This is an outstanding story. King Herod had just killed James, and arrested Peter during the Feast of the Passover, intending to try him publicly after Easter. The disciples had trained their followers in sacrifice of self. So since they felt honor-bound to make their faith pay dividends, they sacrificed their fears, forgave their detractors and persecutors and prayed without ceasing for Peter. They didn’t believe they had enemies, but that God had enemies.

Peter’s miracle appeared through acceptance and the power of prayer.

Peter slept in prison, which proves that he wasn’t too worried. The soldiers had bound him with two chains and held him under heavy guard. We often live with spiritual and material chains of bondage.

"Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the prison; and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, Arise quickly! And his chains fell off his hands." Mentally breathe from the Source to lift when you must meet a challenge.

"Gird yourself, and tie on your sandals." You gird yourself by in-drawing the abdominal muscles so your breath draws the magnetic currents of earth to the heart to strengthen your magnetic sheath of protection. Cross your arms to create a magnetic wall of Light to protect you from the arrows that fly by day. Tying on your sandals means to strap on understanding so it does not get away from you.

"Put on your garment and follow me." You become invisible when you enfold yourself in a robe of protective Light. Light shielded Peter, even after the angel left him.

Peter’s acceptance and Unconquerable Faith opened the iron gates of doubt and fear with the keys of wisdom and comprehension. He was in a daze after the angel struck him. He realized that he’d had a miracle only when he "came to himself," no longer in bonds or in prison. Peter was so shocked about his miracle that he thought it was a vision, not real.

The praying disciples had released the Power that brought the angel to earth. Peter knew where they were praying and went to them. Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice, but didn’t have enough common sense to let him in! Peter continued knocking, and they were astonished when they saw him standing at the door. How often have you prayed but disbelieved the answer?

Imagine two coaches, poised on a rise above the beautiful City of Desire, which lies in the distance, like a mirage. Both coaches roll downhill over a meadow to a fork in the road. The way right enters hilly country, while the left road enters beautiful terrain.

Apathy drives the team, Opinion and Prejudice, as they dash along, taking the easy way at the fork because Apathy confounds their sense of direction. Doubt and Fear ask for a ride. Prudence says no, but Apathy says it doesn’t matter, pushes Prudence off and Fear sits in his place. They pick up Self-Pity and Gossip, then stop for Intolerance, Pride, Revenge, Confusion and I Don’t Care, a four-year-old who says "I won’t. I can’t." Worry, who’s always hungry, sits between Sorrow and Tears. The team begins to lag with the load, and the coach finally gets stuck in the Bog of Despair.

Reason and Imagination drive the other coach pulled by Desire and Will. They choose the rough and stony way, but reorient themselves on every rise. Their passengers are Faith and Understanding, and Poise and Power, a newly married pair. They meet Beauty, Strength, Joy, Ecstasy, Rapture and Delight, who surround the coach singing. Comprehension, the gate keeper, welcomes them at the City of Desire.

We meet these familiar guests in life, and choose which mystery guests we invite into our coach. We have all stood on that rise and decided whether to take the easy way or the hard. No matter how often we begin the journey, finally we must choose the rapture of knowing God. We can enter God’s City of Desire only through the Gates of Comprehension, traveling with determination.

An angel touches us on the heart side if we earnestly want to cast off our chains of bondage to dubious characters like those who ride in the first coach. Never let hateful words enter your heart. It’s like picking up a negative mystery guest. We blaspheme God when we allow negative words, thoughts or emotions to defile our inner temple. Nothing can touch us if we are girded, sandaled and mantled. Tolerance and Understanding are your sandals, and Rapture is your mantle.

Invite Peace and Patience, Poise and Power to share your coach so that when you arrive at the City of Desire, you’ll have the valid passport, complete forgiveness through unceasing prayer.

We can all relate to the famous parable of the prodigal son. These brothers were in bondage to self.

We’ve all been as lukewarm to love as the older brother, who was enslaved by greed. He craved and thrived on adulation of his virtues, but wouldn’t spend a cent to feed his flatterers. He probably loved it when people said, "Your brother is no good, but you’re wonderful." How he must have heckled his younger brother!

