Jesus Speaking On Prayer

[Realspiritik]

Jesus here.

 

I’d like to start a thread on the topic of prayer.

 

When individuals begin to think about the meaning of prayer in their lives, they don’t often realize the word “prayer” is used to encompass many different belief systems. To one person, prayer means quiet time spent talking to God. To another person, prayer means trying to formulate a series of requests that might be considered acceptable in God’s eyes. To yet another, prayer means imbibing ancient words as a way to make the world slow down for a minutes of rest.

 

Those who ascribe to the basic tenets of Progressive Christianity – and these are the individuals I’m addressing – are working hard together as a group to find a positive, uplifting way of connecting with God. They’re asking new questions, and looking for new answers. I would hope it might have become clear to readers on the TCPC site that the answers required to build a progressive faith can’t be rooted solely in past beliefs. If those who came before you had uncovered all the right answers, you wouldn’t still be desperate to understand why you feel the way you feel about God. You wouldn’t still be pulling out your hair about the question of prayer.

 

There is scarcely anything that more confuses and disappoints human beings than a prayer which goes unanswered. This disappointment too often drives a stake right through the heart of one’s faith. You pray for the health of someone you love, yet your beloved spouse, child, friend gradually slips closer to death, and one day you find yourself offering not prayers of healing, but prayers of grieving for your loved one who has died. You don’t understand why your sincere prayers went unanswered. If you’re like many individuals – millions and millions of people, in fact – you’ll spend a lot of time and energy trying to dissect the transcripts of your prayers, examining what you said in prayer, and how you said it, and when you said it. You’ll make a comparison list between what you prayed for and what your religion teaches you to pray for. Then you’ll go over the list again and again, wondering what you left out, what you unwisely included. Meanwhile, God and your guardian angel are having a completely different reaction to the prayers you believe went unanswered. While you’re busy wondering why you couldn’t save your loved ones through prayer, God is wondering why you have so little trust. God is wondering why you think your prayers for someone else would even matter.

 

As an angel on the Other Side, who trusts in your true soul self and your true angelic virtue, I’m heartbroken that you don’t trust God enough to let God do what God does best – to hear into the inner heart of all. I’m grief-stricken that you’ve forgotten the inspiring truth about God – that God watches over each and every individual on this planet with limitless patience and love, and that God always knows what’s best for you, your loved ones, and, more to the point, your not-so-loved ones.

 

God the Mother and God the Father love the soul who lived as Hitler just as much as they love me, the man who first channelled the truth about divine love and forgiveness. This is the core of true faith, the faith I taught as Jesus. The answer to the question of how this could be so – that a man who brutalized and tyrannized so many could be equal in God’s eyes to the man who achieved a state of imperfect perfection – will give you the answer to one of life’s great mysteries, the mystery of prayer.

 

Only one solution exists for this enigma. Only one. It is the solution I taught – acceptance of the reality that you must learn to harness your biological body and brain, and bring them into alignment with the needs of your soul. You must fully integrate your human choices and needs with the needs of your eternal soul. Not later. Now.

 

You must not detach from the needs of your body and brain, or punish your mortal flesh. You must trust this mortal flesh given you by God, and cherish this flesh till the day it is no longer yours. (That will be the day you die.) You must be fully human and fully divine simultaneously. This is what it means to be a Christ-in-human-form. This is the goal of those who choose to follow my Way. This is the prayer God hears – a prayer of trust, a prayer of trust in the innate integrity of God the Mother’s and God the Father’s heart.

 

A prayer of trust is not a prayer of supplication. A prayer of trust demands courage on your part. You must rediscover the inner faith and trust of your own soul, a faith and trust that could not for a moment contemplate a universe in which God would allow a Devil to co-exist with them, a faith and trust that could not for a moment fail to believe that a man like Hitler was severely mentally ill within the confines of his mortal flesh, but that his soul was beautiful and in desperate need of healing, succour, relief.

 

If you believe in your heart that I, Jesus, found the Way and taught the Way, then you’ll have to find the courage to stop listening to those parts of the Bible that teach you your soul is full of sin. Your soul is not full of sin. God always protects your eternal soul, despite the extreme pain and hardship you may endure as a soul-in-human-form. You must trust with every ounce of your being that this is so. If you refuse to believe this one basic Divine Truth, you’ll miss out on the chance to do what you do best – transform pain and grief into wisdom.

 

A prayer of trust goes something like this: “Beloved Mother and Father, I’m having a bitch of a day today, and everything seems to be going wrong, but I trust that you’re watching out for me. I humbly understand that you’re trying to teach me something, and I really, really want to understand more about what it means for me to be my best self. I trust that if I stick with this situation, and try as hard as I can to hear my soul’s wisdom, then maybe tomorrow will be a little easier. Thanks so much for believing in my ability to learn from my mistakes. Thanks so much for making me the imperfectly perfect soul that I am. Thanks so much for this chance to learn. I love you both. Amen.”

 

This prayer of trust is very different from prayers in which you petition God for protection, or salvation, or your daily bread. A prayer of trust begins with the core belief that God already finds you worthy, that God already finds Hitler worthy, and that your spiritual quest as a soul-in-human-form is to understand this truth.

 

A prayer of petition says: “God, please help me be a better person than Hitler was.”

 

A prayer of trust says: “God, please help me get a clearer understanding of what Hitler taught us about our quest as souls-in-human-form.”

