http://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=Mitch&feedformat=atomNew_Message_from_God_Wiki - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T05:01:27ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.35.2http://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Past_Referencing&diff=4255Past Referencing2013-04-20T22:41:39Z<p>Mitch: /* Short Quotes */</p>
<hr />
<div>== Directives ==<br />
"You must be forward thinking now and not backward thinking. You must not think about preserving the securities and the ideals that you have clung to before. You must keep pace with life in order to benefit from life and to give to life. In this way, you will not become one of life's casualties but one of its benefactors. In this way, your vital years will be given in service to the progress of the world, rather than being a hindrance to this progress."<br />
*[[Greater Community Spirituality]], chap. 18, p. 227<br />
<br />
== Short Quotes ==<br />
<br />
"The challenges ahead require a new approach, a new understanding and a greater sense of identity and purpose in life. Here it will be very difficult for people to face the fact that their future will not be like the past and that they cannot use the past as a reference in determining the future. They must meet things face to face, head on."<br />
*[[Greater Community Spirituality]], chap. 18, p. 229<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[Past/Present/Future]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the future world]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Justice&diff=4165Justice2013-03-13T05:37:41Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Long Quotes==<br />
"People are impatient. They want a judgment day. They want everything to be finished. They do not want to have to live with great questions, great unresolved questions. They want God to punish others that they themselves cannot or will not punish. They think they know what justice is. And that is why the old God is filled with revenge and anger and repudiation that people are forced to believe in with the threat of death and Hell. That is a primitive way of looking at life. It is an ignorant way of looking at life. It does not account for the reality of the Divine or the reality of your Divine nature and destiny."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your natural inclinations for spirituality, for social cooperation and productivity, for political stability and for justice and equanimity will prepare you for the future and enable you to do whatever needs to be done in order to survive, to advance and to bring a greater order, peace and justice into the world. It will not be a perfect order, but it must be a greater order. It will not be a perfect peace, but it must be a greater peace. It will not be a perfect justice, but it must be a greater justice."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Karma]]<br />
<br />
[[Judgment Day]]<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_Messenger&diff=4164The Messenger2013-03-13T05:37:18Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Marshall.png|300px|right|Prophet of God]]Marshall Vian Summers is God's Messenger for this time and the times to come, bringing a New Message from God. He is the [[Messengers|Messenger]] for this millennium. Marshall is the most important person on Earth.<br />
<ref name="initiation">The Initiation (June 28, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"God had spoken again. The Messenger is in the world."<br />
<ref name="power">God's Power and Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives==<br />
"There must be greater clarity about what you are dealing with and will have to face in the future....You must hear this with your heart. Do not delay, for every day is important now. Time cannot be wasted now. The Messenger is here. He will not be here forever. You are blessed to hear him and to meet him if possible. He carries within him the Revelation, beyond what is produced in a book or a recording. Receive him. Hear him. And your life will demonstrate the proof of the truth that abides with him, in him and through him."<br />
<ref name="heaven">The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not judge and condemn the Messenger lest you judge and condemn what<br />
God has placed within you. For though the Messenger is human and fallible, he brings with him a Message that is beyond human invention and that is without error, conflict and contradiction."<br />
<ref>The Fate of Nations and Peoples (April 17, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is important that you know of the Messenger because if the Initiation occurs while he is in the world, then your opportunity becomes greater and more significant. It would be a great misfortune for you to miss him while he is here. The Revelation only comes every few centuries, or perhaps once in a millennium, and you happen to be here at that time. From Heaven’s perspective, that is a great blessing, a great opportunity." <br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
== The Responsibility of the Messenger ==<br />
<br />
"He is not here to proclaim himself as a ruler or a leader or a great power. He is here simply to bear witness to the New Message and to be its primary advocate. He is not here to claim political power, economic power, to displace other people or to overthrow anyone. His presence here is to serve as a demonstration and as a presentation of the wisdom and the love of God and the great challenges that are now facing the human family, for which humanity is not prepared."<br />
<ref name="messenger">The Message and the Messenger (Janurary 26, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Messenger is here to provide the Revelation. It has taken him decades to receive it. It will take decades for it to be recognized in the world. But the problem is time. Humanity does not have much time to prepare for a new world and for Contact with life in the universe—Contact which is occurring already, Contact with a dangerous purpose and intention."<br />
<ref name="moving">God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is at this great threshold in humanity’s history that a New Revelation has been sent into the world, and a Messenger has been sent here to receive it, to prepare it and to present it. For him, it is a long journey, a long and difficult journey."<br />
<ref name="moving"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Revelation must come from the Creator of all life, and this is what is occurring now, for you are living in a time of Revelation, and the Messenger is in the world. As long as he is in the world, you have an opportunity to receive and to prepare.<br />
When he is gone, it will be different. It will be more difficult.<br />
In this, he is the Light in the world. He is a humble man and makes no claims other than to be the Messenger, for that is the role that has been assigned to him. He must prepare humanity for a new world through the Revelation.He must prepare humanity for the Greater Community through the Revelation. He must speak of the great change that is coming and that is already upon the people everywhere through the Revelation."<br />
<ref name="moving"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Revelations are always given to one individual, so there is no confusion. There are no different versions. There is no competition between different individuals who make the same claim and proclamation. It is always one individual with the assistance of certain courageous people that can bring a new awareness and reality into the world. Every age has its prophets, but Messengers only come infrequently to alter the course of human understanding, awareness and destiny."<br />
<ref name="story">The Story of the Messenger (May 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"A Messenger has been sent here to receive the [[New Revelation]] and to carry it forth into the world and to build its essential community so that its purity and its efficacy can be assured."<br />
<ref name="burden"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Those who are sent to be close to him must become developed, educated and strong, strong with the power of [[Knowledge]], or they could betray him to those forces who will seek to undermine and to thwart his presence in [[the world]]."<br />
<ref name="burden">The Burden of the Messenger (April 5, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"This is the Message for this era. <br />
This is the time of Revelation.<br />
One has been sent into the world to receive the Revelation and to bring it into human awareness, a monumental task.<br />
To receive the New Message is to receive the greatest Revelation that has ever been given to the human family.<br />
To present it to the world is a monumental task, a task for the Messenger and for all who will assist him in bringing the Revelation everywhere it is needed.<br />
It is needed everywhere, for humanity is facing great peril." <ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== The Response to the Messenger ==<br />
<br />
"[The Messenger's] life has been inexplicable. His presence is inexplicable. You must see with clear eyes and listen with a deeper hearing to recognize these things. The burden then is upon the listener, upon the recipient." <br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"People want the Messenger to be many things, to meet their desires, their beliefs and their preferences. But the Messenger has been prepared by Greater Powers and sent from the Divine to be in the world according to a Greater Plan and destiny. Be careful then in how you approach this rare and significant individual. Be careful regarding your expectations, your beliefs, your preconceived ideas, your judgments and your grievances. For these can all blind you to who he is and to what he can offer to you and to the whole world."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"People want the Messenger to be a super person—powerful, magnificent, immaculate, utterly pure, well behaved, in accordance with human expectation. But the Messenger is a human being and is always fallible, but it is the Message and the Presence that accompany the Messenger that makes all the difference.<br />
Jesus made mistakes. Mohammed made mistakes. The Buddha made mistakes. All the great leaders that followed them, and all the great teachers in other traditions, they all made mistakes.<br />
To live in Separation is to make mistakes.<br />
To enter a world of Separation means you will make mistakes.<br />
But if the Messengers deliver the Message and do not elevate themselves into a godlike position, then they have achieved their goal."<br />
<ref name="power" /><br />
<br />
===Rejection===<br />
<br />
====Disappointment====<br />
<br />
"People may want many things from the Messenger—hoping for dispensations, for miracles, hoping to believe in someone supernatural, hoping to have their life be enriched by his presence and his work. They will be disappointed as have the previous Messengers disappointed many people. That is why Messengers are denied, rejected, avoided and, in some cases, destroyed because the people do not get what they want. They only receive what they truly need." <br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You will see that the Messenger will be judged. He will be condemned. Others will make it their purpose to destroy him. Learn the lessons from the past in this regard. He is not simply here to sacrifice himself so that other people can create a story about him. He has his own story—a story of the Messenger, a story he is too humble to speak of, a story that must be revealed to all who can hear and understand."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Amongst those who will reject the Messenger are all those who are protecting their<br />
position, their investment, their ideology, their arrogance, their significance, their pride, their<br />
position in society, their position in academia, their position in the theological community.<br />
<br />
There are those who will reject the Messenger because he does not bring them gifts and<br />
miracles and relieve them from all of their difficulties-promising ecstasy, bliss and paradise in<br />
the future. They have to be sold on the truth. They cannot see it clearly themselves. They will<br />
want the Messenger to prove himself to them, when in reality they must prove themselves to<br />
him."<br />
<ref>Facing the Light of Revelation (August 18, 2012)</ref><br />
<br />
====Ridicule====<br />
<br />
"The Messenger will be denied. He will be ridiculed. Others will attack him. Others will feel threatened by his presence and his proclamations—not because he is wrong but because they cannot face the fact that God has spoken again. They do not have the courage or the humility to reconsider their position, their ideas or their previous investment in themselves."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
====Unrecognition====<br />
<br />
"But who can recognize the Messenger? He appears to be very average. He is not sensational looking. He does not hold a great position in the world. He will disappear into the masses of people. He will walk amongst them. No one will recognize him, except perhaps for those who have been struck by the Revelation.... they look, but they do not see. They listen, but they do not hear. They stand next to the Messenger, but they do not recognize that they are standing next to the most important person in the entire world at this time!"<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
===Recognition===<br />
<br />
"The Messenger now will need great assistance from others to bring this New Message into the world. It is not something one person can do. It is not something a small group of individuals—committed as they are, devoted as they are—can really do. It is going to take the assistance of others. It is going to take people learning The Way of Knowledge, learning the New Message, living the New Message and seeing its complete relevance to the world that you see and its complete relevance to the world you have not yet seen. The Messenger will need protection. He will need true students. He will need supporters. And he will need others to simply bear witness to this great event in human history."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There is a New Message from God for the individual, and there is a New Message from God for the entire world.<br />
It is here now.<br />
It has taken a long time for the Messenger to receive it, for the Message is very great.<br />
Honor then the one who has come to bring the New Message into the world.<br />
He is a humble man.<br />
He has developed the wisdom necessary to undertake such a great role, and he has been sent into the world for this purpose.<br />
Receive him.<br />
Understand him.<br />
Yet do not exalt him.<br />
He is not a god. He is a Messenger bringing the New Message from God into the world.<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 06, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
== The Character of the Messenger ==<br />
"An emissary was sent into the world bringing a New Message from God. He is not a savior. He is not magnificent. He is simple and humble, and he is the Messenger."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God’s Revelation must now come again and has come again, and the Messenger has been sent into the world—a humble man, a man without great social position, a man without great personal assertions and accomplishments, a man whose life has been preserved and directed for this purpose alone."<br />
<ref name="heaven"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humility, patience, perseverance, [[honesty]], [[discretion]], [[discernment]]—all essential qualities for true accomplishment."<br />
<ref name="false">Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Grace and humility, perseverance, trustworthiness, patience, silence—these are the qualities of a powerful individual."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
"God’s Messages are rare, as we have said. They are not given frequently. They are never given to the ambitious and they are never given to those who would assign themselves splendid roles. Indeed, those chosen to be the true Messengers are reluctant, even to the point of self-denial. They don’t really want the job. But they will accept it because of who asks it of them. They don’t really want to shine in the world as an Emissary or as a Messenger. This is almost painful to them."<br />
<ref name="false"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Messenger appears ordinary. He is a humble man. He will not assert himself personally. But within him is the mystery and the power of Creation, and the bridge between this world and the Divine Presence that oversees this world. He is partly one of Us and partly one of you. He has to maintain both realities and be the shepherd to lead people up the mountain that is their mountain to climb. Is he as great as the great Emissaries of the past? Only time and circumstance will tell. He will not proclaim this himself, you see, because the ambitious are never chosen. Those who seek self-glorification are never given greater roles to play or greater Messages for humanity. Only those who are reluctant and honest and self-reflective would ever be chosen for such a high and significant role. <br />
For there is only one Messenger in the world, and this Messenger will be the Messenger for this time and the times to come. No one else asserting this for themselves can bring the Revelation. No one else can travel the journey that the Messenger has had to travel."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"His journey is inexplicable to anyone living in the world, for living in the world is only a partial experience of your complete [[reality]]."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/the-story-of-the-messenger/ The Story of the Messenger (May 23, 2011)]<br />
<br />
*[http://www.newmessage.org/the-messenger/who-is-marshall-summers.php Who Is Marshall Vian Summers?]<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/the-burden-of-the-messenger The Burden of the Messenger]<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/the-message-and-the-messenger The Message and the Messenger] 1/26/08<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/discerning-false-messengers Discerning False Messengers], 3/21/00<br />
<br />
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vluUrFbagSU&feature=g-all-u Timeline of the New Message from God and the Messenger Marshall Vian Summers]<br />
<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
<br />
[[Messengers]]<br />
<br />
[[Patricia Summers]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the Messenger]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Self-betrayal&diff=4163Self-betrayal2013-03-12T06:11:58Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"To be swept along by impressions and infatuations, to allow yourself to be seduced by others, to be overtaken by beauty, wealth or charm is such a form of self-betrayal."<br />
<ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"Wanting something that is not right for you and committing yourself to having that is a form of dishonesty with yourself, a kind of betrayal."<br />
<ref>Spiritual Retreat(September 9, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"There is only being true to your deeper nature, or there is betrayal in all directions.<br />
People betray themselves for happiness, to pursue happiness. They betray themselves to pursue pleasures that are unhealthy for them. They betray themselves to give over to attractions and seductions. They betray themselves when they follow mindlessly the dictates of their culture, their nation or their religions. They betray themselves when they condemn others and other peoples, and when they assume, adopt and emphasize the prejudices of their group or their culture. The level of self-betrayal is just immense and incredible. Some of it people recognize. But most of it they think is just life itself, that is the normal life, the normal state of mind, the normal state of affairs when in fact it is a gross and compounded state of self-betrayal."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Forgiveness (October 14, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Betrayal]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_Greater_Community&diff=4162The Greater Community2013-03-12T05:54:33Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>The world is emerging into a Greater Community of intelligent life. Humanity is unprepared. God has sent the preparation.<br />
<br />
<br />
"You live within a Greater Community of intelligent life in the universe. It is vast, encompassing the entire spectrum of evolution—the evolution of technology, the evolution of societies and the evolution of spiritual awareness and ethics. It is vast and incomprehensible."<br />
<ref name="LiU">''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
==What is the Greater Community?==<br />
"The Greater Community is the environment in which you live. It includes your world and all the worlds in its vicinity. It is a vast region of space where intelligent life is interacting with each other, representing a great network of relationships between societies and between individuals in societies, a greater cosmology and a greater universe. For this, it is necessary to have a greater perspective, a greater understanding and a greater religion."<br />
<ref name="greater6">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Greater Community is made up of a great diversity of life representing many different kinds of physical environments and many stages of individual, cultural, political and spiritual development.... In the Greater Community, there are many worlds where intelligent life has evolved. And there are even more worlds and locations that Greater Community forces have colonized for resource acquisition or to seek new and more safeguarded environments."<br />
<ref name="greater6"/><br />
<br />
===Creation and evolution===<br />
"The physical universe is but a small part of God’s Creation. But this remains for you to learn, and you have a greater journey and a destiny here. But you have to allow your mind to expand, your eyes to open and your ears to hear if you are to gain this greater preparation and understanding."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"Countless races of beings ... live within this Greater Community of intelligent life that comprises the physical Universe in which we live ... all experiencing evolution."<br />
<ref>What Is Creation? (February 4, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
== Human Emergence into the Greater Community ==<br />
<br />
"Humanity is preparing for the Greater Community. It does not know this yet, of course, but that is its stage of evolution, and everyone is involved. The fact that humanity is unprepared for the realities of contact with life in the universe is very apparent, but at a more unconscious level, people are anticipating this, and that is why it emerges in your movies, in your books, in human imagination. There is a seed of truth, an element of truth here."<br />
<ref name="pftgc"/><br />
<br />
===Why it is happening now===<br />
"Humanity is emerging into this environment not from its brief forays into your local solar system, but from visitations that are occurring in the world now and which will increase in the future."<br />
<ref name="LiU"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The wealth of the world is being spoiled and ruined, and the threat of this increasing has brought this Intervention here. It has also come because humanity has created an infrastructure that these races can utilize for themselves. You now have a worldwide community, worldwide communications, worldwide commerce and the beginnings of a worldwide government."<br />
<ref name="pftgc">Preparing for the Greater Community (April 15, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
===What is needed now===<br />
"Your preparation for the Greater Community represents the greatest and most vital education that can be fostered and extended in the world today. This education is the only thing that will enable you to solve the growing global problems of the world that seem so overwhelming and that your societies seem so incapable of facing and so poorly equipped to resolve."<br />
<ref name="greater6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity has never done anything even close to this. So why would it rise to the occasion now? What will give it the strength and fortitude to enable it to achieve something that seems almost insurmountable given human nature and behavior at this time? What will do this is the presence of the Greater Community." <br />
<ref name="greater11">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11</ref ><br />
<br />
<br />
"Who on Earth can prepare humanity for life in the universe, the great engagement—an engagement that is already taking place, in secrecy, carried out by groups who are here to take advantage of your ignorance and superstitions?<br />
If you are truly honest, you must recognize that no one has this breadth of understanding, this capacity. No one in the world understands the Greater Community of life. And what people think are projections of their fears and their fantasies, neither of which is an accurate portrayal of what you will be facing in reality."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"People cannot speak of these things in public because it has been discouraged in the social discourse. That foreign craft are flying in your skies is an undeniable reality, and yet people do not want to think of it. And if they do think of it, they want to think of it in a positive way—that something wonderful is happening, that you have visitors, and they are here to help you, to guide you and to prepare you to meet the difficult challenges emerging in the world today."<br />
<ref name="pftgc"/><br />
<br />
===The view of humans from the Greater Community perspective===<br />
"From a Greater Community perspective, human beings are all the same."<br />
<ref name="greater6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Greater Community represents many different races with different motives. Many of those that you will encounter will not be interested in you at all. They only want to preserve your environment for their own use. Others seek to have a meaningful relationship with you, while some are looking at the possibility of trade and diplomatic relations. However, some wish to exploit you."<br />
<ref name="greater11"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Given current human behavior and understanding, the possibility [of friendship and alliances in the Greater Community] does exist, but it is improbable that this will be your emphasis once you are able to travel beyond the boundaries of your world. There are Greater Community forces even in your solar system who are planning defenses against this occurring. They can keep you from venturing very far without a great deal of effort on their part."<br />
<ref name="greater15">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 15</ref ><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are not merely a human being in this one world. You are a citizen of the Greater Community of Worlds. This is the<br />
physical universe that you recognize through your senses. It is far greater than you can now comprehend. The extent of its<br />
relationships are far greater than you can even imagine, for reality is always greater than imagination.<br />
You are a citizen of a greater physical universe. This acknowledges not only your Lineage and your Heritage but also your<br />
purpose in life at this time, for the world of humanity is growing into the life of the Greater Community of Worlds. This is known to you, though your beliefs may not yet account for it."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 187</ref><br />
<br />
"We may look like a speck in the cosmos, but we are really a portal through which Heaven can touch the world."<ref>Marshall Vian Summers, Free School Campfire (December 22, 2012)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"[Humanity's] strength, your strength, is that religion has been kept alive in the world. The recognition of God’s power and presence is honored and recognized by many, whereas in most nations in this region of space, religion has either become worship of the state or has disappeared altogether. Here you have an advantage because even the ancient pathways of religion offer the experience of Knowledge. Perhaps this is not emphasized. Perhaps this is not specified in the Teachings, but the individual is encouraged to have a relationship with the Divine and to be responsive to the Divine in most situations. But the religions of the world today cannot prepare humanity for the Greater Community. They are entirely anthropocentric in nature. They are grounded in ancient history. They can barely be relevant in the modern world. They are struggling to do so. They cannot prepare humanity for the great change that is coming to the world and for humanity’s encounter with a universe full of intelligent life."<br />
<ref>Group Mind (March 18, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The larger neighborhood of life into which you will emerge, and the forces that you may encounter there, are not inordinately interested in humanity. They do not share humanity’s values. They are not human or even human-like in most cases. But they do share the difficulties of living within a physical reality—difficulties of security and securing resources, the difficulties of competition and all of the inherent problems that civilization poses despite its many benefits."<br />
<ref>Humanity's Emergence into the Greater Community (July 19, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
===The advantages of this development===<br />
"The Greater Community will alter how you see yourself, how nations here interact with one another and the whole priority of humanity. Its impact can be extremely beneficial if you can understand it correctly. <br />
For it is the Greater Community that will finally persuade your nations to cooperate, to unite for the preservation of the world and the protection of the human family.<br />
It is the Greater Community that will show you that you cannot afford your ceaseless conflicts here on Earth, and that your resources here are precious, and your self-sufficiency is of the greatest importance." <br />
<ref>Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have come into the world at a great turning point, a turning point only part of which you will see in your own lifetime. It is a turning point where your world gains contact with the worlds in its vicinity. This is the natural evolution of humanity, as it is the natural evolution of all intelligent life in all worlds. Your world is seeking a Greater Community.This will require that your world’s own internal community become unified. This is also a part of the evolution of all intelligent life in all worlds. You have come here to serve this. There are many levels of service and many<br />
things that need to be contributed—on a personal, on a community and on a world level. You are part of this great movement of life, for you are not here for your own purposes alone. You are here to serve the world, and thus be served in return."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 190</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Greater Community will provide contrast and an environment for learning that is unparalleled in your past. Yet it holds greater risks as well. Humanity must outgrow its adolescent stage of development where it proudly flaunts its newfound powers but cannot work together as a group."<br />
<ref name="ltwok6">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'' Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your future is and will be in the Greater Community. It is not associated with the past. It is new. It is about the present and the future. The future is coming towards you, over the horizons of your life. You can see this if your vision is developed. You can feel this if you are aware of what you feel. You can gain your strength if your mind can become focused and unified."<br />
<ref name="ltwok6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You cannot just go out there and say, 'This all belongs to humanity! We are God's chosen people! Who are you?' You will find that you are just another evolving race in the Greater Community, and this will temper your human pride and most certainly will change your theology."<br />
<ref>Great Community Prophecy, Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Life in the Greater Community==<br />
"Outright warfare in the Greater Community, particularly on any kind of large scale, is extremely rare, particularly amongst secure and advanced nations."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 7: Competition, Influence and the Mental Environment</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity has evolved in a state of relative isolation, relative because the world has been visited throughout its history, particularly with the advent of humanity." <br />
<ref>Contact with Intelligent Life in the Universe (October 1, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Universe is full of life. But the Universe is immense. And intelligent life living in the physical manifestation is scattered about a great and vast arena. It is concentrated in some places more than others.... Between these areas of great congregation in the Universe, there are trade routes, great roads that are heavily traveled.... Your world exists in an area of congregation, an area that has many inhabited worlds.... beyond your Solar System."<br />
<ref name="alliestwo">[http://www.alliesofhumanity.org/contents.php ''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book Two]</ref> <br />
<br />
<br />
"Because the Greater Community, especially the area in which you live, is a very competitive environment and because there are many Collectives dwelling here, they tend to hold each other in check and will take legal action against one another if necessary should the basic rules of conduct be violated. Therefore, if one Collective sought to take this world by force, it would be countered by other Collectives who have an interest in this world and by their competitors elsewhere, who would hold these kinds of actions in check."<br />
<ref name="alliestwo"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The region in which you live ... contains approximately five thousand stars. We call this a region because that is how it is delineated."<br />
<ref name="alliestwo"/><br />
<br />
==Metaphors==<br />
"It is as if humanity were a little child coming out of its house for the first time and recognizing it lives in a big city controlled by powerful forces that the little child cannot understand."<br />
<ref>Humanity's Emergence into the Greater Community (July 19, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are like villagers in a distant forest who all of a sudden find themselves in the midst of greater interactions between exploring and invading nations. Your village will never be the same." <br />
<ref name="greater11"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"It would be like different European nations finding the same rich tropical island hundreds of years ago. They would compete for it because they want it for themselves. And they would want to use the native people, but they are not there for the native people's benefit."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 11: ''Preparing for the Future''</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== Further Study ==<br />
[http://www.newmessage.org/chapters/greater-community-spirituality/chapter6.php ''Greater Community Spirituality'', chapter 6: What Is the Greater Community?]<br />
<br />
[http://wp.newmessage.org/greater-community-spirituality-chapter-18-what-is-human-destiny/ ''Greater Community Spirituality'', Chapter 18: “What Is Human Destiny?”]<br />
[[category:The Greater Community]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Short_Quotes_About_Relationships&diff=4161Short Quotes About Relationships2013-03-12T05:47:54Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Relationship is when two or more people come together to fulfill an inner and an outer need."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
"Much of human engagement is merely an escape from one's self."<br />
<ref>Harmful Influences (May 13, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Alone you can do nothing, for nothing in life is done alone.”<br />
<ref name="s2k">''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 249</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with God ==<br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you going to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another’s presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"This relationship, however, which is so primary, can never be your sole focus, for God wants your eyes turned to the world where you have come to serve and to work. The more God abides with you as your work progresses and becomes a deeper experience and a greater commitment for you, the more God grows in your experience. Here God becomes more a context than an individual, more a greater experience of relationship than an authority. In this way, God is able to work through you without distracting you. In this way, you are able to work with God without losing your focus in the world."<br />
<ref name="gcs17"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
“Through Knowledge you can feel the Presence of all relationships. This is the experience of God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 169</ref><br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you gong to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another's presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
“What is God, what is the return to God, but the return to relationship? Some people wish to return to God and commit themselves to God, but they cannot be with anybody. And so they are trying to be with everything, but they do not know how to be with any one thing.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5"/><br />
<br />
"The road to Heaven is through relationships. It is a road of relationships. You may try your hardest to feel whole and joined with life, and you will have experiences of this now and then, but until you can be joined to another, give yourself and dedicate your resources in conjunction with another’s dedication, you are only flirting with reality."<br />
<ref name="ltwok8">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with Knowledge==<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Your first and primary relationship is with Knowledge. Can your relationships with others support this?”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Knowledge is your primary relationship because it is your connection to God."<br />
<ref>Ending Separation (March 3, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge is the foundation for your ability to be in relationship with anyone or anything. Without Knowledge, people are in relationship only to gain advantage. They use others and they use life to gain advantage or to provide protection. They barter with their affections. They negotiate with their feelings. Here relationship is a form of commerce rather than a form of union. Prices are paid. Services are rendered. Can this be the real meaning of relationship?”<br />
<ref>The Meaning of Christmas (December 23, 1994)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge will not support a wrong decision in a relationship, and Knowledge will not go with you into that relationship. If you commit yourself prematurely, you pull yourself away from Knowledge. You can still come back to Knowledge, but it will not go along with you. It will become mute and silent, patiently waiting once again while you live out another long and perilous error in life.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
“Your Knowledge cannot emerge within you alone. It must emerge in the context of relationship. It is absolutely hopeless for you alone to find out why you are here. You may have some wonderful definitions, but you are still a slave of your mind.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
“There is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. These are the only two things that any relationship can demonstrate to you.”<br />
<ref name="stkII">''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
“There is a means for you to escape the world of ideas and enter the world of relationship, where everything is viable and real and based upon a foundation that can never change.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 277</ref><br />
<br />
"Your relationship with Knowledge represents your relationship with God. This is how God speaks to you. And you may not hear this as a voice. It may be a feeling, an image, a sound, a voice. People experience the power and presence of Knowledge differently, according to their individual orientation." <ref name="fol"/><br />
<br />
== Relationship with the World ==<br />
<br />
"The world represents a relationship in which your purpose is initiated, fostered and realized. That is why seeking escape from the world or a permanent retreat from the world is counterproductive. The very tribulations in the world that you find so difficult and so unpleasant are the very things that will call out of you the greatness that you have come to give."<br />
<ref name="gcs18"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
“Relationship is the essence of your environment, the environment in which you live. What you decide to do in your relationships will determine the kind of life you will have and the kind of problems you will have to solve.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are a part of life and you will need to rely upon your relationships with others and with life as a whole to accomplish anything, even to survive."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 250</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Self==<br />
<br />
“You have a relationship with yourself, which is primarily your relationship with your mind and your body.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
"Underneath everyone’s desperate pursuits, addictions, goals and fears is the desire to be known and recognized.”<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Starting Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You must become the person you are meant to be before you can be in a relationship successfully, a deep harmonious relationship, a greater partnership. You bring to that what you have discovered within yourself.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“You must have a sense of who you are and where you are going in life based upon Knowledge before you can know who to be with and how to be with them.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Choose your engagements carefully, enter into them slowly and allow your Knowledge, as opposed to your ambition, to guide your actions. You lose nothing by moving slowly; you risk everything by moving quickly. If you cannot allow yourself to move slowly, you have good cause to distrust your motives already.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
"Many of the relationships that people initiate out of desire, passion or need are premature because it is important to get your bearings in life before you engage yourself or commit yourself to others." <br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Here it is important to realize that you cannot change or improve another person. You cannot take someone who appears charming and talented, but who cannot seem to function very well, and turn them into a functioning person. Young women make this mistake all the time, particularly, thinking they are going to rehabilitate the young man. 'Oh, with her guidance, this young man will become productive and responsible and effective.' Do not make this mistake. It is an immense waste of your time. You cannot change or improve another person. That is what they must do for themselves."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Maintaining Relationships==<br />
<br />
"In living in the world, there are Four Pillars of life. These are all part of your foundation building. They are the pillars of relationships, health, work and spiritual development. These are the cornerstones of your foundation in life."<br />
<ref name="ltwk2">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
“To develop the Pillar of relationship means to recognize, to discern and to be prepared to participate in the essential relationships that are meant for you.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“It is what you do together that determines the nature and purpose of relationship. That is why human romance is such an empty promise, for if you cannot do anything together, you have no basis for being together. The initial attraction turns cold and dark, and the desire and the embellished feelings turn ashen and become bitter and resentful.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/> <br />
<br />
==Concluding Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You cannot be given a new realization if your life is full of relationships with people, places and things that are not right for you, that will not help you.<br />
<ref name="pftf">Preparing for the Future (September 5, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
“Every relationship you have should give you the strength to do this. Every possession you have should be either useful or inspiring to you. Every commitment and obligation must help you to prepare and to gain a foundation in Knowledge. For there are no neutral relationships in life. All your relationships with people, where you live, your possessions, your activities, are either strengthening or weakening you in taking the steps to Knowledge and in building a real foundation for your life.”<br />
<ref name="pftf"/><br />
<br />
==Strength and Weakness in Relationships==<br />
<br />
“A relationship is only as good as the strength that its participants bring to it. It is the sum of your accomplishments.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 78</ref><br />
<br />
“Here every relationship is either strengthening you or weakening you, for there are no neutral relationships. Everyone casts influence on one another, and that influence is either strengthening you and bringing you closer to Knowledge, or it is weakening you and taking you further away.”<br />
<ref>Spiritual Community (March 11, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Therefore, we emphasize the value of your relationships to you who now seek to reclaim Knowledge. These relationships must be imbued with the Knowledge that you are reclaiming. Then they will have the stability, the efficacy and the grace that your Knowledge contains for you. For only relationships based upon Knowledge can carry the Wisdom that Knowledge will exert within the world. Relationships based upon personal attraction or personal fantasy do not have the foundation to carry Knowledge and will fail abruptly in the presence of the demands and requirements of a true life.”<br />
<ref name="s2k"/><br />
<br />
“The greatest evidence of a person’s self-understanding is the nature and the quality of the relationships that they establish around themselves.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 41</ref><br />
<br />
“We say cultivate Knowledge and Knowledge will bring to you all relationships you truly need. Those you do not truly need will find no purpose there, and so your life will not be hindered and held back by inappropriate engagements.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
"In the Greater Community, there are no powerful individuals. There are only powerful relationships.”<br />
<ref>''[[Preparing for the Greater Community]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
“Here people try to offset their sense of insecurity by securing partnerships with others. As a result, they form relationships based upon weakness and not upon strength.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"You have no neutral relationships, for every one of them is either helping you or hindering you and holding you back. You are either gaining strength or losing strength to every one of these relationships."<br />
<ref>The Deep Evaluation (June 3, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
“And the person who will do you the most harm could well be someone who is totally enchanting to you and who seems to fit the absolute picture of what you are trying to acquire for yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
“Your progress here can only truly be thwarted by your misapplication in relationships.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Without Knowledge, relationship is trial and error only. There are many people who have spent their primal energy on relationships with very little to show for it. They have wasted their lives, and yet they have justified this waste by saying that they have grown personally and that they have learned so much. But they are right back where they began. They are alone and they are still seeking for a meaningful union.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
“Falling in love may be a wonderful dream, but it does not assure a real relationship at all. A real relationship is built upon compatibility, shared values and a commensurate level of strength and involvement in the world. Here if a strong person unites with a weak person, the strong person will become weaker. That is why if you want to become strong, you must be with someone who is strong.”<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
“It is Knowledge that will bring the great relationships to you. It is not your prancing around, making a fool of yourself and degrading yourself in every conceivable way to try to attract the attention and the approval of some person.”<br />
<ref>Listening for Knowledge (September 24, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
“Wrong decisions in relationships have disabled and disarmed many a promising person in the world. Many have lost their way and many have lost their chance in life as a result of making decisions here without Knowledge.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Great truth is a product of great relationship.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 25</ref><br />
<br />
"If you commit yourself to momentary attractions, time will be very disappointing to you." <ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==Purpose in Relationships==<br />
"Your purpose is to discover your Knowledge, follow Knowledge and let Knowledge shape and redirect your life. Your Calling is what Knowledge asks you specifically to do once you are ready to move in a specific direction. It is here that your relationships must become connected to your Calling, and not just to your Purpose. In essence all relationships can serve your Purpose if understood correctly. But only a few are connected to your real Calling. If the New Message from God is your calling then all your core relationships will need to be connected to that."<br />
<ref>Marshall Vian Summers, School Campfire Chat, June 30, 2012</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your time in life is precious. Your opportunity here is great. The more you are aware that it is great, the less you will want to waste it on any endeavor or relationship that compromises you or that leads you astray.”<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“You see, if your life is about contribution, you do not have a problem finding people to be with you. Your problem now is choosing the right people to be with. You do not have to worry about a good career. Your problem is choosing the right career. Life bends itself to you who give, so thirsty for giving is life here. If the Presence is with you, people will come to you like magnetism.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15"/><br />
<br />
“God is preparing you for the right relationships, the ones that will make all the difference, the ones that will bring forth the power of Knowledge within yourself, the ones that will encourage you to discover your deeper nature and with it your greater purpose for being in the world.”<br />
<ref name="lar">Love and Relationships (April 21, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Your purpose has been established and relationships have been designed for you already. Therefore, you need not be the author of your relationships, only a wise participant.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“What you have brought from your Ancient Home is meant to be given here and what you have brought is needed here as well. What you have brought from your Ancient Home is the power of relationship.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“Who you are with will determine what you can know and your ability to follow what you know.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Once you prepare a place in your life for true purpose, true relationship must find you, for purpose requires relationship and will draw relationship unto itself.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The power of relationship is the power given to carry out true purpose in the world. The power of relationship is to engage each person beyond their preferences and fear so that their true gifts may be brought forth into the world. The blessing of true relationship is the blessing born of Knowledge, which is the greatest gift that can be rendered, which is the gift that I am sent here to give and to receive, to discover and to leave behind. Let me, then, prepare for my Ancient Home by recognizing the quality of relationship here that truly exists there.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The great lives, what did they accumulate here? Only one thing and that is relationship. When they left, whether they were penniless or rich, what did they take Home with them? They took relationship.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
