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