tzu

Now, back to being the Captain of your ship. The conscious part of your Mind is the Captain. The subconscious part of the Mind is the crew. Whenever you make a conscious decision, you are commanding your crew, ordering them what to do. The crew members do not argue or reason with what you tell them; they just carry out the orders. Even if they cant see the conditions, they take you at your word. That is the beauty of the subconscious Mind, that it just follows orders and carries them out. However, it will only work if the Captain believes in what he or she is saying. 

If the Captain is saying one thing and thinking another, the subconscious Mind can discern this and will get a mixed signal or a command that is ambiguous. Therefore, there will be no action until clarity is reached. Belief and feeling is what it is tuned to. Remember, the crew just follow orders, and if they have an indecisive leader, they will give indecisive results and the ship will get stuck. 

Anywhere you are, you will be the one who is in control the destiny of the ship. If you think positive thoughts, your subconscious Mind will start to give you positive results. If you think negative thoughts, your subconscious Mind will start to give you negative results. If you don’t think at all, then your subconscious Mind will start to generate random thoughts which will lead you to nowhere. 

A Captain must be firm in what they believe, or else the crew - and the direction of the ship - will be in trouble. If the Captain has a certain belief, then the crew members will follow the belief of the Captain, whether it is good or bad, moral or immoral, positive or negative, proactive or reactive, and so on. The Subconscious does not judge, and it accepts everything coming from the conscious Mind whether it be true or not. As long as your conscious Mind beliefs it to be true, the Subconscious will accept it, and begin to manifest results. 

No matter what, the subconscious will always carry out the orders of the conscious Mind, along with all of its other responsibilities, such as keeping you alive and healing your body. You are the Captain of your ship. The direction and destiny of where the ship goes, will depend on how well you can command the crew members of the ship. Feeling is key. Belief is key. Vibrational energy (thought) is key. "As a man thinks, it is done unto him."

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM. 

NO OTHER GODS

No Other Gods

This is an important subject, so for the followers of Christianity, there are many verses that need to be brought to attention. 

"You shall have no other gods before Me.”

~Exodus 20:3

“And he answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’”

~Luke 10:27

“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, BECAUSE JUST AS JESUS IS, SO ALSO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD.”

~1 John 4:17

Now pay very close attention to the verse in CAPS above ... “because as Jesus is, so also are we in this world.” Think on that. Meditate on that. Pray on that. It cannot be any clearer. Jesus is as us, and we are as Jesus ... begotten of the Father ... children of God/Source. 

This was the intended lesson to all. We are ALL the “Son of God.” The use of “Son” in the Old English sunu is “son, descendant.” This is Strong’s Concordance word #5207 ... “anyone sharing the same nature as their Father” and has the legal right to the Father's inheritance. ALL things have originated from the Source of All Things. There can be no other way. This is science ... not theory. The entirety of the universe had one point of origin, and all things are made from the materials and essence of that Source. In other words, the only materials that God had to create from, were all God-stuff. 

To make Jesus (as a man) the only “God among mankind” is to transgress the commandment in Exodus 20:3 ... “thou shall have no other Gods before me.” Yet, Christianity has made Jesus ... their only God in the flesh. 

One more point: 

“For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist” 

~2 John 1:7

Based on this scripture, the typical argument states that the Writer of John was aiming this scripture at the people who denied Jesus was resurrected in a physical body. Keep in mind that the Writer of John, was a Gnostic. This is very important. 

To the Gnostics, the resurrection story of Christ wasn’t about the literal man; it was about the spiritual awakening of the Divine Nature that can take place within each and every individual. This awakening happens ... while still yet in the flesh. 

Knowing this, John’s statement rings true after all. Christ does come in the flesh. But this coming of Christ is the gnosis (mystical insight / knowing) attained by the individual going through a profound experience in higher states of consciousness. 

This entire process happens while being in a physical body. It is the born again experience of the spiritual nature which rules over the physical nature. This spiritual nature is the Christ. This is the Divine Spark of God WITHIN every man. 

Remember, in scripture, the Apostle Paul attests to this when he states that he "travails in birth until Christ be formed in you." And that: “YOU are the body of Christ." Jesus himself affirmed several times his position. At the Sermon On The Mount, he said: “YOU are the light of the world" to his audience. He is also quoted in the Bible as saying: “YOU shall do greater things than I."

How would any of this be possible if Jesus (the man) was the one and only God in the flesh? Remember also, the church teaches the doctrine of "Original Sin" (which they created). If all people are born in sin, then so then would Jesus since the church teaches that he was both fully man, and fully God. 