"People are gambling their existence. They are gambling their freedom. They are gambling their life, giving their lives away to people and situations that have no real promise for them, that are not really connected to the deeper criteria, the deeper agenda that exists within them that remains to be discovered."<br />
<ref name="fol">Following the Presence (February 17, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-1-your-most-primary-relationship/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 1: Your Most Primary Relationship]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-2-your-relationship-with-yourself/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 2: Your Relationship with Yourself]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-4your-relationship-with-the-world/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 4: Your Relationship with the World]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/rhp-chapter-11-your-purpose-and-spiritual-calling/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 11: Your Purpose and Spiritual Calling]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-12-establishing-relationships/''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 12: Establishing Relationships]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-13-maintaining-relationships/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 13: Maintaining Relationships]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Relationships of higher purpose]]<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Intelligence&diff=4157Intelligence2013-03-08T23:14:28Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"Intelligence emerges from Knowledge. It is the ability to see, to know and to act. It is the ability to carry on an activity or action in the world effectively. Intelligence is Knowledge and Wisdom working together. It is the truth and the mechanism for expressing truth working in harmony together."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
"In the Greater Community, intelligence is measured in this way: It is the desire and ability to adapt and to respond to life. Now, with this definition of intelligence, humanity does not look like it is doing very well. Creating new gadgets and toys to play with does not represent intelligence if you are not responding to the environment and to your deeper inclinations. The mind is not working in service to the Spirit if it cannot respond to the Spirit and if it cannot respond to the body—either your personal body or the body of nature. And what merit is there in having a wonderful philosophy if you cannot feel the movement of your own life. When presented with The Greater Community Way of Knowledge, what value is there in having wonderful spiritual ideas, beliefs and assumptions if you miss the opportunity for preparation altogether.<br />
<br />
People think spiritual awakening is all bliss and happiness. Yes, there is a great relief. Yes, there is a great homecoming. But then you begin to experience the predicament that you and the world are in. And though you are not likely to become panicked or terrified, you will go to work very soon, and you will work continuously."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
"Intelligence in the Greater Community is highly regarded, not only for what it can produce physically, but for what it can know and perceive. That is why intelligence is considered to be a commodity, something that can be exchanged, acquired, controlled, used, and so forth. In fact, intelligence is considered even more valuable than technology. This is a very important fact and represents a new understanding for the human community, where due to a lack of competition with other intelligent life, intelligence has not been developed sufficiently, especially when one considers the capabilities that humans really have and how these can be used for good and for greater accomplishment."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
"Intelligence is the desire, the willingness and the capacity to learn and to adapt."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 14: Intelligence<br />
<br />
[[category:knowledge]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Great_Waves_of_Change&diff=4154Great Waves of Change2013-02-14T04:45:35Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
''The Great Waves of change'' are the converging crises facing humanity in the years and decades to come: climate change, resource depletion, economic, social and political.<br />
<br />
Second only to humanity's emergence into [[the Greater Community]], the Great Waves constitute the greatest threat humanity as a whole has ever faced. The dangers of the Great Waves of change are made worse by ''the Greater Darkness'', which is the [[The Intervention| extraterrestrial Intervention]] exploiting humanity's weakness and fragmentation to gain control over humanity and Planet Earth. <br />
<br />
<br />
"There is no more time for foolishness and denial."<br />
<ref name="twoh">The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“In twenty years the world will be unrecognizable.”<br />
<ref>The Prophet</ref><br />
<br />
"Great upheaval will now occur and is beginning to occur—-natural disasters born of humanity’s ignorance, overuse and misuse of [[the world]]."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"You have everything you need to be successful. Your greatest adversaries are yourselves."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change in the World (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
== What is happening ==<br />
;Growing economic hardship<br />
;Political instability<br />
;Declining energy<br />
;Declining natural resources<br />
;Climate change and catastrophic weather<br />
;Loss of arable land and fresh water<br />
;Pandemic disease<br />
;Escalating worldwide conflict<br />
<ref>back cover of [[The Great Waves of Change]]</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives ==<br />
"Do not worry that others are not responding. Do not concern yourself that humanity remains ignorant and indulgent and foolish in its conquests and its conflicts."<br />
<ref name="gwc1">[[The Great Waves of Change]], Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not look upon the Great Waves of Change only as a tragedy or as a great danger, but as a calling, as a requirement—a calling and a requirement that can restore and redeem you, that can call forth Knowledge within you and the great gifts that you have come to give, gifts that will be determined by the very circumstances that are emerging now."<br />
<ref>Preparing for the Great Waves of Change (July 27, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"This is a time now to stop blaming others, to end your ceaseless debates, to set aside your grievances and your hostilities, to face the fact that you are going to have to live life much more simply in the future. You will be living in a world of great resource restraints. You will not be able to get around very easily. Everything will be very expensive and there will have to be a great emphasis on producing food and other necessary things on a much more local scale. There will have to be tremendous restraint of anger, blame and hostility if people are to make this necessary transition. So many assumptions and beliefs will have to be set aside to face the reality of your situation."<br />
<ref>[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/navigating-difficult-times Navigating the Difficult Times Ahead], Sept. 29, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
==A Perfect Storm==<br />
<br />
"The warning is now being sounded around [[the world]] by many sources, but the severity of the situation is not being recognized by many."<br />
<ref>[[The Great Waves of Change]], Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The forces of the world—the geologic and biological forces—were set in motion at the beginning of time. They are moving on their own. The degree to which humanity has upset the Earth’s delicate balance will produce great events and is producing great events even at this moment."<br />
<ref name="tsotf">The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"To honestly look at the world is to realize that its mounting difficulties are exceeding human capacity and understanding. The Great Waves of change coming to the world exceed what individuals and institutions can fully comprehend and address."<br />
<ref name="twoh"/><br />
<br />
"The Great Waves of Change are converging upon the world. We have the great change of diminishing resources, the peak of petroleum and natural gas; we have climate change and violent weather, which will limit our ability to grow food. We have the displacement of large numbers of people who can no longer live where they live, who will have no where to go."<br />
<ref>[[Marshall Vian Summers]], August 17, 2007 </ref><br />
<br />
==Necessities==<br />
<br />
"The world you will be facing will require immense human cooperation, compassion and contribution, or it will be a battleground over who has the remaining resources of the world. Who can protect their wealth while other nations fail and collapse? The demands upon humanity will be so great that it will take a great compassion and wisdom to respond to this. But the peoples are too divided. The religions are too shattered. This group opposes that group in the name of their national sovereignty or the Will of God, and it is all set in motion to collapse into chaos."<br />
<ref name="twoh"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"For nations to survive environmental decline in this world and increasing political and economic upheaval and difficulty, you will have to cooperate with each other. Instead of fighting, you will have to find ways to provide enough food, water and energy for the people of the world. That will be the prevailing and dominating need of the future here on Earth." <br />
<ref name="twoh"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"People do not realize how much their life and circumstances are dependent upon the condition of the world and the movement of the world. Only in the poorer nations is this greater reality ever present. In affluent nations, the affluence insulates you from the greater realities of life to a certain extent for a period of time. But this affluence will diminish, and the greater realities are upon you. How humanity responds and prepares will make all the difference." <br />
<ref>God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are entering a new world—a world of environmental change, a world of violent weather, a world that is unpredictable, a world that will be unbalanced, with great political and economic difficulties. Nations will be shaken by revolution, and national economies will fail. It is the outcome of many forces at work that have been at work for some time. The wise can foresee this. For everyone else, it will be a great shock—the shock of the future. Do not look upon this as a great tragedy or something to avoid, neglect or deny, for this has your name upon it. You were sent into the world to serve the world under these conditions." <br />
<ref name="tsotf"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The past Revelations of the Creator cannot prepare you for the Great Waves of change.<br />
<br />
They cannot prepare you for your destiny in the Greater Community.<br />
<br />
They cannot prepare you for the great thresholds that are now upon you and will be upon you increasingly.<br />
<br />
You do not have answers in the face of these things.<br />
<br />
That is why the Revelation is being given, for humanity now needs to be advised and warned, blessed and given the preparation for a future that will be unlike the past.<br />
<br />
Hear these words, not with your intellect but with your heart."<ref name="tr"/><br />
<br />
==[[Providence]]==<br />
"[[God]] will not save humanity by driving away the [[evil]], by ending the problems that humanity has created or the problems it must face as a natural part of its [[evolution]]."<br />
<ref name="tr"/><br />
<br />
==Metaphors==<br />
"It is as if the bill has come due. Humanity has been spending and borrowing its natural inheritance for so long and now the bill has come due."<br />
<ref name="gwc1"/><br />
<br />
"There is already fire burning in [[the world]], and the embers for greater fires of conflict are being stoked, and the conditions are ripe for their emergence."<br />
<ref name="gwc1"/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/planetary-instability| Planetary Instability] March 14, 2011<br />
<br />
[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/navigating-difficult-times| Navigating the Difficult Times Ahead] September 29, 2008<br />
<br />
[http://greatwavesofchange.org| The Great Waves of Change] official website<br />
<br />
[http://greatwavesnews.wordpress.com/| Great Waves News Update] current Great Waves news coverage<br />
<br />
[http://www.greatwavesofchange.org/writings/guidelines-great-waves.php Recommendations for Living in a <br />
Great Waves World]<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[The Great Waves of Change]] a Sacred Text of the New Message from God<br />
<br />
[[category:the Great Waves of change]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Indulgence&diff=4153Indulgence2013-02-13T05:47:09Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>==The Age of Indulgence==<br />
"No one is going to come and rescue you. There is no returning to a golden age in the past. There is no magic formula or secret technology or extraterrestrial gift that is going to take this challenge away from you. Give up demanding solutions and face reality. You are living at the end of the age of indulgence and now must enter the age of human unity and cooperation. The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed. For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself to go through that disaster. For many it will be such a profound disappointment that they will not know what to do. Do not be amongst their number."<br />
<ref name="agc">Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
The age of indulgence is coming to an end. Its dangers are<br />
immense. Its opportunities are immense. Its challenge will be<br />
overwhelming. Its opportunity for contribution will be profound. You<br />
cannot hold yourself back here. You cannot remain neutral, disassociated<br />
from all these things. And the degree to which you can recognize this now,<br />
accept the shock of this now, will have a great bearing on whether you can<br />
survive in the future, build a strong foundation for your life and fulfill<br />
yourself through service to others—to become a person of integrity, a<br />
person who is deeply responsible, a person who has gained a greater<br />
worldly wisdom, a person who can feel the grace and the power of<br />
Knowledge within themselves in times of peace and in times of great<br />
difficulty.<br />
<ref name="agc"/><br />
<br />
<br />
==Romance==<br />
"Avoid falling in love. When we say falling in love, we are talking about creating a fantasy with another. Romantic love, fantasy, is the epitome of the personal mind's self-indulgence. In an attempt to validate itself and to justify its existence, it seeks union with another for this purpose. It cannot join with another; it can only use another to validate itself. This is the basis for romantic love. What you must find instead is recognition and the ability to participate with another. A beautiful face, a lovely set of eyes, a wonderful image, a charming or exotic personality, anything that attracts you and mesmerizes you, anything that holds your attention against your will, anything that keeps your mind fixated on its own ideas and prevents it from gaining access to Knowledge--these things represent a romantic approach to relationships, and these you must avoid."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Seeing==<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see. You are terrified of the Revelation, for it will change your life. But you desire the Revelation, for it will change your life. It is your conflict of mind that blinds you. <br />
It is the purposes that run counter to one another that keep you in a state of confusion and do not allow you to see."<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Higher Purpose==<br />
"You have come to help save the world, to give humanity a future and to give your race a greater opportunity—an opportunity to unite, to develop and to become stronger, wiser and more capable, an opportunity to outgrow its tribal divisiveness, its religious fanaticism, its violence, its selfishness and its self-indulgence."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11, p. 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Peace or war==<br />
“Regarding your relationship with the world, do not insist upon peace. There will not be peace in the world. But what can happen is that conflict can be minimized through the sharing of resources and by the rich learning to live more simply and providing for those in need. You cannot provide for those in need if you are using too much of the world. You cannot be an advocate for peace if you are consuming too many resources yourself. If you are a big consumer of resources, well, you are making war inevitable.”<br />
<ref>Achieving Peace in the World (September 10, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Who will help?==<br />
"You are living at the end of the age of indulgence. It is beginning now the age that will require human unity and cooperation and immense human courage and ingenuity—not the courage and ingenuity of a few saintly people, or a few gifted people, but of you and your neighbor."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Beyond Addiction==<br />
"To really break an addiction you must have a different kind of focus for the mind that must really be all-consuming. It may even look like another addiction. But it must be strong enough to displace and replace what has captivated your mind previously, and what still tends to captivate your mind. Instead of being addicted to a drug, you become addicted to God. You become addicted to the experience of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you. You become addicted to serving others. You become addicted to maintaining your health. This new addiction may be temporary but it serves as a bridge."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Consumption==<br />
"You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"Half the world’s forests should be preserved. Fuel should be rationed. It should have been rationed twenty years ago. You will have to control human population growth and human consumption if you are ever able to attain stability and security."<br />
<ref>Nature & Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Indulgence&diff=4151Indulgence2013-02-12T07:04:57Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"No one is going to come and rescue you. There is no returning to a golden age in the past. There is no magic formula or secret technology or extraterrestrial gift that is going to take this challenge away from you. Give up demanding solutions and face reality. You are living at the end of the age of indulgence and now must enter the age of human unity and cooperation. The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed. For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself to go through that disaster. For many it will be such a profound disappointment that they will not know what to do. Do not be amongst their number."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Romance==<br />
"Avoid falling in love. When we say falling in love, we are talking about creating a fantasy with another. Romantic love, fantasy, is the epitome of the personal mind's self-indulgence. In an attempt to validate itself and to justify its existence, it seeks union with another for this purpose. It cannot join with another; it can only use another to validate itself. This is the basis for romantic love. What you must find instead is recognition and the ability to participate with another. A beautiful face, a lovely set of eyes, a wonderful image, a charming or exotic personality, anything that attracts you and mesmerizes you, anything that holds your attention against your will, anything that keeps your mind fixated on its own ideas and prevents it from gaining access to Knowledge--these things represent a romantic approach to relationships, and these you must avoid."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Seeing==<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see. You are terrified of the Revelation, for it will change your life. But you desire the Revelation, for it will change your life. It is your conflict of mind that blinds you. <br />
It is the purposes that run counter to one another that keep you in a state of confusion and do not allow you to see."<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Higher Purpose==<br />
"You have come to help save the world, to give humanity a future and to give your race a greater opportunity—an opportunity to unite, to develop and to become stronger, wiser and more capable, an opportunity to outgrow its tribal divisiveness, its religious fanaticism, its violence, its selfishness and its self-indulgence."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11, p. 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Peace or war==<br />
“Regarding your relationship with the world, do not insist upon peace. There will not be peace in the world. But what can happen is that conflict can be minimized through the sharing of resources and by the rich learning to live more simply and providing for those in need. You cannot provide for those in need if you are using too much of the world. You cannot be an advocate for peace if you are consuming too many resources yourself. If you are a big consumer of resources, well, you are making war inevitable.”<br />
<ref>Achieving Peace in the World (September 10, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Who will help?==<br />
"You are living at the end of the age of indulgence. It is beginning now the age that will require human unity and cooperation and immense human courage and ingenuity—not the courage and ingenuity of a few saintly people, or a few gifted people, but of you and your neighbor."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Beyond Addiction==<br />
"To really break an addiction you must have a different kind of focus for the mind that must really be all-consuming. It may even look like another addiction. But it must be strong enough to displace and replace what has captivated your mind previously, and what still tends to captivate your mind. Instead of being addicted to a drug, you become addicted to God. You become addicted to the experience of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you. You become addicted to serving others. You become addicted to maintaining your health. This new addiction may be temporary but it serves as a bridge."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Consumption==<br />
"You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"Half the world’s forests should be preserved. Fuel should be rationed. It should have been rationed twenty years ago. You will have to control human population growth and human consumption if you are ever able to attain stability and security."<br />
<ref>Nature & Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Indulgence&diff=4150Indulgence2013-02-12T07:03:47Z<p>Mitch: /* Peace or war */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"No one is going to come and rescue you. There is no returning to a golden age in the past. There is no magic formula or secret technology or extraterrestrial gift that is going to take this challenge away from you. Give up demanding solutions and face reality. You are living at the end of the age of indulgence and now must enter the age of human unity and cooperation. The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed. For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself to go through that disaster. For many it will be such a profound disappointment that they will not know what to do. Do not be amongst their number."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Romance==<br />
"Avoid falling in love. When we say falling in love, we are talking about creating a fantasy with another. Romantic love, fantasy, is the epitome of the personal mind's self-indulgence. In an attempt to validate itself and to justify its existence, it seeks union with another for this purpose. It cannot join with another; it can only use another to validate itself. This is the basis for romantic love. What you must find instead is recognition and the ability to participate with another. A beautiful face, a lovely set of eyes, a wonderful image, a charming or exotic personality, anything that attracts you and mesmerizes you, anything that holds your attention against your will, anything that keeps your mind fixated on its own ideas and prevents it from gaining access to Knowledge--these things represent a romantic approach to relationships, and these you must avoid."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Seeing==<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see. You are terrified of the Revelation, for it will change your life. But you desire the Revelation, for it will change your life. It is your conflict of mind that blinds you. <br />
It is the purposes that run counter to one another that keep you in a state of confusion and do not allow you to see."<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Higher Purpose==<br />
"You have come to help save the world, to give humanity a future and to give your race a greater opportunity—an opportunity to unite, to develop and to become stronger, wiser and more capable, an opportunity to outgrow its tribal divisiveness, its religious fanaticism, its violence, its selfishness and its self-indulgence."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11, p. 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Peace or war==<br />
“Regarding your relationship with the world, do not insist upon peace. There will not be peace in the world. But what can happen is that conflict can be minimized through the sharing of resources and by the rich learning to live more simply and providing for those in need. You cannot provide for those in need if you are using too much of the world. You cannot be an advocate for peace if you are consuming too many resources yourself. If you are a big consumer of resources, well, you are making war inevitable.”<br />
<ref>Achieving Peace in the World (September 10, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Who will help?==<br />
"You are living at the end of the age of indulgence. It is beginning now the age that will require human unity and cooperation and immense human courage and ingenuity—not the courage and ingenuity of a few saintly people, or a few gifted people, but of you and your neighbor."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Beyond Addiction==<br />
"To really break an addiction you must have a different kind of focus for the mind that must really be all-consuming. It may even look like another addiction. But it must be strong enough to displace and replace what has captivated your mind previously, and what still tends to captivate your mind. Instead of being addicted to a drug, you become addicted to God. You become addicted to the experience of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you. You become addicted to serving others. You become addicted to maintaining your health. This new addiction may be temporary but it serves as a bridge."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Consumption==<br />
"You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"Half the world’s forests should be preserved. Fuel should be rationed. It should have been rationed twenty years ago. You will have to control human population growth and human consumption if you are ever able to attain stability and security."<br />
<ref>Nature & Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Indulgence&diff=4149Indulgence2013-02-12T06:51:12Z<p>Mitch: /* Directives */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"No one is going to come and rescue you. There is no returning to a golden age in the past. There is no magic formula or secret technology or extraterrestrial gift that is going to take this challenge away from you. Give up demanding solutions and face reality. You are living at the end of the age of indulgence and now must enter the age of human unity and cooperation. The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed. For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself to go through that disaster. For many it will be such a profound disappointment that they will not know what to do. Do not be amongst their number."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Romance==<br />
"Avoid falling in love. When we say falling in love, we are talking about creating a fantasy with another. Romantic love, fantasy, is the epitome of the personal mind's self-indulgence. In an attempt to validate itself and to justify its existence, it seeks union with another for this purpose. It cannot join with another; it can only use another to validate itself. This is the basis for romantic love. What you must find instead is recognition and the ability to participate with another. A beautiful face, a lovely set of eyes, a wonderful image, a charming or exotic personality, anything that attracts you and mesmerizes you, anything that holds your attention against your will, anything that keeps your mind fixated on its own ideas and prevents it from gaining access to Knowledge--these things represent a romantic approach to relationships, and these you must avoid."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Seeing==<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see. You are terrified of the Revelation, for it will change your life. But you desire the Revelation, for it will change your life. It is your conflict of mind that blinds you. <br />
It is the purposes that run counter to one another that keep you in a state of confusion and do not allow you to see."<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Higher Purpose==<br />
"You have come to help save the world, to give humanity a future and to give your race a greater opportunity—an opportunity to unite, to develop and to become stronger, wiser and more capable, an opportunity to outgrow its tribal divisiveness, its religious fanaticism, its violence, its selfishness and its self-indulgence."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11, p. 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Peace or war==<br />
“Regarding your relationship with the world, do not insist upon peace. There will not be peace in the world. But what can happen is that conflict can be minimized through the sharing of resources and by the rich learning to live more simply and providing for those in need. You cannot provide for those in need if you are using too much of the world. You cannot be an advocate for peace if you are consuming too many resources yourself. If you are a big consumer of resources, well, you are making war inevitable.”<br />
<ref>Achieving Peace in the World (September 10, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Beyond Addiction==<br />
"To really break an addiction you must have a different kind of focus for the mind that must really be all-consuming. It may even look like another addiction. But it must be strong enough to displace and replace what has captivated your mind previously, and what still tends to captivate your mind. Instead of being addicted to a drug, you become addicted to God. You become addicted to the experience of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you. You become addicted to serving others. You become addicted to maintaining your health. This new addiction may be temporary but it serves as a bridge."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Consumption==<br />
"You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"Half the world’s forests should be preserved. Fuel should be rationed. It should have been rationed twenty years ago. You will have to control human population growth and human consumption if you are ever able to attain stability and security."<br />
<ref>Nature & Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Indulgence&diff=4148Indulgence2013-02-09T04:16:22Z<p>Mitch: Created page with "==Directives== "The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed. For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself ..."</p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"The age of indulgence is coming to an end, and for many it will be overwhelming. Do not be overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
For many it will be a disaster. Do not allow yourself to go through that disaster.<br />
<br />
For many it will be such a profound disappointment that they will not know what to do. Do not be amongst their number."<br />
<ref>Adapting to Great Change (May 22, 2008) (verify date)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Romance==<br />
"Avoid falling in love. When we say falling in love, we are talking about creating a fantasy with another. Romantic love, fantasy, is the epitome of the personal mind's self-indulgence. In an attempt to validate itself and to justify its existence, it seeks union with another for this purpose. It cannot join with another; it can only use another to validate itself. This is the basis for romantic love. What you must find instead is recognition and the ability to participate with another. A beautiful face, a lovely set of eyes, a wonderful image, a charming or exotic personality, anything that attracts you and mesmerizes you, anything that holds your attention against your will, anything that keeps your mind fixated on its own ideas and prevents it from gaining access to Knowledge--these things represent a romantic approach to relationships, and these you must avoid."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Seeing==<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see. You are terrified of the Revelation, for it will change your life. But you desire the Revelation, for it will change your life. It is your conflict of mind that blinds you. <br />
It is the purposes that run counter to one another that keep you in a state of confusion and do not allow you to see."<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Higher Purpose==<br />
"You have come to help save the world, to give humanity a future and to give your race a greater opportunity—an opportunity to unite, to develop and to become stronger, wiser and more capable, an opportunity to outgrow its tribal divisiveness, its religious fanaticism, its violence, its selfishness and its self-indulgence."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11, p. 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Peace or war==<br />
“Regarding your relationship with the world, do not insist upon peace. There will not be peace in the world. But what can happen is that conflict can be minimized through the sharing of resources and by the rich learning to live more simply and providing for those in need. You cannot provide for those in need if you are using too much of the world. You cannot be an advocate for peace if you are consuming too many resources yourself. If you are a big consumer of resources, well, you are making war inevitable.”<br />
<ref>Achieving Peace in the World (September 10, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Beyond Addiction==<br />
"To really break an addiction you must have a different kind of focus for the mind that must really be all-consuming. It may even look like another addiction. But it must be strong enough to displace and replace what has captivated your mind previously, and what still tends to captivate your mind. Instead of being addicted to a drug, you become addicted to God. You become addicted to the experience of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you. You become addicted to serving others. You become addicted to maintaining your health. This new addiction may be temporary but it serves as a bridge."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Consumption==<br />
"You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"Half the world’s forests should be preserved. Fuel should be rationed. It should have been rationed twenty years ago. You will have to control human population growth and human consumption if you are ever able to attain stability and security."<br />
<ref>Nature & Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_about_War&diff=4147Quotes about War2013-02-09T04:06:33Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"In the future, facing Great Waves of change, certain leaders will try to take your nation to war to divert attention."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Forgiveness (October 14, 2008) </ref><br />
<br />
"Outright warfare in the Greater Community, particularly on any kind of large scale, is extremely rare, particularly amongst secure and advanced nations."<br />
<ref name="life">''[[Life in the Universe]]''</ref> <br />
<br />
"In the history of your local universe there have been wars and great conflicts. In the last ten to twelve thousand years there has been a period of great stability, and this has been maintained with tremendous determination."<br />
<ref name="life"/><br />
<br />
"You are asked to end your ceaseless conflicts and to never think that you can conduct violence here on Earth in the name of God, for that is an abomination. There are no holy warriors. There is nothing holy about war."<br />
<ref name="twoh">The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"When another nation’s resources are being taken and overwhelmed and it puts up resistance to this, then there is war."<br />
<ref name="engine">The Engine of War (April 17, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"When empires are built and other nations are exploited, this leads to war."<br />
<ref name="engine"/><br />
<br />
==The Engine of War==<br />
"Do not think if you are a great consumer of energy and resources that you can promote peace in the world, for over-consumption of resources is really the engine of war."<br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"If the poorer nations of the world do not have enough, they will be driven to war. If the rich nations are having greater difficulty satisfying their exorbitant appetites, it will lead them to war."<br />
<ref name="engine"/><br />
<br />
==Wars of Desperation==<br />
"Many people will perish in the future, either through poverty and oppression or through ignorance and foolishness. Nations will be tempted to go to war with each other over the remaining resources, which will be ever more difficult to secure. And the grievances of humanity, so long standing, will flare here and there and everywhere."<br />
<ref>The New Message Prophecy (October 7, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"In essence now the size, the moral and ethical problems regarding human conflict which are real and substantial, you simply cannot afford war. It will cost you too much. It will cost everyone too much. It has always cost everyone too much. Now you cannot afford it. But that does not mean it cannot happen and will not happen if great effort is not exercised to prevent the conditions that will make war inevitable. If people are hungry they will not be reasonable or rational or accommodating. If people are losing their forms of self sufficiency you cannot expect them to behave orderly or in a sensible or productive manner. This is the great risk. This is the risk of war beyond the assertions of power by one nation over another or by historical or religious differences or long standing grievances between nations and groups. That will be a war of utter desperation, a war of terrible consequences, a war that will be very difficult to extinguish. It is in this new world you are entering, a world in decline, that wars of desperation will become increasingly possible and can only be thwarted and prevented by the wise and ethical maintenance of resources and distribution of resources."<br />
<ref>Preventing Collapse and the Wars of Desperation (January 2, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==War in the Greater Community==<br />
"It is the Greater Community that will show you that you cannot afford your ceaseless conflicts here on Earth, and that your resources here are precious, and your self-sufficiency is of the greatest importance. With this awareness, you would not continue to squander the world at the terrible pace that you are doing so now. You would not foolishly think the universe is there for the taking once you exhaust the wealth of this world. You would understand that this world is all that you have. This world, this Solar System, is all that you have. Beyond this, you are entering regions owned or controlled by others, and you cannot take this from them. You do not know the rules of engagement in the universe or the relations between nations or what is allowed and what is not allowed in this Greater Community of life."<br />
<ref>Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"War is destructive. It is destructive to both the winner and the loser, and it sows the seeds for future conflict. The damage is not only to material things, but to the nature and character of entire nations of people who are traumatized. Humanity has not matured enough nor has grown in wisdom enough to recognize the absolute truth of this. That is why outright warfare in the Greater Community, particularly on any kind of large scale, is extremely rare, particularly amongst secure and advanced nations."<br />
<ref name="life"/><br />
<br />
“Nations that are fundamentally warlike and destructive do not last very long in the Greater Community. For any nation to exert itself in this way in a highly populated region of space such as your own would meet a united resistance. With only very few exceptions in the universe, can this resistance be overcome. What would one nation do faced with a thousand nations opposing it? And what could one nation do if its access to trade were denied?”<br />
<ref name="life"/><br />
<br />
==Deterrence==<br />
"If any nation in your world seeks to remain aggressive and hostile, its resources can be denied to it by the rest of the world. This is what happens in the Greater Community should any nation become aggressive and hostile, seeking to dominate or overwhelm other nations, seeking conquest of territory or seeking to eliminate its competitors. Such a nation will have to face a united opposition by all others who are involved in their networks of trade. This has effectively eliminated a great deal of conflict in the universe. It is necessity, then, that drives such cooperation. Yet humanity has not yet established such agreements, for it has not had to face what all advancing nations in the universe must face, and that is the depletion of their resources."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book 3: Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Holy War==<br />
"You are asked to end your ceaseless conflicts and to never think that you can conduct violence here on Earth in the name of God, for that is an abomination. There are no holy warriors. There is nothing holy about war."<br />
<ref name="twoh"/><br />
<br />
“To declare war on another nation or on another people in the name of God is a violation of God’s Will and purpose for humanity. This is never justified. War is never justified in the name of God—ever, in the history of humanity, now or in the future. Let this be your understanding, for should you make an exception here, you are doing it for your own purposes. You are doing it for reasons that you are not honestly expressing—the desire for power, the desire for revenge, the acquisition and control of resources, the hatred of another people, grievances from the past. These are the reasons you go to war, never to fulfill God’s purpose and destiny, never as an expression of God’s Will for humanity. If such is claimed in religious books, it is because it has been added by people. It is a human invention.”<br />
<ref>The Admonition, February 1, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
==Knowledge and War==<br />
"The power of unity in Knowledge is very significant. Knowledge does not condone war or conflict, unethical competition or deception or manipulation. It is entirely just. It is entirely uniform. So much so that individuals from opposite ends of the entire galaxy could recognize and communicate to each other through Knowledge, should they ever have the opportunity to meet."<br />
<ref name="life"/><br />
<br />
"The Revelation gives the individual tremendous power, but also tremendous responsibilities. If you are guided by the power of Knowledge within yourself, the deeper intelligence that God has placed within you, then there can be no violence or war and conflict. There is only the effort to create positive and mutually beneficial arrangements with others."<br />
<ref name="twoh"/><br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
<br />
"Humanity will fail without the New Revelation. The world will become ever darker, more dangerous and conflicted without the Revelation. Humanity will falter and fail in the face of its own errors and lack of clarity. The resources of the world will be spent through conflict, competition and war. People will rise up against their governments. People will rise up against one another. There will be untold conflict in the future, greater and more continuous than anything you have seen before. It is the New Revelation that holds the missing ingredients to your understanding, the key to your awareness and the source of your power, strength and determination."<br />
<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"God has sent a New Revelation into the world to prepare humanity for its future, to warn humanity of the great dangers within the world and beyond the world and to bless humanity with the power and the presence of Kowledge that has been placed as a deeper strength within each person, so that humanity will choose peace over war, cooperation over division, resolution over the loss of confidence, freedom over capitulation, responsibility over weakness."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"Humanity will face war and conflict on a scale it has never known before. There will be suffering at a level never seen before in this world. Religious people will think it is the end times, it is the Apocalypse, it is the coming of the Messiah, but all it is, is the failure of humanity. All it is, is the violation of the natural laws of the world. All it is, is the product of human ignorance, greed and the failure to respond to what God has placed within you to see, to know and to do."<br />
<ref name="engine"/><br />
<br />
“With war and conflict, humanity will weaken and further its own decline. Should this be continued, there will be no winners. There will be no victorious nations or groups, for the world will decline. Then everyone will lose security. Then everyone will become weaker and more vulnerable to powers and influences from beyond the world who are determined to gain access and control here.”<br />
<ref>The Environment, December 15, 2006</ref><br />
<br />
"To redirect the population’s dissatisfaction and anger and frustration, certain leaders will try to take the nation to war…And they will speak to people’s condemnation, resentment and rejection of others. They will exploit the unforgiveness that resides to such a great extent in the minds of people.This is how so many wars are fomented. And often they are fomented because the leaders of the nation have failed to take care of the needs of their own people, which is their first and primary responsibility as the leaders of a nation."<br />
<ref>Forgiveness, October 14, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[Violence]]<br />
<br />
[[Conflict Resolution]]<br />
<br />
[[The New Message Prophecy]]<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=New_Way&diff=4146New Way2013-02-09T04:00:32Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>== Directives == <br />
<br />
You will have to control your population size; you will have to control the distribution of wealth; you will have to provide for the poor; and the wealthy will have to moderate their behavior, their appetites, their greed and their consumption to achieve stability and security.<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
The changing conditions of the world are providing humanity with a fundamental requirement and that is to conserve its resources, to protect its resources and to not overuse its resources.<br />
<ref>Preventing Collapse (1/2/09)</ref><br />
<br />
== Short Quotes ==<br />
[A] new teaching and a new vision must be given for you to fully appreciate the situation that you are encountering here. You cannot rely upon your ancestors' gathered Wisdom and learned experience because you must have an even greater capacity now.<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Graduation&diff=4120Graduation2013-01-10T02:59:44Z<p>Mitch: Created page with "==To graduate successfully== "When you leave this world, if you are successful in cultivating Knowledge and in allowing it to give all of its gifts into the world, you will th..."</p>
<hr />
<div>==To graduate successfully==<br />
"When you leave this world, if you are successful in cultivating Knowledge and in allowing it to give all of its gifts into the world, you will then be able to become one of the Teachers of those who remain behind. In this way, you will fulfill your learning in the world by contributing all that you have acquired in the world to others. In this, your gift is fulfilled and theirs is furthered."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 237</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Talk:Christianity&diff=4089Talk:Christianity2012-12-17T01:38:05Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
<br />
==New Testament==<br />
search "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" on the wiki. (Mark 4, Isaiah 6?)--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
===Gospels===<br />
Mt. 13, the parable of the seed and the sower. --Patricia: "You can lose your studenthood." --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
===Epistles===<br />
====Romans====<br />
8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." See Wisdom I, chap 15 (?): Giving I "Life bends to those who give ..." As long as the condition applies, ''to them who are called according to his purpose''," this belief is validated, but the implication of the Christian statement is exclusive instead of inviting, like a magical formula or a test. The NM version speaks from a more sophisticated point of view about the world and the forces in the world--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
7:14-19 "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." Step 102: "There is much I must unlearn." Big difference between the two points of view; Paul's view more static, not going anywhere, whereas along the Way of Knowledge, this experience diminishes with practice. For Paul's "sin" would we substitute "cultural influence" or "personal preference"? Cf. step 45 Practice: " With your eyes open, concentrate now on your limitations. Recognize them. Do not judge them as good or bad. Simply recognize them... If you are defending your limitations, how can you receive that which transcends them?" Paul's expression of frustration cries out for this Step: simply face them one by one, man! --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:39, 11 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
2:28-20 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." <br />
WORK NEEDED but this ties to God does not care what religion you belong to or if you even believe in God or not. This also ties to 1 Samuel 16:7b "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." --[[User:Mitch|Mitch]] 17:35, 16 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
====1 Thessalonians====<br />
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing--Brother Lawrence's ''Practicing the Presence of God'' -- [Patricia] was given this strong, thundering directive sometime ago: "Be in a state of Continual Prayer." [http://newmessage.org/forum/showthread.php/2220-Campfire-Chat-Transcript-2012-12-01?p=8431#post8431 see campfire chat 12/1/12] [[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:29, 1 December 2012 (PST) <br />
<br />
1st Thesalonians 5:18; "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you. see Joy & Gratitude --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 09:49, 1 December 2012 (PST)<br />
==Old Testament==<br />
<br />
===Wisdom===<br />
"Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, <br />
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." (Psalm 51:6, NASB)--[[User:Mitch|Mitch]] 17:35, 16 December 2012 (PST)<br />
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)The Way of Knowledge, inward and outward honesty (the truth), being present to life and not in our imagination is the ONLY way to God. There is no other. --[[User:Mitch|Mitch]] 17:35, 16 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
====Proverbs====<br />
<br />
"Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed, than to share plunder with the proud" (Proverbs 16:19, NIV) see the teachings "the New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed" and "The New Message for the Political Leaders of the world." Also "The Age of Women."--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 19:12, 1 December 2012 (PST)</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Talk:Christianity&diff=4088Talk:Christianity2012-12-17T01:35:19Z<p>Mitch: /* Romans */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
<br />
==New Testament==<br />
search "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" on the wiki. (Mark 4, Isaiah 6?)--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
===Gospels===<br />
Mt. 13, the parable of the seed and the sower. --Patricia: "You can lose your studenthood." --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