 

A prayer of petitions says: “God, please don’t be too hard on Hitler at Judgment Day.”

 

A prayer of trust says: “God, no country should ever let such a mentally ill individual become a national leader. It wasn’t fair to him. It wasn’t fair to anyone else. How can we help further medical research and social supports in our communities so we can compassionately care for such severely ill people?”

 

It is not a judgment for you to say that Hitler caused grave damage. You don’t have to pretend, as a loving spiritual person, that he didn’t do anything wrong. He did. Your challenge is to forgive him in the full knowledge that he really screwed up. But don’t forget as you forgive. Just forgive. Forgiveness requires, in fact, that you not forget the harm he caused. Forgiveness means that you can love his fully divine self, even as you refuse to love his very unloving human choices.

 

Such is the Way, the path to the Truth, and the only Life worth living.

 

Amen. And thanks be to our blessed Mother and Father.

 

Jesus

June 21, 2006

[fatherman]

 

Welcome back, friend. Still taking in your words. Important lessons to be learned here.

[flowperson]

Canajan, so good to hear from you again.

 

I agree with you that praying for and having trust relationships with those we hold dear and rely upon spiritually is the key to a feeling of completeness. Doing all that on a day-to-day and practical level is another thing altogether.

 

Again, welcome back !

 

flow....

[Realspiritik]

From Jen: Thanks Fatherman, thanks Flow.

 

 

I agree with you that praying for and having trust relationships with those we hold dear and rely upon spiritually is the key to a feeling of completeness. Doing all that on a day-to-day and practical level is another thing altogether.

 

Ah yes . . . how true . . . and how inescapable.

 

If it makes you feel any better, when my journey began in earnest, I had to put a sign on my fridge that I forced myself to read everytime I went into the kitchen. The sign that felt right for me was: "When You Are Forgiven, You Are Forgiven." Naturally, I posted this sign because several times a day I forgot that I was worthy of God's forgiveness. It may sound kinda stupid, but it worked. Eventually, I got it through my thick head that when Jesus said I was forgiven, he darned well meant it, no ifs, ands, or buts.

 

Hey, everyone's gotta start somewhere.

 

Love Jen

[ebloomer]

Lately, my prayer has been the question, what am I learning/seeing here?-- no matter what the situation.

[Realspiritik]

Thank you, ebloomer, for your wise and trusting prayer: “What am I learning/seeing here?” I don’t mind saying, from my point of view as an angel on the Other Side, that this prayer is heard too little. Thank you for posting it.

 

The interesting thing about this prayer, and the reason I love it, is that it’s open-ended. This is a hopeful prayer, a prayer filled with the hope and faith that you, as a human being, can learn, that you, as a human being, want to learn. This is a prayer that doesn’t clip your wings with pessimism. Nor does it clip your guardian angel’s wings. This is a prayer which has implicit faith in the perfectibility of humankind. Those who pour such a prayer into every ounce of their being cannot help but find themselves gradually opening to God’s heart in a tender and wondrous way. “What am I learning here? What am I seeing here?” This is your request to be shown the mystery of divine love, for the hearts, minds, and bodies of God the Mother and God the Father are always changing, always growing in love and trust. As they grow in love, we, as angels, also grow in love. Whether incarnate or whether at Home on the Other Side, we, as angels, have our angelic eyes wide open, taking in all the beauty and all the joy. We must, as angels, want to see all that’s around us if we are ever to know the full magnificence of our loving Mother and Father.

 

The journey for all of us is not a path that cuts a straight line, but a path that gently spirals. On the Spiral Path, you find yourself returning to the places you’ve loved, and finding those places to be all you remembered, yet more. Always more. Each time you return, you laugh with the joy of recognition, even while you laugh in surprise as you find yourself saying, “Gosh, I never saw that beautiful lamp before.” The Spiral Path takes you always forward. The Spiral Path feels like the loving arms of your eternally loving Mother and Father wrapped tightly around you, and only there can we, as angels, feel whole.

 

The Spiral Path has no end, because there will never be an end to the questing and yearning of all angels to grow in love. I can’t tell you where that Path will take us, my friends, but my faith and trust are so complete, my heart is filled only with excitement at what we’ll see together around the next bend.

 

I love you, Mother and Father.

 

Love Jesus

June 23, 2006

[Realspiritik]

Jesus here.

 

Imagine this scenario for a moment.

 

God’s guardian angels, the ones who look after each and every one of you on Planet Earth, are scratching their heads. They want very much to communicate more clearly with angels-in-human-form who are asking for guidance. They want to give clear answers about healing, faith, and eternity to those who are praying.

 

But they have a problem. The problem is a scientific one, not a spiritual one. The problem is that when souls incarnate into human form, their soul energy must be squished into a very small 3D box called the human brain. The human brain has limits – far more limits than 4D souls are used to dealing with. The human brain is easily damaged. And damaged brains make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes human brains imagine things. Sometimes human brains confuse REM stage dreams with divine messages. Sometimes human brains don’t know something because they haven’t been taught.