The younger son was irresponsible, a joyous sinner who had a great time, and he loved. Since he had no idea of the value of money, he thought his portion would last forever. Finally the inevitable happened: He ran out of funds and was degraded into feeding swine. The younger son, tired of it all, suddenly had a vision of his father and knew he had to change. He decided to return to his father, to accept any lowly position, even to be his father’s swineherd. He gave up all pride and went home.

Only the joyous sinner can give up sin all at once. Greedy people can give up self only an inch at a time because they love God only an inch at a time.

The father saw his son coming with Light on his face and knew his son was free of sin. He called for a ring, robe and sandals and had his servants kill a fatted calf for a celebration feast, because he wanted everyone to know that his son loved him enough to come home.

The older son, who had given his father only a lukewarm love, was furious at the sound of rejoicing. His father answered, "You are with me all the time, son, but he who was dead is alive," to end his griping. We never kill the fatted calf for a "good" person whom we love "in spite of." It was a joyous celebration.

What is freedom? The prodigal son found no freedom in his wild spending, and his older brother achieved only bondage in his miserly love. We find true freedom in the greatness of our capacity to surrender self and become a servant of all Power, which is not self-bondage but Soul Ascension.

Each brother had to learn in his own way. The older son was "good," but that wasn’t enough to lift him from self-consciousness. The two sons reflect the difference in the world’s attitude toward Power. The younger son symbolizes letting Power use us, while the older son illustrates using Power.

This parable is the history of a soul coming home to Light, returning to the heavenly Father. We may return in many ways. Religion, ministers and books so easily bore us that our joy frequently dies. Suddenly a sunset or symphony excites us to hold fast to that new found joy. We must revitalize three great faculties, Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment, to return to our heavenly Father, and we never become bored if we use them with Logic and Reason.

Discrimination is the art of observation raised to its pinnacle of power. You never perceive the other fellow’s needs or feelings if you live life blindly, letting the chances slip to do fine, little things, to love, to praise. You develop a sense of fine timing and balance through observation. Watch where you place your feet, which represent understanding, to maintain your balance. Discriminatory abilities are your entree to a limitless capacity to enjoy freedom. Discrimination gives you the power of right choice, to speak the right word at the right time, and teaches you compassion.

Discretion is the art of the highest diplomacy, without which, you have no tact. Discretion, acting as poise and consideration, is the perfect set up to give us the stamina and ability to make the right choice, give you the right words and lift you from the pit of others’ accusations.

Discernment is the art of high vision based on perception or insight. Heed it. With its astuteness we distinguish what is good, and say no or yes correctly. You can’t explain your lack of discernment, which avoids the appearance of evil. God wants all His children home, and waits for us to discern His children’s qualities and lift them, whether we like them or not. You still believe in enemies if you believe someone can harm you. Who can harm you? Declare all good if you want to arise from self-bondage.

Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment must back our Logic and Reason, or they are useless. We move from Egypt, the abdomen, to the Promised Land, which holds the heart of love and lungs of inspiration. Finally we ascend to our Garden of Eden, our head. Never allow weeds in your Garden of Eden, but constantly use your DDD weed killers, Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment.

Is a child who misses a math problem a sinner? How dare we call the world’s children sinners? We soil our souls by grading the other fellow’s report card with an "F." Reach out with arms of Light and cover him with a cloud of glory. Ascend and remain in God’s powerhouse. You may not lay the lash of your tongue on another, so remain still in the Golden Silence. Your "least favorites" can’t harm you unless you invite them in.

The prodigal son’s father gave him three rewards: A robe for Discrimination, a ring for Discretion, and sandals for Discernment. The golden bowl, your Instrument Divine, contains a receiving station, gathering the Wisdom of the Almighty to make you a servant of all Power. Do you love enough? Are you serving God enough? Do you serve Him freely?

Remember the silver Wings of Glory that lift us before God. We become Creators walking earth, servants of the Power, Love and Wisdom of God. Stand on earth as a Creator god, looking, being and acting the part.

The reverence of all touches this one chapter in the Bible. It is a paean of praise from the soul of man to the Soul of God. Immediately it picks one up and sets a new keynote vibration rate of Joy, the one vibration of earth’s perfection. Repeating these glorious words of praise without becoming assured and grateful is almost impossible.