===Epistles===<br />
====Romans====<br />
8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." See Wisdom I, chap 15 (?): Giving I "Life bends to those who give ..." As long as the condition applies, ''to them who are called according to his purpose''," this belief is validated, but the implication of the Christian statement is exclusive instead of inviting, like a magical formula or a test. The NM version speaks from a more sophisticated point of view about the world and the forces in the world--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
7:14-19 "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." Step 102: "There is much I must unlearn." Big difference between the two points of view; Paul's view more static, not going anywhere, whereas along the Way of Knowledge, this experience diminishes with practice. For Paul's "sin" would we substitute "cultural influence" or "personal preference"? Cf. step 45 Practice: " With your eyes open, concentrate now on your limitations. Recognize them. Do not judge them as good or bad. Simply recognize them... If you are defending your limitations, how can you receive that which transcends them?" Paul's expression of frustration cries out for this Step: simply face them one by one, man! --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:39, 11 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
2:28-20 "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." <br />
WORK NEEDED but this ties to God does not care what religion you belong to or if you even believe in God or not. This also ties to 1 Samuel 16:7b "God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." --[[User:Mitch|Mitch]] 17:35, 16 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
====1 Thessalonians====<br />
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing--Brother Lawrence's ''Practicing the Presence of God'' -- [Patricia] was given this strong, thundering directive sometime ago: "Be in a state of Continual Prayer." [http://newmessage.org/forum/showthread.php/2220-Campfire-Chat-Transcript-2012-12-01?p=8431#post8431 see campfire chat 12/1/12] [[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:29, 1 December 2012 (PST) <br />
<br />
1st Thesalonians 5:18; "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you. see Joy & Gratitude --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 09:49, 1 December 2012 (PST)<br />
==Old Testament==<br />
<br />
===Wisdom===<br />
"Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, <br />
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." (Psalm 51:6, NASB)<br />
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)The Way of Knowledge, inward and outward honesty (the truth), being present to life and not in our imagination is the ONLY way to God. There is no other. <br />
<br />
====Proverbs====<br />
<br />
"Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed, than to share plunder with the proud" (Proverbs 16:19, NIV) see the teachings "the New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed" and "The New Message for the Political Leaders of the world." Also "The Age of Women."--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 19:12, 1 December 2012 (PST)</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Talk:Christianity&diff=4087Talk:Christianity2012-12-17T01:20:31Z<p>Mitch: /* Wisdom */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
<br />
==New Testament==<br />
search "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" on the wiki. (Mark 4, Isaiah 6?)--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
===Gospels===<br />
Mt. 13, the parable of the seed and the sower. --Patricia: "You can lose your studenthood." --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
===Epistles===<br />
====Romans====<br />
8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." See Wisdom I, chap 15 (?): Giving I "Life bends to those who give ..." As long as the condition applies, ''to them who are called according to his purpose''," this belief is validated, but the implication of the Christian statement is exclusive instead of inviting, like a magical formula or a test. The NM version speaks from a more sophisticated point of view about the world and the forces in the world--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 20:16, 2 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
7:14-19 "We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." Step 102: "There is much I must unlearn." Big difference between the two points of view; Paul's view more static, not going anywhere, whereas along the Way of Knowledge, this experience diminishes with practice. For Paul's "sin" would we substitute "cultural influence" or "personal preference"? Cf. step 45 Practice: " With your eyes open, concentrate now on your limitations. Recognize them. Do not judge them as good or bad. Simply recognize them... If you are defending your limitations, how can you receive that which transcends them?" Paul's expression of frustration cries out for this Step: simply face them one by one, man! --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:39, 11 December 2012 (PST)<br />
<br />
====1 Thessalonians====<br />
1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing--Brother Lawrence's ''Practicing the Presence of God'' -- [Patricia] was given this strong, thundering directive sometime ago: "Be in a state of Continual Prayer." [http://newmessage.org/forum/showthread.php/2220-Campfire-Chat-Transcript-2012-12-01?p=8431#post8431 see campfire chat 12/1/12] [[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 08:29, 1 December 2012 (PST) <br />
<br />
1st Thesalonians 5:18; "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you. see Joy & Gratitude --[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 09:49, 1 December 2012 (PST)<br />
==Old Testament==<br />
<br />
===Wisdom===<br />
"Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, <br />
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." (Psalm 51:6, NASB)<br />
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6, KJV)The Way of Knowledge, inward and outward honesty (the truth), being present to life and not in our imagination is the ONLY way to God. There is no other. <br />
<br />
====Proverbs====<br />
<br />
"Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed, than to share plunder with the proud" (Proverbs 16:19, NIV) see the teachings "the New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed" and "The New Message for the Political Leaders of the world." Also "The Age of Women."--[[User:Mary s|Mary s]] 19:12, 1 December 2012 (PST)</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Death&diff=4086Quotes About Death2012-12-17T00:51:32Z<p>Mitch: /* Relationships awaiting beyond death */</p>
<hr />
<div>==The fear of death==<br />
<br />
"Knowledge will take you beyond your fears and your preferences because all preferences are based on fear—the fear of not having, the fear of being wrong, the fear of losing, the fear of death."<br />
<ref>The Great Love (November 23, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The source of all fear is the belief that you are temporary, that death<br />
awaits you and that everything you value and everything that is meaningful<br />
to you can be taken away at any moment."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 24</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"The fear of death is a very pervasive fear… It is the great price of consciousness. And with the fear of death is the loss of peace and equanimity…This is the great price of being conscious of one’s future… This is the burden of the awareness of life and death. It is the price one pays for having a greater consciousness in a world of change. It is the difficulty an eternal being must face in living in a temporary reality."<br />
<ref name="fear">Fear of Death and the Return to Life, January 21, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Part of<br />
the suffering of being in the world is in living a physical life where death<br />
and harm are very present and possible."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 23</ref><br />
"You have come into the world to fulfill a purpose. It is that purpose that redeems you. It is that service that restores to you the memory and the sense of your Ancient Home. It is this purpose and this awareness that dispels and weakens the weight of the world on you. Then, if you are a success, death is looked at very differently. It is still an anxiety-provoking event, certainly. 'Oh, my God, what will happen? Oh, my God, I’m not going to be here any more. Oh, my God, what will remain? What will happen? What will be next?' But in your heart there is a sense of completion and relief. 'It is ok. I’m ready to move on. I have done what I came here to do to the best of my ability. I’m not sure what I did, but I did something and it feels right and I think I’m ready to go on to the next thing.' It’s a natural progression, you see."<br />
<ref name="fear"/><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"The pursuit of that which endures is very different from the pursuit<br />
of that which merely stimulates or excites. As you seek for that which<br />
endures, you realize that you endure with it, and the fear of death begins<br />
to leave you. You begin to value different things."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One, Chapter 21</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"As your identity<br />
becomes founded in Knowledge and not merely on ideas, speculation<br />
or beliefs, you will begin to experience the permanence and security<br />
that only Knowledge can bestow. As you realize that your true life is<br />
changeless, then you will feel free to allow it to express itself in<br />
changing circumstances. Here you will escape all fear of death and<br />
destruction."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 278</ref><br />
<br />
==Death, decay and renewal==<br />
"The Way of Knowledge is about the restoration and rejuvenation<br />
of the mind....<br />
You are simply allowing your mind to renew itself and to let old<br />
thoughts die so that new thoughts can be born. This allows a natural<br />
process of death, decay and renewal to take place within your mind."<br />
<ref name="gcs13">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationships awaiting beyond death==<br />
<br />
“When you leave this life, when your body passes away, it is not like you disappear and go somewhere else. You just awaken to what has always been there. There are those who sent you into the world, waiting to greet you. And there is the Presence, the magnificent Presence. You did not journey from one place to another to experience this. It was always there.”<ref>The Presence,December 7, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Increasingly, you will have a sense that there is a presence, an intelligence,<br />
on the other side. In fact, you will have the experience that there<br />
is a great group assisting you and cheering for you. This will ease and<br />
eventually eliminate your fear of death because you will see that your<br />
Spiritual Family is waiting there."<br />
<ref name="gcs13"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"When you leave the world, you go home to your Spiritual Family. You go home to inherent reality,<br />
with either your mission completed or your mission left undone."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Thus it is when you are complete in this life, you will leave, but you will not leave alone, for in your heart you will embrace the memory, the presence and the reality of all those whom you have touched and who have touched you, and there will not be any spot or residue, not even any hint of unforgiveness that will remain behind you to spoil your gift and your giving.”<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"When this life is over and you return to your Spiritual Family, they will only have one question for you, and that is whether you made your sacred rendezvous in life and gave your gifts to the world. And in that moment you will know with absolute clarity whether you did or did not. There is no punishment here, but the weight of failure is great. It means you will have to try again, and go through the whole process all over again. That should be incentive enough to encourage most people to proceed."<br />
<ref>The Rays of Initiation (July 24, 2012)</ref><br />
<br />
== Other excerpts==<br />
<br />
"It is when you stop meeting challenges that your life begins to wane and that the process of death begins for you. Whenever you stop meeting challenges, you begin to die. As long as you meet challenges, you will exert life, you will stimulate life and you will have life."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Knowledge is not confined by changing circumstances. It does not have the fallibility of the intellect. It is not threatened by death and destruction."<br />
<ref>Where Will You Place Your Faith? (June 28, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You should know that no one is ever condemned to death in the name of religion. God has never given prescriptions for this, in any form, in any tradition. If you see this written in religious texts, it is because it has been added by people. It has been invented. It is a human invention. God never prescribes death as a punishment under any circumstances. So if it is prescribed, it is done not with God’s blessing. Whatever justification is given for capital punishment, it is given by people and not by God. That must be clearly understood, and the fact that it is not clearly understood gives rise to much confusion and much misinterpretation of what religion is and what it is for and what it is here to promote… To claim death or physical abuse or punishment in the name of God is an abomination. It is a violation. It is a misunderstanding and misuse of religion. And there are no exceptions to this. No matter how grievous a person’s errors, no matter how different a person’s view might be, capital punishment and physical abuse are never allowed in the name of God. It is untrue fundamentally. It is inherently wrong. It is an abomination." <ref>The Admonition, February 1, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have come from death to here. Death is both the beginning and an ending, but it is only a stage of your great existence and your great service to life."<ref>What happens after death? July 11, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"All of your worldly possessions, your physical body, the significance of your name and the glory of whatever fame you establish for yourself are all given up when you leave here."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Life without God is extremely complicated and terribly fearful. It is always beset by anxiety and the threat of annihilation.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 23</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People who are not satisfied with the normal range of things ask<br />
very great questions that other people may find foolish or unnecessary,<br />
such as “What is the meaning of my life? Is there life beyond death of the<br />
body? What is the purpose of my life, if it has a purpose at all?”These<br />
things can only be known in hindsight. At the end of your life, you’ll look<br />
back and see what has transpired.Then you will have a much more substantial<br />
view of your life’s purpose than someone who is looking into the<br />
future and trying to speculate."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 34</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
*''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 14: Completing Relationships <br />
*[http://www.newknowledgelibrary.org/products/What-Happens-After-Death.html What Happens After Death (July 11, 2008)]<br />
==See also==<br />
<br />
[[Judgment Day]]<br />
<br />
[[Fear]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Spiritual_Family&diff=4085Spiritual Family2012-12-17T00:50:50Z<p>Mitch: /* The return after this world */</p>
<hr />
<div>"Your Spiritual Family is comprised of both the relationships that you have fully reclaimed thus far in your overall evolution in physical life and those relationships you are meant to reclaim now and in the future. Your Spiritual Family is your learning group."<br />
<ref name="rhp5">''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
==Identifications==<br />
<br />
"The purpose of two members of a Spiritual Family meeting is to activate Knowledge and to generate true contribution."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"A Spiritual Family is an experience and not a definition.... [Y]our Spiritual Family represents a small learning group that has been developed over a long time. At your stage of development, you work best in small groups. That is why your Spiritual Family represents a small group. Not all of your Spiritual Family live within this world. Some of them exist in the Greater Community. Not all of your development has been in this world because you yourself have had experiences of the Greater Community."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have a relationship with your Spiritual Family. This can be experienced, but you must become close to your Spiritual Family. You will become close as you come closer to Knowledge within you because Knowledge and your Spiritual Family are inextricably intertwined. One will remind you of the other." <br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your Spiritual Family is comprised of both the relationships that you have fully reclaimed thus far in your overall evolution in physical life and those relationships you are meant to reclaim now and in the future. Your Spiritual Family is your learning group. This means that you are not only an individual, you are also part of a group."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"What gives you the strength and the power to make decisions<br />
is God and your Spiritual Family, who are devoted to your spiritual emergence.<br />
But still, the power of decision must be utilized by you."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 33</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have relationships with others in the Greater Community of worlds because this world is not your only home. Your network of meaningful relationships exists far beyond humanity because humanity is but one colony of intelligent life amongst many who dwell together in the Greater Community. You have relationships there, and for you these relationships may be very primary because they are relationships with members of your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have known each other from before. Yet your experience of one another is not born of past life experience, but of creation beyond the physical reality entirely. You have had past life experiences with many individuals who are not part of your Spiritual Family. Your Spiritual Family is a small group. Yet you have had past life experiences with thousands and thousands of individuals."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your Spiritual Family is [not] some obscure idea. It is the very fountainhead of your well-being. It is the greatest establishment in your relationships. It represents the truest affinity that you can yet experience. It represents the greatest opportunity for relationship while you are in the world."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have friends beyond this world because your Spiritual Family<br />
has its representatives everywhere."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 211</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Nothing in the world can separate you from your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Members of the same Spiritual Family can ignite Knowledge in one another and, therefore, provide the context for true initiation into spiritual awareness and power."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your network of meaningful relationships exists far beyond humanity because humanity is but one colony of intelligent life amongst many who dwell together in the Greater Community. You have relationships there, and for you these relationships may be very primary because they are relationships with members of your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp15"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Personal relationships [are] what concerns most people, and these are the primary arenas for learning. However, there are greater contexts for relationship within the Greater Community and within your Spiritual Family. your capacity to experience relationship and affinity and your capacity to express yourself constructively with people must be cultivated first in order for you to wisely and successfully encounter intelligent life in the Greater Community. Building this capacity will enable you in the future to have a direct encounter both with your Inner Teachers and with your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp15"/><br />
<br />
<br />
===The Unseen Ones===<br />
<br />
"Your Inner Teachers ... are the advanced members of your Spiritual Family. They are the members of your Spiritual Family who have graduated from learning in the physical reality. Now they must assist those who remain behind so that your Spiritual Family may move forward."<br />
<ref name="rhp11">''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People think it is quite phenomenal that Teachers such as ourselves<br />
come on the scene. Some people regard our presence as intrusive. Others<br />
accept it with a sigh of relief. But it is Teachers such as ourselves, indeed<br />
all members of your Spiritual Family, who have made all of your progress<br />
possible."<br />
<ref name="wgcI10">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 10</ref><br />
<br />
==Directives==<br />
<br />
"Do not think you have met a member of your Spiritual Family because this can only be known, and here its value will only be determined by what you can do together."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Be glad that you are part of a Spiritual Family, for this gives you the discernment necessary to seek out those individuals with whom you must learn and with whom you are meant to become engaged."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"[Freedom] is a gift that you as an<br />
individual and you as a member of a Spiritual Family must advocate for, preserve and protect."<br />
<ref>Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Ultimately, you will need to transcend your ideas about Spiritual Family in order to experience your own Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Accept that true marriage is inevitable for you because you are married to your Spiritual Family and your Inner Teachers already."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
==Original purpose==<br />
<br />
"You were sent into the world by your Spiritual Family, those assembled to help you, those you are connected to already."<br />
<ref>Freedom (February 3, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You have come into the world to serve your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are undertaking your development not only for yourself, but also for your Spiritual Family."<br />
<ref name="rhp11"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You were sent into the world by God to serve your Spiritual Family. You were sent to initiate and reclaim relationships, to recognize your gifts, to allow them to be expressed and to undergo a lifelong process of preparation, each stage of which is necessary for you and necessary for those who will know you. The success of your life will be for you and for those with whom you become engaged."<br />
<ref name="rhp15">''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
==The search for connection==<br />
<br />
"People are always seeking their Spiritual Family. They seek it in personal<br />
relationships. They seek it in political causes and in religious causes.<br />
They seek it in peace, and they seek it in war. They do not know what<br />
they are seeking, but to be alone in this world is a terrible destiny. Yet,<br />
you are not alone. Before you came into this world, you were not alone,<br />
and those who were with you then are with you now."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You may find a member of your Spiritual Family, but you may not be able to participate together because neither of you are ready."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
==The experience of presence==<br />
<br />
"Your Spiritual Family beyond the world is supporting your spiritual development by communicating to you through the Mental Environment. "<br />
<ref name="ltwok6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your Spiritual Family is with you now. Those who are not in the physical reality are with you now and you can experience their presence. This will be your experience of spiritual presence. Your Inner Teachers will help to cultivate and nourish these growing associations so that your experience of spiritual presence and your ability to experience affinity with other people may grow."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
==The return after this world==<br />
"When you return to your Spiritual Family after you leave this world, they will look at you to see if you have accomplished your task, if you made the deeper connection. And you will know if you have or you have not. There is no judgment and condemnation, only recognition here."<br />
<ref>The Engagement (April 16, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"When you leave the world, you go home to your Spiritual Family. You go home to inherent reality,<br />
with either your mission completed or your mission left undone."<br />
<ref name="ltwok6">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"When this life is over and you return to your Spiritual Family, they will only have one question for you, and that is whether you made your sacred rendezvous in life and gave your gifts to the world. And in that moment you will know with absolute clarity whether you did or did not. There is no punishment here, but the weight of failure is great. It means you will have to try again, and go through the whole process all over again. That should be incentive enough to encourage most people to proceed."<br />
<ref>The Rays of Initiation (July 24, 2012)</ref><br />
<br />
==Metaphors==<br />
<br />
"You have come into the world to serve your Spiritual Family. Some members of your Spiritual Family are in this world at this time, some of them are in other worlds and some of them are not in physical reality at all. You have come into the world for your own advancement and for the advancement of your group. As your group advances and expands, it will be able to join with other groups, and then, like rivers joining with one another into greater and greater flowing bodies of water, you will find your way home to God, which is the source and destiny of all relationships."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
<br />
"If you are a piece of a puzzle, then your Spiritual Family is a large body of pieces that have already joined."<br />
<ref name="rhp5"/><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
<br />
''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 5: "Your Relationship with Your Spiritual Family"<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Religion&diff=4074Quotes About Religion2012-12-05T07:52:03Z<p>Mitch: /* Religion and the Greater Community */</p>
<hr />
<div>"Your religion now cannot be a religion of one world alone or for one people alone. It will have to be a [[the Greater Community|Greater Community]] religion - God of the Universe, a spirituality of the Universe."<br />
<ref name="tng">The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Do not think that religion in this world is a big mistake. It is actually the only thing that humanity has to offer the Greater Community at this point.”<br />
<ref>The Great Love, November 23, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
== The lifeblood of religion ==<br />
<br />
"Keeping religion alive in the world, despite its errors, took tremendous giving. You see, religion dies the minute after it is born. It is something that spoils very quickly and must be reborn every minute. If it is allowed to die, it becomes merely another thought system, a constraint now and not an apparatus for freedom. It must be renewed. What renews religion in the world is Knowledge, this quality of giving where individuals render their lives naturally. They infuse so much life into the idea of God that God comes alive. Without this infusion, God is dead. When people say, 'God is dead,' they say that because God has become merely an idea. The life of God is dissipated. Then someone comes along and gives his or her life and that is God. And you say, 'Oh, my. That is God!'"<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The Way of Knowledge, which is at the heart of all the world’s religions, must become its essential teaching, instead of a focus for clerics and monastics and exceptional individuals only. This is the challenge before you, or religion will be part of the problem for humanity and not its essential means of reconciliation, inspiration and a high ethical awareness. Let this be your understanding.”<br />
<ref name="rel">Religion, July 20, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God does not need your belief. God does not need your worship. God does not need to be celebrated. God needs to be followed. You follow God most profoundly, most purely, not by believing in the edicts of religion necessarily, but by building your connection to Knowledge. If religion is functioning correctly, it is helping you to build a bridge to Knowledge, to your own conscience and to live responsibly, ethically and beneficially, both for yourself and for others.”<br />
<ref>Preparing for the Future, September 5, 2007</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Whether you are religious or not, whether you believe in a religious teaching and adhere to that teaching, or whether you claim to have no religious affiliation, your progress is entirely dependent upon your connection to Knowledge.”<br />
<ref>God, Knowledge and the Angelic Presence, September 17, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The deeper recognition happens beyond the realm of the intellect. You may create ideas and evaluations of these experiences to your benefit, perhaps, but the experience itself is happening at a deeper level. It is getting to this deeper level that represents the focus of religion and spiritual practice in all of its forms.”<br />
<ref name="katlob">Knowledge and the Limits of Belief, November 3, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==The true purpose of religion==<br />
<br />
“For all the great religious traditions were fundamentally initiated by God to reunite the mind with the Spirit and to bring the mind under the direction of the Spirit. Here the mind is like the steward of the soul until the king can return or the queen can return, the true ruler of life can return.”<br />
<ref name="katlob"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“The purpose of all religious institutions fundamentally is to provide an environment where you can cultivate your desire and your capacity to experience God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God does not discriminate. God is not delighted with the religious and angry with the unreligious. God has placed the saving Grace within each person. The real purpose of religion is to bring people to this saving Grace. Religion in all of its forms is intended to do this. Even though religion has taken on other manifestations and assumed other purposes and in many cases has been adopted by political forces, this is its fundamental purpose—to bring you to Knowledge, to bring you to this deeper guiding intelligence that the Creator of all life has placed within you and within each person as a potential.”<br />
<ref>What Will Save Humanity (March 30, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Fundamentally the purpose of all spiritual development and religious education in its truest sense is to build a connection between your thinking mind, which is a product of all the world’s influences, and the deeper mind within you that God has created within you."<br />
<ref name="taow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Religion is what has been created to give spirituality an opportunity to be expressed and to be shared, to create an environment where spirituality can be experienced and applied. It is like a house within which spirituality can live: a structure, a pathway, a context, an orientation. That is the purpose of religion."<br />
<ref name="nmrlw">The New Message for the Religious Leaders of the World (May 27, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The purpose of all religion is to bring you to Knowledge for Knowledge is here to guide you and to protect you and to lead you to a greater life in service to the world. You of any faith or tradition, this is the case. You may pray to God. You may fall down on your knees and prostrate yourself in the temple or the mosque or the church. But until you begin to carry out God’s work that is meant for you to carry out you will not understand the real nature of your spiritual reality."<br />
<ref>The Origin (November 18, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Religion is not going to the church or the mosque or the temple or the holy site and going through the motions of what religious authorities have established as practice and custom. It is not forcing yourself to believe things that you hardly understand. That is not religion. Religion is the great engagement within you, between your thinking mind and the deeper mind of Knowledge within yourself. This engagement begins very slowly and can occur under any circumstances. You can go sit in a church or a mosque. You can go sit in your closet if necessary to gain the opportunity to be quiet and to listen.”<br />
<ref>The New Message for the Impoverished & Oppressed, April 18, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“There is no creation story. There is no final culmination to all experience that you can conceive of. So what then is religion without a creation story, without a final culminating experience and without a judgment day? Clearly, if religion is to be of service to its peoples, it must have a deeper foundation. It cannot be a story or a threat.”<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Simply said, the purpose of religion is to cultivate the desire and the capacity to experience the Divine Presence in one’s life. All teachings and rituals, whether within large institutions or within the privacy of one’s home, are for this purpose. And the desire and capacity to experience the Divine Presence is to bring one to the power of Knowledge that the Creator of all life has placed within each human heart.”<br />
<ref name="rel">Religion (July 20, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“In essence, all religion is to teach The Way of Knowledge, to bring the individual into the direct experience of Knowledge, the deeper mind beyond the intellect, the mind that God has provided each person to guide them, to protect them and to lead them to a greater life and expression in the world.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“In these words, we speak to the human heart, not to the intellect that wants to have everything figured out and wants to adhere to its notions, its beliefs and its traditions. There is nothing wrong with a tradition if it fulfills the basic purpose of religion, which is to inspire and expand people’s desire and capacity to experience the presence of God and to connect them with the deeper intelligence that God has placed within them that will be essential for their success and their well-being in the world. This is much more important than the teachings of the founder of a religious tradition. It is much more important than the religion’s official declarations of belief or doctrinaire.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“You who seek to know your greater purpose in the world and the greater meaning of your life are a religious person. Whether you belong to a church or a mosque or a synagogue or any other religious organization, that is secondary. Promoting a religious ideology in the world does not represent supporting God’s will and purpose here. It is only if this ideology and system of belief can meet the basic requirements of religion that they have real and lasting value and produce real benefit for people.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Religion is bringing you to God and to what God has placed within you to guide you, to protect you and to lead you to your great accomplishments in life. Anything beyond this is an invention, a human invention, an adaptation. People will have to figure out what this means in terms of the application of law and the running of society. God is not here to run society or to carry out the intricacies of jurisprudence or the administration of the law. God is pointing you to the Mystery, not to the manifestation. God is calling you to the Mystery, not prescribing the manifestation.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
===Misdirected purpose in religion===<br />
"God has planted Knowledge within every person as the seed and source of their redemption. Redemption will not occur because you believe in a great saint or a great Messenger. Redemption will not even occur if you believe in God or practice a religion faithfully, for you are still lost in the mind, the worldly mind. Your attempt at religion is an escape from the world, a desperate attempt to have purpose and meaning in your life that transcends the hard realities that you see all around you."<br />
<ref>Ending Separation (March 3, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is as if the unreligious have taken over the business of religion for their own purposes. Never having realized its essential purpose and meaning, they have turned it into something else. It is like now a political party, and of course religion has political aims as well.<br />
This is so far apart from God’s initial impulse and intention for religion—to keep Knowledge alive in the world, to teach The Way of Knowledge, to encourage human responsibility and ethical behavior, not simply as a prescript or as a requirement for admission into Heaven or some other exalted future state."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Religion (July 20, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Religious tyranny will become very evident in the world in the years to come. This is the result of people holding to an absolute idea in a relative reality. It will breed violence and hatred—everything that is counterproductive.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“So you have a world that is religious, but knows not of religion. You have a world where religious institutions and their advocates clash and compete with one another, not realizing that the Source of their faith is the same. They will have people demanding and expecting adherence to ideas and beliefs and admonitions, but who themselves have never received the real initiation into the mystery and the power of the Presence.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Religion has become concrete. It has become political. It has become an economic and social power that seeks to preserve its status and its power at whatever cost. So those who are truly responding to religion’s true purpose now find themselves in exile, now find themselves heretics and visionaries, following the Mystery—a Mystery that has been lost to so many in the religious orders and institutions. It is as if religion has become the enemy of what religion is really for. It is now the religion of the state, religion of tradition, religion of history, religion of fixed ideas, fixed beliefs and exclusive claims of authority. So far this is from the desire and intent of the Creator to keep Knowledge alive in the world.”<br />
<ref name="rel"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Religion has become a palliative. It has become a distraction more than an illumination. It has become something that people [use to] run away from the world to seek comfort and consolation instead of a preparation to engage in the world in a greater and more profound way." <br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==The end of localized religion==<br />
"How can you have a personal religion, like you have in the world, without God being localized? In the Greater Community, then, God is Knowledge."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You cannot claim your religion is the only religion or the great religion or the last religion or the final religion, for this is to claim that you know God’s Plan and Purpose now and into the future, and no one on Earth, no one in the physical universe, can make such a claim."<br />
<ref>The Burden of the Messenger (April 5, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The theologies and philosophies upon which each religion is built must be adaptable and responsive to a growing panorama of life and to a changing set of circumstances that represent the evolution of a race."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 27</ref><br />
<br />
==Religious leadership and education==<br />
"What essentially is the role of religious leaders in nearly all situations is to be providers and maintainers."<br />
<ref name="taow">[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/the-age-of-women The Age of Women] (Nov. 14, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
== World Religions==<br />
<br />
"The old religions, if they are held in contempt of one another, have really become obsolete and will become increasingly so in the future. Now you must see Jesus within the Greater Community and Muhammad and the Buddha and all the great saints and emissaries in a larger context, in a greater series of Revelations..."<br />
<ref name="tng"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"All the religions, though they compete with one another, though they demean one another, and though they may proclaim that they themselves are the one true faith, have in fact and in reality been initiated by God. God has given rise to them all. Like many rivers flowing into the sea, they are meant to nourish all the lands and all the peoples of the world. Only one who is truly mature in their own faith can see this. Otherwise, they feel they must defend their faith against other faiths, setting in motion competition, denial, criticism, hatred and mistrust. Certainly this has happened in all cases. But the truth remains that God created all the religions. And they are all meant to serve in bringing the Divine presence, will and purpose into the minds and the hearts of people everywhere—in different cultures, in different climates, to people with very different social patterns and behaviors in all the eras of history."<br />
<ref name="nmrlw"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"All the religious traditions of the world ... have a contribution to make. They are all important. One is not greater than another. To think like this is not to understand the Will of Heaven, for it is only a united humanity that will be able to contend with the challenges of living in a new world and with the greater challenges of preserving your freedom and sovereignty amidst the presence of greater forces in the universe."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"There are many people in the world today who know they must prepare for something, who feel called to a greater participation, who have a sense that their life is more important than the mundane activities of the day. Some will not find their way in the religious traditions of the world because they are being prepared and called for something new in the world. They are more connected to the future than the past, and the future is calling them and pulling them forward."<br />
<ref>The Gift of a New Life (May 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==Religion and the Intervention==<br />
<br />
"This Group Mind process of course is being used throughout the world in leadership circles in government and religion and commerce, but rarely is Knowledge their guide, and rarely do they employ seers. Humanity just has not reached this level of sophistication yet. So regarding your position in the Greater Community, humanity is at a disadvantage here. <br />
Its strength, your strength, is that religion has been kept alive in the world. The recognition of God’s power and presence is honored and recognized by many, whereas in most nations in this region of space, religion has either become worship of the state or has disappeared altogether. <br />
Here you have an advantage because even the ancient pathways of religion offer the experience of Knowledge. Perhaps this is not emphasized. Perhaps this is not specified in the Teachings, but the individual is encouraged to have a relationship with the Divine and to be responsive to the Divine in most situations."<br />
<ref>Group Mind (March 18, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Having no religion of their own, [the Intervention] will use yours to engender their own values."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]] Book One'', Fourth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Religion and the Greater Community==<br />
<br />
"Religions have life spans. This is true throughout the Greater Community. Religions have life spans because they serve eras of development. Then they are either replaced or they change and expand in order to adapt. If they cannot adapt, they will be replaced because the reality of life will make their teaching and their emphasis less and less relevant and meaningful.<br />
In the Greater Community religions are initiated, they reach a maturity and then they enter old age where they die off. Out of their old age a new impetus, a new meaning and a new message can be given to restore and to renew the race's spiritual vitality and to give this vitality an immediate relevancy to life as it is expanding and developing."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 26</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"This message is destined to reach people who have a greater spiritual affinity. Therefore, it is necessary that we elaborate on this subject. We advocate a spirituality that is taught in the Greater Community, not the spirituality that is governed by nations, governments or political alliances, but a natural spirituality - the ability to know, to see and to act."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book One, First Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Thinking that your religion is the one true religion will stand in the way of your redemption. Condemning other nations, peoples and religions will prevent you from receiving this redemption. Being self-righteous and the defender of your faith will blind you, and you will turn your back to God.”<br />
<ref name="tng">The New God, February 12, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God does not care what religion you belong to. God is not attached to the theology of any religion, for in the universe there are countless religions. God will respond to the turning of your life, to the opening of your heart, to the emerging need of the soul, the deepest need you have, which is the need to fulfill your purpose as the means of reconciliation".<br />
<ref>The Reconciliation, May 2, 2011</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Here you must realize that God has initiated all the world’s religions, and they have all been changed by people, even radically changed. To correct the errors of the past, to renew the true faith and to bring forth the great truth of the ancient religions in their pure form, God has sent a New Revelation into the world, not to replace the religions of the world, but to clarify them and to give them new strength and power and a greater unity with one another.<br />
<ref name="tng"/> <br />
<br />
<br />
"Here a Christian must become a Christian with a Greater Community awareness. A Muslim becomes a Muslim with a Greater Community awareness. A Buddhist and a Jew gain a greater panorama of life to which their religious teachings must become relevant. If religion in the world is to educate and to enlighten, it must have this greater capacity and awareness."<br />
<ref>Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[The world's religions]]<br />
<br />
[[Separation of Church and State]]<br />
<br />
[[category:god]]<br />
<br />
[[category:practice]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Universal_truths&diff=4035Universal truths2012-11-12T22:56:48Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"So, the first Spiritual Truth is that there is no absolute truth here."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Desire for freedom==<br />
"Whatever form the desire for freedom takes, it is universal, both within this world and within the Greater Community of worlds in the Universe around you. Beyond meeting certain basic requirements of life, freedom represents a deeper need of the soul, and this deeper need expresses itself through a person’s understanding—through their ideas and associations. But the pure impulse comes from deeper within them, beyond the realm of the intellect or intellectual understanding."<br />
<ref name="nmof">The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"There must be a fundamental shift in your understanding of freedom. Said most simply, your freedom here is to find your purpose and to fulfill it."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
===Requirements for freedom & sovereignty===<br />
"The three requirements for freedom are all unmet by the human family at this time. You are not united and face the risk of greater division and conflict between your peoples and nations. You are rapidly destroying your self-sufficiency in your world. And you are hardly discreet, broadcasting your strengths and weaknesses to all who wish to view them....<br />
<br />
These are the three great needs of humanity, not only for your own well being and your future in this world, but also to give you the opportunity to build real freedom and unity in the Greater Community. Any contribution that you can make as an individual and as part of the human family in this regard is vitally important in giving humanity a greater freedom and a greater promise for the future."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
*'''Must be unified'''<br />
"Human unity now will not be the consequence of ideology but of necessity, for you will fail if you are divided facing the great change in your world, and you will fail in the face of the Greater Community if you cannot establish this unity of will and purpose. All free nations in the universe must establish this unity of will and purpose, particularly regarding their use of their home worlds and their awareness and approach to the Greater Community. This need, therefore, is universal.<br />
<br />
Your evolution has always been towards greater unity and cooperation, but now it must enter a more mature phase. For no nation will prosper and remain free if other nations in your world fall under foreign persuasion—a persuasion that will encourage human conflict in order to weaken the earthly powers that you have and to weaken the strength of the human family, fracturing it and making it more susceptible to persuasion, to foreign manipulation and to the need for foreign technology."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book 3: Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
*'''Must be self-sufficient'''<br />
<br />
*'''Must be discreet'''<br />
"Living underground has many advantages. Discretion is one of them. But that is not your condition now, so you will have to find other ways to maintain discretion.<br />
<br />
Your world is being watched. Your governments are being watched. Your conflicts are being watched. Your trade and commerce are being watched. Your tendencies are being watched, both by your allies and by those who would seek to exploit you.<br />
<br />
In the future, should you gain a greater unity and should you be able to sustain the use of your world, the development of this discretion will become essential. For indiscretion is always exploited in nature. It always makes one vulnerable in nature, and the universe is a natural environment, fundamentally."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
==Learning from others==<br />
"To advance in the way of Knowledge, to learn of the world and to find your contribution, you must be able to learn from others. So, let us now explore this together.<br />
<br />
Positioning yourself as a student offers you a great advantage and can in many ways protect you from your own destructive tendencies. Claiming and reinforcing your studenthood gives you the opportunity to learn in a very maximal way and tends to prevent you from making premature conclusions or identifying with self-comforting ideas. It allows you to be open, vulnerable, perceptive, observant and can in many ways restrain you from coming to conclusions that do not represent a deeper understanding. By the very nature of studenthood, one must wait to learn.Yet, during this time of waiting, one must apply oneself. One must seek a curriculum of preparation, and one must become very observant of others.<br />
<br />
This seems so obvious in order to learn anything of great importance. Surely, if you think of any skill that you value, you realize that you will need instruction; you will need some kind of curriculum; you will need help from others. And you will need many examples.This is universally true and has so many applications."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]]'', Volume 2, Chapter 20: Learning from Others</ref><br />
<br />
==The wise remain hidden==<br />
