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. 

UNDERSTANDING PRAYER NO MATTER YOUR BELIEFS

UNDERSTANDING PRAYER NO MATTER YOUR BELIEFS

When horrible things happen to people, many of us will say "our prayers are with you." Is this powerful enough? Is this sincere in a way that comforts those who have been through the terrible experience? Well, no matter if you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, or anything in between ... you will get something from reading this article. I promise you. And it may just change the way you look at the offering of prayer in the future. 

First, let's start with a couple of ancient scriptures that we can use as a foundation for metaphysical transformation and self identity purposes. The first one is here:

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

-1 John 4:17

Chances are good that you will not hear this verse coming from the church pulpits. Simply because if “as Jesus is, so are we in this world” ... then as Christianity believes Jesus to be God, then WE, are also God. There is no way to dispute the validity of this verse, and the message contained within it.

So, now let's have a peek at Matthew 6 for a moment. Jesus is quoted as instructing the following:

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

What powerful and clear cut instructions. No confusion here. But, as with all scripture, there are deeper meanings hidden beneath the surface stories that are being presented. The design of a myth always contains a Truth, and a lesson to be had. We must look beyond the ink and paper. Beyond the stories, fables, and allegories. We must go within the layers to find the true message. So lets break it down.

First of all, don't show off. No need to make a big deal of your prayers for an audience to witness. And to “go into your room/closet” is a reference to you inner chamber ... your personal “Holy of Holies” WITHIN YOU ... where God/Source dwells, and the Kingdom exists. 

We are told to shut the door. This means quiet, isolated contact with the Divine. No distractions. Empty phrases are repetitive appeals, as if you're reading them from a script. Meditation and contemplative prayer should come from your heart, your emotions, not your left brain logic and analytics. It should be fresh, and it should be heartfelt. 

Next ... and very important ... he says “for your Father ALREADY knows what you need BEFORE you ask him.” This is because the Father, God/Absolute/Source is WITHIN you and already knows what is needed and taking place inside of you ... in your heart and Soul. This is how the God/Source WITHIN already knows before you even ask. 

“The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.” 

~Luke 17:20 

Among the ancients, prayer was not only different, but was intended as a direct inner connection to the Divine spark of Source/God, and the universal superconsciousness that weaves throughout all of creation, forming the Matrix that binds ALL things together as One ... NOT separate things ... but One thing. Everything that exists, had its origin from the same starting point. Therefore, everything that exists is related and relative within, and without. We are all One. There is no “other.” The Universe, is ONE living organism. 

A smile is just a frown turned upside down ... and a prayer is a desire that comes from the inside out. You are a co-creator in this Universe (YOUniverse). When you pray, or meditate, or enter contemplation, you are going WITHIN ... direct to the Source of the Creator. The power within your thoughts that MUST manifest into form. This is Universal Immutable Law. But it is YOU who has to make it happen. 

Just as you cast your cares to the wind, cast your dreams and desires to the Universe. Release your prayer and simply know that it IS, as it should be. No need to keep hammering it or pounding your fists to the ground. Everything is cause and effect. If you pray for someone to be cured of a disease and they are not, it is not because your prayers failed, or that God/Source doesn't answer your prayers. It is because that person you are praying for incarnated here with a mission to fulfill. And that mission may have involved a need to know the effects of sickness or disease. We are all Spirit, having a physical experience. And we signed up for the experiences that we are to create long before we got here. 

We can alter our paths with free-will, but there are certain lessons we came here to Earth School to learn, and to re-member. Prayer is cause and effect. It is a knowingness (gnosis) that you have the power to manifest your own reality. To bring thoughts, into form. Use only positive expressions in your prayers. No negative statements. For example, rather than praying for pain to subside, pray for health to return. 

Rather that praying to not have a bad day, pray to have a good day. Your Mind, and Universal consciousness (the Field) knows NOT negativity. If you request to NOT to smoke today ... subconsciousness, our Divine magic Genie, only hears “smoke today.” And so you will. Forget the “don't won't can't and shouldn't” and go straight for the “do, will, can, and should.” You will notice an immediate change. The creative right-brain AND our subconscious Mind works in images, not words. You can't present an image/picture of something that ISN'T. You cannot draw an image of someone NOT swimming. If they're NOT swimming, they're doing something else. Now, stay with me on this. 

