Inside the Light

By Ellen Wallace Douglas

But choose the spirit, and all Heaven bends to touch your eyes and bless your holy sight, that you may see the world of flesh no more except to heal and comfort and to bless. ACIM T 31: VI: 1:8

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Nov 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781490785547

Book preview

A MAGNIFICENT PUZZLE

The Old Testament, or the Bible of the Jews, begins with the Book of Genesis. The second verse reports that God formed man from dust and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Nineteen chapters later, the Lord causes a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. It challenges the imagination that something as tangible as flesh and bone could be formed from dust, but we know that with God nothing is impossible. What made man a living person was the breath (spirit) of life from the Creator of life. Adam fell asleep in the Garden of Eden. Nowhere in the Old Testament does it report that Adam woke up. This simple truth was noted by Archangel Gabriel while he visited Earth late in the twentieth century. (sacredgardenfellowship.org; Facebook)

A few thousand years following the Old Testament, a man named Jesus was born miraculously, as had been prophesied by Isaiah in the Old Testament. Jesus performed miracles as a boy and as a man. He traveled extensively over the known world around the Mediterranean Sea. He went to the Himalayas, as reported by Elizabeth Clare Prophet, in The Lost Years of Jesus... With his divine ability Jesus also took form in what is now America to teach the Native Americans his lesson of love. The last stop on his journey was the Egyptian city of Heliopolis, city of the Sun, where he took the seven degrees of Christhood . This story is found in The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ, by Levi. Then the Master Teacher returned to Jerusalem, was baptized by John, chose his twelve apostles, and preached love and forgiveness for three years, as a man of peace.

After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the New Testament was written by Jesus’ followers, mostly by Paul, who never met Jesus in the flesh. Jesus said he came from ‘another’ world, and explained how we could achieve it for ourselves (John 14:12). He commanded that we judge not, that we should love ourselves and each other. We are still puzzled by his teachings; we continue to live as worldly beings instead of holy creatures. We continue to rely on our five senses instead of relying on our true Source for guidance and for answers to all our questions…

One of our entertainments on earth is to assemble a jigsaw puzzle. The more pieces in the puzzle, the more challenging the assembly. The more beautiful the completed puzzle, the more enthusiasm we have to complete its assembly. The most magnificent puzzle is humanity, and each and every one of us is a piece of that puzzle. Three things set us apart from the tabletop puzzle. The first is consciousness. Jigsaw puzzle pieces are inert; without life. We have a consciousness of self and others. Our consciousness dictates our attitude and behavior, based on life’s experiences. The second difference is that we have choices. Every moment of every day offers an opportunity to choose wisely, lovingly. What we read, view, study, believe determine our circumstances in life. Fate is an ill-conceived idea that an unseen hand directs us. God created us to create. We co-created with God the earth and all life in it. We chose to be the earth’s custodian. We are sadly failing in our custodianship.

This home we call Earth is temporary. All things on earth are transient. The only eternal thing on earth is us - the higher Self of us; the breath in us which enables life here. When at last we give up our physical shell the true and eternal portion of us continues on in another world - the spirit world of God; the eternal realm from which we came long, long before any testament was written. The sleep of Adam consumes our consciousness. We live by our five senses, and they are unreliable witnesses to truth. Each person has her own reality which comes from parents, teachers, friends, and - most importantly - past incarnations.

Reincarnation is considered by many as fantasy or anathema, partly because no one remembers their past lifetimes. We should be glad that is so, for who would want to peek into a past life wherein we murdered and persecuted others; wherein we lied and robbed others; wherein we enslaved and brutalized others? History does not reveal stories of somebody else. History is the story of ourselves in centuries past. Denying that truth does not deny its validity.

The third difference between humankind and pieces of the jigsaw is our willingness to accept our truth. Breathed forth as His holy family, humans have the choice to remain asleep to our holy center (the Kingdom of God within) or choose consciously to awaken and express the God-given talents, the gifts, which we have.

In recent years psychics and mediums have prophesied, humans have walked on fire, listened to beasts, communicated with plant devas, healed miraculously. We are beginning to do the things Jesus did, just as he predicted. We are beginning the wondrous journey of awakening. Our appetite for war has greatly diminished and we are learning that negotiation is better than conflict, peace is better than war, cooperation is better than dissension.

There are eight billion pieces to this magnificent puzzle. Centuries instead of days calculate the time to complete the magnificent puzzle. In truth, there is no completion. Creation is a process, not an event. When we fully awaken to our one-ness with God, we will create only good, instead of the not-good choices based on the dual nature of our worldly making. There are many planets; some of which are inhabited, Gabriel said. Gabriel also noted that there are also other universes! We cannot grasp the Allness of God’s creation from the meager view of our mortal eyes and our mortal brains. Awakening to our part in Creation’s unfolding, our task will be to participate in assembling the magnificent puzzle.