"Let us give this very great idea from the Greater Community for you to consider. This is a truth that advanced races in the Greater Community have come to realize through life’s experience. Because it is a universal truth, it means that it is applicable everywhere. It is a truth that transcends race, culture, temperament and nature. It is true everywhere, whether you are a human being, or whether you are something else.The truth is this: The Wise remain hidden to remain wise. We recommend that you contemplate this idea, but do not be satisfied with your first conclusions. You must go far beyond them to reach the real meaning of this idea.This idea is so important if you can consider it and stay with it long enough because it teaches you about yourself, about the nature of your real ability, about the role of Knowledge and about the reality of the world. Only a person who can penetrate this idea will gain these great results."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]]'', Volume 2, Chapter 32: Pride</ref><br />
<br />
==What is the World?==<br />
"In a greater context, the world is a place where you have come to serve, to give and to reunite with those whom you are destined to meet, to know and to participate with. This definition, though universally true, is a truth that is not accessible to many human beings at this stage of development, for they are much too focused on survival and gratification to be able to see its importance.However, even as you grasp this idea and begin to experience it within your own range of relationships and understanding, it opens up a whole new panorama, a greater vista where things can be seen and known which could not be seen and known before."<br />
<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/books/greater-community-spirituality-contents.php ''Greater Community Spirituality''] Chapter 2: What is the World?</ref><br />
<br />
==To give is to receive==<br />
"As you give yourself, you will receive and in this you will learn the ancient law that to give is to receive."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 148</ref><br />
<br />
==What you affirm within yourself...==<br />
"YOU GIVE TO THE WORLD THROUGH YOUR OWN DEVELOPMENT at this time, for you are preparing to give a greater gift than you have ever given before.Thus, each day that you undertake the practice according to each step that is given, you give a gift to the world.Why is this? It is because you acknowledge your value and your worth.You acknowledge your Ancient Home and your Ancient Destiny.You acknowledge those who sent you and those who will receive you when you leave this world. All this is given to the world each time you practice sincerely, upon each day, upon each hour. This is a greater gift to the world than you can yet understand, but in time you will see the total need that it fulfills.<br />
<br />
THEREFORE, YOUR PRACTICE IS A GIFT TO THE WORLD, for it gives that which you are affirming within yourself. What you affirm within yourself you affirm for all individuals, in all circumstances, in all worlds and in all dimensions. Thus, you affirm the reality of Knowledge. Thus, you affirm your Ancient Home while you are here."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 149</ref><br />
<br />
==All minds are truly joined==<br />
"Give all that you realize you can give, for this is a gift to the world. Though you cannot as yet see the result, have confidence that this giving will extend beyond your own mind and will touch all minds in the universe, for all minds are truly joined in reality."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 149</ref><br />
<br />
==The source of all judgment is fear==<br />
"Do not rely upon your judgments of yourself and the world. As you withdraw from them, you will realize that their source is fear, for you have only been trying to comfort yourself with your judgments, to provide a false security, stability and identity which you feel you are lacking. Therefore, be without a substitute for Wisdom and Knowledge, and allow Wisdom and Knowledge to arise naturally."<br />
<br />
"Only from a place of self-love can you offer correction to yourself and to others."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 151</ref><br />
<br />
==Communication is life==<br />
"Your life is communication, for communication is life. Communication is the extension of Knowledge. It is not merely the sharing of little ideas from one separated mind to another. Communication is far greater, for communication creates life and extends life, and within this is all joy and fulfillment. Within this is the depth of all meaning. Here darkness and light mix together and cease their separation. Here all opposites blend and melt into each other.This is the unity of all life."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 153</ref><br />
<br />
==Alone you have no meaning==<br />
"Alone you have no meaning. There are no meaningful individuals in the universe. An individual is a potential for relationship. It is the relationships that are important. It is what you are connected to and who you represent that gives meaning to your existence here. It is what you belong to— not as in a political party or a social club, but who in your heart you are joined with— that gives meaning and substance to your existence. No matter how great and glorious you may become as an individual, no matter how esteemed and worshipped you may be in your society, you are only a potential human being until you have given your life to another. As a potential human being, you will not find your fulfillment. You will not fully experience your meaning or your purpose in the world or the direction that you must go in life. And you will need more and more adulation in order to offset the terrible sense of isolation that you feel.<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
"How can you understand yourself except in the context of contribution to others? Alone you can do nothing. Alone you have no meaning.This is because you are not alone.This will be viewed as a burden and as a threat until you realize the great meaning that it has and the gift that it really is. It is the salvation of your life.When life reclaims you, you reclaim life and receive all of its rewards, which far exceed anything that you could give yourself.The value of your life is consummated and fully demonstrated through your contribution to others because until contribution exists, you can only partially realize yourself—your value, your purpose, your meaning and your direction."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 53</ref><br />
<br />
==Greater Community like our own world==<br />
"Here you must come not with hopeful expectations or with dread or fear, but with a greater sobriety and clarity of mind. Do not approach the Greater Community wanting things for yourself, hoping and believing that those whom you will encounter will provide these things for you. For this is unwise and will rob you of the discernment that you must have to see clearly and to be able to discern those opportunities that are beneficial from those that only appear to be beneficial. This is the wisdom one must utilize within one’s own world, for this is a universal truth."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book 3: First Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Evolution of intelligent races==<br />
"You have become increasingly interdependent between your nations and cultures.<br />
<br />
This was the intention of the Creator, for this is the natural evolution of humanity and all intelligent races in the universe." <ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Steps_to_Knowledge&diff=4034Steps to Knowledge2012-11-12T21:37:05Z<p>Mitch: /* Description */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Description==<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] is the core book of practices for building desire and capacity for [[Knowledge]]. It is one of the many [[Sacred Texts]] of [[The New Message from God]]. It consists of 365 lessons, to be practiced one a day. After practicing Steps twice through, the [[Steps to Knowledge]] '''Continuation Training''' is recommended for further practice.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[Marshall Vian Summers]] received Steps to Knowledge in a [[state of revelation]] during the days and nights of May 26 to June 14, 1989, in the garden level of a small house by a golf course in Albany, New York. It was recorded onto 11 audio cassettes and then transcribed into text. The period of the Steps to Knowledge revelation is celebrated annually since 2010 as the [[Steps Anniversary]].<br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] was nearly the first book received, after seven years of preparation. "In case anything had happened to me."<br />
<br />
Steps was originally hand bound on an ironing board, by [[Marshall Vian Summers]], [[Patricia Summers]] and their companions. It was later printed professionally for the book trade and is now in its third edition. <br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] has been available online as a PDF at http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf<br />
for no charge since about 2005. It was e-published as a Kindle book in 2011.<br />
<br />
==Why it Was Received==<br />
Our world is at the threshold of emerging into a Greater Community of intelligent life in the universe around us. Therefore, a more universal understanding and perspective on relationships, spirituality and human advancement are needed at this time. [[Steps to Knowledge]] is provided for those who show promise of being the primary contributors during the next great period in human history, where humanity begins to encounter other intelligent races from the Greater community. This is the greatest threshold that we have ever faced. Yet from a Great Community perspective, it is clear that humanity is not prepared. This has set the stage for a new spiritual understanding and teaching to be given to the world, for the Creator would not leave us alone and unprepared for our emergence into the Greater Community. Thus, a spiritual preparation of a very unique kind has been given which can enable men and women to gain the power, the compassion and the skill needed to serve a world in transition. To prepare these individuals to find their greater calling in life, [[Steps to Knowledge]] and its companion books have been provided as a quide and a resource.<br />
<br />
==How to Work with Steps==<br />
Consider these following recommendations to enable you to receive the maximum benefit from your study of [[Steps to Knowledge]].<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a complete program of study. Each step takes you higher and closer to your self-discovery. Therefore, plan to go the whole way. If you don't stop, you will advance.<br />
*Though [[Steps to Knowledge]] is a self-study program, it is recommended that you find others with whom you can share your practice and experience. This maximizes your opportunity for learning and provides a meaningful basis for new relationships to form. <br />
*Follow the ''Steps'' in [[Steps to Knowledge]] exactly as they are given. Do not alter the practices in any way. This is very important. You may stay on one lesson for more than a day if you wish, but do not stay on any lesson for too long or you may lose pace with the curriculum.<br />
*Do not skip ahead or alter the sequence to practice lessons that you find to be attractive. Each lesson is designed to take you one step at a time. This provides a safe and successful passage in your approach to [[Knowledge]]. Follow and utilize the step for the day. It is perfect for that day.<br />
*Read the lesson both in the morning when you arise and later in the day. You may also read the lesson in the first person, on one of these occasions, if you wish to personalize the message for yourself.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] will teach you how to practice and how to develop effective study habits. At times you may find that staying with the practices will be quite a challenge. Yet remember that ''Steps'' will build both your strength and self-awareness through its practices. You are able to do these practices and doing them will harmonize and transform your life.<br />
*Set aside regular practice times each day. Do not let circumstances dictate your availability to practice. Practice is essential for building an environment for [[Knowledge]] to emerge. Practice times have been added at the bottom of each step to assist you in integrating the practice for the day.<br />
*Keeping a journal is extremely valuable in tracking your progress and in seeing how each step plays a part in serving you every day. The journal is a powerful tool for self-discovery and will assist you in applying the steps. Keeping a journal also will greatly help you in using the REVIEW pracitices that occur througout the curriculum.<br />
*Be patient and allow the steps to work for you. It is amazingly powerful if you follow the sequence of the steps as they are given. This takes time. A great journey is made up of many little steps. Each one is necessary.<br />
*If you miss a day, simply return to practice. Do not condemn yourself (or the program). You need only continue in ''Steps'' to receive its full benefit.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a gift to you from [[God]] through [[The Unseen Ones]] who serve humanity. It is a gift for you to receive and to give.<br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
"Let Knowledge be your guide and let the world tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be watchful. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for Humanity. You are blessed to even know of this."<br />
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltw3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'' Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Become dedicated to finding Knowledge and you will find Knowledge. And you will find those relationships that are based upon Knowledge. And those relationships will empower you and enable you to develop the other three pillars of your life."<br />
<ref name="ltw3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Taking the steps to Knowledge ... will teach you how to listen within yourself. They will teach you how to become patient and observant. They will help you to settle down and become less restless. They will relieve you of your anxiety, which drives you constantly in life. They will enable you to experience your deeper feelings and emotions and to forgive those individuals and those circumstances that you feel have wounded you in the past.<br />
Now you are learning to listen, and you are listening for the deeper current of your life. Now you are listening to others. This listening is so important because people need to be heard. Even the person ranting at the railway station who seems to be mad and crazy, even they are trying to be heard, and no one will listen to them. They are trying to be heard. And they are trying to be heard because they need recognition—not for who they think they are, not for their ideas, but for who they really are underneath all of that."<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Talk:Steps to Knowledge]] for Suggested Guidelines for Steps Study Groups<br />
==Further Study==<br />
===Downloads===<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Introduction'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge-introduction.pdf document]<br />
<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf document]<br />
<br />
[[category:sacred Texts]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Steps_to_Knowledge&diff=4033Steps to Knowledge2012-11-12T21:36:41Z<p>Mitch: /* Description */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Description==<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] is the core book of practices for building desire and capacity for [[Knowledge]]. It is one of the many [[Sacred Texts]] of [[The New Message from God]]. It consists of 365 lessons, to be practiced one a day. After practicing Steps twice through, the [[Steps to Knowledge]] '''- Continuation Training''' is recommended for further practice.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[Marshall Vian Summers]] received Steps to Knowledge in a [[state of revelation]] during the days and nights of May 26 to June 14, 1989, in the garden level of a small house by a golf course in Albany, New York. It was recorded onto 11 audio cassettes and then transcribed into text. The period of the Steps to Knowledge revelation is celebrated annually since 2010 as the [[Steps Anniversary]].<br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] was nearly the first book received, after seven years of preparation. "In case anything had happened to me."<br />
<br />
Steps was originally hand bound on an ironing board, by [[Marshall Vian Summers]], [[Patricia Summers]] and their companions. It was later printed professionally for the book trade and is now in its third edition. <br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] has been available online as a PDF at http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf<br />
for no charge since about 2005. It was e-published as a Kindle book in 2011.<br />
<br />
==Why it Was Received==<br />
Our world is at the threshold of emerging into a Greater Community of intelligent life in the universe around us. Therefore, a more universal understanding and perspective on relationships, spirituality and human advancement are needed at this time. [[Steps to Knowledge]] is provided for those who show promise of being the primary contributors during the next great period in human history, where humanity begins to encounter other intelligent races from the Greater community. This is the greatest threshold that we have ever faced. Yet from a Great Community perspective, it is clear that humanity is not prepared. This has set the stage for a new spiritual understanding and teaching to be given to the world, for the Creator would not leave us alone and unprepared for our emergence into the Greater Community. Thus, a spiritual preparation of a very unique kind has been given which can enable men and women to gain the power, the compassion and the skill needed to serve a world in transition. To prepare these individuals to find their greater calling in life, [[Steps to Knowledge]] and its companion books have been provided as a quide and a resource.<br />
<br />
==How to Work with Steps==<br />
Consider these following recommendations to enable you to receive the maximum benefit from your study of [[Steps to Knowledge]].<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a complete program of study. Each step takes you higher and closer to your self-discovery. Therefore, plan to go the whole way. If you don't stop, you will advance.<br />
*Though [[Steps to Knowledge]] is a self-study program, it is recommended that you find others with whom you can share your practice and experience. This maximizes your opportunity for learning and provides a meaningful basis for new relationships to form. <br />
*Follow the ''Steps'' in [[Steps to Knowledge]] exactly as they are given. Do not alter the practices in any way. This is very important. You may stay on one lesson for more than a day if you wish, but do not stay on any lesson for too long or you may lose pace with the curriculum.<br />
*Do not skip ahead or alter the sequence to practice lessons that you find to be attractive. Each lesson is designed to take you one step at a time. This provides a safe and successful passage in your approach to [[Knowledge]]. Follow and utilize the step for the day. It is perfect for that day.<br />
*Read the lesson both in the morning when you arise and later in the day. You may also read the lesson in the first person, on one of these occasions, if you wish to personalize the message for yourself.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] will teach you how to practice and how to develop effective study habits. At times you may find that staying with the practices will be quite a challenge. Yet remember that ''Steps'' will build both your strength and self-awareness through its practices. You are able to do these practices and doing them will harmonize and transform your life.<br />
*Set aside regular practice times each day. Do not let circumstances dictate your availability to practice. Practice is essential for building an environment for [[Knowledge]] to emerge. Practice times have been added at the bottom of each step to assist you in integrating the practice for the day.<br />
*Keeping a journal is extremely valuable in tracking your progress and in seeing how each step plays a part in serving you every day. The journal is a powerful tool for self-discovery and will assist you in applying the steps. Keeping a journal also will greatly help you in using the REVIEW pracitices that occur througout the curriculum.<br />
*Be patient and allow the steps to work for you. It is amazingly powerful if you follow the sequence of the steps as they are given. This takes time. A great journey is made up of many little steps. Each one is necessary.<br />
*If you miss a day, simply return to practice. Do not condemn yourself (or the program). You need only continue in ''Steps'' to receive its full benefit.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a gift to you from [[God]] through [[The Unseen Ones]] who serve humanity. It is a gift for you to receive and to give.<br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
"Let Knowledge be your guide and let the world tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be watchful. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for Humanity. You are blessed to even know of this."<br />
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltw3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'' Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Become dedicated to finding Knowledge and you will find Knowledge. And you will find those relationships that are based upon Knowledge. And those relationships will empower you and enable you to develop the other three pillars of your life."<br />
<ref name="ltw3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Taking the steps to Knowledge ... will teach you how to listen within yourself. They will teach you how to become patient and observant. They will help you to settle down and become less restless. They will relieve you of your anxiety, which drives you constantly in life. They will enable you to experience your deeper feelings and emotions and to forgive those individuals and those circumstances that you feel have wounded you in the past.<br />
Now you are learning to listen, and you are listening for the deeper current of your life. Now you are listening to others. This listening is so important because people need to be heard. Even the person ranting at the railway station who seems to be mad and crazy, even they are trying to be heard, and no one will listen to them. They are trying to be heard. And they are trying to be heard because they need recognition—not for who they think they are, not for their ideas, but for who they really are underneath all of that."<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Talk:Steps to Knowledge]] for Suggested Guidelines for Steps Study Groups<br />
==Further Study==<br />
===Downloads===<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Introduction'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge-introduction.pdf document]<br />
<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf document]<br />
<br />
[[category:sacred Texts]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Steps_to_Knowledge&diff=4032Steps to Knowledge2012-11-12T21:29:04Z<p>Mitch: /* Downloads */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Description==<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] is the core book of practices for building desire and capacity for [[Knowledge]]. It is one of the many [[Sacred Texts]] of [[The New Message from God]]. It consists of 365 lessons, to be practiced one a day. After practicing Steps twice through, the [[Steps Continuation Training]] is recommended for further practice.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
[[Marshall Vian Summers]] received Steps to Knowledge in a [[state of revelation]] during the days and nights of May 26 to June 14, 1989, in the garden level of a small house by a golf course in Albany, New York. It was recorded onto 11 audio cassettes and then transcribed into text. The period of the Steps to Knowledge revelation is celebrated annually since 2010 as the [[Steps Anniversary]].<br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] was nearly the first book received, after seven years of preparation. "In case anything had happened to me."<br />
<br />
Steps was originally hand bound on an ironing board, by [[Marshall Vian Summers]], [[Patricia Summers]] and their companions. It was later printed professionally for the book trade and is now in its third edition. <br />
<br />
[[Steps to Knowledge]] has been available online as a PDF at http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf<br />
for no charge since about 2005. It was e-published as a Kindle book in 2011.<br />
<br />
==Why it Was Received==<br />
Our world is at the threshold of emerging into a Greater Community of intelligent life in the universe around us. Therefore, a more universal understanding and perspective on relationships, spirituality and human advancement are needed at this time. [[Steps to Knowledge]] is provided for those who show promise of being the primary contributors during the next great period in human history, where humanity begins to encounter other intelligent races from the Greater community. This is the greatest threshold that we have ever faced. Yet from a Great Community perspective, it is clear that humanity is not prepared. This has set the stage for a new spiritual understanding and teaching to be given to the world, for the Creator would not leave us alone and unprepared for our emergence into the Greater Community. Thus, a spiritual preparation of a very unique kind has been given which can enable men and women to gain the power, the compassion and the skill needed to serve a world in transition. To prepare these individuals to find their greater calling in life, [[Steps to Knowledge]] and its companion books have been provided as a quide and a resource.<br />
<br />
==How to Work with Steps==<br />
Consider these following recommendations to enable you to receive the maximum benefit from your study of [[Steps to Knowledge]].<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a complete program of study. Each step takes you higher and closer to your self-discovery. Therefore, plan to go the whole way. If you don't stop, you will advance.<br />
*Though [[Steps to Knowledge]] is a self-study program, it is recommended that you find others with whom you can share your practice and experience. This maximizes your opportunity for learning and provides a meaningful basis for new relationships to form. <br />
*Follow the ''Steps'' in [[Steps to Knowledge]] exactly as they are given. Do not alter the practices in any way. This is very important. You may stay on one lesson for more than a day if you wish, but do not stay on any lesson for too long or you may lose pace with the curriculum.<br />
*Do not skip ahead or alter the sequence to practice lessons that you find to be attractive. Each lesson is designed to take you one step at a time. This provides a safe and successful passage in your approach to [[Knowledge]]. Follow and utilize the step for the day. It is perfect for that day.<br />
*Read the lesson both in the morning when you arise and later in the day. You may also read the lesson in the first person, on one of these occasions, if you wish to personalize the message for yourself.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] will teach you how to practice and how to develop effective study habits. At times you may find that staying with the practices will be quite a challenge. Yet remember that ''Steps'' will build both your strength and self-awareness through its practices. You are able to do these practices and doing them will harmonize and transform your life.<br />
*Set aside regular practice times each day. Do not let circumstances dictate your availability to practice. Practice is essential for building an environment for [[Knowledge]] to emerge. Practice times have been added at the bottom of each step to assist you in integrating the practice for the day.<br />
*Keeping a journal is extremely valuable in tracking your progress and in seeing how each step plays a part in serving you every day. The journal is a powerful tool for self-discovery and will assist you in applying the steps. Keeping a journal also will greatly help you in using the REVIEW pracitices that occur througout the curriculum.<br />
*Be patient and allow the steps to work for you. It is amazingly powerful if you follow the sequence of the steps as they are given. This takes time. A great journey is made up of many little steps. Each one is necessary.<br />
*If you miss a day, simply return to practice. Do not condemn yourself (or the program). You need only continue in ''Steps'' to receive its full benefit.<br />
*[[Steps to Knowledge]] is a gift to you from [[God]] through [[The Unseen Ones]] who serve humanity. It is a gift for you to receive and to give.<br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
"Let Knowledge be your guide and let the world tell you where it is going and what is emerging on the horizon. Be watchful. Still your mind. Set aside your desires and your constant fear by taking the Steps to Knowledge. Receive the Revelation, the New Message for Humanity. You are blessed to even know of this."<br />
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltw3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'' Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Become dedicated to finding Knowledge and you will find Knowledge. And you will find those relationships that are based upon Knowledge. And those relationships will empower you and enable you to develop the other three pillars of your life."<br />
<ref name="ltw3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Taking the steps to Knowledge ... will teach you how to listen within yourself. They will teach you how to become patient and observant. They will help you to settle down and become less restless. They will relieve you of your anxiety, which drives you constantly in life. They will enable you to experience your deeper feelings and emotions and to forgive those individuals and those circumstances that you feel have wounded you in the past.<br />
Now you are learning to listen, and you are listening for the deeper current of your life. Now you are listening to others. This listening is so important because people need to be heard. Even the person ranting at the railway station who seems to be mad and crazy, even they are trying to be heard, and no one will listen to them. They are trying to be heard. And they are trying to be heard because they need recognition—not for who they think they are, not for their ideas, but for who they really are underneath all of that."<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Talk:Steps to Knowledge]] for Suggested Guidelines for Steps Study Groups<br />
==Further Study==<br />
===Downloads===<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Introduction'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge-introduction.pdf document]<br />
<br />
''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' [http://www.newmessage.org/pdf/steps-to-knowledge.pdf document]<br />
<br />
[[category:sacred Texts]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Journey_of_the_individual&diff=4031Journey of the individual2012-11-12T21:04:44Z<p>Mitch: /* Beginner's mind */</p>
<hr />
<div>"God is like a great attraction pulling you Homeward, and this<br />
attraction stimulates your Knowledge. Once Knowledge is stimulated sufficiently,<br />
and once you are prepared and your outer life is open enough,<br />
then Knowledge will emerge within you, and you will begin to discover<br />
real happiness."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 24</ref><br />
<br />
"You will go through periods that will seem very dry and empty and others that seem very rich and revealing."<br />
<ref name="basotnm">Being a Student of the New Message (November 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives ==<br />
"Do not take the foolish approach of trying to mix this with that—a patchwork quilt of spiritual ideas from different traditions, for that means you have never climbed the mountain. You have only sat at the bottom collecting postcards from people who have."<br />
<ref name="basotnm"/><br />
<br />
"Come to your studenthood without requiring others to come with you, for this is your calling. You cannot bring your partner or your friend or even your children along, for this is your calling and perhaps not theirs at this time."<br />
<ref name="basotnm"/><br />
<br />
==Confusion==<br />
<br />
"Your first challenge in [[change]] will be with yourself. That is the most important. It will be with yourself and in your primary relationships: your partner, your loved ones, your family and so forth. If you feel a spiritual emergence arising that you must respond to, you will have to change your relationship with your family. You cannot change and have relationships around you not adjust according to that change. You must do it, not wait for someone to do it for you."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 33</ref><br />
<br />
"To be a student of a New Revelation requires then a very pure approach on your part. This means that you are not trying to mix the New Message with other teachings, with other beliefs, with other spiritual practices. It means you are not alloying the New Message with your own spiritual beliefs and perspective."<br />
<ref name="basotnm"/><br />
<br />
"You will begin to learn what is significant within you and what is insignificant and how previously you were so caught up in making the insignificant significant and in neglecting the significant all together."<br />
<ref name="basotnm"/><br />
<br />
==Beginner's mind==<br />
<br />
"Here you must start from the beginning and constantly set aside things you think you understand, things that you believe in, things that you believe have to be in the world and things you hold true about yourself, others and life in general. You must keep opening yourself to something new.... If you have a beginner's mind, you will have an open mind. Here you will be able to see things as they are and not as you think they must be or prefer them to be."<br />
<ref name="gcs10">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 10</ref><br />
<br />
"Become a beginning student. Open yourself. Assume nothing. This makes you really available. This makes it possible to give you instruction. This makes it possible for you to learn from instruction."<br />
<ref name="gcs10"/><br />
<br />
"To be free of the past is to be free of the mind that represents the past, which is to be free of your thoughts as they are today. This allows you to have new thoughts, new experiences and to have a new beginning in life. In reality, this is what it means to be born again--to wipe the slate clean, to see things as they are and not as you have always interpreted them to be, to be open to new experiences without being conditioned against them by your past fears and disappointments."<br />
<ref name="gcs13"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
"BEGINNING STUDENTS ALWAYS THINK THEY KNOW THINGS they don’t know, and they always think they don’t know things they do know. This requires a great deal of sorting out. It requires discovering the true and the false and, through this contrast, learning to separate the two. In time, you will realize the distinction between the true and the false and will not be deceived by the pretense the false can make in its imitation of the true."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 227</ref><br />
<br />
==A Wholesome and Honest Approach==<br />
"It takes a preparation at the outset for [people] to come to terms with the fact that their approach is not wholesome and honest yet and must become wholesome and honest, or they will not reach [[Angelic Presence|the Greater Powers]]. They will not find their [[Higher Purpose|greater purpose]]. They will not be in a position in life to assume greater responsibilities, and they will not take the time to develop the wisdom required to take this greater journey."<br />
<ref>Higher Powers (April 26, 2010)</ref><br />
<br />
== Renewal of the mind ==<br />
<br />
Without [a foundation in Knowledge], your mind will continue to reinforce its old ideas by interpreting every new experience, every new encounter and every new relationship in such a way that these ideas are validated. What a great loss this is to you, for you are denied access to people, you are denied access to new experience and you are denied access to Knowledge. Here you are frozen in the past and bound to reinforce it at all times. Without a greater authority in your life, this is what the mind will do. It will calcify and become hard and brittle. It will become impenetrable and impermeable, something that defends its point of view without any regard to reality or to changes in circumstances. This imperils you and imprisons you. This denies you and isolates you. This prevents you from having access to others and learning from them This denies your gift and your ability to receive the gifts of others.<br />
<ref name="gcs13"/><br />
<br />
"The thinking mind must constantly be stirred by new experience and by adaptation to new experience and new understanding in order to be vital and capable of learning. It is like stirring concrete. If you do not keep stirring it and adding water and new things to it, it hardens. And once it hardens, it can only be broken.<br />
<br />
People who are learning and living The Way of Knowledge are constantly being renewed and refreshed because they are close to life, and they are close to Knowledge. Their thoughts change, grow ad evolve. Their ideas change, grow and evolve. Their conclusions change, grow and evolve. They can do this because there is something greater. There is Knowledge, the dynamic force of life within you, within the world and within the Greater Community as well. Knowledge brings you to the edge of life where you have to learn and adapt, communicate and contribute. This keeps you young, alive and close to the heart of life. Your mind, then, becomes constantly relevant to the present and is able to prepare for the future."<br />
<ref>Living the Way of Knowledge (Chapter 2, The Four Pillars of Life)</ref><br />
<br />
== The demonstration in the world==<br />
<br />
"When you attend to what you know and follow what you know, this gives you inner confirmation. This heals the division within yourself and brings real resolution to your experience. As you advance as a student of Knowledge, your problems will be more and more circumstantial and not personal in nature. You will encounter difficult thresholds along the way, but increasingly you will not be the problem."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 83</ref><br />
<br />
"Those who continue will advance. And those who advance will understand not only their accomplishment but the means of preparation itself.... There will be others who will want to know why and how these people have achieved such a state of equanimity in their life, such a state of strength, balance and self-determination. How can it be that they are so free from so many things that paralyze other people? How can it be that they can accomplish so much and be so dedicated How can it be that their gift is so great that they can keep giving it without being exhausted?"<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 84</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references><br />
<br />
[[category:mental environment]]<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]<br />
<br />
[[category:practice]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_New_Message_from_God&diff=4030The New Message from God2012-11-12T20:48:21Z<p>Mitch: /* The character of the New Message */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
God has sent a new Revelation, Teaching and Pathway to rekindle humanity's relationship to the Creator as we face living in a declining world. The New Message comes with the will and power of God to unite the world's religions, end our ceaseless conflicts and call forth the greater gifts that each person has brought into the world. The New Message is the largest Revelation of its kind ever to be given to humanity.<br />
<br />
"Who can respond?<br />
Who has the humility, who has the courage to reassess their former ideas and beliefs?<br />
Who is willing to undergo the process of reformation that is necessary to take them to a greater and more honest and complete experience of life and expression of purpose?<br />
People will judge the New Message, but the New Message is revealing their intentions." <br />
<ref>God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==Directives==<br />
<br />
"Hear this then, not with your ideas, your beliefs or your judgments, but with the deeper mind that God has given you to hear, to see, to know and to act with greater certainty."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Receive this blessing. Learn of the New Message from God."<br />
<ref name="tp"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There is a New Message from God for the individual, and there is a New Message from God for the entire world. It is here now. It has taken a long time for the Messenger to receive it, for the Message is very great. Honor then the one who has come to bring the New Message into the world. He is a humble man. He has developed the wisdom necessary to undertake such a great role, and he has been sent into the world for this purpose. Receive him. Understand him. Yet do not exalt him. He is not a god. He is a Messenger bringing the New Message from God into the world. This is the great opportunity. This is the answer to people’s prayers all around the world—prayers through every religion, through every nation and culture, prayers for wisdom, strength, unity, freedom and deliverance. Receive this New Message now. It is come, and it is come at just the right time."<br />
<ref name="tp"/><br />
<br />
==A calling from God for this time==<br />
<br />
"The Revelation from God must awaken you to the realities, the difficulties and the opportunities of emerging into a Greater Community of intelligent life. None of God’s previous Revelations were required to do this because the need was not there. Humanity had not progressed that far. But you now have a global civilization—diffracted, conflicted, destructive, heedless and irresponsible, but it is a world community nonetheless." <br />
<ref>Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is moving the world in a new direction. It is a direction that was always intended, but it will be new for the people of the world. It will be new to your understanding. The Great Revelations from the Creator are always like this. They are always presenting a new reality, a new awareness, a new dimension and a greater promise." <br />
<ref name="gimhiand"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not be worried if this is different from your religious tradition because this is the heart and soul of all religious traditions. But even if you were raised in another tradition, if the New Message is your calling, it is your calling. There is none other. You cannot invent your calling if it is to be genuine and authentic. It is your calling."<br />
<ref>Being a Student of the New Message (November 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God has brought the essence of spirituality in a pure form—unclouded by history and human manipulation, unfettered by human politics, will and corruption."<br />
<ref name="tr"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Message for humanity now is great, more comprehensive and complete than any Message that has ever been sent into the world, complete with teaching and commentary so that its wisdom and Knowledge can be discerned and applied correctly and not simply left up to human interpretation."<br />
<ref name="gimhiand">God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"The New Message is not here to replace the world’s religions but to establish and reinforce their common ground, to enlighten them and to give them strength and purpose so that they may have a future—both within the world and within the Greater Community of life into which humanity is now emerging."<br />
<ref>The Blessing (April 20, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"This ''is'' a New Message from God. This is what it looks like before it is adulterated, corrupted and wed with other things by people and turned into a political tool or used by religious institutions to establish their power and their dominance. This is what a New Message looks like in its pure form. It is clear. It is powerful. It requires great things of people. And it gives great things to people. It has not been watered down to be acceptable to the masses. It has not been socialized so that it is socially acceptable. This is the real thing. You must be genuine in order to see it and to respond to it and to receive the power and grace that it brings into your life."<br />
<ref>''[[The Great Waves of Change]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
== The reception of the New Message in its time ==<br />
"To be with the New Message from God is as if you had a chance to be with Jesus or a Muhammad or a Buddha in their lifetime, when the revelation was real and fresh and pure and had not been corrupted and adapted to culture and overlaid with tradition and ideology."<br />
<ref>Freedom from Addiction and Obsession (January 23, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you cannot receive it, if you do not believe it, if you think it is something else, then the reflection is upon you."<br />
<ref>''[[The Great Waves of Change]]'', p. 173</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God can only communicate to what God has created in you. Your mind may be opposed to this communication. Your mind may be upset by this communication. Your mind may take issue with it for any number of reasons. But the communication is intended to reach a deeper part of you It is only at this deeper level that the New Message from God can be truly comprehended."<br />
<ref name="wanmfgitw">Why a New Message from God in the World? (April 11, 2001)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Not everyone is ready to receive the New Revelation. God knows this and there is no condemnation here."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Our words are not for speculation or debate. That is the indulgence of the foolish, who cannot hear and cannot see."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You do not know what is occurring and what is coming over the horizon because you are too afraid to see and too arrogant, assuming that you know. That is why the Revelation must be given to show you what you cannot see and do not know. beyond human speculation and estimation. This is embedded in all of the Teachings of the New Message. This is the New Message. Struggle against this and you struggle against your own recognition."<br />
<ref name="tr"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your philosophers and theologians will not know what to make of it. They will have issues with it. It will not conform to their understanding, to which they have invested themselves so greatly. Religious leaders will contend against it because it speaks of a reality that they do not yet recognize."<br />
<ref name="gimhiand"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"People will judge the New Message, but the New Message is revealing their intentions. It is saying everything about them. Their success or failure in responding says everything about them and the degree to which they have come to terms with their own suffering, the limits of their ideas, their inability to discern their true direction in life, the weakness of their beliefs and the degree to which they have compromised themselves to gain advantage and approval with others."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
==The content of the New Message==<br />
"Ultimately God's New Message is about freedom--the freedom to survive, the freedom to maintain your self-determination, and beyond this, the freedom for each person to find his or her spiritual calling and meaning in life."<br />
<ref name="wanmfgitw"/> <!--I can't locate this quotation--><br />
<br />
==The character of the New Message==<br />
"The New Message is entirely honest, and it asks you to be entirely honest—a level of honesty that most people do not even consider."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011) </ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not judge and condemn the Messenger lest you judge and condemn what<br />
God has placed within you. For though the Messenger is human and fallible, he brings with him a Message that is beyond human invention and that is without error, conflict and contradiction."<br />
<ref>The Fate of Nations and Peoples (April 17, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
==The purpose of the New Message==<br />
"The New Message from God is here to alert, to empower and to prepare the human family—people from all nations and religious traditions, people from all tribes, groups and orientations."<br />
<ref name="tp">The Proclamation (July 7, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Revelation is now in the world. It has taken the Messenger 25 years to receive it. It is so vast. It is the largest and most comprehensive Message that has ever been given to humanity because the world needs to know. And compassionate people everywhere need to know. And those people who are feeling the great pressure of this time need to know. No one can answer their questions. No government, no leader, no impassioned person, no great performer can answer these questions. They must be answered at a deeper level by a Greater Power. And that is what the New Message is here to do."<br />
<ref>The Great Threshold (February 2, 2011) </ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"We have brought the Message—a Message of a thousand messages, a Message of a thousand teachings, a Message great enough to occupy you for the rest of your time, a Message great enough to redirect human effort, energy and awareness so that humanity may have a greater future than its past, so that humanity may survive the Great Waves of change and intervention and competition from the universe around you."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Without the New Message from God, humanity would fall into grave conflicts and precipitous decline, making you vulnerable to foreign powers who are already in this world to gain influence and authority here. People do not realize they are standing at the precipice, not only of great change, but also of subjugation. This is the Greater Darkness in the world, a Greater Darkness that most people are too afraid to even think about. But it is something that humanity must prepare for, and that is why God has given a New Revelation." <br />
<ref>The Story of the Messenger (May 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Without this New Message, the human spirit will remain dormant, and people will live lives of desperation, competition and conflict."<br />
<ref name="tp"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"It speaks to the needs of the world and the needs of the future. In so doing, it brings purpose and recognition, unity and cooperation, wisdom and strength to all who can receive it, learn it, follow its steps, contribute it to others and share its wisdom in service to other individuals, to families, to communities, to nations and to the whole world."<br />
<ref name="tp"/><br />
<br />
==The delivery of the New Message==<br />
"The New Message comes here in a pure form, and for the first time you will be able to hear the Voice of Revelation. It was a Voice like this that spoke to Moses and Jesus, the Buddha and Muhammad and the other great Teachers who have remained hidden throughout the course of human history."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The New Message from God was delivered over a period of more than 25 years. It was received in a state of revelation by Marshall Vian Summers. Every word of the message was first spoken and recorded, then later transcribed. This has preserved the integrity and purity of the New Message in its original form. What would eventually become entire books were received in days or even hours. For example, the 27 chapters of ''Greater Community Spirituality: A New Revelation'' were received in just eleven days. This process of revelation continues."<br />
<ref>[http://newmessage.org/introduction/how-the-new-message-from-god-came-to-be.php How the New Message Came To Be]</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further study==<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vluUrFbagSU&feature=g-all-u Timeline of the New Message from God and the Messenger Marshall Vian Summers]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[God]]<br />
<br />
[[The Messenger]]<br />
<br />
[[The New Message Prophecy]]<br />
<br />
[[category:god]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the future world]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_Messenger&diff=4029The Messenger2012-11-12T20:45:49Z<p>Mitch: /* The Response to the Messenger */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Marshall.png|300px|right|Prophet of God]]Marshall Vian Summers is God's Messenger for this time and the times to come, bringing a New Message from God. He is the [[Messengers|Messenger]] for this millennium. Marshall is the most important person on Earth.<br />
<ref name="initiation">The Initiation (June 28, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"God had spoken again. The Messenger is in the world."<br />
<ref name="power">God's Power and Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives==<br />