Suffice it to say that there is much more spiritual Truth and symbolism beyond any literal or historical interpretation of the great ancient scriptures. One must dig. The Truth is hidden ... “the pearl of great price hidden in a field.” When something is uncovered, no longer hidden, revealed (revelation), we have an "apocalypse." The Apocalypse is not the end of the world ... it is a Greek word meaning “to unveil” ... “to reveal that which is hidden.” Seek and you shall find. Question everything before you accept or dismiss anything. 

Just a thought ... 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM.

TRUE MEANING OF WIVES SUBMIT TO YOUR HUSBANDS

TRUE MEANING OF WIVES SUBMIT TO YOUR HUSBANDS

Please let me show you HOW this is necessary ... But NOT in a literal wife/husband sense. This is a metaphor for a deeper message that lies beneath and beyond the surface story. The Truth message, wrapped under the veil. 

"Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."

~Ephesians 5:22-24

When taken literally, which in this case is incorrectly, this verse causes much friction. Now, are you interested in how this verse is perfect in every way ... Without offending anyone? 

Read on, but stay with me.

Our WIFE/BRIDE (feminine) is our subconscious Mind. The subconscious Mind is the female creative principle. This is Divine Mind as a feminine expression. The one who brings forth from the womb of thought, whatever is implanted or impregnated into it by the conscious Mind. This creation will manifest from within, to without. This is the Perfect universal LAW (Christ/God) in action. We are to JOIN her in the bridal chamber ... Within our subconscious Mind, and procreate. The subconscious is not our awareness. 

Keep reading ...

The HUSBAND/GROOM (masculine) is our conscious Mind. Our awakened awareness. This is the Divine Father. The one who goes into the bridal chamber with the bride and impregnates the female subconscious Mind with thought/idea. This is LAW. The natural state for our conscious Mind is to be awake. This chamber is evident during sleep/meditation where the two can become one ... the Theta brainwave state. They are then joined to bring forth all creation. 

Now read the following verse, now KNOWING the woman is the subconscious Mind and submissive Creator within. The man is the conscious Mind where thought originates before the female births the thought ... The child ... The SON/DAUGHTER of God ... The Christ. This is where awakened consciousness meets the subconscious/submissive servant. 

"A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet."

~1 Timothy 2:11-12 

Christ IS the Divine Principle ... The Divine Spark of God within ALL. This Christ (anointed one) is birthed when the two become one. The Christ is our Saviour from ignorance. The Divine will lead us through intuition into the Truth. 

John 8:32 states: "You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free." It is our Source, what we are ... An individualized essence of the entirety of ALL. Each of us IS a Divine Spark of what we call God/Good. Once we understand the Truth of who we are ... which is Eternal energy/Spirit having a physical/Matter experience ... Then we come to the understanding that ALL is ONE. There is no "other," and what we do to someone/something else - we actually do to our Self. 

Scripture always has deeper meanings that go beyond and beneath just the surface stories. The parables present as the surface stories ... The EXOTERIC OUTER MYSTERIES. The deeper Truth contained within the parables, are the ESOTERIC INNER MYSTERIES. For those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. 

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM

DEVIL AND EVIL

DEVIL AND EVIL

If you were raised in the Christian Faith, chances are some of your earliest fears were brought on by the fearsome personage of all evil ... evil incarnate ... the Devil, and/or Satan. Other names you may have heard used: Beelzebub, Lucifer, the serpent/snake, Mephistopheles, etc. 

Chances are you were also taught at the same time about the all-powerful God who could turn off the sun if he chose to do so. So then, how is it that "another" mighty, eternal, God of Evil can co-exist with this Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent total power of the One good God/Source of Absolute Truth? 

The church system would teach that this Devil/Satan was literally once a mighty Angel, the most beautiful of all, they say. But his rebellion led to an uprising and he took a third of the Angels with him ... cast out of the heavenly realm. So, having no where else to go apparently, he came to Earth as a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and therefore brought with him, chaos and disorder into Paradise that once was - before he moved into the neighborhood. Talk about home values plummeting.

So, now he and his fallen cohorts (so-called demons) travel about the world, tempting humans into wars, poverty, hunger, lies, rapes, murders, theft, vandalism, and every other evil that we can come up with. "The Devil made me do it" is what people claim, yet it is the person who has done the evil that will go to jail ... not the Devil or his demons. This is all fine and dandy if it was the basis for the plot of a low-budget horror film, but other than that ... it is all just a convenient way to blame someone else the for effects that WE cause. 