 

God’s guardian angels wish to give answers to the many questions people have, but, quite honestly, how easy do you think that is? I want you to stop and think carefully about your own experience. How would you feel if you were driving your car one day, and you suddenly heard a strange voice in your head say, “You should turn left at the next intersection.”? How would you react? Honestly . . . wouldn’t you be scared to death you were going crazy? Wouldn’t you wonder what was happening to you? Of course you would. That’s normal. The human brain is ill-trained (though not ill-equipped) to deal with quantum communication from a guardian angel. The human brain, upon hearing a strange voice emanating from the ethers, gets freaked out – as it should. Those who aren’t alarmed upon hearing a strange inner voice need to seek professional medical assistance, because they may be suffering from a seizure disorder, a psychotic illness, or a medical problem elsewhere in the body that’s affecting the way the brain works.

 

Generally speaking, guardian angels work their divine magic through indirect means. They don’t even try to communicate mind-to-mind with you. Instead, they create a trail of hints for you to follow. Coincidences, synchronicities, sudden impulses, repetition of experiences. They sort of half drag you, half push you closer and closer to your true soul self. They’re prepared to use any indirect means necessary to get their message across to you, even if it hurts like hell.

 

But what if the God Team (as I like to call the community of guardian angels who watch over you) wanted to have a mind-to-mind conversation with somebody incarnated as a human being? How would that work? Could it work?

 

Well, yes, it can work, and it does work, but it isn’t easy. I know this, because I, as Jesus, was a highly trained channeller. The reason I got answers about the true nature of God’s love and forgiveness, and the reason I held onto those answers in the face of tremendous opposition, is that I had great confidence in my skill as a channeller.

 

The thing that set me apart from other teachers and healers was my certainty – not a certainty of the mind, but a certainty of the soul. I gradually came to understand that a few divine truths were exactly that – truths. Some things about God just aren’t open to debate or opinion. Some things about God are simply . . . well . . . true. Once I understood with every fibre of my being that God the Mother and God the Father loved me, that God the Mother and God the Father forgave me for the mistakes I’d made in my life, I couldn’t be swayed by anyone’s words or rituals or traditions. I trusted our Mother and Father with all my heart. Because of that, the angelic guidance I received became less and less indirect, and more and more immediate. When there was a matter of disagreement between what a human spiritual leader told me, and what my angelic guides told me, I went with the angels.

 

This meant many human beings were seriously ticked off with me.

 

I was a mortal man, but I lived the last few years of my life with my heart fully open to God’s loving guidance. If this made me divine, then so be it. But I would suggest the divinity that cloaked me and my message lay in my perfect trust in God. It was my perfect trust that allowed me to become a vessel of God’s healing message, to teach others through my death and resurrection what miracles are possible both in Heaven and on Earth.

 

It is open to you, should you so desire, to trust God as perfectly as I did. In this way, you will know, as I did, the bliss of feeling deeply loved and loving. There is no greater joy in all Creation.

 

The message of the resurrection is not about me, Jesus. The message of the resurrection is about the miraculous healing gifts of God’s angels, and the infinite potential of the Mother and the Father to care for all of us.

 

In the world in which I grew up, there was little belief or faith or trust in God as God actually is. There were many deities, and many religions, but few believers in a loving, forgiving, compassionate Mother and Father.

 

My resurrection helped people understand the true nature of their relationship with the Mother and Father, and I shall always be grateful for being able to help in this way.

 

Amen.

 

Love Jesus

September 9, 2006

[mystictrek]

This is fascinating. I come and go on this forum and so I wasn't aware until now that we have such a wonderful direct contact with Jesus here.

 

A question comes to mind.

 

I have studied and tried to practice A COURSE IN MIRACLES since about 1990. I am now back at it and I must say that I see the same kind of ideas in ACIM as I see in Jen's posts. I have only read a few so I may be missing something. Helen Shucman, the author of ACIM, claims that she channels Jesus. Like Jen, she has integrated a lot of skill and experience and awareness. I believe that Jesus really does come through in amazing ways in ACIM and I see the same going on in Jen's wonderful posts

 

I have believed in a Heavenly Council in my life for years and I often write in my Journal what the HC is telling me to write. Much of my Abundancetrek website is based on what I have received. I believe we are all intimately and intricately and infinitely connected to God and each other. We all have God in us and some of us can contact God in amazing ways. We all have that potential. Most of us are limited by all kinds of things and only manifest a few gifts of the Spirit. I believe we will be able to manifest more and more of these gifts as we evolve and we are now going through a rapid evolutionary leap forward.

 

So, the question is: Jen (and others) are you familiar with ACIM and, if so, do you think it is a pretty reliable course taught by Jesus? Or maybe the Holy Spirit or a Heavenly Council of Angels, like the God team.

 

BTW, I have been making some progress on my website pages on the 9 attributes of heaven, particularly wisdom and love. ... and the 12 spiritual practices, particularly Simplicity.

 

love,

mystictrek

[Realspiritik]

So, the question is: Jen (and others) are you familiar with ACIM and, if so, do you think it is a pretty reliable course taught by Jesus? Or maybe the Holy Spirit or a Heavenly Council of Angels, like the God team.

 

BTW, I have been making some progress on my website pages on the 9 attributes of heaven, particularly wisdom and love. ... and the 12 spiritual practices, particularly Simplicity.

 

love,

mystictrek

 

Thank you, mystictrek, for your kind and supportive thoughts.

 

I most definitely am familiar with A Course in Miracles. I understand it's lately been gathering a lot of new participants, so your question is timely.