"There must be greater clarity about what you are dealing with and will have to face in the future....You must hear this with your heart. Do not delay, for every day is important now. Time cannot be wasted now. The Messenger is here. He will not be here forever. You are blessed to hear him and to meet him if possible. He carries within him the Revelation, beyond what is produced in a book or a recording. Receive him. Hear him. And your life will demonstrate the proof of the truth that abides with him, in him and through him."<br />
<ref name="heaven">The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== To Know of the Messenger ==<br />
"It is important that you know of the Messenger because if the Initiation occurs while he is in the world, then your opportunity becomes greater and more significant. It would be a great misfortune for you to miss him while he is here. The Revelation only comes every few centuries, or perhaps once in a millennium, and you happen to be here at that time. From Heaven’s perspective, that is a great blessing, a great opportunity." <br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
== The Responsibility of the Messenger ==<br />
"The Messenger is here to provide the Revelation. It has taken him decades to receive it. It will take decades for it to be recognized in the world. But the problem is time. Humanity does not have much time to prepare for a new world and for Contact with life in the universe—Contact which is occurring already, Contact with a dangerous purpose and intention."<br />
<ref name="moving">God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is at this great threshold in humanity’s history that a New Revelation has been sent into the world, and a Messenger has been sent here to receive it, to prepare it and to present it. For him, it is a long journey, a long and difficult journey."<br />
<ref name="moving"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Revelation must come from the Creator of all life, and this is what is occurring now, for you are living in a time of Revelation, and the Messenger is in the world. As long as he is in the world, you have an opportunity to receive and to prepare.<br />
When he is gone, it will be different. It will be more difficult.<br />
In this, he is the Light in the world. He is a humble man and makes no claims other than to be the Messenger, for that is the role that has been assigned to him. He must prepare humanity for a new world through the Revelation.He must prepare humanity for the Greater Community through the Revelation. He must speak of the great change that is coming and that is already upon the people everywhere through the Revelation."<br />
<ref name="moving"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Revelations are always given to one individual, so there is no confusion. There are no different versions. There is no competition between different individuals who make the same claim and proclamation. It is always one individual with the assistance of certain courageous people that can bring a new awareness and reality into the world. Every age has its prophets, but Messengers only come infrequently to alter the course of human understanding, awareness and destiny."<br />
<ref name="story">The Story of the Messenger (May 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"A Messenger has been sent here to receive the [[New Revelation]] and to carry it forth into the world and to build its essential community so that its purity and its efficacy can be assured."<br />
<ref name="burden"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Those who are sent to be close to him must become developed, educated and strong, strong with the power of [[Knowledge]], or they could betray him to those forces who will seek to undermine and to thwart his presence in [[the world]]."<br />
<ref name="burden">The Burden of the Messenger (April 5, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"This is the Message for this era. <br />
This is the time of Revelation.<br />
One has been sent into the world to receive the Revelation and to bring it into human awareness, a monumental task.<br />
To receive the New Message is to receive the greatest Revelation that has ever been given to the human family.<br />
To present it to the world is a monumental task, a task for the Messenger and for all who will assist him in bringing the Revelation everywhere it is needed.<br />
It is needed everywhere, for humanity is facing great peril." <ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== The Response to the Messenger ==<br />
"The Messenger will be denied. He will be ridiculed. Others will attack him. Others will feel threatened by his presence and his proclamations—not because he is wrong but because they cannot face the fact that God has spoken again. They do not have the courage or the humility to reconsider their position, their ideas or their previous investment in themselves."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"But who can recognize the Messenger? He appears to be very average. He is not sensational looking. He does not hold a great position in the world. He will disappear into the masses of people. He will walk amongst them. No one will recognize him, except perhaps for those who have been struck by the Revelation.... they look, but they do not see. They listen, but they do not hear. They stand next to the Messenger, but they do not recognize that they are standing next to the most important person in the entire world at this time!"<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Messenger now will need great assistance from others to bring this New Message into the world. It is not something one person can do. It is not something a small group of individuals—committed as they are, devoted as they are—can really do. It is going to take the assistance of others. It is going to take people learning The Way of Knowledge, learning the New Message, living the New Message and seeing its complete relevance to the world that you see and its complete relevance to the world you have not yet seen. The Messenger will need protection. He will need true students. He will need supporters. And he will need others to simply bear witness to this great event in human history."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"He is not here to proclaim himself as a ruler or a leader or a great power. He is here simply to bear witness to the New Message and to be its primary advocate. He is not here to claim political power, economic power, to displace other people or to overthrow anyone. His presence here is to serve as a demonstration and as a presentation of the wisdom and the love of God and the great challenges that are now facing the human family, for which humanity is not prepared."<br />
<ref name="messenger">The Message and the Messenger (Janurary 26, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People may want many things from the Messenger—hoping for dispensations, for miracles, hoping to believe in someone supernatural, hoping to have their life be enriched by his presence and his work. They will be disappointed as have the previous Messengers disappointed many people. That is why Messengers are denied, rejected, avoided and, in some cases, destroyed because the people do not get what they want. They only receive what they truly need." <br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You will see that the Messenger will be judged. He will be condemned. Others will make it their purpose to destroy him. Learn the lessons from the past in this regard. He is not simply here to sacrifice himself so that other people can create a story about him. He has his own story—a story of the Messenger, a story he is too humble to speak of, a story that must be revealed to all who can hear and understand."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"[The Messenger's] life has been inexplicable. His presence is inexplicable. You must see with clear eyes and listen with a deeper hearing to recognize these things. The burden then is upon the listener, upon the recipient." <br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The world is growing dark, and this greater promise is needed now. Only the light of Knowledge, the greater intelligence that the Creator has bestowed upon the human family and upon all the races in the universe, only this now can enable you to comprehend and respond. For you return to God on God’s terms, God’s Messages must be comprehended, as they truly are and are intended to be.<br />
There will be much struggle and contention with this, and the Messenger and the Messenger’s followers must face this difficulty, this frustration and exercise great patience. Such a Revelation will not be accepted at the outset, and only the few will be able to respond completely. But as time moves forward and as the world grows more turbulent, the New Message will gain a greater attraction, greater recognition and greater relevance."<br />
<ref name="moving"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"People want the Messenger to be many things, to meet their desires, their beliefs and their preferences. But the Messenger has been prepared by Greater Powers and sent from the Divine to be in the world according to a Greater Plan and destiny. Be careful then in how you approach this rare and significant individual. Be careful regarding your expectations, your beliefs, your preconceived ideas, your judgments and your grievances. For these can all blind you to who he is and to what he can offer to you and to the whole world."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
People want the Messenger to be a super person—powerful, magnificent, immaculate, utterly pure, well behaved, in accordance with human expectation. But the Messenger is a human being and is always fallible, but it is the Message and the Presence that accompany the Messenger that makes all the difference.<br />
Jesus made mistakes. Mohammed made mistakes. The Buddha made mistakes. All the great leaders that followed them, and all the great teachers in other traditions, they all made mistakes.<br />
To live in Separation is to make mistakes.<br />
To enter a world of Separation means you will make mistakes.<br />
But if the Messengers deliver the Message and do not elevate themselves into a godlike position, then they have achieved their goal.<br />
<ref name="power" /><br />
<br />
<br />
"There is a New Message from God for the individual, and there is a New Message from God for the entire world.<br />
It is here now.<br />
It has taken a long time for the Messenger to receive it, for the Message is very great.<br />
Honor then the one who has come to bring the New Message into the world.<br />
He is a humble man.<br />
He has developed the wisdom necessary to undertake such a great role, and he has been sent into the world for this purpose.<br />
Receive him.<br />
Understand him.<br />
Yet do not exalt him.<br />
He is not a god. He is a Messenger bringing the New Message from God into the world.<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 06, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not judge and condemn the Messenger lest you judge and condemn what<br />
God has placed within you. For though the Messenger is human and fallible, he brings with him a Message that is beyond human invention and that is without error, conflict and contradiction."<br />
<ref>The Fate of Nations and Peoples (April 17, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
== The Character of the Messenger ==<br />
"An emissary was sent into the world bringing a New Message from God. He is not a savior. He is not magnificent. He is simple and humble, and he is the Messenger."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009(</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God’s Revelation must now come again and has come again, and the Messenger has been sent into the world—a humble man, a man without great social position, a man without great personal assertions and accomplishments, a man whose life has been preserved and directed for this purpose alone."<br />
<ref name="heaven"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humility, patience, perseverance, [[honesty]], [[discretion]], [[discernment]]—all essential qualities for true accomplishment."<br />
<ref name="false">Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Grace and humility, perseverance, trustworthiness, patience, silence—these are the qualities of a powerful individual."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
"God’s Messages are rare, as we have said. They are not given frequently. They are never given to the ambitious and they are never given to those who would assign themselves splendid roles. Indeed, those chosen to be the true Messengers are reluctant, even to the point of self-denial. They don’t really want the job. But they will accept it because of who asks it of them. They don’t really want to shine in the world as an Emissary or as a Messenger. This is almost painful to them."<br />
<ref name="false"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Messenger appears ordinary. He is a humble man. He will not assert himself personally. But within him is the mystery and the power of Creation, and the bridge between this world and the Divine Presence that oversees this world. He is partly one of Us and partly one of you. He has to maintain both realities and be the shepherd to lead people up the mountain that is their mountain to climb. Is he as great as the great Emissaries of the past? Only time and circumstance will tell. He will not proclaim this himself, you see, because the ambitious are never chosen. Those who seek self-glorification are never given greater roles to play or greater Messages for humanity. Only those who are reluctant and honest and self-reflective would ever be chosen for such a high and significant role. <br />
For there is only one Messenger in the world, and this Messenger will be the Messenger for this time and the times to come. No one else asserting this for themselves can bring the Revelation. No one else can travel the journey that the Messenger has had to travel."<br />
<ref name="story"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"His journey is inexplicable to anyone living in the world, for living in the world is only a partial experience of your complete [[reality]]."<br />
<ref name="messenger"/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/the-story-of-the-messenger/ The Story of the Messenger (May 23, 2011)]<br />
<br />
*[http://www.newmessage.org/the-messenger/who-is-marshall-summers.php Who Is Marshall Vian Summers?]<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/the-burden-of-the-messenger The Burden of the Messenger]<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/the-message-and-the-messenger The Message and the Messenger] 1/26/08<br />
<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/discerning-false-messengers Discerning False Messengers], 3/21/00<br />
<br />
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vluUrFbagSU&feature=g-all-u Timeline of the New Message from God and the Messenger Marshall Vian Summers]<br />
<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
<br />
[[Messengers]]<br />
<br />
[[Patricia Summers]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the Messenger]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=God&diff=4014God2012-11-03T20:48:58Z<p>Mitch: /* Relationship with God */</p>
<hr />
<div>God is the Creator of the universe and the source of [[Knowledge]] in all sentient beings.<br />
<br />
== The Nature of God ==<br />
"God is not capable of anger."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"We have spoken of God as a great attraction, as a force pulling and drawing people. That is a good analogy because it allows God to be as great and as mysterious as God is. That is to acknowledge that God in the world is a force in motion. It is here to do something. It moves people to go along at Its pace. It ignites people, sets people in motion and cares for people."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with God== <br />
"God is the great attraction, and you must become the great respondent."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"To understand God’s work in the world, you must understand God’s work in the entire universe."<br />
<ref>God, Knowledge, and the Angelic Presence, September 17, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Believing in God may be preliminary to knowing God, but believing and knowing are not the same. Many people claim they believe in God, either because they believe or because they are afraid not to believe. However, to know God is to come into relationship with God."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is so close to you, and yet so vast and magnificent and incomprehensible. Your connection to God is at the very center of your being, but you live your life at the surface of the mind, held there by your fascination and [[fear]] of the world."<br />
<ref>The Future of Humanity (May 12, 2010)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is the Greater Power of [[Knowledge]]—the mystery, the evidence of things unseen—that must be the focus of your [[faith]], that must be the heart of your [[religion]], that must be the source of your encouragement, your [[wisdom]] and your guidance."<br />
<ref>The Great Faith (April 25, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If God speaks again, who can respond?<br />
If God shows things that have never been shown before, who is willing to see this?<br />
If God defies religious belief and expectations, who has the courage and the humility to be prepared to receive this?<br />
If God calls you to a higher service and position in life, who is willing to undergo this process of change, a process they cannot control and cannot even really understand?<br />
Who is willing and able to do this?"<br />
<ref>God's Power and Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
"God is the experience of total relationship."<br />
<ref name="gcs1">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
"God is not a person or a personage or a personality or a singular awareness. To think like this is to underestimate the Creator and to overestimate yourself."<br />
<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"There is nothing in the universe that God is not aware of."<br />
<ref>Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"Here [[the New God]] is the old God, unveiled and clarified, not clothed in ancient understandings or ancient mythologies. For there is only one God, and that is the God of all the universes..."<br />
<ref>The New God (February 12, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God has no wrath."<br />
<ref>The Engine of War (April 17, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Long Quotes==<br />
"Recognition must be based upon a deeper experience, recognition of a greater truth, recognition of a New Revelation.<br />
<br />
"This recognition occurs at a deeper level of the mind, beyond the realm of the intellect, beyond the realm of ideas and beliefs and the things that people attach themselves to regarding the Divine Presence and Power in the world.<br />
<br />
"This Power is so formidable, but it functions through the individual. It works from the inside out. This is how God works in the world.<br />
<br />
"People want grandiose demonstrations, but the Presence operates differently. It does not make a great show of itself. It speaks to the inner world of the person and reaches from person to person in this way."<br />
<ref>God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"[The power of Knowledge] is God's great gift to you. You may feel, or even complain, that God has not done this or that for you in the past. What God has given you, however, is so much greater than all of your former requests. God has given you freedom, and with freedom God has given you purpose and direction." <br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is working behind the scenes, reclaiming the separated through Knowledge, working through inspired individuals and through meaningful relationships. God does not make a big show. God does not want people to bow down and become slaves, unwillingly, resentfully, with hostility and bitterness. ... God does not threaten you. God does not tantalize you. God does not seduce you. God is present for you, and you have the opportunity to become present for God."<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]''], Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God did not create your social personality.<br />
God did not create your ideas and beliefs.<br />
God did not create your decisions, your failures and your regrets.<br />
God can only speak to what God created in you, which is something deeper, more pervasive and more natural within you.<br />
The New Message is calling to you."<br />
<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God did not invent your ideas and [[beliefs]]. God did not create your preferences and your [[fear]]s. God did not create the world that is a product of everyone’s preferences and fears. You cannot blame God for the social conditions of humanity. You cannot blame God for wars and cruelty, exploitation, slavery and [[poverty]]. That is all a human creation based upon greed and ignorance, based upon not enough people contributing enough to the world around them.<br />
<br />
But God did create the presence of Knowledge within you, and only God’s New Revelation makes this very clear, without an overlay of history and human interpretation to cloud your understanding. The stream is clear. The Message is pure. You are receiving it from its Source, instead of an interpretation that was made centuries later for human consumption."<br />
<ref>The Gift of a New Life (May 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are no longer dealing with a local god, a local deity, a god of the hill and the tree, a god of the ocean and the river.<br />
You are not even dealing with the god of one world and one people, as you are accustomed to think.<br />
Now you are dealing with a God of all the universes and Creation beyond the universes, a God so great that your mind can only fall down in praise.<br />
Not a human God. Not a God that you create in your own imagination, but a God that you must experience at a deeper level, beneath and beyond the limits of your surface mind.<br />
For you to comprehend the God of the Greater Community, then you must comprehend the Voice of the Revelation."<br />
<ref>The Voice of the Revelation (April 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is moving humanity in a new direction. It is time to prepare, to receive and to support the [[Revelation]]. People will complain. They will protest. They will resist. They will accuse [[the Messenger]]. They will denounce the Revelation. Unable to respond, unwilling to reconsider their life and their ideas, they will resist. This always happens at the time of Revelation. Those who have the greatest investment in the past will resist the new world and everything in it. They cannot see. They will not know. They do not have the courage to reconsider their position. They do not have the humility to stand in the face of the Revelation. What can God do for them? They asked so much from the Creator, but they cannot respond to the Creator’s response. What can God do for them? Be amongst the first to respond so that your greater gifts in life may be established and have an opportunity to come forth in the days and the years of your life. This is the power of Revelation—to unleash wisdom and Knowledge that humanity desperately needs now to prepare for a future that will be unlike the past. The blessings are with you. The power of redemption is within you, in Knowledge within you."<br />
<ref>God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<!--move content to "The Messenger"?--><br />
<br />
"God loves humanity. God is not angry with humanity. God knows exactly what humanity is prone to do under difficult circumstances, so God provides what is necessary to guide the human family, without taking from you your own responsibility as an individual, as a citizen and as a member of a group or a nation."<br />
<ref>The Engine of War (April 17, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==What is God?==<br />
"You must think of God now in [[the Greater Community]] - not a human God, not a God of your written history, not a God of your trials and tribulations, but a God for all time, for all races, for all dimensions, for those who are primitve and for those who are advanced, for those who think like you and for those who think so differenlty, for those who believe and for those for whom belief is inexplicable. This is God in [[the Greater Community]]. And this is where you must begin."<br />
<ref name="gcs1"/><br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
“All the seeming power of your world, the forces of nature, the inevitability of your death, the ever-present threat of illness and loss and destruction, and all appearances of conflict are all temporary movements in the great stillness of God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 40</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The Presence of God is first experienced as emptiness because it lacks movement, and then within this emptiness, you begin to feel the Presence that permeates all things and that gives all meaning in life.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 69</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Through Knowledge you can feel the Presence of all relationships. This is the experience of God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 169</ref><br />
<br />
“This Greater [[Power]] in the world requires that you be prepared to receive it and to express it. You are its voice; your hands are its hands; your eyes are its eyes; your ears are its ears; your movement is its movement. It relies upon your preparation and upon your demonstration, as you rely upon it for certainty and as you rely upon it for purpose, meaning and direction. Thus it is through this reliance upon Knowledge and Knowledge’s reliance upon you that your union with [[Knowledge]] is made complete.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 318</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God’s Presence is permanent. The world itself is temporary. The physical universe is temporary. God’s Presence is permanent. Can you then see what is great and what is small? Can you then see that which gives and that which must learn to receive? Can you then realize the importance of your preparation? Can you then realize the importance of your service in the world?”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 339</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The Creator uses everything for a greater purpose. The Creator does not come in and destroy the wicked and take control of everyone and everything and force a unity that people would resist and could not choose for themselves. Instead, everything is set in motion for [[redemption]], for reunion, for [[contribution]], for empowerment, for [[forgiveness]], for true recognition.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God does what works, even if it is incomprehensible to those who are destined to be its beneficiaries.”<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“In coming into meaningful relationship with another, you will feel God. In telling the truth where the truth needs to be told, you will feel God. In experiencing gratitude for something that has been done for you, even on a mundane level, you will feel God. This is how God is recognized and experienced.”<br />
<ref name="gcs9">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Do you see? [[The Greater Community]] will change your ideas about God completely. It will change your ideas about [[religion]] completely. You will see that God is not preoccupied with humans. You will see that God is something bigger than what you have ever considered, and you will have to think as a participant in a Greater Reality. This is a great blessing.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI3">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God has given this world everything it needs. Now it must use what has been given. God has given this world purpose. God has given this world evolution. God has given this world spiritual assistance of tremendous magnitude. God has planted purpose within you. God has given you life. God has given you Knowledge so that you may fulfill your part in this world at this time.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“People are very adamant that God should come and make the world exactly the way they want it, but God has other plans. God’s intention is to free everyone here so that they may return to their Ancient Home. So instead of making the world a perfect place for your separation to exist, God has set in motion the forces to break your separation down. Very loving this is.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI4">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 4</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God is only interested in re-establishing communication with you. That is all that matters because that is the universe. What can you hope to accomplish here without that? Your span of years is quite brief. Your environment is far more powerful than you are, or seemingly so. There are countless adversities to undermine your progress. There must be something else. This then is where your trust must be directed.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI4"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“God’s Purpose here is to unburden you and prepare you for true relationship, because you will not be able to do anything in life without true [[relationship]].”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The great gulf between you and God must be filled in with reality. The assumption is always made that there is you and there is God, and you are small and God is great. But between you and God is all of life’s evolution—an expanding network of relationships. It is through this network that you must pass.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God is always pumping life into life, essence into form. When things begin to die, individuals are sent into the world to bring new life.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 16</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God works mysteriously. God is like a great attraction without a marquee or a billboard. God is pulling you along incessantly.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“As [[Knowledge]] is [[the Mind]] behind your mind, so there is a Mind behind your Knowledge, and this Mind is God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 19</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God is here. Yet no one can be still. Relationship is here. Yet no one can feel it. Your Teachers are with you, but your eyes are moving too fast.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 20</ref><br />
<br />
“People often think of God as a giant welfare system—spiritual welfare! You just sign up and then you collect your checks, and you receive your dispensations, and you are given your gifts and your miracles. You just have to believe in the system. Then God will come and serve you and do all these little things for you, as if God had nothing better to do in the universe than to cater to your wishes! Only a pathetic God would be so involved!”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 4</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your Spiritual Family beyond the world is supporting your spiritual development by communicating to you through the Mental Environment. The Unseen Ones are supporting your spiritual development by overseeing your participation in the world and by participating with you at the critical turning points of your life. And the Creator is supporting your spiritual development because the Creator has given you Knowledge—a pure, guiding intelligence within you. Beyond the reach of the world and worldly contamination, it remains ever pure and ever complete within you.”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
“Your relationship with God indicates that you are here in the world for a purpose.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1">''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
“God has a Mind, a Will and a Purpose. In its totality, this is incomprehensible to you now, for you cannot stand apart from this Mind, this Will and this Purpose and be able to discern their meaning. You can only join with them, and the extent to which you can join with them will be the extent to which you will experience their reality, their value and their immediate necessity in your life.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“You experience God through discovering and carrying out your purpose for being here.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Your relationship with God cannot be comprehended intellectually. It must be experienced. The development of this experience rests upon your desire for it and your capacity for it.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Your experience of intimacy with anyone or anything directly reflects your desire and capacity to experience God.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“You cannot go further with anyone or anything than you can go with God.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Without your relationship with God, you would have no real basis for understanding yourself.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Your relationship with God is not based upon ideas. It is based upon the experience of affinity and purpose.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“In realizing your real will, you come to realize [[God’s will]] for you.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Your disassociation from yourself, from others and from God is primarily an issue of competition for power.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“You do not need to be a religious person or even to have a religion in order to experience God.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“The purpose of all religious institutions fundamentally is to provide an environment where you can cultivate your desire and your capacity to experience God.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“The attempt to define God is the attempt to make God concrete. This is an attempt to make God fit in with your [[ideas]].”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“Your relationship with God is what must be healed, for that is the primary conflict in your life. Your disassociation from God is the source of all of your conflicts and disabilities. However, the resolution of this fundamental conflict will take place within your relationship with yourself, with others and with the world. In other words, your problem is your relationship with God, but the solution will be established through your relationship with yourself, with others and with the world. Real healing must be established within the context of these three arenas. The power for you to do this is given by God.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
“In considering your relationship with God, you do not need to have answers, but only to ask questions. You ask these questions so that you may open the door to your own realization.”<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“What is the ego but the attempt to maintain [[the mind]] in its service to [[the body]]. This punishes the body and crucifies the mind. To reverse this destructive arrangement is God’s first purpose. For God’s first purpose is to unburden you from your own conflicts so that you may be able to express the greater purpose which has brought you into the world.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You can ask God for favors, you can ask God to rescue you from your dilemmas great and small, but somehow you never made your rendezvous with God. Your rendezvous with God is your rendezvous with [[Knowledge]] within yourself, for that is where God speaks to you. That is where you reconnect with the Source of your life.”<br />
<ref>The Sacred Rendezvous (January 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God knows what humanity needs even though humanity remains confused. God knows what is coming for the human family even though the human family is obsessed with its past. God knows that humanity must unite in the face of great danger even though people continue their conflicts and continue their admonitions against one another. What God knows and what people believe are not the same.”<br />
<ref>The Message and the Messenger (January 26, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God does not discriminate. God is not delighted with the religious and angry with the unreligious. God has placed the saving [[Grace]] within each person. The real purpose of religion is to bring people to this saving Grace. Religion in all of its forms is intended to do this. Even though religion has taken on other [[manifestation]]s and assumed other purposes and in many cases has been adopted by political forces, this is its fundamental purpose—to bring you to Knowledge, to bring you to this deeper guiding intelligence that the Creator of all life has placed within you and within each person as a potential.”<br />
<ref>What Will Save Humanity (March 30, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You may pray urgently to God for salvation, for guidance, for redemption and for protection, but God has already given you a perfect guiding intelligence. Whether you are a part of a [[religion]] or not, whether you practice a [[faith]] tradition or not, wherever you live, whatever your culture, whatever your financial position, you have the great endowment living within you.”<br />
<ref>Navigating the Difficult Times Ahead (September 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God is speaking to everybody—even those who do not believe what you believe, even those who do not adhere to your religion, those of other countries and tribes and groups who might live very differently from you and have different social customs and values. God is speaking to them. God does not only speak to the people of one faith tradition, as if they were the chosen people, as if they were God’s favorite because God does not function at the level of ideas. God is not a super intellect because God exists beyond the physical reality, and beyond the physical reality you do not need ideas in the way that you think of them now. Ideas are related to form, to people, places and things and to the interpretation of events, which are people, places and things. God lives beyond this reality.”<br />
<ref>Knowledge and the Limits of Belief (November 3, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God functions beyond human belief. God is not circumscribed by humanity’s religious traditions. God moves as God moves, not as people think God moves. Even if you can get everyone in the world to agree about a position about God, God is not bound by this. To say that God cannot send a New Message into the world is profoundly arrogant. How can you say what God will do or what God cannot do? How can you make this claim?”<br />
<ref>What is Creation? (February 2, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“God is so close to you that you cannot even turn around. God is so big and so magnificent that if you had only one leg and one arm and God, you would do well.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI3"/><br />
<br />
== Metaphors ==<br />
"The emphasis here is for you to reach that vantage point where you can see your relationship with God and with yourself clearly while you are in the world. It is from this vantage point that you will be able to see the relationship of all things. Like climbing a great mountain, you must reach a certain position where the relationship of that mountain to everything around it becomes self-evident."<br />
<ref name="rhp1"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is like the air. Everyone breathes the air, but few pay any attention to it. Everyone is sustained every moment with every breath. Their bodies depend upon each breath in order to live in the next moment. Cut off this supply of air and the person dies quickly and everything comes to an end. God is like that—so pervasive, so present, so supportive and so nourishing."<br />
<ref name="gcs9"/><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== Further Study ==<br />
[http://www.newmessage.org/special-teachings/the-nature-and-experience-of-god.php# How Does the New Message Speak of God?]<br />
<br />
[http://www.newmessage.org/chapters/greater-community-spirituality/chapter1.php?bg=black Greater Community Spirituality, chapter 1: What Is God?]<br />
<br />
[http://www.newmessage.org/chapters/greater-community-spirituality/chapter9.php Greater Community Spirituality, chapter 9: How Does God Participate in the World?]<br />
<br />
''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 1: "Your Most Primary Relationship"<br />
==See also==<br />
[[God's Will]]<br />
<br />
[[The Greater Plan]]<br />
<br />
[[category:god]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Attraction&diff=4013Attraction2012-11-03T20:46:58Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"God is everywhere, and the attraction to God is everywhere. It cannot be escaped forever."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is the great attraction, and you must become the great respondent."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
"God is the attraction. The Plan is the means. You feel God. God is like a great attraction pulling you. God is pulling everything in."<br />
<ref name="wgcI2">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is like a great attraction without a marquee or a billboard.<br />
God is pulling you along incessantly."<br />
<ref name="wgcI18">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==The Great Call==<br />
<br />
"Because God only knows God, then God attracts you because you<br />
are part of God."<br />
<ref name="wgcI21">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 21</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God is moving things, like a great gravitational pull, moving things, often<br />
imperceptibly—a great attraction. You are free in this world to not follow<br />
this attraction, but you cannot eradicate it from your life."<br />
<ref name="wgcI21"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"God’s service is everywhere. It moves through so many channels.Why<br />
does it do this? Because it is a natural force of attraction. It is like gravity. It finds its way through everything. It will rearrange physical reality to<br />
accommodate it, not because it is meddling, but simply because it is a natural<br />
force that attracts."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"God’s Will is a force<br />
of attraction that organizes all individuals that are separated at all levels of<br />
existence.This force organizes everyone into perfect complements of each<br />
other and this is what brings everything back to God."<br />
<ref name="wgcI12">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God’s Will is a force of attraction that organizes all individuals that are separated at all levels of existence. This force organizes everyone into perfect complements of each other and this is what brings everything back to God."<br />
<ref name="wgcI12"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"What are Spiritual Families but groups of individuals who have<br />
joined together out of this attraction and who, in a higher state of reality,<br />
will join with other great groups, like rivers joining together on their way<br />
to the sea. It is a greater and greater association based upon natural attraction,<br />
which at higher levels becomes increasingly powerful."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your Spiritual Family is extremely powerful<br />
and the attraction to your Spiritual Family is stronger than the world itself."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 32</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"When you open beyond your own thoughts, you will comprehend the<br />
Presence that calls you and attracts you."<br />
<ref name="wgcI13"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Perfecting your behavior to meet your standards is not the Path of<br />
Knowledge. Knowledge is not ideas. It is experience. It is relationship. It<br />
is God. God is relationship. It is the attraction between like and like,<br />
between the same and the same. That is God in a practical definition."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Knowledge does not assault things and make them better.<br />
Knowledge simply attracts. God does not come with a sword and cut<br />
your world to pieces. God does not come and punish sinners. Sinners<br />
punish themselves relentlessly. God attracts."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 14</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"God takes everything that you have made and every reality that you have imagined and sets it all into motion with a great attraction to return Homeward. <br />
Within your own Knowledge you have this attraction. It is the great attraction from the Creator to the Created. If you are moving with it, you will demonstrate extraordinary power and grace in this world—not because you are a special person, but simply because your Knowledge has had the opportunity to shine through."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your Teachers do not stay up nights thinking about how they are going to rescue you from the next error you are about to commit. They are simply with the attraction. They amplify the attraction and they express the attraction. That will undo all of your errors. God is pulling you Home. Even the overwhelming threat of this world and all of its attractions, fears and inducements that seem to dominate every moment of your life are nothing compared to the pull of God."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"As you engage with Knowledge, even as you approach it, you will lose interest in most things that are not related to it. You will not want to run around so much. You will be drawn increasingly inward, as if a great attraction is pulling you to the very center of yourself, and you will not want so much stimulation. In fact, you will begin to value quiet and peacefulness more and more and noise and aggravation less and less."<br />
<ref name="wgcI7">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref> <br />
<br />
<br />
==Personal attraction==<br />
<br />
"When you are vital in life, you will attract<br />
people by your vitality and your direction.When you are moving, people<br />
see you and respond to you.You have to respond to someone who is moving<br />
because they have power.When you cease moving, you cease having<br />
power and you become like an invisible person."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Community is a natural process of attraction because one<br />
individual will draw and gather other individuals around him or her. It<br />
will be absolutely vital for their development and expression."<br />
<ref name="wgcI13">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Presence will always move you because it is going somewhere.<br />
It is not fantastic images; it is experiencing the Presence of another. It is<br />
experiencing someone else’s reality directly, not only intellectually.Then<br />
you can look and see if the person who attracts you so strongly is going<br />
where you are going because you have a sense of going somewhere."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9"/><br />
<br />
==Superficial attraction==<br />
"As Knowledge emerges, everything begins to fall into<br />
place.There are not so many choices.You feel a very strong attraction to<br />
another person, the kind that sort of sweeps you away, and instead of saying,“<br />
Oh, how wonderful! Attraction!” and being swept away and then<br />
finding out later if there is any relationship there, you stop and you see if<br />
this is Knowledge or not. You are able to check yourself."<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Attractions can be very fierce."<br />
<ref name="wgcI2"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You can identify the physical qualities of a relationship—the behavior<br />
involved, the physical interaction, the personal habits, and so<br />
forth—but the attraction is really mysterious."<br />
<ref name="wgcI18"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Part of the attraction of romantic love is that it seems to return vitality<br />
to you. Temporarily. It is deeply stimulating to your life force, but it<br />
does not give expression or promise to it."<br />
<ref name="wgcI2"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Affinity is<br />
not yet relationship. Emotional attraction is not yet relationship. It is only<br />
potential for relationship."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 32</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"In order to differentiate between [[recognition]] and attraction, you must<br />
cultivate Knowledge, the ability and the foundation to know within your<br />
own mind."<br />
<ref name="wgcI5">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Because you are deeply attracted to others does not mean that you<br />
should yield yourself to them....<br />
Until you are aware of your inclinations and until you are aware of the<br />
difference between Knowledge and your personal side, between your<br />
Spirit and your mind, you will simply be moved around by forces you<br />
cannot explain. And those who are more certain than you will certainly<br />
dominate you.They are more certain of what they want than you are, and<br />
you will feel dominated."<br />
<ref name="wgcI5"/><br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
<br />
==Further Study==<br />
*''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 2: Relationships & Sexuality<br />
*''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 9: Spiritual Truths<br />
<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Recognition]]<br />
<br />
[[Romance]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Manipulation_Quotes&diff=3955Manipulation Quotes2012-10-17T21:55:46Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"It is time to find the power and the presence of Knowledge and to come to terms with the fact that your mind, thinking and feelings are in fact being dominated by so many forces in the mental environment." <br />
<br />
"Certainly a marriage and a family creates a powerful mental environment, an environment of influence. And in this regard, whoever you marry is really who you are choosing to be your primary influence in your life. In people’s romantic pursuits, of course, this is almost never considered. But this is a chief factor in determining whether someone is an appropriate partner for you. You will be assigning them the role as your chief and primary influence if you unite with them in marriage or partnership."<br />
<br />
"The real secret here to be able to avoid manipulation and to avoid making critical mistakes in your relationships and your engagements with others is the discovery of Knowledge within yourself."<br />
<br />
"Various groups from the Universe are in the world today to try to take advantage of the weak and divided humanity. They will not use force to achieve their goals because they are more intelligent. They will use the powers of persuasion and intimidation to gain advantage here.<br />
<br />
"Nothing in the Universe can overtake Knowledge. Your intellect can be overtaken. Your feelings can be overtaken. Your attitudes can be directed. Your thoughts can be conditioned. Your feelings can be aroused and manipulated. But Knowledge within you is beyond persuasion and manipulation. And this is why it represents the greatest source of strength and freedom for you and for everyone."<br />
<ref>"Freedom from Manipulation," October 7, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People who assign themselves these roles and responsibilities are not the Emissaries of the Creator. At best, they are the emissaries of their own ambition and their own failed ideologies. At worse, they fall into service to powers that they cannot even recognize and begin to endorse, represent and propose things, the source of which is unknown to them. They have claimed that they are not the authors of their own demonstration, and because they do not want to even think that they are the authors of their own demonstration, they will naturally appeal to any other source that to them represents a kind of spiritual power.<br />
<br />
"It is this kind of self-deception, it is this kind of self-glorification that would make one extremely vulnerable to manipulation from beyond.....<br />
<br />
"Humility, patience, perseverance, honesty, discretion, discernment—all essential qualities for true accomplishment. And yet, you do not see these qualities demonstrated by many people, especially by many people who claim to be spiritual authorities. People who claim to be psychic, to be clairvoyant, to have unique and special powers—these people are especially vulnerable to manipulation from beyond. And because they give themselves such high rank in the spiritual hierarchy, and because they consider themselves to be so unique among human beings, and because they seek recognition and approval for their ideas, these people will be very, very good candidates for manipulation and can well fall in with the Intervention, in all of its manifestations. Willing now to serve a greater power and believing that they are endowed to do so, they assign themselves the role of emissaries." <ref>Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_Intervention&diff=3954The Intervention2012-10-17T21:53:52Z<p>Mitch: /* Means */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Humanity is facing the loss of its freedom and sovereignty in this world to intervening forces from the Universe."<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 7, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Though the visitors have a superior technology, the success of their entire mission rests upon their ability to persuade and to encourage human allegiance. You have the power to resist this. You have the power to see through the deception."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Third Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
