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Freedom

by Rev. Erin Whitney Lawson

True freedom is the “Freedom of eternal Truth” and as we all know, God is the Author of Truth. God created us in His image and likeness. He created us in His Reality with His Divine attributes. We, as His children in Truth, are blessed with His attributes, one of which is unlimited freedom. To know and experience our freedom in Truth, we must first realize and accept the Truth of God as our existence now. Once we have accepted the undeniable Truth, we then devote ourselves to living in a way that honors Its expression in all that we think, say and do. This is the way of Christ.

Look at the glorious demonstration of our holy brother Christ Jesus. Listen to his words: “I am the Way, I am the Truth.” “No one comes unto the Father except by me.” That does not mean we all need to drop to our knees and beg for his intervention to win us acceptance into the Kingdom. As we exist in Truth, we are the Kingdom. He is saying that if we want to know and experience what God created for us and us for, this is the way. We awaken to the Truth and experience Its presence by living according to the Laws that govern It. Unlike the laws, written and unwritten, of this world, the “Laws of God” are not in place to control us. They are set in place to honor our existence as He created us. The “Laws of God” guarantee our oneness with Him, in Him, eternally. As I honor my eternal existence as one with God, the Laws of His Reality function in my daily living and demonstrate His holy presence in my existence here and now.

Generally speaking in this world, America is thought of as the protector and guarantor of freedom for human kind. Yet if we visit the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., we will see thousands of volumes filled with one legal limitation after another upon the freedom America supposedly protects and guarantees. It is true that America was founded on the ideal of truth that we are created with certain rights given by the Creator. However, to know the fulfillment of our God given rights, we must live according to the laws that established them — the Laws of God and His eternal Kingdom. If I place my faith in America to guarantee my freedom, I am in fact denying the Truth that God is the Author of my freedom and that it is already mine eternally.

As I compose this article, it is the time of year in which we celebrate the advent of the Prince of Peace into the world. It is the joyous season of Christmas in which we all hope and pray that peace will indeed cover the earth. Peace, true peace, is indeed a condition we experience in God’s gift of freedom. However, look at the law the world uses to establish peace on earth. If we maintain the most powerful military in the world with the most fearsome weapons, no one would dare attack us. Who cannot see the utter insanity of that thought? The only thing overwhelming threat has ever guaranteed is fear and endless conflict. A Course in Miracles teaches us that our only responsibility is to accept Atonement for ourselves. Accepting Atonement is accepting responsibility for our experience of our holy relationship with God. It is accepting the Reality of Christ, the Prince of Peace, as our existence here and now. “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” If we truly want peace on earth, the peace of true freedom, it is up to each and every one of us to accept the Gift of God, the Reality of Christ as our existence and live according to Its Laws here and now.

As I devote myself to living according to the Laws of God in my daily life, the ego floods my mind with images of struggle, suffering, sacrifice and even death, should I be ‘foolish’ enough to continue in my devotion. This is when I need to offer my unequivocal trust to God and His Will for me. As I do, the Holy Spirit fills my mind with the awareness of absolute freedom, the Love and peace of Christ and says, “This is the Gift of God, your eternal Life, one with Him and His Holy Son.” I am reminded that I have to choose if I will honor Truth or illusion, Heaven or hell, God or the ego. If I want to be the Truth that God created me to be, I must accept His Thoughts absolutely to the total exclusion of the world’s (the ego’s) thought system.

This is the time of Christ, the holy season of Christ-mass. Let us all accept our oneness with God and His holy Son offering His Love, peace and freedom to all of His children each and every day. In this way we do our part in establishing His peace on earth, giving Him dominion over all things. As we live in God’s freedom, being and offering the Love of Christ to all of Creation, we will truly rejoice and know “The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

Rev. Erin Lawson is a Pathways of Light minister living in Honolulu, Hawaii.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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The Bottom Line

by Rev. Mary Manke, O.M.C.

These thoughts came to me after reviewing the daily lesson of “I seek a future different from the past.”

The bottom line is that in my insanity I’m trying to make separation real. This endeavor puts my mind in conflict, trying to use two opposing belief systems. There is only one Will, and my true will is in accord with the Will of Love. In my insanity I think that my will can be different then God’s Will. I mistake my insane thoughts for truth. I think that separation happened, so I am condemned by a vengeful god. The insane mind scrambles to try and keep itself intact. It tries to direct every thought, belief, and action; it grasps tightly to its dream images.

What a sorry picture this is! This mind, filled with delusions can do nothing.

Only my belief in this mind gives it existence. The belief in separation made the sick mind appear real.

Without turning each meaningless thought over to Holy Spirit for correction, I will be preoccupied with the images I have made. This is not the present, but the past layered on the present moment. Without willingness to accept correction, I am lost in my illusions. Do I really prefer to see insane images in place of Christ’s innocence? Christ’s innocence is all there is to see. His voice is all there is to hear.

My only escape from dreams of guilt is my willingness to turn each insane thought over to Holy Spirit. He will show me that insane thoughts are not real. My guilt dream is not real at all. I must be willing to give up my self made dream. I must be willing allow new thoughts to replace insane wishes. To accept Holy Spirit’s help and healing is to know peace and joy beyond anything I have ever made in my dream. Do I really want to continue holding onto what is not real? Do I want to think that pain will “save” me? Only Love heals. Love is undefiled, indivisible. Nothing can change Love.