"The Lord (who is the Law) is my shepherd; I shall not want." How can this be? Because "I live and move and have my being" in this vast River of Life, flowing from the Throne of God, the Source. We have no place else to go, no other place to come from, for God is all. This creates a picture of my tender Father, a shepherd watching over me. How much can I want? Little or much, according to my faith in God’s ability to supply.

When doesn’t He take care of me? When my imagination, thinking and emotions are cluttered with little things that pass away, negative thoughts and idle words. How can He take care of me if I’m busy thinking, "I’m not worthy. I might misuse it. If I could get off the path, don’t let me have it." I must make up my mind what I want, and how much.

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures." Sometimes we do not recognize the place as a green pasture. For instance, one woman, who wanted to write, had a lovely home and children. Yet she said, "I have no time to write." Her husband bought a little farm, and she said, "I’m too busy. I have no place to write." So, we make our own pastures green through knowing, accepting and using "our own place" in joy and love.

Sometimes we really "lie down" to rest in indifference and lukewarmness, until the green turns brown and dry. Our life has dried up while we waited for God to do it for us.

"He leads me beside the still waters." If we make no effort, we become buried by "little things," can’t make up our minds what to do, where to start, or how to act, we never get to the still waters. The "still waters" are the place of "I AM" consciousness, of Nonresistance, where there is no inner conflict. God leads us, but we must make the move into it! I surrender my life to His leadership.

"He restores my soul." Do I awaken deflated, dangling above my physical body? I can move in on a breath, and choose to have, to be and to do! I must learn "I AM THAT I AM." We are all seeking to know what "I AM" is: Deathless, ageless and abiding Oversoul, which descends to possess "little me," changing all the silly little things into the "all" of God as they grow and expand.

We hear the Voice, soft and low, but "I AM" hears loud and clear: "Come up higher. Ascend unto Me." This is where all the silly little things of self become the glorious "little things" of God. They pave my Path of Righteousness, which is high Vision in action.

"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." I have accepted the invitation, and now I am "where" I am up! I am become one with God. He does lead me onward in my high Vision of Service for God, to become His Ensample of Life and Light. I have found my new Pattern of Life.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for You are with me." The "shadow of death" is being lifeless, to turn from the Light into darkness. Yet, "I fear no evil!" I have found my "I AM" place, and "You are with me." "I AM" leads "little me."

Now I choose the design for my weaving, for I know the shape. Will my fabric be satiny or dull, smooth or bumpy? I am weaving the threads of all my changed "little things," the place I occupy, the games I am playing, which are my present supplies. I must weave it together in Joy and Love.

"Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." How can I let the "rod" of Power use me? The Master said that if I open my door, he will come in a sup with me. Power descends the spine as life and rises up through the chakra centers to create the "Kiss of the Serpent" in illumination. The spine is as flexible as I am toward life.

"Your staff" is a coverall of Light, covering feet, legs and torso, under the arms for support and protection. I am no longer buffeted by "little things," idle words and thoughts, lukewarm, indifferent, floating, but in conscious direction and control of my life.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Today we say, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my loved ones," since I have no more enemies. I invite them in to become friends. I have a table, but no food! What will I feed my loved ones and friends? Bowls of grey, nauseous self-pity, poison pride, hatred or revenge? Or the gold and silver apples of illumination and intuition, strawberries, red with the Red Ray of the Lamb for Energy, bowls of Joy, Sincerity and Truth, with white Love flowers in the center?

"You anoint my head with oil." The oil of Spirit, poured on my head opens the lotus centers with flaming Love for seeing, hearing and comprehension. I make new decrees, let go of petty things, and let Power do the work, because God is so great. All else is turned to Life, Light, Love and Glory. I meet life’s challenges in joy.

"I AM" has taken over all of "little me." I am surrendered, possessed by Soul Power. "My cup runs over." I am become a Chalice of Love, overflowing with Joy. I am undisturbed, undismayed.

My table is full of all good things. My loved ones move in and dwell with "I AM" in the house of the Lord forever.