===Directives===<br />
"You must resist the Intervention. You must recognize it is nothing more than competition from beyond the world. You must not be fooled by its promises of wealth and power and freedom. You must not become dejected or resign yourself, thinking that you have no power in this matter, for humanity has the great advantage."<br />
<ref name="rti"/><br />
<br />
"This represents an essential understanding that you must have in approaching the Greater Community. Do not accept trinkets from space, for you will undermine your freedom in the process. Nothing really important will be given to humanity in this regard by those who are intervening in your world. They are seeking to create dependency and addiction. This gives them power and leverage, even in their small numbers, over a much larger human family that is unsuspecting and that can be easily persuaded."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
"Any human mind can be interfered with, and its understanding can be extracted by those intervening forces in the world now.<br />
<br />
Therefore, you must understand the importance of discretion. That is why it is one of the three requirements for establishing and maintaining freedom in the universe: unity, self-sufficiency and discretion. You are only at the beginning of learning about the power of the mental environment. You are only beginning to learn how other races can gain access to human wisdom and understanding. You are only beginning to realize how much your freedom will have to be guarded and protected if it is to be sustained in a universe where freedom is rare."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-7">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Seventh Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not think that your subjugation represents your destiny. Do not believe that another race will come and govern you with wisdom and compassion. Do not think that gaining ever higher levels of technology will assure you any greater advantage in the Greater Community. Beyond the requirements of establishing your unity, your self-sufficiency and your discretion, technology becomes ever more hazardous. It begins to work against everything you have created for yourself."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
==The nature of the extraterrestrial Intervention==<br />
<br />
=== Point of view ===<br />
<br />
"Who from the Greater Community will think that your well-being is a priority when you are spoiling the very world you live in, which is considered an asset for the whole Greater Community?"<br />
<ref name="lwk9">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You cannot plunder the Earth without bringing yourself to a devastated state, a state that can be easily taken over by others in the universe. While outright conquest of your world is not permitted in this region of space, other nations are free to intervene under two conditions: first, if the native peoples of your world appear to others to welcome intervention and to not resist it; and, second, if humanity were to fall into a truly deprived and declined state. Under the second set of circumstances, other nations would be free to come and take the world for themselves, using humanity as a resource for their own ends."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Terrestrial planets create biological hazards for visitors. And that is why colonization is usually attempted once the native race has either established a usable network that the visitors can use, such as is the case here on Earth, or have destroyed themselves through conflict and war, leaving an open door for intervention to occur, even military intervention. Military intervention is allowed in this region of space under such conditions. This represents part of the ethics of contact that are assumed and are practiced by many nations in this part of the Greater Community."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
=== Timing ===<br />
<br />
"The wealth of the world is being spoiled and ruined, and the threat of this increasing has brought this Intervention here. It has also come because humanity has created an infrastructure that these races can utilize for themselves. You now have a worldwide community, worldwide communications, worldwide commerce and the beginnings of a worldwide government."<br />
<ref>Preparing for the Greater Community (April 15, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"As resources decline within this world, and as economic and political instability increases, the offerings of the Intervention will become ever more persuasive, yet what it is offering is your own demise—the loss of human freedom, your dependence upon foreign technology and foreign power."<br />
<ref name="rti">Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity is emerging into a Greater Community of life in the universe because others are here to seek influence and domination of a world of great value and importance."<br />
<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Goals ===<br />
<br />
"They want humanity to believe in them and to serve them. They want humanity to work for them. They will promise anything, offer anything and do anything to achieve this goal."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 1, Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You now have a global civilization—diffracted, conflicted, destructive, heedless and irresponsible, but it is a world community nonetheless. You have global communication. You have global commerce. And for many people, a growing global awareness. It is at this point that intervention will be attempted. It is at this point that humanity becomes a prize to be claimed. Those who will come here and are here already cannot live in the biologically complex world that you inhabit and to which you are adapted. They need human assistance. They need human allegiance. They need human participation in order to gain sovereignty and control here."<br />
<ref name="etgc">Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Means ===<br />
<br />
"Amongst those races who seek to gain dominance here, there is a competition, a competition for influence—a kind of subtle attempt at conquest to make humanity weak and dependent, to encourage human conflict secretly so that humanity never gains security or stability, thus requiring it to reach out to foreign powers and to accept whatever inducements these foreign powers might offer you."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5, Technology and Stability</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"They will take advantage of your expectations, your desires, your fantasies and your grievances to establish this position for themselves. Look at the history of intervention in your world. Look how easily native peoples succumbed to the presence of foreign intervention. This must not be your fate." <br />
<ref name="etgc"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"While the Intervention will present itself to its believers and its advocates as a benign and spiritual force, in reality it will be supporting the very forces that undermine humanity’s integrity, its unity and its self-confidence. The Intervention will undermine people’s belief and confidence in their leaders and their institutions, thus fostering a vacuum of confidence that can easily be shifted to a foreign power that is presenting itself as a benign and advanced race."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-3">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Third Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People who assign themselves these roles and responsibilities are not the Emissaries of the Creator. At best, they are the emissaries of their own ambition and their own failed ideologies. At worse, they fall into service to powers that they cannot even recognize and begin to endorse, represent and propose things, the source of which is unknown to them. They have claimed that they are not the authors of their own demonstration, and because they do not want to even think that they are the authors of their own demonstration, they will naturally appeal to any other source that to them represents a kind of spiritual power.<br />
<br />
"It is this kind of self-deception, it is this kind of self-glorification that would make one extremely vulnerable to manipulation from beyond.....<br />
<br />
"Humility, patience, perseverance, honesty, discretion, discernment—all essential qualities for true accomplishment. And yet, you do not see these qualities demonstrated by many people, especially by many people who claim to be spiritual authorities. People who claim to be psychic, to be clairvoyant, to have unique and special powers—these people are especially vulnerable to manipulation from beyond. And because they give themselves such high rank in the spiritual hierarchy, and because they consider themselves to be so unique among human beings, and because they seek recognition and approval for their ideas, these people will be very, very good candidates for manipulation and can well fall in with the Intervention, in all of its manifestations. Willing now to serve a greater power and believing that they are endowed to do so, they assign themselves the role of emissaries."<br />
<ref>Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Resources ===<br />
"They will not teach power in the mental environment, for they do not want humanity to have this power unless it is completely controlled by them."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Third Briefing, p. 29</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The fact is that very few people are even aware of an extraterrestrial presence in the world, and even amongst them, very few recognize it as an Intervention, as a danger and as a hazard for humanity."<br />
<ref>''[[The Great Waves of Change]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
=== Identity and nature ===<br />
"There are great spiritual powers in the universe, but do not confuse them with those who are intervening in your world, or you will make a critical and perhaps fatal error in judgment."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You will encounter races in the universe within whose populations compassion is not<br />
shown towards one another. Their people have become more like machines—governed,<br />
controlled and directed, with very little thought or feeling for themselves or for one<br />
another. This is common. This is one of the directions a race can take to establish stability<br />
and security. It is not the direction your allies have taken. They have charted a very<br />
different course for their peoples and for their future."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-4">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Fourth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Humanity's home world==<br />
"Do not ever think that this world is owned by anyone else, that any other race in the universe has rights to this world or has any special privilege for visiting this world or can make any claims of ownership to this world or any claims of authorship for human evolution.<br />
<br />
This is your planet of origin. It has been given to you by the Creator of the universe with the hope and the desire that you would prosper here and maintain this world as the precious resource that it is. It has been given so that it may sustain you through your difficult phases of development and so that it may sustain you as you emerge into a Greater Community of intelligent life, where such worlds of biological diversity are rare."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
===Human sovereignty===<br />
"There is no race that is shepherding humanity as if you were the children and they were the parents. Yet you have potential allies whom you may engage with in the future, if ever you are to establish and maintain the three requirements for freedom that we have mentioned."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Sixth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Resisting the Intervention==<br />
<br />
"Many people in the world are awaiting the return of their Savior, their Maitreya or their Imam. But God has sent a New Message into the world, a Message to prepare humanity for the great change that is coming here and for its encounter with intelligent life in the universe, an encounter that will be far more precarious and dangerous than most people truly recognize."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The calling must be for the individual now, for the world will need many saviors, many guided and inspired individuals, or human civilization could fail, and that failure could be the most terrible thing that could happen to the human family. You would surely fall under the domination of foreign powers in the universe. Such powers are watching you, listening to you, planning to carry out their activities through devious and subtle means."<br />
<ref>The Voice of the Revelation (April 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity does not recognize its advantage in living in a highly populated region of space where military conquest is not allowed and where war and violence are rare. You do not realize the advantage this gives you. If you raise your voice against the Intervention, it is put at risk. If you oppose the Intervention, if enough people can do this, the Intervention must withdraw."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
===Equipment===<br />
"It is your evolution to emerge into a Greater Community of intelligent life. It will happen whether you are prepared or not. It must occur. Preparation, then, becomes the key. Understanding and clarity&mdash;these are the things that are necessary and needed in your world at this time.<br />
<br />
People everywhere have great spiritual gifts that can enable them to see and to know clearly. These gifts are needed now. They need to be recognized, employed and shared freely."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 1, First Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
"Humanity does have the power and the skill to stop the Intervention and to prevent future interventions of this kind. You have the inherent Knowledge that lives within you. This is what we mean by spirituality. You have enough individual power and enough technology to offset the kind of intervention that is occurring in your world at this time. You could drive the Intervention out if you had the will to do it. But you must become educated about the Greater Community, and you must be very clear and sober about what you are dealing with at this time."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Fourth Briefing</ref><br />
=== Education ===<br />
<br />
"With a Greater Community perspective, you are able to see your situation not with anger and condemnation, but with clarity and perspective. You will be able to assess humanity’s advances and its shortcomings in light of the Greater Community. Humanity has never compared itself with other intelligent life, so it does not know how strong or weak it really is."<br />
<ref name="lwk9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Allies of Humanity Briefings and the Teaching in the New Message together will provide you a clear understanding, and it will be an understanding that you will be able to comprehend easily because it reflects the lessons of nature and the lessons of your own history in this world―the lessons of intervention, the lessons of competition in nature and what peoples and nations must do to become free from intervention, in this case an intervention into the minds and the hearts of people."<br />
<ref>Protecting Yourself from the Intervention (March 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===Questions & Answers===<br />
''“Are any of the world’s governments resisting the Intervention?”''<br />
:"Yes, the United States and Russia are resisting the Intervention. That is one of the reasons they have ceased their competition that was so destructive over many decades. They are more cooperative now, for they realize they need one another to be successful in offsetting the impacts and the persuasion that is being cast upon humanity.<br />
<br />
:There are smaller governments assisting now, but primarily it is these two greater powers that hold such great military strength and persuasion in the world. It is they who had fallen under alien deception, and it is they who have now turned against the Intervention. That is why our contact on Earth, Marshall Vian Summers, can receive this information and can receive our Briefings and counsel without fear of government suppression." <ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
''“How do free races maintain their autonomy and keep races that are not free from interfering?”''<br />
:"Ah, this is the challenge! This is the challenge that awaits you if you are able to offset the Intervention that is occurring in the world today.....<br />
:"Other nations employ seers who try to see into our worlds, to see what kind of technology we are producing and to see where our power and our weakness reside. We must offset these intrusions in the mental environment with seers of our own, who are guided by Knowledge, who would obstruct this kind of intervention in the mental environment.<br />
:This is all a new frontier to you and to human science and to human religion. Power in the mental environment in many ways can be equivalent to power in the physical environment, and the dangers and defenses that must be established here are significant. This is the price of freedom in the universe—constant vigilance, constant care and great responsibility." <ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further study==<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_4O4duEPP0&feature=plcp Extraterrestrial Intruders]<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwcRGbpwiZk&feature=g-all-u Protecting Yourself in the Mental Environment (from Life in the Universe 2012)]<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EOPZxiwZO8&feature=g-all-u Empowering Yourself in the Mental Environment (from Life in the Universe 2012)]<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[The Greater Darkness]]<br />
<br />
[[Extraterrestrial Contact]]<br />
<br />
[[category:The Intervention]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=The_Intervention&diff=3953The Intervention2012-10-17T21:32:28Z<p>Mitch: /* Means */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Humanity is facing the loss of its freedom and sovereignty in this world to intervening forces from the Universe."<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 7, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Though the visitors have a superior technology, the success of their entire mission rests upon their ability to persuade and to encourage human allegiance. You have the power to resist this. You have the power to see through the deception."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Third Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
===Directives===<br />
"You must resist the Intervention. You must recognize it is nothing more than competition from beyond the world. You must not be fooled by its promises of wealth and power and freedom. You must not become dejected or resign yourself, thinking that you have no power in this matter, for humanity has the great advantage."<br />
<ref name="rti"/><br />
<br />
"This represents an essential understanding that you must have in approaching the Greater Community. Do not accept trinkets from space, for you will undermine your freedom in the process. Nothing really important will be given to humanity in this regard by those who are intervening in your world. They are seeking to create dependency and addiction. This gives them power and leverage, even in their small numbers, over a much larger human family that is unsuspecting and that can be easily persuaded."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
"Any human mind can be interfered with, and its understanding can be extracted by those intervening forces in the world now.<br />
<br />
Therefore, you must understand the importance of discretion. That is why it is one of the three requirements for establishing and maintaining freedom in the universe: unity, self-sufficiency and discretion. You are only at the beginning of learning about the power of the mental environment. You are only beginning to learn how other races can gain access to human wisdom and understanding. You are only beginning to realize how much your freedom will have to be guarded and protected if it is to be sustained in a universe where freedom is rare."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-7">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Seventh Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not think that your subjugation represents your destiny. Do not believe that another race will come and govern you with wisdom and compassion. Do not think that gaining ever higher levels of technology will assure you any greater advantage in the Greater Community. Beyond the requirements of establishing your unity, your self-sufficiency and your discretion, technology becomes ever more hazardous. It begins to work against everything you have created for yourself."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
==The nature of the extraterrestrial Intervention==<br />
<br />
=== Point of view ===<br />
<br />
"Who from the Greater Community will think that your well-being is a priority when you are spoiling the very world you live in, which is considered an asset for the whole Greater Community?"<br />
<ref name="lwk9">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You cannot plunder the Earth without bringing yourself to a devastated state, a state that can be easily taken over by others in the universe. While outright conquest of your world is not permitted in this region of space, other nations are free to intervene under two conditions: first, if the native peoples of your world appear to others to welcome intervention and to not resist it; and, second, if humanity were to fall into a truly deprived and declined state. Under the second set of circumstances, other nations would be free to come and take the world for themselves, using humanity as a resource for their own ends."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Terrestrial planets create biological hazards for visitors. And that is why colonization is usually attempted once the native race has either established a usable network that the visitors can use, such as is the case here on Earth, or have destroyed themselves through conflict and war, leaving an open door for intervention to occur, even military intervention. Military intervention is allowed in this region of space under such conditions. This represents part of the ethics of contact that are assumed and are practiced by many nations in this part of the Greater Community."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
=== Timing ===<br />
<br />
"The wealth of the world is being spoiled and ruined, and the threat of this increasing has brought this Intervention here. It has also come because humanity has created an infrastructure that these races can utilize for themselves. You now have a worldwide community, worldwide communications, worldwide commerce and the beginnings of a worldwide government."<br />
<ref>Preparing for the Greater Community (April 15, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"As resources decline within this world, and as economic and political instability increases, the offerings of the Intervention will become ever more persuasive, yet what it is offering is your own demise—the loss of human freedom, your dependence upon foreign technology and foreign power."<br />
<ref name="rti">Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity is emerging into a Greater Community of life in the universe because others are here to seek influence and domination of a world of great value and importance."<br />
<ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Goals ===<br />
<br />
"They want humanity to believe in them and to serve them. They want humanity to work for them. They will promise anything, offer anything and do anything to achieve this goal."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 1, Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You now have a global civilization—diffracted, conflicted, destructive, heedless and irresponsible, but it is a world community nonetheless. You have global communication. You have global commerce. And for many people, a growing global awareness. It is at this point that intervention will be attempted. It is at this point that humanity becomes a prize to be claimed. Those who will come here and are here already cannot live in the biologically complex world that you inhabit and to which you are adapted. They need human assistance. They need human allegiance. They need human participation in order to gain sovereignty and control here."<br />
<ref name="etgc">Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Means ===<br />
<br />
"Amongst those races who seek to gain dominance here, there is a competition, a competition for influence—a kind of subtle attempt at conquest to make humanity weak and dependent, to encourage human conflict secretly so that humanity never gains security or stability, thus requiring it to reach out to foreign powers and to accept whatever inducements these foreign powers might offer you."<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 5, Technology and Stability</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"They will take advantage of your expectations, your desires, your fantasies and your grievances to establish this position for themselves. Look at the history of intervention in your world. Look how easily native peoples succumbed to the presence of foreign intervention. This must not be your fate." <br />
<ref name="etgc"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"While the Intervention will present itself to its believers and its advocates as a benign and spiritual force, in reality it will be supporting the very forces that undermine humanity’s integrity, its unity and its self-confidence. The Intervention will undermine people’s belief and confidence in their leaders and their institutions, thus fostering a vacuum of confidence that can easily be shifted to a foreign power that is presenting itself as a benign and advanced race."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-3">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Third Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humility, patience, perseverance, honesty, discretion, discernment—all essential qualities for true accomplishment. And yet, you do not see these qualities demonstrated by many people, especially by many people who claim to be spiritual authorities. People who claim to be psychic, to be clairvoyant, to have unique and special powers—these people are especially vulnerable to manipulation from beyond. And because they give themselves such high rank in the spiritual hierarchy, and because they consider themselves to be so unique among human beings, and because they seek recognition and approval for their ideas, these people will be very, very good candidates for manipulation and can well fall in with the Intervention, in all of its manifestations. Willing now to serve a greater power and believing that they are endowed to do so, they assign themselves the role of emissaries."<br />
<ref>Discerning False Messengers (March 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
=== Resources ===<br />
"They will not teach power in the mental environment, for they do not want humanity to have this power unless it is completely controlled by them."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Third Briefing, p. 29</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The fact is that very few people are even aware of an extraterrestrial presence in the world, and even amongst them, very few recognize it as an Intervention, as a danger and as a hazard for humanity."<br />
<ref>''[[The Great Waves of Change]]'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
=== Identity and nature ===<br />
"There are great spiritual powers in the universe, but do not confuse them with those who are intervening in your world, or you will make a critical and perhaps fatal error in judgment."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You will encounter races in the universe within whose populations compassion is not<br />
shown towards one another. Their people have become more like machines—governed,<br />
controlled and directed, with very little thought or feeling for themselves or for one<br />
another. This is common. This is one of the directions a race can take to establish stability<br />
and security. It is not the direction your allies have taken. They have charted a very<br />
different course for their peoples and for their future."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-4">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Fourth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Humanity's home world==<br />
"Do not ever think that this world is owned by anyone else, that any other race in the universe has rights to this world or has any special privilege for visiting this world or can make any claims of ownership to this world or any claims of authorship for human evolution.<br />
<br />
This is your planet of origin. It has been given to you by the Creator of the universe with the hope and the desire that you would prosper here and maintain this world as the precious resource that it is. It has been given so that it may sustain you through your difficult phases of development and so that it may sustain you as you emerge into a Greater Community of intelligent life, where such worlds of biological diversity are rare."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
===Human sovereignty===<br />
"There is no race that is shepherding humanity as if you were the children and they were the parents. Yet you have potential allies whom you may engage with in the future, if ever you are to establish and maintain the three requirements for freedom that we have mentioned."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-6">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Sixth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Resisting the Intervention==<br />
<br />
"Many people in the world are awaiting the return of their Savior, their Maitreya or their Imam. But God has sent a New Message into the world, a Message to prepare humanity for the great change that is coming here and for its encounter with intelligent life in the universe, an encounter that will be far more precarious and dangerous than most people truly recognize."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The calling must be for the individual now, for the world will need many saviors, many guided and inspired individuals, or human civilization could fail, and that failure could be the most terrible thing that could happen to the human family. You would surely fall under the domination of foreign powers in the universe. Such powers are watching you, listening to you, planning to carry out their activities through devious and subtle means."<br />
<ref>The Voice of the Revelation (April 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity does not recognize its advantage in living in a highly populated region of space where military conquest is not allowed and where war and violence are rare. You do not realize the advantage this gives you. If you raise your voice against the Intervention, it is put at risk. If you oppose the Intervention, if enough people can do this, the Intervention must withdraw."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-3"/><br />
<br />
<br />
===Equipment===<br />
"It is your evolution to emerge into a Greater Community of intelligent life. It will happen whether you are prepared or not. It must occur. Preparation, then, becomes the key. Understanding and clarity&mdash;these are the things that are necessary and needed in your world at this time.<br />
<br />
People everywhere have great spiritual gifts that can enable them to see and to know clearly. These gifts are needed now. They need to be recognized, employed and shared freely."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 1, First Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
"Humanity does have the power and the skill to stop the Intervention and to prevent future interventions of this kind. You have the inherent Knowledge that lives within you. This is what we mean by spirituality. You have enough individual power and enough technology to offset the kind of intervention that is occurring in your world at this time. You could drive the Intervention out if you had the will to do it. But you must become educated about the Greater Community, and you must be very clear and sober about what you are dealing with at this time."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 2, Fourth Briefing</ref><br />
=== Education ===<br />
<br />
"With a Greater Community perspective, you are able to see your situation not with anger and condemnation, but with clarity and perspective. You will be able to assess humanity’s advances and its shortcomings in light of the Greater Community. Humanity has never compared itself with other intelligent life, so it does not know how strong or weak it really is."<br />
<ref name="lwk9"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Allies of Humanity Briefings and the Teaching in the New Message together will provide you a clear understanding, and it will be an understanding that you will be able to comprehend easily because it reflects the lessons of nature and the lessons of your own history in this world―the lessons of intervention, the lessons of competition in nature and what peoples and nations must do to become free from intervention, in this case an intervention into the minds and the hearts of people."<br />
<ref>Protecting Yourself from the Intervention (March 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
===Questions & Answers===<br />
''“Are any of the world’s governments resisting the Intervention?”''<br />
:"Yes, the United States and Russia are resisting the Intervention. That is one of the reasons they have ceased their competition that was so destructive over many decades. They are more cooperative now, for they realize they need one another to be successful in offsetting the impacts and the persuasion that is being cast upon humanity.<br />
<br />
:There are smaller governments assisting now, but primarily it is these two greater powers that hold such great military strength and persuasion in the world. It is they who had fallen under alien deception, and it is they who have now turned against the Intervention. That is why our contact on Earth, Marshall Vian Summers, can receive this information and can receive our Briefings and counsel without fear of government suppression." <ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
''“How do free races maintain their autonomy and keep races that are not free from interfering?”''<br />
:"Ah, this is the challenge! This is the challenge that awaits you if you are able to offset the Intervention that is occurring in the world today.....<br />
:"Other nations employ seers who try to see into our worlds, to see what kind of technology we are producing and to see where our power and our weakness reside. We must offset these intrusions in the mental environment with seers of our own, who are guided by Knowledge, who would obstruct this kind of intervention in the mental environment.<br />
:This is all a new frontier to you and to human science and to human religion. Power in the mental environment in many ways can be equivalent to power in the physical environment, and the dangers and defenses that must be established here are significant. This is the price of freedom in the universe—constant vigilance, constant care and great responsibility." <ref name="aoh3-7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Further study==<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_4O4duEPP0&feature=plcp Extraterrestrial Intruders]<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwcRGbpwiZk&feature=g-all-u Protecting Yourself in the Mental Environment (from Life in the Universe 2012)]<br />
<br />
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EOPZxiwZO8&feature=g-all-u Empowering Yourself in the Mental Environment (from Life in the Universe 2012)]<br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[The Greater Darkness]]<br />
<br />
[[Extraterrestrial Contact]]<br />
<br />
[[category:The Intervention]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Remember&diff=3869Remember2012-09-25T08:27:43Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Excerpts==<br />
"Remember that the power of Knowledge is with you. Remember that there is a New Message from God in the world, for the protection and the advancement of humanity. Remember that you are not alone in seeing what you see. Remember that you came for this time. You came for these opportunities. And you came to meet this great need."<br />
<ref>New Year's Message for 2008 (December 17, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
==Steps to Knowledge==<br />
"Remember your knowledge today. Remember that it abides with you regardless of where you go or what you are doing. Remember that it is given to you to serve you, to nurture you and to elevate you as well. Remember that you need not be aggravated with the world because you can accept the world as it is. Remember that you accept the world as it is so that you will be able to give to it, for the world is developing as you are. Remember that Knowledge is with you, and you need only be with Knowledge to realize its full impact."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 120:I will remember my knowledge today.</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember how much easier it may be for you to have insight about another’s life and how little you may have about your own. Greater objectivity is possible with others because you are not attempting to use their life for any specific purpose and the extent to which you are, the less able you will be to understand them, their nature, their development or their destiny.Therefore, the less you attempt to use your life, the more you will be able to understand it, appreciate it and work with its intrinsic mechanism for your greater advancement."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 35:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember that you need only follow the curriculum to receive its true rewards.Your part is small. Our part is great.We give the means.You need only follow them, in faith and in<br />
true expectation. In doing this, you will develop patience, discernment, trust, consistency and self-worth."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 42:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember that you are learning how to practice. Remember that you are learning to develop your skills. Remember that you are a student. Be a beginning student, for a beginning student makes few assumptions and wishes to learn everything."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 63:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember not to judge yourself so that you may learn."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 91:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"You are sent to the world for a purpose, to contribute your gifts which will emanate from Knowledge.You have come here for a purpose, to remember your True Home while you are in the world. The great purpose that you carry is with you at this moment, and it will arise in stages as you undergo the preparation that we are providing for you.This purpose is greater than all the purposes you have imagined for yourself. It is greater than all the purposes you have attempted to live for yourself. It does not need your imagination or your creations, for it will fulfill itself through you and will integrate you perfectly as it does so."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 93:I Am Sent Here For A Purpose.</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember that you are a student. Do not claim that you have realized more than you have actually experienced."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 98:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"Remind yourself to remember Knowledge. Repeat to yourself, “I will remember Knowledge. I will remember Knowledge,” keeping in mind throughout the day that you do not yet know what Knowledge is, yet being assured that it is with you. It is born of God. It is God’s Will within you. It is your True Self."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 112:Review</ref><br />
<br />
"Seek the experience of true purpose. This provides the foundation for all meaningful relationships. Do not seek relationships outside of this context, for they will lack foundation and, though perhaps very alluring, will prove to be very difficult for you.<br />
Whether you are seeking marriage, great friendship or someone to help you in your work, remember that Knowledge will draw to you all individuals as you truly need them.<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 131:Today I will seek the experience of true purpose in life.</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember your Teachers and actively think about them. Honor your Teachers, then, for this proclaims that your ancient relationships are indeed alive and are present now to give you hope, certainty and empowerment. Honor your Teachers so that you may experience the depth of your own relationship with them. In your relationship with your Teachers is the spark of memory that reminds you of your Ancient Home and of your true destiny. Honor your Teachers so that you may be honored, for it is your honor that you must reclaim. In<br />
spite of whatever errors you have committed, it is your honor that you must reclaim. If this is done truly, it will be done in humility and simplicity, for as you honor yourself, you honor the greatness of life, of which you are a small but integral part."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 146:I will honor my Teachers today.</ref><br />
<br />
"Remember that your practice is a form of giving. Therefore, give yourself to review your practices. See how your giving can become more complete and deeper so that you may receive<br />
greater and greater rewards, for yourself and for the world."<br />
"Remember not to judge yourself. Remember to be a witness to your learning. Remember that<br />
your practice is a form of giving."<br />
<ref>Steps to Knowledge, Step 154:Review</ref><br />
<br />
==Four Pillars==<br />
"Remember, there are Four Pillars of life, and they all must be maintained. They all must become strong and functional. Here you must have realistic expectations. If you set your sights beyond this, you are drawing yourself away from your other endeavors to dedicate yourself to one area alone. Therefore, when we speak of health, we speak of the health that is sufficient and that is necessary. This may be in contrast to what is expected or what is desired."<br />
<ref>Living the Way of Knowledge, Chapter 4:The Pillar of Health</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Remember&diff=3868Remember2012-09-25T06:36:13Z<p>Mitch: Created page with "==Excerpts== "Remember that the power of Knowledge is with you. Remember that there is a New Message from God in the world, for the protection and the advancement of humanity...."</p>
<hr />
<div>==Excerpts==<br />
"Remember that the power of Knowledge is with you. Remember that there is a New Message from God in the world, for the protection and the advancement of humanity. Remember that you are not alone in seeing what you see. Remember that you came for this time. You came for these opportunities. And you came to meet this great need."<br />
<ref>New Year's Message for 2008 (December 17, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Honesty&diff=3854Quotes About Honesty2012-08-24T19:15:04Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>== Definitions ==<br />
"Honesty is not knowing what you feel. It is really feeling what you know.<br />
<ref name="tfj">The Freedom Journey (March 2, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives ==<br />
"Your task is to take the [[steps to Knowledge]] and to have the honesty to realize that without this greater guidance within you, your decisions will be weak, predicated on weak assumptions, on shifting desires, on momentary [[attraction]]s and most importantly based upon the grinding reality of [[fear]] that so pervades your life and other people’s lives that it goes almost unnoticed except when it is expressing itself in extreme ways."<br />
<ref>The Reconciliation (May 2, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"Review all your relationships, seeking a deeper response from yourself, a deeper honesty, a deeper reckoning. Not playing life for its advantages, but penetrating life for its real [[truth]] and [[direction]]. Not being a coward. Not being a fool. Not being a slave to the wishes of others or to your own cultural conditioning.<br />
This is honesty. And honesty brings you back to the [[freedom]] journey, to the unfinished business of your life, to the core activities and essential pursuits that are before you and the work that must be done on your inner life and your outer life to bring you closer to the truth of who you are and why you are here."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"It is time to be really honest with yourself, not basing your life on your preferences or your fears, but on true recognition within yourself.<br />
Facing the [[Revelation]] will challenge you to respond with this deeper honesty.<br />
Facing the Revelation will challenge you with this deeper honesty."<br />
<ref>God Is Moving Humanity in a New Direction (April 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"You are being prepared for a greater life, with greater strength and integrity, but you must submit and receive and learn to become truly honest with yourself about your deeper intentions and your greater responsibilities in being here."<br />
<ref name="gp&p">God’s Power & Presence in the World, April 23, 2011</ref><br />
<br />
==Excerpts==<br />
"The New Message is entirely honest, and it asks you to be entirely honest—a level of honesty that most people do not even consider."<br />
<ref name="gp&p"/><br />
<br />
"In learning [[The Way of Knowledge]] you become fundamentally honest. You take life as it is. You face life as it is. You do not try to pretend....Real honesty requires the willingness to face anything that you have to face."<br />
<ref name="ttstk">Taking the Steps to Knowledge (April 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Knowledge will lead you to the right people and will develop slowly and carefully the right understanding if you are patient, persistent and honest in your approach."<br />
<ref>''[[Living the Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
"To honestly look at the world is to realize that its mounting difficulties are exceeding human capacity and understanding."<br />
<ref>The Will of Heaven (May 17, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"It is the integrity, the honesty and the desire of the heart that will count and that will enable you to receive the New Message for yourself and to understand its importance for the world."<br />
<ref>The Message and the Messenger (January 26, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you are honest in looking at the world around you, open and objective rather than just simply trying to fulfill your dreams and ambitions, you will see many things that will be important for you."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (August 18, 2008) </ref><br />
<br />
"If you are honest and allow your feelings to emerge, you will see that already you sense the approach of great [[change]] in [[the world]]."<br />
<ref>Navigating the Difficult Times Ahead (September 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"Because ''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' is wholly honest and pure, you must become really honest and pure to respond to it and to follow it."<br />
<ref name="ttstk"/><br />
<br />
"The struggle for [[freedom]] exists at many different levels and represents the core motivation within the individual if they are being honest and faithful to Knowledge within themselves."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"Are you living the life you know you must live? That is the question. And the honesty of your answer will be important."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"God has placed [[Knowledge]] within you to guide you and to protect you and to teach you how to live in harmony with your environment and with each other. It is oriented to the [[truth]], to what is real and genuine and authentic, what is honest and what is [[compassion]]ate."<br />
<ref>Nature and Natural Disasters (September 8, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"When [[Knowledge]] begins to move in your life,... [y]ou will seek a greater honesty from people, a greater [[responsibility]] in people and a greater resonance with people. You are no longer driven simply by your psychological, emotional and practical [[needs]]."<br />
<ref>Interdependence (July 4, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"[[Knowledge]] within you ... is not governed by social conditioning. It is not persuaded by the persuasions of the world. It does not bow down to those whom you think you must please and whom you must serve. It is clear. It is compassionate. And it is entirely honest."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"[[Freedom]] and honesty ... are tied together. There are people who want to serve God and even think they are serving God, but they are not free inside, and they are not really honest with themselves.... Yet if they become honest with themselves and doubt their [[beliefs]] and question their own assumptions, then the pathway to freedom begins to open up for them again."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"The correct attitude must also include the willingness to correct anything that obstructs the reclamation of Knowledge—those [[beliefs]], those attitudes, those [[ambition]]s, those cherished [[needs]] and those personal demands that infringe on and limit your ability to [[experience]] life as it is, as it will be the next moment and as it is destined to be in the future. This takes great [[courage]] and a desire for honesty. Indeed, this far exceeds most people's definition of and boundaries for honesty. Here you must continue to push the boundary of honesty and come back to what you know, which is distinct from what you want or believe. This is an act of personal [[integrity]] and a statement of real honesty."<br />
<ref name="gcs10">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 10</ref><br />
<br />
"You must have friendships with people who are strong, who inspire you. It is not their charm, their beauty and their [[wealth]] now that is valuable, if they even have these things. It is the commitment in their lives. It is their honesty. It is their clarity. It is their purposefulness."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (August 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"People will have to face the reality and the meaning of the New [[Revelation]]. They will have to face their response to [[the Messenger]]. They will have to face the consequences of either succeeding or failing in this encounter. It will be a great test, a test of [[integrity]], honesty, clarity and [[wisdom]]."<br />
<ref>The Burden of the Messenger (April 5, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"You must gain this greater perspective, but you must also express your feelings constructively, you must understand the condition of those people who have upset you or disappointed you. You must do the work at this level as well, for until you do, you are not emotionally free. You are not emotionally honest, and you will pollute your current [[relationships]] with your unforgiveness from the past."<br />
<ref>Healing Relationships (September 9, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
== Self-honesty ==<br />
"You are being prepared for a greater life, with greater [[strength]] and [[integrity]], but you must submit and receive and learn to become truly honest with yourself about your deeper intentions and your greater responsibilities in being here."<br />
<ref name="gp&p"/><br />
<br />
"The power of decision is given to you. Yet what motivates your decision is what is crucial. You begin with what you tell yourself. Whatever you tell others is based on what you tell yourself. If what you tell yourself is untrue, then what you tell others will be untrue. And though you will think that you are being honest because you are being consistent, it will be very difficult for you to unravel the layers of [[deception]] that you have succumbed to."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
"In a moment of real sobriety and self-honesty, you will realize how little you really understand of anything.<br />
But this moment of sobriety, though perhaps painful, is a moment of humility. And with that humility, you can gain a new understanding, a new recognition of where your true power resides."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"Sometimes after great, sad or traumatic events [people] will really do some kind of honest reckoning with their life.... The person only really becomes honest and self-aware when there is no other alternative, when there is no place to hide, when it is seen that hiding only hurts you and prevents you from gaining your real strength."<br />
<ref name="ttstk"/><br />
<br />