 

Over the last few years, I've talked to Jesus about ACIM several times. Each time, he's asked me to go to my bookshelf and pull the book off the shelf. (I don't actually have it with me today, as all my books are on in one city, and I'm in another.) When I open up ACIM, I'm always struck by two things: first, there's a powerful current of poetry in the work, a longing and desire for the Divine that's potent -- a heady incense that's hard to resist. Second, there's an unfortunate lack of clarity and common sense in the channelled passages. The message is very difficult to grasp. The poetry is beautiful, but in my humble opinion, poetry is not enough to help individuals learn how to tap into their own unique, divine nature.

 

Some years ago now, and with great sadness, because I love spiritual poetry, I set the ACIM and all books like it at the back of my shelves, and I don't look at them anymore except to check certain points when I'm writing. They're simply too confusing. They also tend to promise human beings things they actually can't have. That's discouraging and frustrating. I learned the hard way that for the sake of my brain health and the sake of my soul, it's best if I stick with material that's less mystical and more grounded in the everyday realities we must deal with in order to make life on Planet Earth the Garden of Eden we yearn for.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've gone into Chapters (Canada's version of Barnes and Noble), and begun to head towards the spirituality section, only to have Jesus steer me instead to the science section, or the history section, or the psychology section. He's bound and determined that when he channels a message through me, it will be factually clear, if nothing else.

 

This is not to say I don't pester Jesus with questions about God and angels and heaven and quantum creativity and ancient spirituality, because I do. But that's the "cart", and before anyone can relate to the cart, they need a horse to pull that cart. Maybe it's prosaic to focus first on the "horse," but trust me -- if one tries to pull the mystical cart without the right brain "muscles" in place first, one will end up like Helen Shucman, who channelled the ACIM and ended up suffering from a severe psychotic depression in the last two years of her life. This is a genuine medical risk to anyone who channels without proper training.

 

'Nuff said.

 

Love Jen

[mystictrek]

Well, I guess we can disagree then although I hate to disagree with Jesus!

 

I have to respect you for what you are doing. Your belief about what you are doing runs deep and I sense it is authentic. I have the same kind of belief in what I am doing and I would not anyone to diss me easily but many do! Our paths are all sacred and must be follwed faithfully even when we, sometimes, are quite alone in our quest for truth.

 

I will continue to go with my heart and head and study and practice the approach of A COURSE IN MIRACLES but always staying open to other ideas and sources of wisdom. As Thich Nhat Hanh says:

 

Precept 1 - Do not be idolatrous about or bound to any doctrine, theory, or ideology, even Buddhist ones. All systems of thought are guiding means; they are not absolute truth.

 

Precept 2 - Do not think that the knowledge you presently possess is changeless, absolute truth. Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice non-attachment from views in order to be open to receive others' viewpoints. Truth is found in life and not merely in conceptual knowledge. Be ready to learn throughout our entire life and to observe reality in yourself and in the world at all times.

 

There are 12 more precepts which you can read at http://seaox.com/thich.html

[Realspiritik]

Thanks, mystic. I respect what you're doing, too. I totally honour the truth that everyone has a unique path. Let us know what you learn. We can all benefit from each other's experiences.

 

Love Jen

[AslansTraveller]

Prayer is an excellent subject, all too often neglected or oversimplified ("Prayer is where I give God his marching orders, isn't it?"). A couple of very good resources I've found:

 

1) Prayer by Richard Foster. Excellent overview of the many types and purposes of prayer. Written by a man who knows his stuff.

 

2)

Prayer of the Heart by George Maloney.

 

Personally, I've found great peace and blessings with the basic "Jesus Prayer" as used by the Eastern Christians and a bunch of other folks for about 1500 years.

 

Lord Jesus Christ (on the inhale)

Son of God (on the exhale)

Have mercy on me (on the inhale)

A sinner (on the exhale).

 

The real value isn' t just what's being said, but when used as a meditative prayer (simply keep repeating it, anywhere at any time). It sort of "clears a spot" in the mind so that you can quiet some of the ever present mental noise and quite possibly hear God when S/He's talking to you with that "still small voice"

[earl]

Thank you, mystictrek, for your kind and supportive thoughts.

 

I most definitely am familiar with A Course in Miracles. I understand it's lately been gathering a lot of new participants, so your question is timely.

 

Over the last few years, I've talked to Jesus about ACIM several times. Each time, he's asked me to go to my bookshelf and pull the book off the shelf. (I don't actually have it with me today, as all my books are on in one city, and I'm in another.) When I open up ACIM, I'm always struck by two things: first, there's a powerful current of poetry in the work, a longing and desire for the Divine that's potent -- a heady incense that's hard to resist. Second, there's an unfortunate lack of clarity and common sense in the channelled passages. The message is very difficult to grasp. The poetry is beautiful, but in my humble opinion, poetry is not enough to help individuals learn how to tap into their own unique, divine nature.

 

Some years ago now, and with great sadness, because I love spiritual poetry, I set the ACIM and all books like it at the back of my shelves, and I don't look at them anymore except to check certain points when I'm writing. They're simply too confusing. They also tend to promise human beings things they actually can't have. That's discouraging and frustrating. I learned the hard way that for the sake of my brain health and the sake of my soul, it's best if I stick with material that's less mystical and more grounded in the everyday realities we must deal with in order to make life on Planet Earth the Garden of Eden we yearn for.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've gone into Chapters (Canada's version of Barnes and Noble), and begun to head towards the spirituality section, only to have Jesus steer me instead to the science section, or the history section, or the psychology section. He's bound and determined that when he channels a message through me, it will be factually clear, if nothing else.

