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Transcript

March 4, 1970 (tape 212-A, CD 22)
Sermon

My text, which isn’t going to be too much in reference to what I am going to speak on, as I hear it now. For we are going to follow the path of our Lord Jesus all the way to Calvary in these days and weeks. And I heartily hope that many of us may take upon ourselves that cross in the reality of the Spirit as it really is. For I know, as you know, that this was not as it was represented, exactly, but a greater reality never existed must any Teacher who has sent to earth and he gave unto his people and the people of earth the greater gift.

And I will take my text from the 10th chapter of St. Mark: “And he arose from thence and cometh into the coasts of Judea by the farther side of Jordan : and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again. 2) And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? Trying to tempt him. 3) And he answered them and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4) And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, to put her away. 5) And Jesus said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6) But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. 7) For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and cleave to his wife.

This is not related exactly but it does bring in one of the principles of this new age. That woman as well as man shall partake and shall obey the commandments as given in this day and in this age. And in order for her to appreciate and to understand those things which she should understand in order for her to stand on her two feet as man must stand on his two feet. To obey the Lord Jesus of this Earth we must understand one thing: As we move through this Easter time approaching the crucifixion and the resurrection, both of the same importance, I think it is time and well that we fully understand one statement which is made in our little book of laws and regulations and precepts of the Order and that is this statement: “And God, once again, in great humility, embodied in the fleshy body of a little child; Thus was the Master Jesus born.”

During our studies and our work we have learned many things regarding the Law. We have learned many things regarding the Word but truthfully do not understand it. For if we truly understood it we would look with great concern upon ourselves when we received the gifts that we do from the Earth which our Lord is Master of. One of the great mysteries, or at least called mysteries, because as I have said many times, a mystery is only a mystery to us because it is right in front of our eyes and we have seen it and known it since birth practically. It is a mystery because it is so simple that all peoples have seen it but have not recognized it as a reality. And this of course is true most of our lives in all things that have to do with religious or spiritual things.

I always draw back from using the word ‘religious’ because it seems to take away the reality of the Power and the Spirit of God Almighty which has come to earth through our Lord Jesus. Because it has the connotation that man has had his sticky fingers and his opinions into what is being taught or being accepted. Our Lord gave us the clue simply in the New Testament, of what he was and what his sacrifice was, when he said, “The Father gaveth unto me the Word and I give it unto you.” We speak many words, and many words very often bring us to the point of exhaustion and confusion. But the Word which Jesus brought unto the Earth, the divine Word of creation, which he brought into the true reality and through his crucifixion, left it with the Earth and its people in its full blown reality that our words would be made manifest in the world in which we were living knowingly. That our acts as he gave it to us were our prayers and so many times we fail to recognize what this man, this great Teacher did.

Consciously, not through the will of the Jews or the Gentiles or any other race of people, but through his own will. The will of God which he manifested within his own actions, went to Calvary to give up his body knowingly, seeingly, and because he wanted to. Because when he gave up his body he was giving up the Word which was incarnate in his flesh. He knew it so well that it was him. It is the same as a true priest. A true priest is one who is a priest because he has forgotten that he has a collar. He is one that functions thus not because he knows the rule book but because that is his life. He doesn’t go out on the street and help somebody because he knows it’s his duty – it’s because he couldn’t do anything else. It’s part of his life and his way.

And thus it was with Jesus. He came knowing what he had to do and at twelve he told them in the temple this same thing. But to understand him more personally, more in reality, it is necessary that we realize fully that the Master, like other great avatars, came to Earth with a purpose. But this man gave the supreme sacrifice knowingly. He came here with that purpose in view. And as we go through this forty days, as we approach the time of Easter season which is of great joy, while the sorrows, as we call them, the experiencing of the isolation of himself from the rest of the world and as he approached the cross and his trial which he had to go through to show and to demonstrate it purposely, the power and the spirit that was with him was his only companion. For even his disciples left him there at that day. But this left no regret.

But the reality which I want to bring to you this day is that your word, your words, what you say, you will be held and accounted for. Not by someone coming from a throne to pass judgment but you are passing judgment upon yourself. For these words will live. They will exist. They will be a part of your life. And you are creating your own life. Thus it is that the Master gave unto us the full reality that man can be and can have what he wants in life whether it be good or bad. In one way he gains, the other way he destroys himself. And these are realities, not just out of the Testament but out of the records.

These are things which oft-times make us uneasy. And I have seen men almost faint when they realized the real truth in these words. Because the hardest and most difficult fight that all men have is to take a true look at themselves in connection with the reality of the Power and the Spirit which exists in this creation. For this hurts. This gets down to the very core of your being.

While you are interested in amusing yourself or being the center of attraction in another group of people or being an example for someone, you can shed this off. But once you have heard the truth within yourself and within the small wee hours of the morning it strikes home and it does leave its mark and it has a keen edge like the Law which he has spoken of, and its Word.

So as we pass toward Easter, remember this: Whether it be a joyous one or one of confusion in your life it is up to you no matter who you are. Whether you are Christian, Jew, Mohammadan, or Persian, the same Law works in the same way. And regardless of whether you accept it or whether you don’t you will live by it or you will fall by it. It works whether you know it or not. It is the inevitable creation of the almighty and it is within you. It is going on whether you disregard it or whether you do not.

For this was the love of God made manifest. The confidence which the Creator has shown in His creation. The liberalness which He gave unto man that he might have a world of plenty and fruitfulness in his life. This is not a psalm-singing. This is not an emotional thing. This is not necessarily poetry although this does express in poetry in many people. But it is a reality and as much a reality as the laws of chemistry at the chemists bench with his test tubes.

You can test this out also and you will find it works if you want to know, if you dare to know. If you have the fortitude within you to stand and live by it because it takes a man or
a woman with full vitality and strength to do it. For the weaklings are the ones that fall by the wayside.

Think of him on his road to Calvary . Alone he made this sacrifice. Alone he moved toward the reality which is within each of you. The divine spark, the divine identity, the Self which knows the truth of this if you will listen. The mercy which he has given us, the fruits of the earth which he said we should partake of. Are we going to turn our heads away from them? Coming to the altar will do no good. It is only coming to the altar within yourself that you can find the peace and then approach the sanctuary beyond this. For within you is that cell of God that Jesus sacrificed his power and his life, knowingly, willingly, for all people, not just his disciples.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.