In the ancient world, God/Source was understood to be the Energy of creation, or Love. If God/Source is thought of as Energy, then it makes sense for us to tune” into the proper frequencies to be able to receive and express that Source Energy. In this way, we can think of ourselves as having the ability to tune to certain thoughts and energies, much like a radio can be tuned to different frequencies of radio waves - which are always there and available for reception. In our mind/body energy system, we can think of our spiritual faculty of Choice, as the tuning mechanism. We can make conscious choices to “tune” our thoughts to Love, and the thoughts, prayers, and behaviors which are compatible with that energy of Love. When we choose to do this, we set ourselves up to receive and send the energy of Love, or God/Source Energy, much the same way that we would tune a radio to receive the broadcast signal of a radio station.

Prayer is a plea to the matrix of universal consciousness that connects all of us. It isn’t hocus-pocus magic. It is “honest to God” quantum physics and oneness of consciousness. The more you fine-tune the frequencies, the more form will manifest. Thoughts are things. They generate measurable energy … and they can’t simply dissolve or go away. They will manifest, even in the realms that remain unseen by the human eye in a physical world of matter. Faith, is knowing the Law of Cause and Effect. Once you understand this Universal Law, your faith becomes knowingness. You just KNOW it will happen. This is the end result of your prayers. 

When we see God only as some supernatural being “out-there” somewhere, we fail to connect with the closeness that is the Divine power WITHIN us. Omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given. This Law of Cause and Effect, involves your participation and involvement. The Universe is interactive and constantly changing according to the universal desires of all people of consciousness. Raise yours. Connect with your inner Higher-Self. End the suffering of all creatures. Collectively, WE HAVE THE POWER.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF PRAYER NO MATTER YOUR BELIEFS

DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF PRAYER NO MATTER YOUR BELIEFS

If you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Atheist, or anything in between ... you will get something from reading this article. I promise you. 

First, let's start with a couple of ancient scriptures that we can use as a foundation for metaphysical transformation and self identity purposes. The first one is here:

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

-1 John 4:17

Chances are good that you will not hear this verse coming from the pulpits. Simply because if “as Jesus is, so are we in this world” ... then as Christianity believes Jesus to be God, then WE, are also God. There is no way to dispute the validity of this verse, and the message contained within it.

So, now let's have a peek at Matthew 6 for a moment. Jesus is quoted as instructing the following:

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

What powerful and clear cut instructions. No confusion here. But, as with all scripture, there are deeper meanings hidden beneath the surface stories being told. The myth always contains a Truth and a lesson to be had. We must look beyond the ink and paper. Beyond the stories, fables, and allegories. So lets break it down.

First of all, don't show off. No need to make a big deal of your prayers for an audience to witness. And to “go into your room/closet” is a reference to you inner chamber ... your personal “Holy of Holies” WITHIN YOU ... where God/Source dwells, and the Kingdom exists. 

We are told to shut the door. This means quiet, isolated contact with the Divine. No distractions. Empty phrases are repetitive prayers as if you're reading them from a script. Meditation and contemplative prayer should come from your heart, your emotions, not your left brain logic and analytics. It should be fresh, and it should be heartfelt. 

Next ... and very important ... he says “for your Father ALREADY knows what you need BEFORE you ask him.” This is because the Father, God/Absolute/Source is WITHIN you and already knows what is needed and taking place inside of you ... in your heart and Soul. This is how the God/Source WITHIN already knows before you even ask.

Among the ancients, prayer was not only different, but was intended as a direct inner connection to the Divine spark of Source/God, and the universal superconsciousness that weaves throughout the entire Universe creating the Matrix that binds ALL things together as One ... NOT separate things ... but One thing. Everything that exists, had its origin from the same starting point. Therefore, everything that exists is related and relative within, and without. We are all One. There is no “other.”

A smile is just a frown turned upside down ... and a prayer is a desire that comes from the inside out. You are a co-creator in this Universe (YOUniverse). When you pray, or meditate, or enter contemplation, you are going WITHIN ... direct to the Source of the Creator. The power within your thoughts that MUST manifest into form. This is Universal Immutable Law. But it is YOU who has to make it happen. 