People quote Psalm 23 more often than any other. The faith, glory and exaltation of its verses arouse all who repeat it. David’s soul touched the Source when he wrote this song. Its six short verses contain the magnificence of great poetry, and its rhythm is unequaled.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." The Lord here is a Shepherd, not a Father. Helpless lambs need a shepherd who guards against predators day and night, so David spoke of God as a Shepherd, who is always there for you and me. We can depend on a Father who neither slumbers nor sleeps. We can knock on His door anytime, and He’ll invite us to enter.

Justice demands a balance of Love and Wisdom, and we are shepherded and guided by the Law. No child appreciates a father who treats him overindulgently or carelessly. Children hold permissiveness against us, for it produces dry rot in their souls, which is why we must train children to conquer self.

Everyone wants a Father he can depend on, atheists, agnostics and the religious alike. Devout souls know that God is always there, but seldom mention their faith. Atheists fear God and constantly repudiate Him. Agnostics, who don’t understand God, continually question His existence. Atheists and agnostics discuss God much more often than do the religious. You worship whatever you believe in, an image, the void of atheism, the confusion of agnosticism, or the true Source of all Light.

We must live by the laws of the material world, and we all have wants and needs. Yet many have rested themselves to death on "I shall not want." Most people don’t know what they really want.

Those who say, "I don’t care for wealth," are often just too lazy to go out and earn it. Have you organized your wanting? Do you have incentive and a deep desire? God fills your Oversoul Star with Substance, heated to the degree of your desire. Do you fill your molds and spend full time praising God at white heat for their outer manifestation? Then, do you do all you possibly can on the outer?

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters." You can lie down in only one green pasture at a time, and sometimes it’s only pseudo-green Astroturf. Your pasture will dry out and die if you never take time to love it, care for it and water it to keep it green. Green represents peace, harmony, tranquility and expansion, and you must expand your soul to emancipate yourself into a greener pasture. "Makes" means more than guiding you to achieve the glory. "To lie down" is to take time to become quiet, to move up to the Golden Silence.

The "still waters" symbolize the absolute tranquility of vital living in Christ. Tranquil emotions, "still waters," clear "all the way down" take us into a burning desire to know Christ, to wipe all clutter from the subconscious to hear the voice of Spirit and reach the River of Life’s still waters. Love God enough and be completely devoted to Him. You never find the "still waters" if you wander.

"He restores my soul." Many people have divorced their souls, have become listless, and negative until their souls need restoring. God "restores my soul" by returning our misused soul substance.

"He leads mein the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake." We must learn how to be, to become and to do. Nothing is small, and all the "little things" that you choose pave your Path of Righteousness. Righteousness is our highest Vision in action, and we must apply it in all situations. Righteousness means "right use of Power," which is letting the Power use us. "He leads me in right use of His Power."

Let the Power move forth, first for the Glory of God, then the healing. You can move up only by Praise, Joy, and Love, so glorify God, praise Him, and give Him all the credit.

Make your pattern one of surrender to become the servant of all God’s Power, and He changes your lukewarmness to the glory of devotion. We must become conscious of I AM THAT I AM, God’s greatest name.

If you wrote all the idle words you spoke for a month, you would realize how you build a highway of unrighteousness. "I didn’t mean it. I’ll try. I’m sorry. I’m tired. I’m dead. I’m bored. I’m angry. I’m hurt." I’m is a contraction of "I AM." You clutter your speech, mind and the very atmosphere with every such remark.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." You face a valley of shadows when you turn from Light. The gate is self-pity: "I’m alone. No one understands me. No one loves me." Death is the absence of enough Light and life. God loves you and is always there. Reach for the stars, and you’ll find no more valleys of the shadow.

The sacral plexus is the lower pole of your rod of Power, and the brain’s frontal lobes are on the higher pole of Wisdom. Breathe and declare, "I AM that glory I AM! I AM that Power I AM!" Power descends and ascends your spine, creating an ecstasy of soul until you becomes weightless because you’ve established your rod of Power on an axis of Light. The rod of Power is absolute protection.