To know the benefits of letting Holy Spirit help me, I must quiet the chatter of my mind. I must be still and simply listen, making room for Spirit to enter. Each moment that I practice listening to this true Voice, I give room for the truth of Love, I invite Love in. My innocence is guaranteed by God, so is every other mind that dreams of exile. My holiness is safe and secure because dreams do not change the truth. I have not left my Father. Let me teach only that God’s Son is guiltless, that is my only purpose here.

Rev. Mary Manke is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Markesan, Wisconsin.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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An Orientation

by Rev. Phil Manke, O.M.C.

It is a wonderful time to be! A wonderful day for wonderful relationship with All That Is!

The deer hunters have gone for the day. The solar projects have been put on hold for the day. The worn car does not need to function for today. The kitties are playing in the sun in the yard. A perfect reflection of joy in life. A simple choice.

For most of my life, Sundays have been the days I feel forgiven in all things. I have used this thought in many ways. To be at peace. To attack what I felt was not. To attack myself, after all. To offer healing, the same to receive.

To see that there is strength in releasing my plans for a better life, and understanding that I am neither more or less than anyone else, that I am talented beyond my thoughts of self, but no more than you, or anyone else. Self importance is a subtle form of fear. Circumstance and opportunity can be great deceptions. One that we so desperately seek in life, and then seek to get beyond, if we are aware in all our choices.

I seek for relationship with All That Is, with you in truth. No relationship in truth can deplete me, or you. I am continually growing in introspection and resolve to love.

Private, fearful thoughts will not help me grow, except when I see the value in their release.

I gently place the reason of my mind’s Creator before me in reason and truth. I enjoy the way that sounds. It comforts me and brings me everything I need. I see that my life, my mind, is meaningless if I have nothing of use to share in truth.

My body’s needs are far exceeded. My mind’s needs always were, too, though I had forgotten early on, and then forgot that I had chosen to do that. A silly primate with a mind at play in the world of form and separation, growing into new awareness because of Love in peaceful depth of All That Is.

Oh Love be sure.

Oh Love be right!

I gave my plan to You last night.

I have no life but in Your Light.

No doubt is real this day.

The cycles of this worldly form,

Neat distraction from Your norm.

Define the need to find You warm,

The body knows not Love.

Can mind alone be sure of life,

When I invent my need for strife,

Divided thoughts cut like a knife,

A body joins not in “one.”

The mind that sees, the same as all,

The wandering, the un-hidden call,

“Return to Me,” “Build not a wall.”

“You are one part, sure as raindrops fall.

And the whole exists in you.”

I am but Love, without the “but,”

I release my Spirit from my imagined rut.

Accepting truth behind eyes shut,

Guided open on the way.

“See this,” You said, “You dreamt a dream!”

“My reason gave not that.

My Mind extends magnificence!

I will not leave you flat.”

“Trust in Me, Let go your thoughts, along with them, your pain.”

“In Joy Be One,” “Extend in Mind.” “I Love you all the same.”

Rev. Phil Manke is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Markesan, Wisconsin.

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
You may freely share copies of this with your friends, provided this notice and website address are included.

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Sin and Judgment

by Rev. James Ramelis, O.M.C.

Acting on an inspiration that I assume came from a divine Source, I have been reviewing the Workbook lessons in Part II of A Course in Miracles. I have really been savoring them and they are opening new dimensions of understanding for me. Lesson 259 — “Let me remember that there is no sin”— brought a major revelation and spiritual breakthrough. I stayed on the lesson for a few days and had tremendous feelings of relief knowing that all of my phony petty “sins” amounted to nothing at all and how we really do imagine them as keeping us from God.

The Holy Spirit reinforced my lesson at my work place on the first day I considered the lesson. I work at a prison and a young man had broken his leg playing soccer. It was a bad break. He was young and spoke little English. The young man broke down and cried bitterly. All his miseries now compounded, he lost control. Some other staff laughed and snickered at him. I said, “Hey, come on, he’s just a kid.” “He’s a child rapist,” they responded. “He deserves punishment.” A line in the lesson says “What else but sin could be the source of guilt, demanding punishment and suffering?” What an appropriate lesson in life arranged for me by Holy Spirit to reinforce the lesson in ACIM.

Applying the lesson to a more global topic, I thought about the recent presidential election and the “moral vote” that supposedly influenced it. Osama Bin Laden “punished” us for our evil ways calling us “The Great Satan” by masterminding the 9/11 attacks. Just days later, Jerry Falwell, a spiritual leader of many of the “moral” voters, went on “The 700 Club” and told Pat Robertson “the pagans and the abortionists and the feminists and the gays and the lesbians… the ACLU, the People for American Way, and other ‘Christ haters’ are to blame.” Pat Robertson agreed with him saying “Jerry, that’s my feeling, I think we’ve just seen the antechamber to terror.” Falwell went on, “All of them who have helped secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’” Robertson said this is only a foretaste of what is going to happen. (1)

Another applicable line from Lesson 259 comes to mind: “…and what but sin could be the source of fear obscuring God’s creation, giving Love the attributes of fear and attack.” The comments by Osama Bin Laden, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are examples of giving a God of Love the attributes of fear and attack. They reflect the mistaken belief that something other than Love could be real. Bodies do appear to attack each other with words and weapons of destruction. But this could not be real because, as the Course tells us, only Love is real. And Love only extends Itself.

The ego loves to judge and condemn, and cherishes sin. Let us remember there is no sin.

1 Quote from CBSNEWS.com, 9/15/01 and 9/18/01

Rev. James Ramelis is a Pathways of Light minister who lives in Gould City, Michigan

© 2005, Pathways of Light. https://www.pathwaysoflight.org
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