 

This is not to say I don't pester Jesus with questions about God and angels and heaven and quantum creativity and ancient spirituality, because I do. But that's the "cart", and before anyone can relate to the cart, they need a horse to pull that cart. Maybe it's prosaic to focus first on the "horse," but trust me -- if one tries to pull the mystical cart without the right brain "muscles" in place first, one will end up like Helen Shucman, who channelled the ACIM and ended up suffering from a severe psychotic depression in the last two years of her life. This is a genuine medical risk to anyone who channels without proper training.

 

'Nuff said.

 

Love Jen

Hi Jen. I appreciate your sharing. Hadn't heard that re her. That's sad-kind of reminds me of the Icarus myth. Sure I'm interested in all the unknowns/mysteries-who isn't? But you have a very good point re that "horse & cart" stuff. I'm of the belief that all the world's religions are essentially "this worldly," not other worldly despite their claims. That is the essence of them is to provide various means to live open-heartedly in this world. It's fundamentally relaxing into a very deep trust in the life we've been given-answering in the positive Einstein's question whether the universe is a friendly place. So I don't think that all those mystic paths are either necessary to nor necessarily will lead us to such a deeply trusting open approach to life. When it's all said and done the only thing that seems to matter is how well we've lived and loved. Take care, earl

[Realspiritik]

Hi Jen. I appreciate your sharing. Hadn't heard that re her. That's sad-kind of reminds me of the Icarus myth. Sure I'm interested in all the unknowns/mysteries-who isn't? But you have a very good point re that "horse & cart" stuff. I'm of the belief that all the world's religions are essentially "this worldly," not other worldly despite their claims. That is the essence of them is to provide various means to live open-heartedly in this world. It's fundamentally relaxing into a very deep trust in the life we've been given-answering in the positive Einstein's question whether the universe is a friendly place. So I don't think that all those mystic paths are either necessary to nor necessarily will lead us to such a deeply trusting open approach to life. When it's all said and done the only thing that seems to matter is how well we've lived and loved. Take care, earl

 

Hi Earl. Nice to hear from you. You and I haven't crossed paths in a while.

 

Your reference to the Icarus myth is, unfortunately, all too apt. Those who channel without first training their brains to handle the process run the risk of ending up with psychosis, severe depression, or both. If I had my way (like that's gonna happen! ) every would-be channeller would have to enroll in a 4-year degree program at an accredited university to learn the basics. Hey -- if a student can cover the basics of human anatomy, etc., in a 4-year medical school program, I figure the fundamentals of soul physiology can be covered in about the same amount of time!

 

In the small city I live in, I know of two definite cases where an individual ended up severely mentally ill after playing with mystical fire. One had to be hospitalized.

 

I don't say these things to frighten people away from experiencing their own internal soul nature, but to pass along what I've learned about the soul-body nexus through my channelling partnership with Jesus. Nothing would make me happier than to have a whole bunch of interested people jump on board the brain-training program for channellers. Then I would belong to a team, and I'd have somebody to complain to when Jesus recommends I fork over big bucks for that new &*%$# neurophysiology textbook! I'd also sleep better if more people had the knowledge to safely communicate via quantum language with their own guardian angels. The angels would like it, too (or so I hear . . . )

 

I know I sound like a broken record when I go on and on about the brain, but to be frank the brain is the frontier between one's physical existence and one's eternal life. Every thought and every feeling (spiritual, religious, or secular) that goes through one's head has a biological analogue -- a complex interaction of neurotransmitters, electrical impulses, and brainwave synchrony. There's just no getting out of it. No one can deny or circumvent their biology. Not even a mystic.

 

Earl, you said: "When it's all said and done the only thing that seems to matter is how well we've lived and loved." I don't think there's any better way to sum it up. Thanks.

 

Love Jen

[mystictrek]

Jen rightly reminds us of our vulnertability to neuroses and psychoses. Since we are not all called to become experts on neurophysiology, I suggest that we all need the basic accountability of a congregation, in our case, a progressive Christian congregation. Or, if that can't be found, a Moderate congregation where Progressives are accepted. Prayer is both an individual and corporate discipline. Our spiritual formation is both an individual and corporate discipline.

 

I believe we all are part of the Body of Christ and can and do hear the voice of Christ in many ways, often through a group process which is vital and illuminating.

[Jim R]

Hello Mystictrek and all, My name is Jim R and am I am relatively new to the forum. I am a Course in Miracles afficiando. I have been exclusively ACIM (A Course in Miracles) for a few years now and have only recently realized that I am to reach out to the world under the umbrella of progressive Christianity and teach ACIM a a side to anyone who wants to walk the path. (Marianne Williamson and Jon Mundy are doing to same thing,if you are familiar with them )ACIM is a radical Zen like Christianity that is indeed progressive. It has completely transformed me. Jesus says in ACIM that it is an easy course but most find it difficult. Its poetry becomes music, and indeed after some study it is understandable. For most though it is hard and Americans aren't used to "hard" so I am going to teach the basics of ACIM as prgressive Chirsitanity. By studying ACIM I have learned patience, tolerance,love, how to give peace and how to receive it, and how to connect to God. The poetry of ACIM is no longer gibberish but at one time it was. Now it is a "third testament" , it is Jesus talking to humanity. He is not dead. Jesus is very alive and still talks , both to your heart and in ACIM. ACIM is in the Bible, it is just a matter of how one reads the Bible. I hope to be blogging more on this site. Mystictrek, I blog regularly on the web site of Circle of Atonement. If you want to study ACIM, The Circle of Atonement is the way to go. I think you can visit free for a day or two but then the blogs are members only and you have to pay $50 to be a member. Check out the blogs for free. I write as "Jim R" there also and moderate the forum."Topic of The Week". I am spiritual and I am political and you will be hearing from me. If you want to study ACIM, lets get together on line I will help you for free. Love and Light Jim R