The original Christians (Krestianoi) knew the Truth. But then again, they were murdered and tortured to death by the Roman Church, and most all of their scriptures and physical evidence were either destroyed or confiscated. Quite a bit of bounty was collected for a newly formed Empirical Religion that had behind it the armies and legions of the Roman Empire. But, to maintain power over mankind, the power must be held in secret within the highest ranking leaders of the Church. If the people knew the Truth, if they had been empowered with the Truth of The Ages, the Hidden Wisdom, the Apocalyptic Revelation that was Life changing, then they would no longer be able to be controlled. And the money, donations, and food offerings would cease to come rolling into the temples and churches.

So then, who is this guy/power?

"For as much as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself took part in the same, that through DEATH, he might destroy him who has the power of death, that is THE DEVIL."

~Hebrews 2:14

Much like a dictionary, biblical scripture will give you definitions if you look hard enough. Many times, we have to go back to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. So right here, we are told in plain English, that whoever or whatever has the "power of death" is the "Devil." 

"For since BY MAN came DEATH, by man came also the resurrection of the dead."

~1 Corinthians 15:21

So, according to this verse ... direct from the Bible ... MAN has the power of DEATH. And every man is subjected to duality (Though it is an illusion). There are two polarities of men within every man. The Inward Man and the Outward Man. The "outward" is the man of flesh ... Adam, so to speak. We inherited this outward man from the Genesis story of Adam. Adam is a man (according to scripture) and therefore we inherited the sin nature of Adam, right up the line, as an inclusive part of our human nature. 

"For the wages of SIN is DEATH."

~Romans 6:23

Now follow me ... I'm going somewhere with this. So it is SIN that has the power of DEATH. Sin is the Adam-man ... the human nature man ... the first of two. Adam, and Jesus. Adam (and sin) represent your human animal nature ... the flesh that your Soul is wrapped in. 

"If you live after the flesh, you shall die. but if you "by the Spirit" (the Mind of Christ) do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live."

~Romans 8:13

The human body has the power of death, through it's sin (error in thinking) and the battle is in the Mind ... where Spirit lives. This is ego-centric consciousness vs. Christ consciousness. While in the mythical Garden of Eden (Mind), Adam and Eve were tempted by the lust of sin ... wrong thinking, missing the mark of Divine Truth, which is in all men. The conversation with the serpent, was actually Eve having an internal conversation amongst her-selves. Just as we do today. We talk to ourselves, ask ourselves questions, and actually answer them. She had wandered into Ego-land. 

This story is about inner temptation. Eve was tempted. Adam was tempted. Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. The lust of sin in the flesh (the ramblings and desires of our ego) bring about these temptations. And therefore, this Devil/Satan who is "the opposer," or "adversary," leads us astray from the natural default of goodness and righteousness. When we "sin" (make an error in judgement through ignorance leading to consequences) we bring forth the Devil. Satan ("ha-satan"). The opposite end of polarity between good, and not good. We are given this duality (range of polarity) so that we can discern what is right, or unright. Human nature ego, or Divine nature Mind. Once we see the Truth, that which was illusion dissipates. 

Your mirror reflection is not actually you, but it looks just like you ... in the opposite reverse polarity. Once you see that the image is not real, that it is merely an illusion, it is no longer needed. You have learned the lesson that was intended. The Devil/Satan are not anthropomorphized evil as personages, they are our ego Mind, forever wanting to follow the desires of our senses, rather than what is best for our Self and everyone else. We are one race, one blood, one point of origin. God/Source/Spirit lives with us, through us, and AS US. When all is "whole" ... "holy," then we can attain the ultimate goal ... Heaven on Earth. There is ONLY ONE power in this world. God alone is all there is. We are each an emanation from this Source of all there is. 

"so that all may know, from where the sun rises to where it sets, that there is none but Me; I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things."

~Isaiah 45:6-7 

There is no room for a creature called the Devil to exist in a realm in which GOD is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, or ... ALL there IS. 

"for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

~Romans 14:17

"Neither shall they say, Look here! or, look there! for, behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."

~Luke 17:21

The Kingdom is described in the scriptures as being "Love, Peace, and Joy." So, let's make it happen ... and KNOW that it is found WITHIN us. Collectively, we are commissioned to bring order from chaos (day from night, light from darkness). We have the ability to reason. 

"For IN HIM we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring."

~Acts 17:28

The universe/God/Source is one giant organism, and we live within it, move within it, have our being in it, as it, and there is nowhere else to go but right where we are right now. All is NOW. All is here. The present is a gift ... enjoy the moment. 

Just a thought ... 

~Justin Taylor, ORDM., OCP., DM.