A MANTLE OF PEACE

Drape your persona in a mantle of peace and joy. Let who you are shine through the personal self who continues to walk this world a while longer. Listen for my voice … . let fear go and walk with me now. Our journey together is just beginning … of the elevation of form. (ACOL T 13.6)

There would be no reason for Jesus the Christ to return to earth and dictate A Course in Miracles and A Course of Love if we had grasped his teachings two thousand years ago. If we had accepted the lessons of love and forgiveness when he taught them; when he lived them, then negotiation, compromise, and communication at all levels would have followed through the lessons as carried on by the apostles. But instead the early followers of Jesus decided to lift him to the realm of a god, forgetting his injunction, ‘follow me’. Then an elaborate hierarchy of official religionists was established. Love and forgiveness would have to wait another twenty centuries to be recognized.

‘Persona’ is an individual’s social façade; the personality that a person projects in public. According to Jung, it is ‘the role in life the individual is playing.’ It is also a character assumed by an author in a written work. Every life has a variety of personas. We have one persona with a parent, another with a child, another with an employer/employee, another with a partner or spouse or lover. In effect, we are an entire stage play of characters! For this essay, we will use the first definition above. When we are ‘out in public’ we desire to reveal an ‘appropriate’ persona, instead of just being ourselves. ‘Mantle’ can be defined as ‘a figurative cloak symbolizing preeminence or authority’. When we project in public a persona of peace and joy we are affirming the higher Self of us; we are symbolizing the authority of holiness; we are telling the world that we are joyous and at peace. In that projection, and living it constantly, we begin to accept peace and joy as our birthright - which they are. Jesus the Christ projected a persona of peace and joy because in truth he was peace and joy personified.

As the Son of God and our elder brother, Jesus came draping his persona with a mantle of peace and joy which outwardly showed us his eternal essence. When he said ‘follow me’ he knew that we could because he knew what we had forgotten - that we also came from God, our Source.

Gabriel stated very clearly that he came to teach us nothing new - only to remind us of what we have forgotten. Our earthly journey is routed in such a way as to awaken us; not to become something we are not. Our Origin is spirit; our eternalness is spirit. As the opening quotation tells us, we must listen for guidance to show us how to remember what we are. God knows, for He created us. Jesus the Christ knows, and that is why he has come at this time to wake us up. Counseling methods sometimes include ‘acting as if’, because when we act ‘as if’ long enough we begin to know how we truly are. If we act as if we are compassionate, we learn to be compassionate. Perhaps because we realize it costs nothing and takes no toll on us. If we act as if we can forgive we learn to be forgiving. In learning to forgive we find a new kind of freedom in living. We learn that we need not carry the heavy burden of anger, hate, and revenge. If we act ‘as if’ we love someone for a period of time, we learn to truly love them.

Listening to the Voice of Christ is the task for us now. Jesus said, ‘I am with you always’. He did not mean in flesh - Jesus was crucified. He did not mean he was with us symbolically. He meant he was/is with us always - in spirit. He has manifested in human form briefly to many individuals, just as he manifested to his apostles hours after his resurrection. He has also channeled through many people who seek him and seek to know the truth. He has come to many people since his ascension, including the author. Only one time did I see and hear him; it was at my first séance. One time he came to me, through another, and asked me if I knew the parable of the ninety-nine sheep and the one that was lost. Jesus often quoted the Bible, which should come as no surprise. Now Jesus exhorts us to listen to him, to let go of our fears, and trust implicitly in his guidance on our glorious journey of ‘elevation of form’.

A NEW WORLD

Who would not wish for a New World, when we look at the chaos in many parts of the world today? The necessary question we must ask ourselves is, ‘how did it come to be this way?’ When something is made it can be destroyed. When something is created, it can be uncreated. Who is to blame for the chaos? We could blame God, but for those of us who believe that God is Love, this is not a plausible option. We can blame an unseen force, but how can we seek its change of habit if we cannot see or identify it? Would a loving God allow such a force? Some people blame the devil. Archangel Gabriel explained that there is no such entity; nor any place called ‘hell’. Humankind made up these unreal images.