[mystictrek]

Hello Mystictrek and all, My name is Jim R and am I am relatively new to the forum. I am a Course in Miracles afficiando. I have been exclusively ACIM (A Course in Miracles) for a few years now and have only recently realized that I am to reach out to the world under the umbrella of progressive Christianity and teach ACIM a a side to anyone who wants to walk the path. (Marianne Williamson and Jon Mundy are doing to same thing,if you are familiar with them )ACIM is a radical Zen like Christianity that is indeed progressive. It has completely transformed me. Jesus says in ACIM that it is an easy course but most find it difficult. Its poetry becomes music, and indeed after some study it is understandable. For most though it is hard and Americans aren't used to "hard" so I am going to teach the basics of ACIM as prgressive Chirsitanity. By studying ACIM I have learned patience, tolerance,love, how to give peace and how to receive it, and how to connect to God. The poetry of ACIM is no longer gibberish but at one time it was. Now it is a "third testament" , it is Jesus talking to humanity. He is not dead. Jesus is very alive and still talks , both to your heart and in ACIM. ACIM is in the Bible, it is just a matter of how one reads the Bible. I hope to be blogging more on this site. Mystictrek, I blog regularly on the web site of Circle of Atonement. If you want to study ACIM, The Circle of Atonement is the way to go. I think you can visit free for a day or two but then the blogs are members only and you have to pay $50 to be a member. Check out the blogs for free. I write as "Jim R" there also and moderate the forum."Topic of The Week". I am spiritual and I am political and you will be hearing from me. If you want to study ACIM, lets get together on line I will help you for free. Love and Light Jim R

 

Hi Jim. Welcome.

 

I have been studying and applying ACIM for the last 16 years. I agree with your post and hope you will stay active here at TCPC. Following ACIM and also being politically actiive can be trying! But it can and must be done IMO.

 

I am on a Y! list which is very helpful and see no need at this point to pay 50 bucks.

 

I am going through the daily lessons again and have reached lesson 270: "I will not use the body's eyes today." It goes on to say in this lesson: "Christ's vision is Your gift to me, and it has power to translate all that the body's eyes behold into the sight of a forgiven world."

 

I believe every human being has direct access to God but it goes through quite a filter and what comes out in our language can only ever point to God. I believe Helen Shucman uses the idea of speaking for Jesus in a creative way. I consider it a brilliant literary device. Many people are finding that miracles happen because they are willing to learn and apply the wisdom found in ACIM. It is not the only way but is an inspiring and illuminating way. I know I have been blessed and have blessed others by learning and applying its wise teachings.

 

Wayne Dyer has been influenced significantly by ACIM and his books are very readable. You can see him offering motivational addresses from time to time on PBS during fundraising periods.

 

On the Y! ACIM recentlyI found this beautiful and relevant post:

 

+++

 

I need do nothing

 

Hi

 

This morning my older brother stopped by and his path is Christian. He started to talk about how there was no way a Moslem could know God. As he talked I said in my mind you are spirit pure and innocent all is forgiven and released. When he left I still felt like I needed to quiet myself and look with Jesus. As I did I saw a picture of a preacher pounding the pulput saying you need do this and that. So

as I looked with Jesus I could see where I was still holding onto the belief I need do something, then into my mind came you need do nothing but step back and let Jesus lead the way. I'm so grateful to my brother.

 

Virginia

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Course_Talk/message/37331

 

+++

[Realspiritik]

For most though it is hard and Americans aren't used to "hard" so I am going to teach the basics of ACIM as prgressive Chirsitanity. By studying ACIM I have learned patience, tolerance,love, how to give peace and how to receive it, and how to connect to God.

 

 

Jesus here, dear friends. I'm enjoying, from my angelic perspective, conversations that come deeply from the heart. So thank you, all, who are following this thread.

 

I have a few thoughts on the idea of "hard". Indeed, I'd say "hard" is an issue for most human beings, not just Americans. A Course in Miracles is, in my heavenly view, a course in how to be spiritual the hard way. I know that what I'm saying will not be received well by followers of the course, and I respect that. But the course does not do what the God Team knows it could do. It does not teach people how to understand and flow with the mindset of God's guardian angels. It's angels who do the legwork for God the Mother and God the Father (not because the Mother and Father can't or won't do it themselves, but because they're teaching a lot of eager angels how to work with quantum probability waves). It's angels who create the miracles like synchronicities, inexplicable healings, and split second timing. It would be nice, from the human perspective, for you to be able to create these kinds of miracles directly, without angelic assistance, but you can't. They don't happen if God's angels don't want them to happen. God's angels have free will. They have a green light from our Mother and Father to listen to their own angelic wisdom, and do what seems best in each unique instance. And the really good news is that angels are never wrong. If they say, "Sorry, but today you're going to have to tough out the consequences of your unloving choices," then by golly that's what is best.