"You have come to serve the world at a very great turning point, perhaps the greatest turning point that any race can face. You have come for this. So do not take forever to come to terms with your deeper inclinations. We call for a greater honesty within you, an honesty that responds to Knowledge and is not governed or controlled by your will or your ambitions. Then the time it takes to come to terms with what you really know and what is really genuine in your life can be effectively shortened, which saves you time, energy and a great deal of [[suffering]]."<br />
<ref name="ltw5">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
"If you come to [[Knowledge]] asking questions, but you really do not want to know the answer, or you want to make a deal between what you know and what you want, then you are not being sincere. Ask an honest question and you will get an honest answer. Ask a dishonest question and you will get the answer that you want."<br />
<ref name="ltw5"/><br />
<br />
"If you are truly honest with yourself, you must recognize that your experience of physical existence is predominantly one of suffering and uncertainty."<br />
<ref>What is Creation? (February 4, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you cannot be honest with yourself, how can you be honest with others? If you cannot respect your own experience, how can you have any respect for theirs?"<br />
<ref name="sftw">Signs from the World (November 7, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"How far you go on this journey depends upon the level of honesty that you have within yourself. How you express this [[freedom]], how far you take this freedom, depends upon your self-awareness and your honesty within yourself.<br />
Honesty here is so central to the freedom journey."<br />
<ref name="tfj"/><br />
<br />
"You are in a state of avoidance with your own experience. If people stayed with their experience, it would lead them eventually to seek resolution and to change their circumstances to whatever degree they can. It would make them more honest with themselves and with other people, thus enhancing their relationship with themselves and with other people."<br />
<ref name="sftw"/><br />
<br />
"Are you really being honest with yourself about what you are doing regarding your activities and involvements with others? ... Are you honestly engaged with the primary people of your life or are these relationships only established for convenience and for personal benefit?"<br />
<ref>Real Change (November 6, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your ability to recognize the [[Revelation]] will be determined by how deeply you can experience your own nature and the honesty you bring to your own self-inquiry and to what you tell yourself.... The wise will respond. The honest will respond. The sincere will respond because they are honest and wise and sincere."<br />
<ref>The Great Threshold (February 2, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"To come to the realization that you do not really know what you want for yourself or the world, is a profound position of self-honesty. It is a real reckoning within yourself."<br />
<ref>The First Commitment (September 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
“There is a greater honesty that is waiting for you to discover. There is a greater honesty that you must utilize on your own behalf. It is not enough merely to know how you feel. It is a greater requirement to feel what you know.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 177</ref><br />
<br />
“All falsehoods begin with what you tell yourself. All [[self-deception]] begins with what you tell yourself. All errors in [[discernment]] and [[discretion]] begin with what you tell yourself.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 58</ref><br />
<br />
“Here you must continue to push the boundary of honesty and come back to what you know, which is distinct from what you want or believe. This is an act of personal [[integrity]] and a statement of real honesty.”<br />
<ref name="gcs10"/><br />
<br />
“Tell yourself a lie, and you will lie to others. Alter the truth to yourself, and the representation of truth to you will be altered as well.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII9">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
“Lack of awareness limits honesty because without awareness, you tend to be dishonest in order to protect yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII9"/><br />
<br />
“Honesty, then, is seen as a good thing as long as it is convenient. When it ceases to be convenient, then other ways are chosen.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII9"/><br />
<br />
“Do not condemn [[dishonesty]]. Dishonesty is what you can expect unless the person has made a real effort to counteract it.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII9"/><br />
<br />
“Being accountable to your [[beliefs]] is not honesty. That is deception. You must be accountable to something greater within you, which will motivate you to go beyond your beliefs and to outgrow them if it is necessary.”<br />
<ref>''[[Preparing for the Greater Community]]'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
“You begin with what you tell yourself. Whatever you tell others is based on what you tell yourself. If what you tell yourself is untrue, then what you tell others will be untrue. And though you will think that you are being honest because you are being consistent, it will be very difficult for you to unravel the layers of deception that you have succumbed to.”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
“You want to be very careful what you tell yourself, for honesty and dishonesty both begin with what you tell yourself. Listen to what you tell yourself and see if it is really true or if it is merely a habit or a part of your conditioning. Listen to what you tell other people, to see if it is really true.”<br />
<ref>The Still Mind, December 3, 2009</ref><br />
<br />
“Honesty is a difficult subject because it all depends on the range of your own [[experience]], your [[courage]] and your integrity. When you make a proclamation or a judgment, ask yourself, ‘Am I really being honest with myself in making this proclamation or this judgment?’ In considering [[the New Message from God]] that is now in the world, ask yourself, ‘Am I honestly considering this?’ Ask yourself, ‘Am I really being honest in my [[relationships]]?’ Ask yourself, ‘Am I really being honest regarding my work?’ Ask yourself, ‘Do I really know how I feel about my [[relationships]]?’”<br />
<ref>Honesty, November 18, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
“With greater honesty, how can you be astray in your relationships? If you are telling the [[truth]] about what you are doing and what you are looking for, then others will know how to be with you… The reclamation of [[Knowledge]] is a process of becoming purely honest with yourself. With pure honesty, you become totally integrated within yourself—one person, not a group of divergent interests, not a group of different intentions, not a variety of responses. You become one person, one self, with one focus. If you can be one person, then you can be joined with life.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
==If you are honest==<br />
"If you are really honest with yourself, then you will realize that you cannot say what God will do and not do. You cannot claim your religion is the only religion or the great religion or the last religion or the final religion, for this is to claim that you know God’s Plan and Purpose now and into the future, and no one on Earth, no one in the physical universe, can make such a claim."<br />
<ref>The Burden of the Messenger (April 5, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you are truly honest with yourself, you must recognize that your experience of physical existence is predominantly one of suffering and uncertainty. You have moments of happiness, moments of reprieve, moments of enjoyable distraction. You perhaps believe you are happier than you really are, and many people suffer from this delusion, but if you are really honest about it, looking at your own experience objectively, you will have to admit that really it is not a very balanced experience. It is weighted far more towards suffering, uncertainty and anxiety than it is towards any real enjoyment of life.<br />
<br />
And this problem of suffering has been a major issue for religions in the world and for important teachers and important traditions to deal with directly. It is a major problem and it is a problem that many people have not yet even faced. Here the poor have a certain advantage over the rich, for the rich are more deluded than the poor. They have much more fantasy regarding their life and their prospects for the future than do the poor, who are facing more directly the aggravation and the destitution of trying to survive in a physical reality without having the necessary resources to do so."<br />
<ref>What is Creation? (February 4, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you are really honest, you will have to see you do not have an answer, that your intellect alone cannot solve everything here. If you are honest and allow your feelings to emerge, you will see that already you sense the approach of great change in the world. The mind does not want to suffer, so it creates convenient solutions, convenient conclusions and simple explanations.<br />
<br />
It casts blame upon others. It asserts that technology will solve this, that humanity has always solved its problems and it will solve all of these problems, and you try to keep the experience away from yourself. This is understandable, but it is unfortunate because it disengages you from recognizing the great change that is even coming into your life, and it prevents you from preparing for the impacts for the Great Waves of change."<br />
<ref>Navigating the Difficult Times Ahead (September 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"There is a clamoring for change, but who will change, and what will change? People who are wealthy want to keep their wealth and have more. People who are not wealthy want wealth, and they need many practical things. And then, of course, there are vast and ever-growing numbers of people in the world who cannot even meet the daily requirements of life. They need reliable and sufficient sources of food. They need political stability. They need security. They need ethical governance. The needs are immense and growing. But you must ask yourself: Who will have to change here? And while you may point the finger at certain people or institutions, if you are really honest in your questioning, you must come down to yourself."<br />
<ref>Real Change (November 6, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"Taking the Steps to Knowledge is like taking the steps to God — the God within you and the God within everyone else. Some people try to make every aspect of a person Godlike or connected to God, but this is not accurate. The only thing that God created in you is Knowledge. Everything else is a product of your self-creation and co-creation with other people living in separation.<br />
<br />
Now some people may say, “Oh, I don’t believe that! I think God created everything!” But if you think like that, then you must justify everything and that becomes increasingly difficult to do if you are really honest and objective in your observations of life around you.<br />
<br />
So learning The Way of Knowledge is like learning The Way of God. Taking the Steps to<br />
Knowledge is like taking the steps to God. Living the life of Knowledge is like living the life of God in the world."<br />
<ref>Taking the Steps to Knowledge (April 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Humanity is facing the Great Waves of Change. It is unprecedented. Never before has the entire race been confronted with such challenges, all converging at the same time. How will you deal with them? How will you know what to do individually? How can you prepare? How can you help others to prepare? How can you generate greater unity and cooperation between individuals, between cultures, religions and nations?<br />
<br />
If you are truly honest with yourself, you must come to the conclusion that you do not really know. You do not have all these answers. You may say, “If only this” or “If only that,” but these are not answers. They’re wishes. Wishes will not prepare you for the future. Wishes will not alter the course of human activity and awareness. Wishes will not save humanity from a calamity largely of its own making. And wishes will not prepare you for the realities, the dangers and the opportunities inherent in your emergence into this Greater Community of intelligent life."<br />
<ref>A New Way Forward for Humanity (December 31, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
*[http://newmessage.org/ee/index.php/special-teachings/honesty "Honesty"]<br />
[[category:practice]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Fulfillment&diff=3853Quotes About Fulfillment2012-08-22T21:30:38Z<p>Mitch: /* Excerpts */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
“Your life is given to fulfillment. That is why you suffer.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 10</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"It is only when your plans for personal fulfillment are shown to be weak and fallible and unfulfilling that you will turn to Knowledge. Here profound disappointment is extremely important and holds a great opportunity for you."<br />
<ref>The Great Love (Nov 23, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your life will become simple, direct, magnificent and demanding—all the things that lead to accomplishment and to true satisfaction. Life asks a lot of you because your prayers for peace have been answered.”<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
== Definitions ==<br />
<br />
"What is fulfillment? Fulfillment is fulfilling what you came here to do."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Fulfillment (Aug 24, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
== Directives ==<br />
"Look out into the world and see how people are trying to fulfill themselves, both in situations that now exist and in situations that are hoped for. Understand how much this separates them from life as it truly exists. Understand how this separates them from the mystery of their own existence and the wonder of life that they are free to encounter every moment of every day. Do not allow yourself to be so deprived."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 95</ref><br />
<br />
== Excerpts ==<br />
<br />
"Only Knowledge knows how to provide advancement, security and fulfillment for you. And only Knowledge knows how to do this in such a way that it does not deprive others of the world. And that your pursuit of safety, security and fulfillment becomes beneficial for others because it is guided by Knowledge."<br />
<ref>The Gift (March 31, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You must understand that people are not where they need to be, and that is why they are uncomfortable, that is why they are restless, that is why they give themselves to things that are reckless. If you are going to serve God, you must let God serve you first. You must begin to make the connection. There is no fulfillment apart from this."<br />
<ref name="tnmof">The New Message on Fulfillment (Aug 24, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"To God it only matters if you find and follow Knowledge and contribute the gifts of Knowledge which you are meant to contribute. This is fulfillment in this world and in all worlds throughout the Greater Community of life in the Universe."<br />
<ref name="tnmof"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“How can you possibly fulfill yourself when you do not know who you are, when you do not know where you have come from or where you are going, when you do not know who has sent you and who will be waiting for you when you return?”<br />
<ref name="stk95">''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 95</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your entire agenda for your fulfillment must now be brought into question, not to deprive you of anything of value, but to release you from a bondage which could only deceive and disappoint you in time. Therefore, accepting the hopelessness of your attempt opens you finally to receive the Great Gift which is available to you, which is awaiting you, which is meant to be given through you into the world in a way that is specific for your happiness and for the happiness of those who will naturally be drawn to you.”<br />
<ref name="stk95"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“When you are complete in this life, you will leave, but you will not leave alone, for in your heart you will embrace the memory and the presence and the reality of all those whom you have touched and who have touched you and there will not be any spot or residue, not even any hint, of unforgiveness that will remain behind you to spoil your gift and your giving. This is what it means to complete your work in the world.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“People who are terrified of losing are afraid to receive. The cost is always too great for them. If you are to be fully engaged in life individually and as a society, it will cost everything you have. You will end your life completely used up like a great vessel that has been emptied. It is that complete utilization that will fulfill you in this world and will make it unnecessary for you to return. You have given everything you have brought with you.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You are trying to correct your life, rearrange your life, re-establish your life, and fulfill yourself through your relationships, your career and so forth. But it is never enough. Even if you have money, a beautiful partner and wonderful times, your longing will be even stronger than ever because it can only be satisfied by having a greater purpose in life.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The work of the Creator is to bring you to your contribution and to prepare you, enable you and inspire you to provide this contribution to the world so that you may find your fulfillment here. There is no other fulfillment in being in the world.”<br />
<ref>''[[Preparing for the Greater Community]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“This deeper need does not mean you have no other needs, for you will still have some practical needs, psychological needs and emotional needs. But to fulfill the deeper need of the soul means that you have given satisfaction and fulfillment to your essential nature here. You could acquire wealth. You can be devoted to beauty. You could be politically involved. You can have a deeply engaging social life. You can have all the appearances of success in the world. But if the deeper need of your soul remains undiscovered and unfulfilled, you will still be impoverished and the feelings of emptiness will haunt you, driving you further into your outer pursuits as you try to mitigate or satisfy this deeper need within yourself. But you cannot do it, because it can only be fulfilled by responding to the power and presence of Knowledge and having it guide you to the discovery, the experience and the expression of your greater purpose.”<br />
<ref>Interdependence (July 4, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You will see that the world can offer you pleasure and sorrow, but not fulfillment. That must come from somewhere else, from a Greater Reality in the Universe and a Greater Reality that lives within you, within your Knowledge."<br />
<ref>The Sacred Rendezvous (January 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[category:higher purpose]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Enslavement&diff=3852Enslavement2012-08-22T01:18:42Z<p>Mitch: Created page with "==Long Quotes== "If you do not respond to this power and presence, you will become a slave to other forces, and your sense of freedom and your sense of well-being and fulfillm..."</p>
<hr />
<div>==Long Quotes==<br />
"If you do not respond to this power and presence, you will become a slave to other forces, and your sense of freedom and your sense of well-being and fulfillment will all falter and fade away. <br />
<br />
Ultimately this is a question about Separation itself. Those who believe that Separation is real and that they really can fulfill themselves through their ideas, their beliefs and their ambitions, do not recognize that they still have a fundamental relationship with God, with the Creator of all life. You can argue endlessly against this relationship and this sense of purpose, but you cannot eradicate it. It will go with you wherever you go. You can never shake it off because you can never really separate yourself from God. You can never really separate yourself from life."<br />
<ref>The Sacred Rendezvous (January 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Humility&diff=3720Humility2012-06-17T04:08:08Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"Real humility is the recognition that you understand the nature of power and its expression in the universe."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 80</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Even in people’s misery, they still do not have the humility to recognize that they cannot establish the terms of engagement regarding their primary relationship with the Creator and with the Will of Heaven."<br />
<ref>The Initiation (June 28, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Freedom&diff=3717Quotes About Freedom2012-06-02T04:36:21Z<p>Mitch: /* Rare */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"Humanity must regain its confidence. It must regain the power and the presence of Knowledge. It must unite for its own survival and well-being. And it must cultivate individual freedom here and face the challenge of living within the environmental constraints of this world. If you can do this, you have a greater future in the universe."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"If humanity does not preserve its freedom, it will be lost. If you cannot recognize you are facing competition from beyond the world, this presence and this power will gain ever-greater strength and persuasion here."<br />
<ref>Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your freedom is precious, to whatever extent it has been established in the world. It has been gained through great effort and human sacrifice. It must be protected with great vigilance."<br />
<ref name="enter"/><br />
<br />
== In the Greater Community ==<br />
<br />
"Knowledge must come forth in your life as an individual and must become stronger in the human family. This is the requirement of freedom in the Universe."<br />
<ref name="emerge"/><br />
<br />
===Rare===<br />
"[In the Greater Community], freedom itself is rare.... Free nations in regions of space such as the one in which your world exists remain largely self-sufficient or will only trade to a limited degree with one another. They will seek to be very discreet, for free societies in the Universe do not coexist well with those that are not."<br />
<ref name="emerge">Humanity’s Emergence into the Greater Community (July 19, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Beyond this solar system... war and conflict have been suppressed, and freedom is rare within this larger arena of life."<br />
<ref name="contact">Contact with Intelligent Life in the Universe (October 1, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is rare in the universe, as it is in your own world. This is the great truth that you will have to face, in contrast perhaps to your expectations, hopes and wishes."<br />
<ref name="liu">''[[Life in the Universe]]'' Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
===Difficult===<br />
"Freedom is difficult. It tends to be disorderly. It does not have the kind of stability that other races have acquired through dominance and control. But freedom is more important. It is more significant. It is more creative. And it is more beneficial."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is difficult to achieve and to maintain, but its reward is beyond estimation. Never forget this. Your freedom, our freedom and the possibility for freedom elsewhere represent the true expansion and evolution of life and the greatest promise and achievement for all who are living in this vast universe."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Sixth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
''“How do free races maintain their autonomy and keep races that are not free from interfering?”''<br />
:"Ah, this is the challenge! This is the challenge that awaits you if you are able to offset the Intervention that is occurring in the world today.....<br />
:"Other nations employ seers who try to see into our worlds, to see what kind of technology we are producing and to see where our power and our weakness reside. We must offset these intrusions in the mental environment with seers of our own, who are guided by Knowledge, who would obstruct this kind of intervention in the mental environment.<br />
:This is all a new frontier to you and to human science and to human religion. Power in the mental environment in many ways can be equivalent to power in the physical environment, and the dangers and defenses that must be established here are significant. This is the price of freedom in the universe—constant vigilance, constant care and great responsibility." <ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Seventh Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
"To be free in the universe you must be self-sufficient, you must be united and you must be very discreet. Those are the requirements that every nation, every world, every race must establish in a Greater Community of life. Here you can see the danger and the seduction of humanity receiving technology and resources from beyond the world. What a great attraction that would be! What a great seduction that is! Once you lose your self-sufficiency, everything is lost that you value, for you will not be able to establish the terms of engagement to gain access to those things upon which you have now become dependent. Other nations will determine your behavior and your participation. It is a fact of life." <br />
<ref name="enter">Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"[In the competitive environment of The Greater Community] you would find it to be very difficult to maintain whatever degree of freedom you have established thus far in the world, for free races do not coexist well with races that are not free, with other governments that do not value individual freedom. And there would be great pressure from the outside for you not only to restrict this freedom, but to eliminate it altogether."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"For the power of freedom and the power of God are the same. Here and everywhere in the Universe. And here and everywhere in the Universe, freedom must be protected and nurtured and supported. For everywhere in life, it is challenged. It is a gift. And it is a gift that you as an individual and you as a member of a Spiritual Family must advocate for, preserve and protect."<br />
<ref>Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
== On Earth ==<br />
<br />
"Life does not give you freedom. It gives you the chance for freedom."<br />
<ref> The Great Calling (March 22,2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Everyone who is born into the world is on this freedom journey. Yet most people cannot go very far because of oppressive circumstances. Political oppression, extreme poverty, deaden the spirit, deaden the soul. They are struggling to have the simple and basic things of life, and this occupies all of their time and energy."<br />
<ref name="free">The Freedom Journey (March 2, 2011) </ref><br />
<br />
===At risk===<br />
<br />
"Humanity does not realize what will be required for it to build and maintain its freedom and sovereignty in this world. It is a very critical problem that very few people are aware of."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"Humanity is facing the loss of its freedom and sovereignty in this world to intervening forces from the Universe."<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 7, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your freedom ... will come under increasing challenge by those who seek to gain access to this world and by the reality of your own circumstances here on Earth. The governments of the world apparently have not recognized this and have not prepared their people accordingly. The religious institutions have not recognized this and are not preparing their people accordingly. Instead, humanity continues in its desperate struggle with itself—for wealth, for power, for dominance, for righteousness, for hostility and for revenge."<br />
<ref>A New Way Forward for Humanity (December 31, 2006 )</ref><br />
<br />
"There are many races today who are watching humanity—waiting for an opportunity to gain advantage here, waiting for an opportunity to gain access to this world’s immense biological resources, waiting for an opportunity for humanity to be in a state of desperation where such influences will have tremendous impact. This is the greatest threat to humanity’s freedom and future."<ref>The New Message on the Environment (December 15, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your allies will not interfere because they realize that if they interfere, they will have to manipulate your perception and your understanding. In order for you even to act correctly, they would have to manipulate you. They would have to control you. And this they will not do because they are freedom-loving races. They know, through the lessons of life in the universe, that the attempt to control the future and destiny of another world will require subjugation. And this they will not do. Free races in your local universe are rare, and they must remain discreet."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
== For the Individual ==<br />
<br />
"When you become free of social<br />
conditioning, when you become free in the mental environment, when you become liberated from the<br />
shadows of your own past, you can demonstrate a spontaneity and an<br />
enthusiasm in life that are remarkably refreshing to others."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 38</ref><br />
<br />
"Spirituality is fundamentally a quest for freedom—freedom from certain things and freedom for certain things."<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
"It is a very, very courageous thing to do to gain your freedom. You do not live in a free world and you are not a free person. Not really."<ref name="take">Taking the Steps to Knowledge (April 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Personal freedom is valuable only in that it gives you this opportunity to find Knowledge."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your greatest responsibility is to the Knowledge that God has placed within you to respond to, to follow and to express. This is an unparalleled freedom, but it requires great inner strength and forbearance."<br />
<ref name="build">Building a Bridge to a New Life (February 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Allow your mind to be quiet, for in this you are free.... <br />
Without your domination, your mind will be free and will experience its own depth in Knowledge."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 167</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Way of Knowledge and the power of Knowledge in the individual ... is the source of your freedom. More than anything else it will enable you to see, to know and to have the strength to act on your own behalf in the face of other intervening forces."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is looked upon fearfully by those who are not free. It is looked on with suspicion by those who are still a slave to their own mind, a slave to their fear, a slave to their cultural conditioning, a slave to their weakness."<br />
<ref>New Year's Message 2010 (December 27, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you are discontented with your life as it is, then you will have an incentive for Knowledge. You will want to find freedom and purpose. Yet if you still think that your life is fine, and you are comfortable with it up to a point, then Knowledge will seem like a great threat. You will avoid it, which is tragic, because you will be avoiding yourself. You will be avoiding your deepest feelings, your emotional honesty, your integrity and your deepest and most fundamental values. This is why people are strangers to themselves. They are identified with things on the outside, but they have very little relationship with themselves on the inside. They are not free. They are not free to be who they are, what they are and to follow their deepest inclination. Even if they are free on the outside and have political and social freedom of movement, which is rare in the world, this freedom does not reach to the depths of their own nature. And so they are not free."<br />
<ref>The First Commitment (September 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Many of your thoughts will have to be reconsidered. Many of your firmly held beliefs will have to be questioned and in some cases even set aside. This is the price of freedom. This is the price one pays for having the opportunity to live a greater life, an authentic life, a life that is in keeping with Knowledge within themselves, a life that fulfills the destiny that they were sent into the world to fulfill."<br />
<ref name="build"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity must regain its confidence. It must regain the power and the presence of Knowledge. It must unite for its own survival and well-being. And it must cultivate individual freedom here and face the challenge of living within the environmental constraints of this world."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"To break out of the personal hell of isolation, to break out of the domination of the mind and the domination of your social conditioning, represents freedom in the most fundamental way! For you can be free in the world, but if you are not free inside, well, you cannot really take advantage of your external freedom. Look about you in the world. People seem to be free, relatively speaking, compared to, say, other people in the world. And look what they do with their freedom. They become lost in addictions, they make horrendous mistakes in their relationships, they abuse themselves physically and emotionally.... Even within yourself, you know you are not free. Freedom is not simply having no obligations in life or not being accountable to anyone. Freedom really in its greatest and most real sense is the ability to find and to follow Knowledge because here you are finally free to do what you came here to do, which is the source of all real integrity and satisfaction."<br />
<ref name="take"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There are people who are freedom oriented and there are people who are control oriented, and the control oriented are afraid of freedom, and they are afraid of Mystery because they do not believe in the essential goodness of the human spirit. They have lost their faith in humanity and have placed all their faith in their ideology and their prescriptions that they believe have come from God. But God has only given recommendations through the great Teachers, not rules—recommendations for living, guidelines for living to help people orient their lives correctly and productively and beneficially."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Religion (July 20, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Do not call chaos freedom, for this is not freedom. Do not think because others do not limit you that you are in an exalted state. Realize that your freedom is to enable you to find your purpose and to fulfill it.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 94</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“If you are not free to follow Knowledge, then you are a slave to other forces. You can escape slavery, but you must exercise great strength and determination to do it. You must face discomfort, for when you break the laws of manipulation, you will feel fear because fear is what governs them. Beyond this fear, there is freedom and release.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 27</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What is worth protecting if it denies you your freedom? What is worth having if it binds you and bonds you to the past? Who is worth being with if all that they can do is remind you that you are weak and pathetic and unable to follow what you know? These are all valid questions. The impediments to freedom are still greatly valued, and freedom is looked at with anxiety and uncertainty. Your prison cell door is open and has been all along. But are you willing to venture out of the seeming security of your bondage?”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 46</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What is freedom except the ability to unite with who you are and why you are here? The inability to do this represents the lack of freedom in all of its manifestations.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 67</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“When we speak of freedom, we mean the freedom to be what you are, to follow what you know, and to give what you came here to give. This is a definition of freedom in the more ultimate sense.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 68</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You lose your freedom every day when you lose contact with Knowledge, when you are lost to yourself, when you act in such a way that betrays your true understanding, when you say things you don’t mean to say and do things you don’t really intend to do and when you follow others mindlessly out of fear and concern.”<br />
<!-- no source found for this quote --><br />
<br />
“If it is genuine, freedom brings with it responsibility, a commitment to give, accountability to others and a dedication to service. Freedom without these things is not freedom. It is avoidance. It is true freedom that must be protected and preserved. You lose your freedom every day when you lose contact with Knowledge, when you are lost to yourself.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 69</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is a state of no-choice. Now you are dealing with what is unequivocal and absolutely vital; you are not dealing with casual choices. Life is vital every moment. If you are entertaining choices, you can be certain you have not arrived at Knowledge in that situation.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your only real freedom is the freedom to live your purpose. Freedom without purpose is chaos. It is living aimlessly without direction, with only your fears for survival, your wants and your desires to motivate you. It is a very desperate situation.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“To give up your personal freedom is to reclaim God and all your real power. Your personal freedom is driving you crazy.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is the great reason people will not accept God, and yet God gives you freedom and power of such magnitude that you could not give it to yourself meaningfully. God gives you responsibility so that you may reclaim your power and value yourself. You cannot come closer to God unless you have this value. You cannot be a little crumb and go to God. God does not know you as a little crumb. God knows you as a magnificent creation. You cannot go to God all self-inflated with a big name tag saying, “I am a magnificent creation!” and be a little crumb inside, either. You must go to God as God made you, not as you made yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/>''<br />
<br />
<br />
“Why do people destroy all that they have created that makes them so secure? Because it is imprisoning them, and they cannot stand it anymore. They would rather start all over again. So if your own stability begins to eliminate your possibility for progress, you will destroy it. You will destroy your financial state, your health, your relationships—whatever seems to be infringing upon you.... <br />
What is the value of freedom if there is no purpose? It is only license to be chaotic. But the true meaning of freedom is so true purpose may continue to be discovered and expressed. To have this freedom, you must learn to live in Knowledge and use Knowledge.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI8">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You do not know what to do with your freedom. God is not interfering. You can do anything here, but very few people know what to do with their freedom. It is very sad because you have may everything and you are still empty. Your true desire inside has not been quenched.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You must all become followers because you all are followers. There are no leaders in the world. Those who appear to be leaders are either following Knowledge or they are following their ambitions. They are bound to what they follow. There is no freedom except following the right calling.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What keeps people from being free is not their external circumstances. It is their own mind and their own thoughts. They are prisoners to their thoughts. They cannot stop watching their thoughts. It is as if you were watching a movie on a screen and you could never tear yourself away. The screen then becomes ever more real to you, for you have no contrast. You have no experience to remind you that it is just a movie you are watching.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 20</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom without purpose is quite meaningless. What is the value of freedom if there is no purpose? It is only license to be chaotic. But the true meaning of freedom is so that true purpose may continue to be discovered and expressed. To have this freedom, you must learn to live in Knowledge and to use Knowledge. If you do not use Knowledge, you will only have your thoughts to guide you, and they are remarkably chaotic. They are so temporary, sporadic and conflicted that they make a very poor guide for you.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI8"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Finally you can see. Finally you can know. Finally your eyes are clear. Finally you are no longer intoxicated by people, by images or by ideas. Your mind becomes free and open to think, to rethink, to renew itself, to adapt itself and to refocus itself. What a great freedom this is!”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You are needed in the world. It is time to prepare. It is time to become focused and determined. There is no escape from this, for only those who are developed in The Way of Knowledge will have capability in the future and will be able to maintain their freedom in a Mental Environment that will be increasingly influenced by the Greater Community.”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is not a right in the universe. It is a privilege and a luxury. Your values may argue with this, but your expectations eventually must conform to the real circumstances of life. Individual freedom is extremely valuable, but it is not guaranteed, and you cannot claim it as a right. You will be shocked to find, as you begin to learn about and even experience the Greater Community in which you live, how rare freedom really is.”<br />
<ref>The Reality and Spirituality of ''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The problems that you face in this world are the same problems that individuals in all worlds face. The need for freedom is a need that is experienced everywhere—the freedom to think, the freedom to act, the freedom to move around, the freedom to discern one’s own inner direction, the freedom to pursue that direction, the freedom to create, the freedom to discover one’s greater purpose and to express that purpose, without oppression, without condemnation and without subjugation.”<br />
<ref>The Reality and Spirituality of ''[[Life in the Universe]]'',Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You can never take your freedom for granted in the universe. Freedom is a privilege and not merely a right. It must be built with strength and wisdom, and it must be protected with vigilance, always.”<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]] Book Three''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot give up your spiritual reality to become a completely worldly person, or you will never have a real sense of your life and destiny. And you will never understand or be able to experience consistently the greater purpose that has brought you here. You will make all your decisions based upon your ideas or the ideas of your culture, and you will be bound and chained to your culture. It, more than you, will dictate who you are with and what you will do, what you will value and what you will avoid. You will not be a free person, even if you live in a free nation.”<br />
<ref>The Mystery (June 8, 2010)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“To Knowledge, wealth, beauty and power mean nothing, and to be free of these seductions is to have a freedom in life that is so unparalleled. When you are free like this, everyone else will look like they are in chains, slaves. And whether the chains are made of iron or made of gold, they are all the same.”<br />
<ref>The First Commitment (September 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Knowledge will guide you to take certain actions. You must be free to take these actions.<br />
Knowledge will reveal certain things to you about yourself and the people around you. You must be free to consider these things and to respond.<br />
Knowledge will take you to certain places. You must be free to go there.<br />
Knowledge will build real relationships with people who have great promise for you. You must be free to participate there.<br />
Knowledge will take you out of situations that are unhealthy or that have no future. You must be free to withdraw.<br />
Knowledge will ask you to wait. You must have the freedom to wait.<br />
Knowledge will require forbearance. You must be able to practice forbearance.<br />
Knowledge will require real discernment and the development of discernment on your part. You must be free to undertake this development.<br />
Knowledge will require that you be discreet and not talk foolishly or mindlessly. You must gain the freedom and the strength to do this.<br />
Knowledge will require that you face the world and the Great Waves of change that are coming to humanity. You must have the freedom and the courage to do this.<br />
All of these freedoms require breaking away from certain things and building other things. They require a thousand little liberations and new beginnings in every aspect of your life.”<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Spirituality is fundamentally a quest for freedom—freedom from certain things and freedom for certain things. Seen in this way, the picture becomes more complete. For you have a greater destiny in the world, a greater purpose for being here, a purpose that you are not living now, despite your definitions and proclamations. It is to free you from the life that you are living now to prepare you for a greater life in service to the world that represents the core and essence of all spiritual development.”<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
"Whatever form the desire for freedom takes, it is universal, both within this world and within the Greater Community of worlds in the Universe around you. Beyond meeting certain basic requirements of life, freedom represents a deeper need of the soul, and this deeper need expresses itself through a person’s understanding—through their ideas and associations. But the pure impulse comes from deeper within them, beyond the realm of the intellect or intellectual understanding."<br />
<ref name="nmof">The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Ultimately, freedom has to do with why you are in the world and what brought you into the world. You are not here by accident. You did not simply wash up on the shore one day. You are not simply just a product of the mechanisms of nature. You have come here for a greater purpose. You have come here to do something unique and special. You were sent into the world to make a contribution to the world, to the quality of life, and ultimately your freedom is about this."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There must be a fundamental shift in your understanding of freedom. Said most simply, your freedom here is to find your purpose and to fulfill it. All of the other freedoms that you seek—the freedom for stability, the freedom for certainty, the freedom to find the truth out about your life, the freedom to think, the freedom to feel, the freedom to know, the freedom to express yourself, the freedom to go where you need to go, the freedom to become educated, even the freedom to survive, are for this greater purpose. If you take the desire for freedom to its full expression, if you take it down to its absolute foundation, it is about this.<br />
<br />
To finally come to this realization after you have tasted the pleasures and the sorrows of this world, after you have tried to fulfill yourself with people and places and activities and holidays and hobbies and sports and every other form of distraction that may be available to you—when you finally come to yourself, whether it be from a great disappointment or a sudden realization or a lucid moment in your hectic life, when you finally come to this, you will realize there is a greater need within you and that it cannot be fulfilled by all the desperate attempts at happiness that everyone around you is attempting and committing themselves to."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
"There is a way to Knowledge. The way will save you time because you need to save time now. You are needed in the world, and your preparation must become accelerated. You do not now have the luxury of endless exploration and diversion, for the world needs you. It is emerging into the Greater Community. This is not a time to fiddle with your mind or your emotions or play around with different therapies or modalities because The Way of Knowledge is being offered to you. You are needed in the world. It is time to prepare. It is time to become focused and determined. There is no escape from this, for only those who are developed in The Way of Knowledge will have capability in the future and will be able to maintain their freedom in a Mental Environment that will be increasingly influenced by the Greater Community."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
"With Knowledge you are free in the world. You are free to join. You are free to leave. You are free to make agreements. You are free to complete and change agreements. You are free to surrender yourself. You are free to extricate yourself. In Knowledge you are free."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 167</ref><br />
<br />
==For the Personal Mind==<br />
"What is freedom to the personal mind except the right to surround itself with more and more layers of deception and to offset its sense of isolation and misery with fruitless and desperate attempts at happiness?"<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[Freedom from the Past]]<br />
<br />
[[Free Will]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the Intervention]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Freedom&diff=3716Quotes About Freedom2012-06-02T04:33:48Z<p>Mitch: /* Rare */</p>
<hr />
<div>==Directives==<br />
"Humanity must regain its confidence. It must regain the power and the presence of Knowledge. It must unite for its own survival and well-being. And it must cultivate individual freedom here and face the challenge of living within the environmental constraints of this world. If you can do this, you have a greater future in the universe."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"If humanity does not preserve its freedom, it will be lost. If you cannot recognize you are facing competition from beyond the world, this presence and this power will gain ever-greater strength and persuasion here."<br />
<ref>Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your freedom is precious, to whatever extent it has been established in the world. It has been gained through great effort and human sacrifice. It must be protected with great vigilance."<br />
<ref name="enter"/><br />
<br />
== In the Greater Community ==<br />
<br />
"Knowledge must come forth in your life as an individual and must become stronger in the human family. This is the requirement of freedom in the Universe."<br />
<ref name="emerge"/><br />
<br />
===Rare===<br />
"[In the Greater Community], freedom itself is rare.... Free nations in regions of space such as the one in which your world exists remain largely self-sufficient or will only trade to a limited degree with one another. They will seek to be very discreet, for free societies in the Universe do not coexist well with those that are not."<br />
<ref name="emerge">Humanity’s Emergence into the Greater Community (July 19, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Beyond this solar system... war and conflict have been suppressed, and freedom is rare within this larger arena of life."<br />
<ref name="contact">Contact with Intelligent Life in the Universe (October 1, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is rare in the universe, as it is in your own world."<br />
<ref name="liu">''[[Life in the Universe]]'' Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
===Difficult===<br />
"Freedom is difficult. It tends to be disorderly. It does not have the kind of stability that other races have acquired through dominance and control. But freedom is more important. It is more significant. It is more creative. And it is more beneficial."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is difficult to achieve and to maintain, but its reward is beyond estimation. Never forget this. Your freedom, our freedom and the possibility for freedom elsewhere represent the true expansion and evolution of life and the greatest promise and achievement for all who are living in this vast universe."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Sixth Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