The answer as to who is responsible for the world’s chaos is as close as the nearest mirror. All the problems of the world; all the chaos, is our own doing. God gave us free choice, and we have chosen some horrible events and circumstances. It is simplistic to say that if we live in peace in one country we are therefore not responsible for war in another. We fight wars and seek peace. Wars do not create peace; people create peace with their thoughts. People create wars with their thoughts. Actions alone do not precipitate disputes and conflicts. The thoughts that precede the actions constitute the power that triggers the actions. Our minds are part of the divine Mind of God. From that Mind we can choose to draw positive thoughts. When we ‘have a mind of our own’ we listen instead to our ego self. The ego’s greatest weapon is fear. Fear takes us to war. Fear sees ‘others’ as separate and to be judged. ‘Judge not’ has become a trite phrase for many, but its truth must be honored someday if we are to bring peace to our planet Earth.

Every thought that is not-good is a seed of destruction which joins on the ethers with every other seed-thought like itself. Some individuals harbor so many not-good thoughts that we can feel their negativity. It is in their aura, and our aura picks up on it. When we are close to holy persons - clergy or not - we feel the positive energy from them, through our auras. Jesus’s aura was so gigantic that all the people who gathered to hear his sermon on the mount probably felt his love there. The power of our minds is the power we gave up when we turned to our egos for direction. The ego itself was created by us. When wild beasts chased us we desired protection, so we made the ego to warn us of pending danger. We turned more and more power over to the ego. Now we allow the ego to run our lives. We live in constant fear of someone or something. We spend millions of dollars in safety devices for home, autos, places of businesses, etc.

If someone told us to live fearlessly we would be afraid he was leading us astray. Gabriel told us we should live fearlessly. Fearless does not mean reckless. We should not walk across a busy highway without looking both ways. It would be reckless to do so. In Heaven we do live fearlessly. To live without fear takes some kind of learning. We are co-creators with God and have the power of creation in us. Artists know this. Art lovers understand this. The rest of us know a creative idea when we hear it. The cottage industries of old were all owned by creative people. Machines and factories have robbed us of our creative choices; not our creative power.

Learning has become our sole source of knowledge. Schools and colleges are filled with learners of human knowledge. Professors profess to know much that the student has yet to learn. We accept this premise. We live by it. When Jesus comes now, in this Age of Aquarius, he tells us that the time of learning is over. Perhaps it is the same as Gabriel telling us about the wisdom of the ages he brought that we already know. There is a new lesson to learn now. The lesson is to remember our creative ability and use it. Perception has led us astray, and we focus interminably on form. We can and must create again. With vision in place of sight, we can know our best creative ability. "Learning to see anew is the precursor of learning to create anew. Creating anew is the precursor of the coming of the new world. Remember, only from a shared vision of what is can you begin to produce unity and relationship through unity and relationship." (ACOL - T 4: 2: 2.33)

ALL ENCOMPASSING LOVE

In the Gospel according to Matthew (15:44), we read the words of Jesus, Love your enemies. Jesus also said, "Love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 19:19). Who is left out of these commands? We find it very easy to love our family members. Even the ‘black sheep’ of the family finds a mother’s love. Love is what we ‘fall into’ when we find a special someone to share life with. For a time that person becomes the focus of our waking hours. For some couples the infatuation grows into something deeper; a willingness to continue seeing the loved one as s/he was seen at the start of the romance. For others the focus blurs and the habits and behaviors dim the first enchanting feeling. Love seems to fade as short-sighted judgment takes over.

It is impossible to ‘fall in love’ and ‘fall out of love’, because love is what we are. We fall in lust and out of lust. Archangel Gabriel said some people do it daily. See sacredgardenfellowship.org. Gabriel came to awaken us to the truth and the love which Jesus brought and taught by his example life. Jesus came again, concurrently for four years of the twelve years Gabriel taught. Only a handful of people were his students. Few are willing and ready to hear the wisdom of the ages. Gabriel told us that eleven Ascended Masters also came to earth when he did - to centers of light where they would be welcome. All brought the same lesson: we must wake up to our innate divinity as created by God.

A neighbor who annoys us may just be there to teach us an important lesson. Whether the lesson is tolerance, acceptance, patience, understanding, or some other attribute is up to us. These lessons are all based on love. The toughest injunction Jesus gave us is to love our enemies. How do we love another person who is motivated to slay us? It is easy to say that we need to allow ourselves to have a greater love for them than the hatred they feel toward us. Accepting that possibility and implementing it are the challenges we face. Negotiation in lieu of war has become the way to diplomatically resolve national differences. The unbelievable devastation caused by the atomic bombs of WWII has awakened us to the necessity of negotiation.

Healing and love are the same. (ACOL - D: Day 5:5:16). Archangel Gabriel said the same thing. Of course, Gabriel and Jesus taught the same basic, essential lessons to us. When we heal we are subconsciously saying that we love the person enough to want him/her healthy. When we love someone we pray for their health and well-being.