 

A Course in Miracles has a series of different readings that are meant to be studied a day at a time. To be honest, this is the hard way to do things. The human brain simply can't focus on 270 different spiritual ideas over a period of months. The human brain can probably handle one. Just one. Pick one major spiritual goal -- learning to forgive yourself, or learning to expand your joy through the practice of radical gratitude, or learning patience. Pick one, and work like a dog on just that one for the next few months. This takes tremendous self discipline, but it's the only way to bring your brain into alignment with the voice of your own soul.

 

Forgiveness isn't a fleeting but pleasing idea. It's a practice. It's a habit. It's a brain habit. It's a brain habit you must concentrate on consciously, or it won't happen. It's not magic. It's not a divine gift conferred on you because you ask. It's a change in the way your brain works. Your brain begins to work differently, more efficiently, when you begin to consciously practice the emotion called forgiveness. Most adults have little to no facility with the emotion of forgiveness. Every child is born with it, and all young children instinctively use it to improve their relationships. When the adults around the children fail to reinforce it, children begin to forget. Over time, they lose the ability to forgive because they haven't been guided to use it, they haven't been taught to integrate the truth of forgiveness into their confusing human existence. The human brain is like that -- use it or lose it. If you want to reclaim your innate capacity to forgive, you must practise every day, just as successful musicians or athletes or . . . well, the list is pretty long of skills that need to be practised every day till mastery is achieved, but you get the idea.

 

The first spiritual goal you choose will be the most challenging, as you won't be used to the self discipline involved. But once you master just one major spiritual goal -- such as forgiveness or gratitude or selfless service -- the changes in your brain will make the next one faster to learn. I, and the angelic team to which I belong, would love to see groups forming to help individuals stay focussed on the single goal they've chosen. Churches and other spiritual groups could have weekly meetings for the "gratitude" group, or the "forgiveness" group, and no group would be considered better or more prestigious than another. As long as people are working on one thing with dedication, they're doing the best they can.

 

When I lived as Jesus, I worked through these issues one at a time. I began with forgiveness, but I had many other lessons to learn (or, more accurately, to remember from deep inside my soul) before the Mother and the Father felt I was emotionally strong enough to endure the miracle of torture, then hanging by a thread between life and death, then resurrection.

 

Thanks be to our blessed Mother and Father. Amen.

Love Jesus

September 24, 2006

[Realspiritik]

Blessed Mother and Father God,

You walk among us where we do not see

And touch our hearts where we do not feel,

And you rejoice at the way we have spread our wings.

Please help us this day to remember your grace

And our own,

And to remember to hold your hand

In the Kingdom Within.

Amen.

 

Love Jesus

[mystictrek]

Dear Jesus,

 

With all due respect I do believe that ACIM basically focuses on one truth. I love the introduction:

 

This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.

 

This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:

Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God.

 

http://acim.home.att.net/text-00.html

 

Maybe you gave us ACIM when you were in a different mood or state!!!

[Realspiritik]

Dear Jesus,

 

Maybe you gave us ACIM when you were in a different mood or state!!!

 

 

Dear mystic,

 

Nice try, except I think I'd remember that, notwithstanding Jen's musings about what I'm smoking up here.

 

Seriously, though, dear friend, I'd like you to think very deeply about the words you wrote for us here:

 

"This course can therefore be summed up very simply in this way:

Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God."

 

I agree without reservation that nothing real can be threatened. But to pair this divine truth with the statement that "nothing unreal exists" is hugely problematic.

 

If I had, indeed, written ACIM, I would have said something along the lines of:

 

"Nothing real can be threatened.

Your journey as a human being is to peel back the layers of ego to reveal the unthreatened truth.

Fear not the truth.

Herein lies the peace of God."

 

The Darwinian circuit of the brain (a circuit I've described elsewhere) is frequently terrified of the first truth (that nothing real can be threatened). In fact, the Darwinian circuit of the brain, if it's not functioning properly -- if it's behaving in an unreal fashion -- can make you waste your life fending off the simple truth that God loves you.

 

Many unreal things temporarily exist in the 3-dimensional world you live in. Hatred and prejudice don't exist in the higher quantum universe in any form. In other words, hatred and prejudice are generated exclusively by the misfiring neurons of the Darwinian part of your biological brain. When it's time for you to return Home at the end of your human life, you take with you your memories of love, forgiveness, and gratitude, but you leave behind hatred and prejudice because they're not real at a quantum level. What is real, and what can't be threatened, is divine love, trust, courage, devotion, and gratitude.

 

The challenge, therefore, is to boldly and courageously identify the goals, aspirations, and belief systems that aren't real as far as your soul is concerned. Get rid of the emotional and mental "values" that have no merit in the quantum universe you actually belong to. Ditch all traces of racial or cultural superiority (since these aren't real). Put ideas of gender superiority in the trash bin. Stop hiding from your need to love and be loved. Learn to understand money the way your soul understands money. Most important (and hardest of all to accomplish if your Darwinian circuit is not balanced): be honest with yourself about your motives and your true intent. In other words, stop lying to yourself.