Just as you cast your cares to the wind, cast your dreams and desires to the Universe. Release your prayer and simply know that it is, as it should be. No need to keep hammering it or pounding your fists to the ground. Everything is cause and effect. If you pray for someone to be cured of a disease and they are not, it is not because your prayers failed, or that God/Source doesn't answer your prayers. It is because that person you are praying for incarnated here with a mission to fulfill. And that mission may have involved a need to know the effects of sickness or disease. We are all Spirit, having a physical experience. And we signed up for the experiences that we create long before we got here. 

We can alter our paths with free-will, but there are certain lessons we can here to Earth School to learn. Prayer is cause and effect. It is a knowingness (gnosis) that you have the power to manifest your own reality. To bring thoughts, into form. Use only positive expressions in your prayers. No negative statements. For example, rather than praying for pain to subside, pray for health to return. Rather that praying to not have a bad day, pray to have a good day. Your Mind, and Universal consciousness (the Field) knows NOT negativity. If you request to NOT to smoke today ... subconsciousness, our magic Genie, only hears “smoke today.” And so you will. Forget the “don't won't can't and shouldn't” and go straight for the “do, will, can, and should.” You will notice an immediate change. 

When we see God as some supernatural being “out-there” somewhere, we fail to connect with the closeness that is the Divine power within us. Omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Seek and you shall find. Ask and it shall be given. This is the Law of Cause and Effect and involves your participation and involvement. The Universe is interactive and constantly changing according to the universal desires of all people of consciousness. Raise yours. Connect with your inner Higher-Self. End the suffering of all creatures. Collectively, WE HAVE THE POWER.

Just a thought ... 

Justin Taylor, ORDM.

Ancient Origins of Prayer

Ancient Origins of Prayer

Dr. Michael Ryce is the director of an institute which is charged with the translation of the oldest known copy of the New Testament, directly into English. One of the most powerful concepts he speaks about is the definition of the word “prayer.” From the ancient Aramaic one interpretation of the meaning of “prayer”is, “to set a trap for God.” This does not make much sense in our modern western way of looking at things, but in the ancient world, God/Source was understood to be the energy of creation, or Love. If God/Source is thought of as Energy, then it makes sense for us to tune” into the proper frequencies to be able to receive and express that Source Energy.

In this way, we can think of ourselves as having the ability to tune to certain thoughts and energies, much like a radio can be tuned to different frequencies of radio waves - which are always there and available for reception. In our mind/body energy system, we can think of our spiritual faculty of Choice as the tuning mechanism. We can make conscious choices to “tune”our thoughts to Love, and the thoughts and behaviors which are compatible with that energy of Love. We can choose to engage in behaviors and interactions with people that express that energy of Love and extend that Love in every relationship we have with every person and everything in our life. When we choose to do this, we set ourselves up to receive the energy of Love, or God/Source Energy, much the same way that we would tune a radio to receive the signal of our favorite station.

I would agree with Dr. Ryce’s call to all of us to make a choice for Love, to choose the thoughts and behaviors which reflect and extend the energy of Love that we are made of. In this way it is possible to make one’s life a prayer, by choosing to tune”ourselves to the energy of Love and God and in that way, to set a trap for God. We come from Love, we are made of Love, we are Love. Everything else is false.

The NT Bible quotes Jesus in Matthew as saying:

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men … But you, when you pray, go into your inner room (within yourself), close your door (isolate yourself from distractions) and pray to your Father (Source Energy/Life) who is in secret (unseen within you) … And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do … So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

The deeper esoteric meaning of this scripture is to meditate, to use centered prayer within through your Higher-Self … the Divine Spark of Christ Consciousness. Your Source Energy knows what you need already because it is the God within, your Higher-Self, that knows everything before your ego-self does. Prayer is a plea to the matrix of universal consciousness that connects all of us. It isn’t hocus-pocus magic. It is “honest to God” quantum physics and oneness of consciousness.

The more you fine-tune the frequencies, the more form will manifest. Thoughts are things. They generate measurable energy … and they can’t simply dissolve or go away. They will manifest, either in this universe, or within any number of multiverses that remain unseen by the human eye in a physical world of matter. Faith, is knowing the Law of Cause and Effect. Once you understand this Universal Law, your faith becomes knowingness. You just KNOW it will happen.

Just a thought …

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