Unity and love are the same. (D: Day 5: 5:7). Any person who has been part of a team knows that the team effort is essential to success. One person can disrupt the group for a time, but usually the team resets itself and regains the spirit of unity. It matters not how ‘different’ the members of a team appear to be. A goal is shared; a plan is made; the goal is reached. An apparent ‘failure’ draws the team together in comforting words and actions. The team survives. Unity is a powerful force, whether it is a sports team or a multi-national agreement, or a congregation of the world’s countries. The United Nations is a powerful deterrent of war.

From the perspective of an archangel life on earth is chaotic, but Gabriel sees us for what we are: children of God, coping with a life and a world of our own creation. Gabriel also knows that God provided each of us with 144,000 angels to help us on this extensive journey into form. Gabriel, Jesus, and eleven Ascended Masters all came to earth in the latest years of the twentieth century. Gabriel is the Announcer of the Ages, and he announced Aquarius. Jesus came to write two books, A Course in Miracles and A Course of Love. The Ascended Masters came to teach their siblings on earth what they learned to become ascended masters.

We are as God created us - not in form but in spirit. It is our spirit which enjoys eternal life; it is our lower self that created strife on earth. We are holy but we are irresponsible. This is the truth age and those who are ready for truth must take the responsibility of learning it and sharing it. Love is our essence, our purpose, our function, and our goal. Love of all; to all. Our one goal: to know ourselves as part of God, consciously.

ALL LIVING THINGS

We determine life in human bodies by movement, whether it is movement of limbs, tongue, digits, or eye-blink. The movement of beasts identifies their livingness. Plants and trees are more subtle in expressing life. Their growth is the measure of life becoming. Growth itself is not visible to the naked eye. Only as we measure the forms of life - all life - over a period of time do we see the effect of growth. One day seeds are planted, and then in days or weeks we see the tiny green sprouts of life. Later the branches, then the fruit, flower, or vegetable is evident. The giant sequoia was once a sapling, too long ago for us to remember its early beginning.

We birth a child; our infant smiles, in response to our smiling faces. One day she stands up in her crib and we celebrate the growth. Then the child learns to walk and talk. She sits on the floor and struggles to put blocks of wood together to make a structure. Later on, formal education will offer her the opportunity to read and write, and think for herself. She will express her livingness in unique ways, for each human is a unique expression of life.

Grass grows from seeds we plant in our lawns. Fruit trees and shade trees spring from seeds or starter plants. Life is all around us. From tiny ants to huge elephants life is expressed. From the high flyers that migrate in spring and fall to the hummingbird who sips at the feeder and fountain, life is expressed. We accept all this livingness as a part of our own lives. We take much of it for granted. Native Americans and indigenous people everywhere held a reverence for life. The herbs in great variety were studied and their healing benefits were appreciated. Trees supplied long houses for comfort and safety. Early people communicated with the large beasts before slaying them. Respect for life was common. A buffalo, deer or elk was asked, by mental telepathy, if it would willingly give its life so the humans could have food, clothing and shelter. If the creature’s answer was negative, another animal was sought. When we lived in caves we ate only vegetation. The function of plant life is to nurture our bodies; the function of creatures is not food, but transport of our bodies and our possessions. We do not have tearing teeth, as do the beasts. Creatures also are wonderful pets in our homes. They have lessons to teach us. Every gardener respects the lovely blooming blossoms. It is said that working the earth with hands is therapeutic. This can make sense to us when we respect plant growth and know that it all begins in the earth. The source of plant growth is the earth herself. The planet we thrive on is a living entity. Plant life springs from her soil. All living things of the earth are sourced in Mother Earth. Mother Earth is our temporary habitat, until we return to our Source. The source of our bodies is the two parents who made us. The Source of our eternal spirit is holy. It is God. In our reverence for God we worship something ‘out there’ or ‘up there’, but the Kingdom of God is within our very bodies. Our minds are part of the divine Mind of God. Our brains choose whether to be guided by our Source or to be guided by our self-made ego. God is Life in us. God created us from Himself and gave us free choice. The religious leader may seem more holy, but she has merely made a different choice. My mind is part of God’s. I am very holy … I begin to understand the holiness of all living things, including myself, and their oneness with me. (ACIM W - 57: 5: 1-6)

When we feel sad, despondent or angry we do not feel holy. These feelings are not sourced in our Creator, but in our ego-oriented thinking. We create our lives with our God-given free choice. On Earth, our current home, we are students of life. The characters, the curriculum, the text, the events, and the lesson plan, are all created by us. There are only two choices in this seemingly complex world we live in: good and not-good. We know the difference. When we revere all life we will come to know that all life communicates. We have much to learn from