 

Fear not the truth, for no matter how unloving you've been in your life up until now, your divine integrity is real and can't be threatened. God the Mother and God the Father wouldn't let you come here and **** up your brain if they didn't believe in you. But knowing this truth raises the bar for all human beings, and it's the bar that's causing all the problems. Everybody thinks they should get down on their hands and knees and crawl under the bar, when, in fact, they should put on their majestic angelic wings and hurdle the damn thing with all their might.

 

Much love, Jesus

November 21, 2006

[Realspiritik]

With all due respect I do believe that ACIM basically focuses on one truth. I love the introduction:

 

This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time. The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.

 

Hey, MT, it's Jen this time, and I've been pondering what you wrote above. In particular, I've been chewing over the sentence that goes, "The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught." And I'm thinking, gosh, that just doesn't sound right to me. What the heck else is there except the meaning of love? Not that it's easy to learn, of course. But still . . . isn't the meaning of love what God is always teaching us, whether or not we want to learn? If I were a newbie in the spiritual world, I think I'd be deeply discouraged to be told that the meaning of love is beyond what can be taught. I'd never be able to find the confidence to explore what the meaning of love really is. I'd be afraid to take the risk of loving with all my heart. And there's no doubt it's a risk. It's a risk because as soon as you open your heart wide open, somebody kicks it. So to find the meaning of love, you have to open your heart wide open, but you also have to learn to live with the pain of being hurt by the large number of people (bullies)who actually like to hurt other people's hearts. Learning to cope with the pain is a lot easier if you have a spiritual mentor. Mentoring is teaching. So I guess I'm saying the meaning of love can be taught if you have a wise teacher and a willing student.

 

If I've misunderstood what you've written, please let me know, as I'd like to get these thoughts clear.

 

All the best,

Jen

[mystictrek]

Hey, MT, it's Jen this time, and I've been pondering what you wrote above. In particular, I've been chewing over the sentence that goes, "The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught." And I'm thinking, gosh, that just doesn't sound right to me. What the heck else is there except the meaning of love? Not that it's easy to learn, of course. But still . . . isn't the meaning of love what God is always teaching us, whether or not we want to learn? If I were a newbie in the spiritual world, I think I'd be deeply discouraged to be told that the meaning of love is beyond what can be taught. I'd never be able to find the confidence to explore what the meaning of love really is. I'd be afraid to take the risk of loving with all my heart. And there's no doubt it's a risk. It's a risk because as soon as you open your heart wide open, somebody kicks it. So to find the meaning of love, you have to open your heart wide open, but you also have to learn to live with the pain of being hurt by the large number of people (bullies)who actually like to hurt other people's hearts. Learning to cope with the pain is a lot easier if you have a spiritual mentor. Mentoring is teaching. So I guess I'm saying the meaning of love can be taught if you have a wise teacher and a willing student.

 

If I've misunderstood what you've written, please let me know, as I'd like to get these thoughts clear.

 

All the best,

Jen

 

Dear Jen,

 

Let me get real honest and vulnerable here. You channel Jesus. Well, good. Others make that claim too and why should I accept your version? Don't answer that. I'm being rhetorical.

 

If it makes you feel good to tear down a souce of wisdom which has made a huge difference in my life for many years and in others, so be it. Do I make myself clear?

 

I don't like it.

 

It feels good to say that.

 

Maybe we can discuss some ideas here but I need to tell you how I feel right now. Feelings are important, No?

 

You are a fantastic and wonderful person. God loves you and so do I.

 

"Nothing real can be threatened.

Your journey as a human being is to peel back the layers of ego to reveal the unthreatened truth.

Fear not the truth.

Herein lies the peace of God."

 

That's the message of ACIM. Have you read it? I wonder.

 

You are a fantastic and wonderful person. God loves you and so do I.

Edited November 22, 2006 by mystictrek

[Realspiritik]

Dear MT,

 

Your post above is one of the most honest and heartfelt posts I've read on this site. Ever. Thank you so much for your courage and your honesty, and I mean that with every fibre of my being. You're a fantastic and wonderful person, and I love you.

 

Best, Jen

[mystictrek]

Dear MT,

 

Your post above is one of the most honest and heartfelt posts I've read on this site. Ever. Thank you so much for your courage and your honesty, and I mean that with every fibre of my being. You're a fantastic and wonderful person, and I love you.

 

Best, Jen

 

Thanks, Jen. I am pondering the meaning of our exchange and so much more! I will offer some wisdom or nonsense sooner or later.

 

Well, Ok. How about sooner?!

 

I think any one and every one has access to the mind of God. God is found deep within every person, indeed every fragment of creation. So, the technique of channeling Jesus or anyone else is definitely valid and I have to respect your approach and still disagree with some of the statements of Jesus. I don't like to disagree with Jesus. I am uncomfortable with it and I guess I wish you wouldn't channel Jesus here because that pouts me in this uncomfortable posiition of having to diagree with Jesus. I would rather disagree with you!

 

The prophets would say: "Thus saith the Lord" and then tell us exactly what God was saying to the people of Israel. As I read those words now, I find I disagree with some of the thoughts expressed but I am sure glad that they spoke and wrote down those words. So, go ahead and give us the word and I will disagree or agree as I understand the Spirit working within me.

 

We need to pray constantly and know God, know heaven, know yourself, know each other. The process of discerning goes on and on and on and we grow and learn and change.

 

Since tomorrow is Christ the King Sunday, let me end here with one of my favorite sayings of Jesus: "The Kingdom of God is within you." Yeah!