The "staff" provides guidance and protection in a different form, as the saving Grace of God, against negative traits, any "little self" desire for blame or criticism that has not been conquered. God’s children are sheep who move blindly as He guides them with His comforting staff of Power. "Comfort" is a coverall that blankets us with an immovable mantle of Light, so the heavy law of gravitation holds earthy vibrations below the breastbone, and they can’t touch your Wings of Light.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies." Enemies are doubts, fears, opinions, prejudices, resentments and idle words. You no longer sit with your enemies when you conquer, but in the presence of your loved ones. What fabric are you using for your table cloth? How have you woven your pattern? The Glory of God is that you can weave an old, dark pattern into one of beauty.

This verse doesn’t say that anything is on the table. You yield to lukewarmness or indifference when you yield to "enemies," to anger that can give you poisoned apples or spoiled gravy. Fill the table with a bowl of glory, a barrel of wheat for Substance, anointed by the oil that fails not. Now, what sort of feast will you prepare for the world as you release God’s Love and Power? The silver and golden apples of illumination and intuition will nourish you.

"You anoint my head with oil." Some people use rancid oil, but God gives us the oil of glorious Spirit that fills our Pattern of Life. He anoints the golden bowl with oil with glory and the lotus petals glow. The Master is knocking at your door, and he brings his Chalice of Light that runs over and blesses you.

"My cup runs over" when I move up in the Light and become the chalice of the living God. Declare "The Power moves in, my cup runs over." Be a Creator god on earth, your feet on ground, conscious mind looking straight ahead. Hold your vision high.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." He says "Come with Me and dwell in My house forever." Our real home is in God’s green pasture. God now anoints and purifies us with the oil of Spirit!

Thou, oh God, hast prepared a table before us in the midst of our loved ones. Thou hast placed on that table a great platter of Love’s many fruits and everything our hearts’ desire.

God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. God is deathless, ageless, and abiding. These statements make a keynote vibration for our lives, and to them, we add: "Love is the fulfillment of the law." Our capacity for comprehending these three statements determines our capacity for life. What do they mean to you?

Ask yourself these questions: How long do I want to live? How old is my God? Do I let Love fulfill the Law, or do I want Law to fill Love? The whole pattern for your life depends on your answers.

The physical body you occupy is new tonight, not the same as it was a year ago. Do you know this? Really? Every cell is recreated, according to science. Yet is it rebuilt anew, or according to the same old pattern? We are each made in God’s image and likeness, but do you hang onto yesterday’s old habits and today’s patterns forever? What "forever" pattern have you chosen? It depends upon your idea of God’s age. If He is "deathless, ageless, and abiding," this is yours now.

Love fulfills the Law. It is your choice to have Love burst forth as a Flame and a Glory. Do you love God enough? You can’t get "hot" about God as Principle, you can just worship and "obey." God as Personality is different, and can excite the rapture of Love.

Do I live by "me" made laws, and want them to fulfill Love, or by the Laws of "I AM" consciousness? Who is taking me where? "I AM" or "little me." Is your Love of God greater now than a week ago? Why not?

The River of Life is always flowing up, Home. The nearer the Source it draws me, the greater the Love flowing through me, and I am walking in it. Since greater Love must fill me, I must love more.

Three vital words form Laws that we must follow: Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment Discrimination is the art of observation, raised to its highest pinnacle of perfection. To graduate in rank, Scouts must take an observation test, and their survival skills depend on it. Discrimination is a fine sense of timing, through love enough, which is the timing of the universe.

Discretion is the highest art of diplomacy. Without a fine sense of discretion, which is based in the timing of Love, we have no diplomacy or tact.

Discernment is the high art of keenness in perceiving the whole "inner" and "outer" picture at once, now.

In what way do Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment concern "Triumphant YOU? These three faculties can and do make our relationships with others a triumph! Add to them "Honor God above all else" and "Loyalty to Principle." The mating of high Honor and high Loyalty produce the firstborn offspring, Integrity of heart, mind and purpose. Then Consideration moves forth as "Integrity in Action."

When Love times your use of Discrimination, Discretion and Discernment, it fills the Laws of your choice to overflowing. Your creations become visible with condensed Love Substance. With such Love, YOU, the Triumphant YOU does the "greater works." Your new pattern of life appears as a youthful body, as success.

You have moved up into the House of the Lord, deathless, ageless, abiding, the secret place of the Most High. In this place, God has prepared a table for you in the midst of your loved ones. You are triumphant!

©2002 Society of the Universal Living Christ