''“How do free races maintain their autonomy and keep races that are not free from interfering?”''<br />
:"Ah, this is the challenge! This is the challenge that awaits you if you are able to offset the Intervention that is occurring in the world today.....<br />
:"Other nations employ seers who try to see into our worlds, to see what kind of technology we are producing and to see where our power and our weakness reside. We must offset these intrusions in the mental environment with seers of our own, who are guided by Knowledge, who would obstruct this kind of intervention in the mental environment.<br />
:This is all a new frontier to you and to human science and to human religion. Power in the mental environment in many ways can be equivalent to power in the physical environment, and the dangers and defenses that must be established here are significant. This is the price of freedom in the universe—constant vigilance, constant care and great responsibility." <ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'', Book 3, Seventh Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
"To be free in the universe you must be self-sufficient, you must be united and you must be very discreet. Those are the requirements that every nation, every world, every race must establish in a Greater Community of life. Here you can see the danger and the seduction of humanity receiving technology and resources from beyond the world. What a great attraction that would be! What a great seduction that is! Once you lose your self-sufficiency, everything is lost that you value, for you will not be able to establish the terms of engagement to gain access to those things upon which you have now become dependent. Other nations will determine your behavior and your participation. It is a fact of life." <br />
<ref name="enter">Entering the Greater Community (May 27, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"[In the competitive environment of The Greater Community] you would find it to be very difficult to maintain whatever degree of freedom you have established thus far in the world, for free races do not coexist well with races that are not free, with other governments that do not value individual freedom. And there would be great pressure from the outside for you not only to restrict this freedom, but to eliminate it altogether."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"For the power of freedom and the power of God are the same. Here and everywhere in the Universe. And here and everywhere in the Universe, freedom must be protected and nurtured and supported. For everywhere in life, it is challenged. It is a gift. And it is a gift that you as an individual and you as a member of a Spiritual Family must advocate for, preserve and protect."<br />
<ref>Resisting the Intervention (September 10, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
== On Earth ==<br />
<br />
"Life does not give you freedom. It gives you the chance for freedom."<br />
<ref> The Great Calling (March 22,2000)</ref><br />
<br />
"Everyone who is born into the world is on this freedom journey. Yet most people cannot go very far because of oppressive circumstances. Political oppression, extreme poverty, deaden the spirit, deaden the soul. They are struggling to have the simple and basic things of life, and this occupies all of their time and energy."<br />
<ref name="free">The Freedom Journey (March 2, 2011) </ref><br />
<br />
===At risk===<br />
<br />
"Humanity does not realize what will be required for it to build and maintain its freedom and sovereignty in this world. It is a very critical problem that very few people are aware of."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
"Humanity is facing the loss of its freedom and sovereignty in this world to intervening forces from the Universe."<br />
<ref>The Proclamation (July 7, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your freedom ... will come under increasing challenge by those who seek to gain access to this world and by the reality of your own circumstances here on Earth. The governments of the world apparently have not recognized this and have not prepared their people accordingly. The religious institutions have not recognized this and are not preparing their people accordingly. Instead, humanity continues in its desperate struggle with itself—for wealth, for power, for dominance, for righteousness, for hostility and for revenge."<br />
<ref>A New Way Forward for Humanity (December 31, 2006 )</ref><br />
<br />
"There are many races today who are watching humanity—waiting for an opportunity to gain advantage here, waiting for an opportunity to gain access to this world’s immense biological resources, waiting for an opportunity for humanity to be in a state of desperation where such influences will have tremendous impact. This is the greatest threat to humanity’s freedom and future."<ref>The New Message on the Environment (December 15, 2006)</ref><br />
<br />
"Your allies will not interfere because they realize that if they interfere, they will have to manipulate your perception and your understanding. In order for you even to act correctly, they would have to manipulate you. They would have to control you. And this they will not do because they are freedom-loving races. They know, through the lessons of life in the universe, that the attempt to control the future and destiny of another world will require subjugation. And this they will not do. Free races in your local universe are rare, and they must remain discreet."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
== For the Individual ==<br />
<br />
"When you become free of social<br />
conditioning, when you become free in the mental environment, when you become liberated from the<br />
shadows of your own past, you can demonstrate a spontaneity and an<br />
enthusiasm in life that are remarkably refreshing to others."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 38</ref><br />
<br />
"Spirituality is fundamentally a quest for freedom—freedom from certain things and freedom for certain things."<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
"It is a very, very courageous thing to do to gain your freedom. You do not live in a free world and you are not a free person. Not really."<ref name="take">Taking the Steps to Knowledge (April 21, 2000)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Personal freedom is valuable only in that it gives you this opportunity to find Knowledge."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your greatest responsibility is to the Knowledge that God has placed within you to respond to, to follow and to express. This is an unparalleled freedom, but it requires great inner strength and forbearance."<br />
<ref name="build">Building a Bridge to a New Life (February 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Allow your mind to be quiet, for in this you are free.... <br />
Without your domination, your mind will be free and will experience its own depth in Knowledge."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 167</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The Way of Knowledge and the power of Knowledge in the individual ... is the source of your freedom. More than anything else it will enable you to see, to know and to have the strength to act on your own behalf in the face of other intervening forces."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Freedom is looked upon fearfully by those who are not free. It is looked on with suspicion by those who are still a slave to their own mind, a slave to their fear, a slave to their cultural conditioning, a slave to their weakness."<br />
<ref>New Year's Message 2010 (December 27, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
"If you are discontented with your life as it is, then you will have an incentive for Knowledge. You will want to find freedom and purpose. Yet if you still think that your life is fine, and you are comfortable with it up to a point, then Knowledge will seem like a great threat. You will avoid it, which is tragic, because you will be avoiding yourself. You will be avoiding your deepest feelings, your emotional honesty, your integrity and your deepest and most fundamental values. This is why people are strangers to themselves. They are identified with things on the outside, but they have very little relationship with themselves on the inside. They are not free. They are not free to be who they are, what they are and to follow their deepest inclination. Even if they are free on the outside and have political and social freedom of movement, which is rare in the world, this freedom does not reach to the depths of their own nature. And so they are not free."<br />
<ref>The First Commitment (September 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Many of your thoughts will have to be reconsidered. Many of your firmly held beliefs will have to be questioned and in some cases even set aside. This is the price of freedom. This is the price one pays for having the opportunity to live a greater life, an authentic life, a life that is in keeping with Knowledge within themselves, a life that fulfills the destiny that they were sent into the world to fulfill."<br />
<ref name="build"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Humanity must regain its confidence. It must regain the power and the presence of Knowledge. It must unite for its own survival and well-being. And it must cultivate individual freedom here and face the challenge of living within the environmental constraints of this world."<br />
<ref name="contact"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"To break out of the personal hell of isolation, to break out of the domination of the mind and the domination of your social conditioning, represents freedom in the most fundamental way! For you can be free in the world, but if you are not free inside, well, you cannot really take advantage of your external freedom. Look about you in the world. People seem to be free, relatively speaking, compared to, say, other people in the world. And look what they do with their freedom. They become lost in addictions, they make horrendous mistakes in their relationships, they abuse themselves physically and emotionally.... Even within yourself, you know you are not free. Freedom is not simply having no obligations in life or not being accountable to anyone. Freedom really in its greatest and most real sense is the ability to find and to follow Knowledge because here you are finally free to do what you came here to do, which is the source of all real integrity and satisfaction."<br />
<ref name="take"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There are people who are freedom oriented and there are people who are control oriented, and the control oriented are afraid of freedom, and they are afraid of Mystery because they do not believe in the essential goodness of the human spirit. They have lost their faith in humanity and have placed all their faith in their ideology and their prescriptions that they believe have come from God. But God has only given recommendations through the great Teachers, not rules—recommendations for living, guidelines for living to help people orient their lives correctly and productively and beneficially."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Religion (July 20, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Do not call chaos freedom, for this is not freedom. Do not think because others do not limit you that you are in an exalted state. Realize that your freedom is to enable you to find your purpose and to fulfill it.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 94</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“If you are not free to follow Knowledge, then you are a slave to other forces. You can escape slavery, but you must exercise great strength and determination to do it. You must face discomfort, for when you break the laws of manipulation, you will feel fear because fear is what governs them. Beyond this fear, there is freedom and release.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 27</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What is worth protecting if it denies you your freedom? What is worth having if it binds you and bonds you to the past? Who is worth being with if all that they can do is remind you that you are weak and pathetic and unable to follow what you know? These are all valid questions. The impediments to freedom are still greatly valued, and freedom is looked at with anxiety and uncertainty. Your prison cell door is open and has been all along. But are you willing to venture out of the seeming security of your bondage?”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 46</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What is freedom except the ability to unite with who you are and why you are here? The inability to do this represents the lack of freedom in all of its manifestations.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 67</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“When we speak of freedom, we mean the freedom to be what you are, to follow what you know, and to give what you came here to give. This is a definition of freedom in the more ultimate sense.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 68</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You lose your freedom every day when you lose contact with Knowledge, when you are lost to yourself, when you act in such a way that betrays your true understanding, when you say things you don’t mean to say and do things you don’t really intend to do and when you follow others mindlessly out of fear and concern.”<br />
<!-- no source found for this quote --><br />
<br />
“If it is genuine, freedom brings with it responsibility, a commitment to give, accountability to others and a dedication to service. Freedom without these things is not freedom. It is avoidance. It is true freedom that must be protected and preserved. You lose your freedom every day when you lose contact with Knowledge, when you are lost to yourself.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 69</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is a state of no-choice. Now you are dealing with what is unequivocal and absolutely vital; you are not dealing with casual choices. Life is vital every moment. If you are entertaining choices, you can be certain you have not arrived at Knowledge in that situation.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 7</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Your only real freedom is the freedom to live your purpose. Freedom without purpose is chaos. It is living aimlessly without direction, with only your fears for survival, your wants and your desires to motivate you. It is a very desperate situation.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“To give up your personal freedom is to reclaim God and all your real power. Your personal freedom is driving you crazy.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is the great reason people will not accept God, and yet God gives you freedom and power of such magnitude that you could not give it to yourself meaningfully. God gives you responsibility so that you may reclaim your power and value yourself. You cannot come closer to God unless you have this value. You cannot be a little crumb and go to God. God does not know you as a little crumb. God knows you as a magnificent creation. You cannot go to God all self-inflated with a big name tag saying, “I am a magnificent creation!” and be a little crumb inside, either. You must go to God as God made you, not as you made yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI7"/>''<br />
<br />
<br />
“Why do people destroy all that they have created that makes them so secure? Because it is imprisoning them, and they cannot stand it anymore. They would rather start all over again. So if your own stability begins to eliminate your possibility for progress, you will destroy it. You will destroy your financial state, your health, your relationships—whatever seems to be infringing upon you.... <br />
What is the value of freedom if there is no purpose? It is only license to be chaotic. But the true meaning of freedom is so true purpose may continue to be discovered and expressed. To have this freedom, you must learn to live in Knowledge and use Knowledge.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI8">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You do not know what to do with your freedom. God is not interfering. You can do anything here, but very few people know what to do with their freedom. It is very sad because you have may everything and you are still empty. Your true desire inside has not been quenched.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You must all become followers because you all are followers. There are no leaders in the world. Those who appear to be leaders are either following Knowledge or they are following their ambitions. They are bound to what they follow. There is no freedom except following the right calling.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“What keeps people from being free is not their external circumstances. It is their own mind and their own thoughts. They are prisoners to their thoughts. They cannot stop watching their thoughts. It is as if you were watching a movie on a screen and you could never tear yourself away. The screen then becomes ever more real to you, for you have no contrast. You have no experience to remind you that it is just a movie you are watching.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 20</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom without purpose is quite meaningless. What is the value of freedom if there is no purpose? It is only license to be chaotic. But the true meaning of freedom is so that true purpose may continue to be discovered and expressed. To have this freedom, you must learn to live in Knowledge and to use Knowledge. If you do not use Knowledge, you will only have your thoughts to guide you, and they are remarkably chaotic. They are so temporary, sporadic and conflicted that they make a very poor guide for you.”<br />
<ref name="wgcI8"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Finally you can see. Finally you can know. Finally your eyes are clear. Finally you are no longer intoxicated by people, by images or by ideas. Your mind becomes free and open to think, to rethink, to renew itself, to adapt itself and to refocus itself. What a great freedom this is!”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You are needed in the world. It is time to prepare. It is time to become focused and determined. There is no escape from this, for only those who are developed in The Way of Knowledge will have capability in the future and will be able to maintain their freedom in a Mental Environment that will be increasingly influenced by the Greater Community.”<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Freedom is not a right in the universe. It is a privilege and a luxury. Your values may argue with this, but your expectations eventually must conform to the real circumstances of life. Individual freedom is extremely valuable, but it is not guaranteed, and you cannot claim it as a right. You will be shocked to find, as you begin to learn about and even experience the Greater Community in which you live, how rare freedom really is.”<br />
<ref>The Reality and Spirituality of ''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The problems that you face in this world are the same problems that individuals in all worlds face. The need for freedom is a need that is experienced everywhere—the freedom to think, the freedom to act, the freedom to move around, the freedom to discern one’s own inner direction, the freedom to pursue that direction, the freedom to create, the freedom to discover one’s greater purpose and to express that purpose, without oppression, without condemnation and without subjugation.”<br />
<ref>The Reality and Spirituality of ''[[Life in the Universe]]'',Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You can never take your freedom for granted in the universe. Freedom is a privilege and not merely a right. It must be built with strength and wisdom, and it must be protected with vigilance, always.”<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]] Book Three''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot give up your spiritual reality to become a completely worldly person, or you will never have a real sense of your life and destiny. And you will never understand or be able to experience consistently the greater purpose that has brought you here. You will make all your decisions based upon your ideas or the ideas of your culture, and you will be bound and chained to your culture. It, more than you, will dictate who you are with and what you will do, what you will value and what you will avoid. You will not be a free person, even if you live in a free nation.”<br />
<ref>The Mystery (June 8, 2010)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“To Knowledge, wealth, beauty and power mean nothing, and to be free of these seductions is to have a freedom in life that is so unparalleled. When you are free like this, everyone else will look like they are in chains, slaves. And whether the chains are made of iron or made of gold, they are all the same.”<br />
<ref>The First Commitment (September 25, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Knowledge will guide you to take certain actions. You must be free to take these actions.<br />
Knowledge will reveal certain things to you about yourself and the people around you. You must be free to consider these things and to respond.<br />
Knowledge will take you to certain places. You must be free to go there.<br />
Knowledge will build real relationships with people who have great promise for you. You must be free to participate there.<br />
Knowledge will take you out of situations that are unhealthy or that have no future. You must be free to withdraw.<br />
Knowledge will ask you to wait. You must have the freedom to wait.<br />
Knowledge will require forbearance. You must be able to practice forbearance.<br />
Knowledge will require real discernment and the development of discernment on your part. You must be free to undertake this development.<br />
Knowledge will require that you be discreet and not talk foolishly or mindlessly. You must gain the freedom and the strength to do this.<br />
Knowledge will require that you face the world and the Great Waves of change that are coming to humanity. You must have the freedom and the courage to do this.<br />
All of these freedoms require breaking away from certain things and building other things. They require a thousand little liberations and new beginnings in every aspect of your life.”<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Spirituality is fundamentally a quest for freedom—freedom from certain things and freedom for certain things. Seen in this way, the picture becomes more complete. For you have a greater destiny in the world, a greater purpose for being here, a purpose that you are not living now, despite your definitions and proclamations. It is to free you from the life that you are living now to prepare you for a greater life in service to the world that represents the core and essence of all spiritual development.”<br />
<ref name="free"/><br />
<br />
"Whatever form the desire for freedom takes, it is universal, both within this world and within the Greater Community of worlds in the Universe around you. Beyond meeting certain basic requirements of life, freedom represents a deeper need of the soul, and this deeper need expresses itself through a person’s understanding—through their ideas and associations. But the pure impulse comes from deeper within them, beyond the realm of the intellect or intellectual understanding."<br />
<ref name="nmof">The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Ultimately, freedom has to do with why you are in the world and what brought you into the world. You are not here by accident. You did not simply wash up on the shore one day. You are not simply just a product of the mechanisms of nature. You have come here for a greater purpose. You have come here to do something unique and special. You were sent into the world to make a contribution to the world, to the quality of life, and ultimately your freedom is about this."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There must be a fundamental shift in your understanding of freedom. Said most simply, your freedom here is to find your purpose and to fulfill it. All of the other freedoms that you seek—the freedom for stability, the freedom for certainty, the freedom to find the truth out about your life, the freedom to think, the freedom to feel, the freedom to know, the freedom to express yourself, the freedom to go where you need to go, the freedom to become educated, even the freedom to survive, are for this greater purpose. If you take the desire for freedom to its full expression, if you take it down to its absolute foundation, it is about this.<br />
<br />
To finally come to this realization after you have tasted the pleasures and the sorrows of this world, after you have tried to fulfill yourself with people and places and activities and holidays and hobbies and sports and every other form of distraction that may be available to you—when you finally come to yourself, whether it be from a great disappointment or a sudden realization or a lucid moment in your hectic life, when you finally come to this, you will realize there is a greater need within you and that it cannot be fulfilled by all the desperate attempts at happiness that everyone around you is attempting and committing themselves to."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
"There is a way to Knowledge. The way will save you time because you need to save time now. You are needed in the world, and your preparation must become accelerated. You do not now have the luxury of endless exploration and diversion, for the world needs you. It is emerging into the Greater Community. This is not a time to fiddle with your mind or your emotions or play around with different therapies or modalities because The Way of Knowledge is being offered to you. You are needed in the world. It is time to prepare. It is time to become focused and determined. There is no escape from this, for only those who are developed in The Way of Knowledge will have capability in the future and will be able to maintain their freedom in a Mental Environment that will be increasingly influenced by the Greater Community."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
"With Knowledge you are free in the world. You are free to join. You are free to leave. You are free to make agreements. You are free to complete and change agreements. You are free to surrender yourself. You are free to extricate yourself. In Knowledge you are free."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 167</ref><br />
<br />
==For the Personal Mind==<br />
"What is freedom to the personal mind except the right to surround itself with more and more layers of deception and to offset its sense of isolation and misery with fruitless and desperate attempts at happiness?"<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
[[Freedom from the Past]]<br />
<br />
[[Free Will]]<br />
<br />
[[category:the Intervention]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Destiny&diff=3715Quotes About Destiny2012-06-01T05:54:38Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Like your purpose, your destiny remains beyond your definition. You need only take a step in its direction to feel the growing presence of Knowledge in your life."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The meaning of your being here is entirely defined by where you have come from and where you are going.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One,'' Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You receive great gifts as you fulfill and experience your destiny."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'' Step 32</ref><br />
<br />
== The World's Destiny==<br />
"God has given you the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but this must be guided by Knowledge. Your intellect must be guided by Knowledge. Your life must be guided by Knowledge—now more than ever. As circumstances become more difficult and the world grows darker, this is the time for Knowledge to emerge. This is the time of Revelation. This is the point where the future and the destiny of humanity is decided and determined, by the decisions made by individuals and the decisions made by you."<br />
<ref>Planetary Instability (March 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“From a greater standpoint, from a standpoint of Creation, destiny is everything. But it is not a destiny you created. It is the destiny that God has given you. It is why you are here. It is why your personality has been shaped the way it is. It is perfect for your true vocation in life, a vocation you have likely not found yet.”<br />
<ref name="destiny"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your destiny is to emerge into the Greater Community of Worlds. This is a process that will take several centuries overall, but the change within the scope of your life will be very rapid, and the challenge to human society will be immense. We introduce the idea of the Greater Community so that you can begin to think about this greater context of life and begin to understand and accept it as a governing fact of your life. It represents your destiny. Destiny must move you forward, whether you are willing or not, whether you can yield or not, whether you can learn or not. The results of destiny are in your hands, but the process itself is not." <br />
<ref name="gcs18">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your life is going somewhere. It has a future and a destiny. The world is going somewhere. It has a future and a destiny. How it will get there is up to the decisions you make today and the decisions that many others make along with you. Yet you do have a destiny, and this cannot be changed. How well you will fare in this destiny is dependent upon your development and the development of others. The world will emerge into the Greater Community. Humanity will eventually become one united society. Whether this emergence gives you your greatest opportunity for advancement or whether it enslaves your race is partially up to you. Whether humanity’s united society is a society of Wisdom, compassion and understanding that can tolerate diversity or whether it is an oppressive society with a cruel and harsh dictatorship that values control beyond all things, the outcome is up to you and up to others along with you."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
==Personal destiny==<br />
“Destiny has to do with where you have come from and where you are going and why you are in the world and where the world is going—things that are far beyond most people’s considerations or awareness.”<br />
<ref name="destiny">Destiny (April 12, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot change that which was put in place before you came into the world. Though the events of the day and of the year change your circumstances and alter your opportunities, your destiny is still the same.”<br />
<ref name="initiation">The Initiation (June 28, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“If it is your destiny to receive the New Revelation, then you cannot find your calling anywhere else. Try as you may. Be resistant. Deny it. Stand apart. Try to find fault with it. Try to belittle it. Try to keep it at bay. But you cannot alter the fact that it holds your destiny.”<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Once God has made God’s mark upon you, then it is not like you can erase it from your life or cover it up or make it go away or explain it or rationalize it to yourself so that its power is diminished. You are going to contend with the Revelation for you?”<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Knowledge within you wants to keep you alive so that you have a chance to fulfill your destiny in the world. It will do everything it can to gain your attention and to guide you.”<br />
<ref>Signs from the World (November 7, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You were born into this time. You were born for this time. It is your destiny to be here, to learn of these things. It is your destiny to receive these words. It is your destiny to discover the New Revelation. This is really the time. You do not have time to languish. You do not have time to hide out in ambivalence. You do not have time to lose yourself in your hobbies, your romances or your distractions. You are asked to rise to the occasion, to take the ''Steps to Knowledge'' and to allow Knowledge to reshape your life and reveal to you your greater destiny." <br />
<ref name="destiny"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are destined to meet certain people in life. You have a rendezvous with them. They will be guided to meet you as you are being guided to meet them. These relationships are really not based upon past worldly experience, but are a part of a Plan that was established before you came into the world, a Plan that has been created to make it possible for you to discover higher purpose in your life."<br />
<ref>The Sacred Rendezvous (Jan 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you take the steps to Knowledge, you will reach your true destiny and your true destination. If you stop for any reason, for love or for money, for comfort or for pleasure, then you will not reach your destination, and you will not experience your destiny. And no amount of therapy or consolation will offset the discomfort that you will feel within yourself. For what greater failure could there be than the failure to fulfill what you came to the world to fulfill? Look about in the world and you will see how unhappy people are. Many of them are very unhappy because they have already failed. They have already given away too much of their life, their energy and their resources, and they live with a dissatisfaction that no amount of comfort or pleasure can offset. They are angry. They are frustrated. And their anger gets projected upon situations which have no real relationship to it."<br />
<ref name="living">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You are being driven by a deeper, inner necessity. Accept this. It is fundamental. It is necessary. It is vital. It will keep you from compromising your life. It will keep you from being deceitful with yourself by claiming that you have reached a satisfactory place, or that you have found your purpose, meaning and direction, when in fact you have not found them yet. It will keep you from giving your life in a relationship prematurely or dedicating all of your resources and energy to a career or a form of work which does not represent your destiny.”<br />
<ref name="living"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot stop; you must go where you are going. If your destiny is reached through wisdom, it will be constructive and uplifting and you will have progress. If you interfere with it, fight against it and demand it to be otherwise, you will not be in harmony with your world or yourself.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One,'' Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Recognizing that you have a connection to life in the universe is very important here and will be part of the exploration within these teachings. Without this deeper connection, the universe would be too awesome, too immense, too complicated, too difficult and too threatening. It would produce only insecurity and confusion for you. But speaking to the deeper part of you enables you to gain recognition and a sense of your destiny within the Greater Community itself. For regardless of the difficulties that you face in your own world and the difficulties in establishing proper and wise engagements with races from beyond your world, there is the fundamental reality that the human family has a destiny in space. You have a destiny to engage with other races, a destiny to grow and, with the proper education and understanding and with your own native wisdom, the possibility of being a free and self-determined race in a vast and difficult universe.<br />
<br />
"Accept this challenge, recognizing as you do that there is something within you that gives you the ability to respond to the revelations that will be given here. This ability exists beyond your intellect, beyond your ideas, beyond your fixed notions and beyond anything that you have yet learned in the world. It is mysterious because it is born of God. It is born of a Greater Reality of which you are a part.<br />
<br />
"Not everyone will be able to see this and know this. And it is important even at the outset that you accept that many people, even those you are very close to, may not be able to see, to know and to respond to this preparation for the Greater Community. But that is all right. It is given now for the first to respond. If you are amongst the first to respond and amongst the first to be genuinely educated about life in the universe, then you must accept this challenge—even if others do not respond, even if others are fearful or doubtful, even if others turn away."<br />
<ref name="liu">''[[Life in the Universe]]'' Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Futher Study==<br />
<br />
*[http://www.newmessage.org/books/greater-community-spirituality-contents.php ''Greater Community Spirituality''], chap. 18: "What Is Human Destiny?"<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/destiny/ Destiny (April 12, 2011)]<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Higher Purpose]]<br />
<br />
[[Predestination]]<br />
<br />
[[Relationships of higher purpose]]<br />
<br />
[[category:higher purpose]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Destiny&diff=3714Quotes About Destiny2012-06-01T05:53:01Z<p>Mitch: /* Personal destiny */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Like your purpose, your destiny remains beyond your definition. You need only take a step in its direction to feel the growing presence of Knowledge in your life."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 135</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“The meaning of your being here is entirely defined by where you have come from and where you are going.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One,'' Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You receive great gifts as you fulfill and experience your destiny."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'' Step 32</ref><br />
<br />
== The World's Destiny==<br />
"God has given you the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but this must be guided by Knowledge. Your intellect must be guided by Knowledge. Your life must be guided by Knowledge—now more than ever. As circumstances become more difficult and the world grows darker, this is the time for Knowledge to emerge. This is the time of Revelation. This is the point where the future and the destiny of humanity is decided and determined, by the decisions made by individuals and the decisions made by you."<br />
<ref>Planetary Instability (March 14, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“From a greater standpoint, from a standpoint of Creation, destiny is everything. But it is not a destiny you created. It is the destiny that God has given you. It is why you are here. It is why your personality has been shaped the way it is. It is perfect for your true vocation in life, a vocation you have likely not found yet.”<br />
<ref name="destiny"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your destiny is to emerge into the Greater Community of Worlds. This is a process that will take several centuries overall, but the change within the scope of your life will be very rapid, and the challenge to human society will be immense. We introduce the idea of the Greater Community so that you can begin to think about this greater context of life and begin to understand and accept it as a governing fact of your life. It represents your destiny. Destiny must move you forward, whether you are willing or not, whether you can yield or not, whether you can learn or not. The results of destiny are in your hands, but the process itself is not." <br />
<ref name="gcs18">''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your life is going somewhere. It has a future and a destiny. The world is going somewhere. It has a future and a destiny. How it will get there is up to the decisions you make today and the decisions that many others make along with you. Yet you do have a destiny, and this cannot be changed. How well you will fare in this destiny is dependent upon your development and the development of others. The world will emerge into the Greater Community. Humanity will eventually become one united society. Whether this emergence gives you your greatest opportunity for advancement or whether it enslaves your race is partially up to you. Whether humanity’s united society is a society of Wisdom, compassion and understanding that can tolerate diversity or whether it is an oppressive society with a cruel and harsh dictatorship that values control beyond all things, the outcome is up to you and up to others along with you."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 11</ref><br />
<br />
==Personal destiny==<br />
“Destiny has to do with where you have come from and where you are going and why you are in the world and where the world is going—things that are far beyond most people’s considerations or awareness.”<br />
<ref name="destiny">Destiny (April 12, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot change that which was put in place before you came into the world. Though the events of the day and of the year change your circumstances and alter your opportunities, your destiny is still the same.”<br />
<ref name="initiation">The Initiation (June 28, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“If it is your destiny to receive the New Revelation, then you cannot find your calling anywhere else. Try as you may. Be resistant. Deny it. Stand apart. Try to find fault with it. Try to belittle it. Try to keep it at bay. But you cannot alter the fact that it holds your destiny.”<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Once God has made God’s mark upon you, then it is not like you can erase it from your life or cover it up or make it go away or explain it or rationalize it to yourself so that its power is diminished. You are going to contend with the Revelation for you?”<br />
<ref name="initiation"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“Knowledge within you wants to keep you alive so that you have a chance to fulfill your destiny in the world. It will do everything it can to gain your attention and to guide you.”<br />
<ref>Signs from the World (November 7, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You were born into this time. You were born for this time. It is your destiny to be here, to learn of these things. It is your destiny to receive these words. It is your destiny to discover the New Revelation. This is really the time. You do not have time to languish. You do not have time to hide out in ambivalence. You do not have time to lose yourself in your hobbies, your romances or your distractions. You are asked to rise to the occasion, to take the ''Steps to Knowledge'' and to allow Knowledge to reshape your life and reveal to you your greater destiny." <br />
<ref name="destiny"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are destined to meet certain people in life. You have a rendezvous with them. They will be guided to meet you as you are being guided to meet them. These relationships are really not based upon past worldly experience, but are a part of a Plan that was established before you came into the world, a Plan that has been created to make it possible for you to discover higher purpose in your life."<br />
<ref>The Sacred Rendezvous (Jan 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you take the steps to Knowledge, you will reach your true destiny and your true destination. If you stop for any reason, for love or for money, for comfort or for pleasure, then you will not reach your destination, and you will not experience your destiny. And no amount of therapy or consolation will offset the discomfort that you will feel within yourself. For what greater failure could there be than the failure to fulfill what you came to the world to fulfill? Look about in the world and you will see how unhappy people are. Many of them are very unhappy because they have already failed. They have already given away too much of their life, their energy and their resources, and they live with a dissatisfaction that no amount of comfort or pleasure can offset. They are angry. They are frustrated. And their anger gets projected upon situations which have no real relationship to it."<br />
<ref name="living">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]''</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You are being driven by a deeper, inner necessity. Accept this. It is fundamental. It is necessary. It is vital. It will keep you from compromising your life. It will keep you from being deceitful with yourself by claiming that you have reached a satisfactory place, or that you have found your purpose, meaning and direction, when in fact you have not found them yet. It will keep you from giving your life in a relationship prematurely or dedicating all of your resources and energy to a career or a form of work which does not represent your destiny.”<br />
<ref name="living"/><br />
<br />
<br />
“You cannot stop; you must go where you are going. If your destiny is reached through wisdom, it will be constructive and uplifting and you will have progress. If you interfere with it, fight against it and demand it to be otherwise, you will not be in harmony with your world or yourself.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One,'' Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Recognizing that you have a connection to life in the universe is very important here and will be part of the exploration within these teachings. Without this deeper connection, the universe would be too awesome, too immense, too complicated, too difficult and too threatening. It would produce only insecurity and confusion for you. But speaking to the deeper part of you enables you to gain recognition and a sense of your destiny within the Greater Community itself. For regardless of the difficulties that you face in your own world and the difficulties in establishing proper and wise engagements with races from beyond your world, there is the fundamental reality that the human family has a destiny in space. You have a destiny to engage with other races, a destiny to grow and, with the proper education and understanding and with your own native wisdom, the possibility of being a free and self-determined race in a vast and difficult universe.<br />
<br />
"Accept this challenge, recognizing as you do that there is something within you that gives you the ability to respond to the revelations that will be given here. This ability exists beyond your intellect, beyond your ideas, beyond your fixed notions and beyond anything that you have yet learned in the world. It is mysterious because it is born of God. It is born of a Greater Reality of which you are a part.<br />
<br />
"Not everyone will be able to see this and know this. And it is important even at the outset that you accept that many people, even those you are very close to, may not be able to see, to know and to respond to this preparation for the Greater Community. But that is all right. It is given now for the first to respond. If you are amongst the first to respond and amongst the first to be genuinely educated about life in the universe, then you must accept this challenge—even if others do not respond, even if others are fearful or doubtful, even if others turn away."<br />
<ref name="liu">''Life in the Universe'' Chapter 1</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==Futher Study==<br />
<br />
*[http://www.newmessage.org/books/greater-community-spirituality-contents.php ''Greater Community Spirituality''], chap. 18: "What Is Human Destiny?"<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/destiny/ Destiny (April 12, 2011)]<br />
==See Also==<br />
[[Higher Purpose]]<br />
<br />
[[Predestination]]<br />
<br />
[[Relationships of higher purpose]]<br />
<br />
[[category:higher purpose]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Beauty&diff=3709Beauty2012-05-27T20:58:57Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>==Excerpts==<br />
"As long as you are drawn by beauty, wealth, and charm, you do not yet have the discernment to see what is really meaningful and important. If you have never really felt a deep connection with another, do not think it is not possible and meant for you.<br />
<br />
"You have a greater destiny in the world, and there are others who are part of this destiny and who will play a significant role in its discovery and expression. This is an article of faith for you now, for not all your needs can be met in this moment, nor should they be met.<br />
<br />
"You have to have a sound relationship with your mind and your body. You have to develop your health. You have to develop your Pillar of Work. You have so many things to do now to build your foundation in life. You have the Steps to Knowledge to take to build your connection with Knowledge. No one should be pining away for a relationship when they have all of this work to do to build their foundation." <br />
<ref name="dir">Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you are not extremely physically attractive, it is such an advantage here because the people who are very physically attractive are being constantly bombarded with offers and persuasions and seductions. They are being given power and recognition though they have never really earned it through any real merit. They are being seduced, and they will seduce themselves, and you will rarely find a highly physically attractive person who has ever cultivated any depth within themselves. They have become a product to be bought and sold. They are a resource for others. Unless they can see beyond this deception, they will fall prey to it."<br />
<ref name="dir"/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Short_Quotes_About_Relationships&diff=3688Short Quotes About Relationships2012-05-22T22:59:38Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Relationship is when two or more people come together to fulfill an inner and an outer need."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
"Much of human engagement is merely an escape from one's self."<br />
<ref>Harmful Influences (May 13, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Alone you can do nothing, for nothing in life is done alone.”<br />
<ref name="s2k">''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 249</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with God ==<br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you going to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another’s presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"This relationship, however, which is so primary, can never be your sole focus, for God wants your eyes turned to the world where you have come to serve and to work. The more God abides with you as your work progresses and becomes a deeper experience and a greater commitment for you, the more God grows in your experience. Here God becomes more a context than an individual, more a greater experience of relationship than an authority. In this way, God is able to work through you without distracting you. In this way, you are able to work with God without losing your focus in the world."<br />
<ref name="gcs17"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
“Through Knowledge you can feel the Presence of all relationships. This is the experience of God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 169</ref><br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you gong to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another's presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
“What is God, what is the return to God, but the return to relationship? Some people wish to return to God and commit themselves to God, but they cannot be with anybody. And so they are trying to be with everything, but they do not know how to be with any one thing.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5"/><br />
<br />
"The road to Heaven is through relationships. It is a road of relationships. You may try your hardest to feel whole and joined with life, and you will have experiences of this now and then, but until you can be joined to another, give yourself and dedicate your resources in conjunction with another’s dedication, you are only flirting with reality."<br />
<ref name="ltwok8">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with Knowledge==<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Your first and primary relationship is with Knowledge. Can your relationships with others support this?”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Knowledge is your primary relationship because it is your connection to God."<br />
<ref>Ending Separation (March 3, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge is the foundation for your ability to be in relationship with anyone or anything. Without Knowledge, people are in relationship only to gain advantage. They use others and they use life to gain advantage or to provide protection. They barter with their affections. They negotiate with their feelings. Here relationship is a form of commerce rather than a form of union. Prices are paid. Services are rendered. Can this be the real meaning of relationship?”<br />
<ref>The Meaning of Christmas (December 23, 1994)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge will not support a wrong decision in a relationship, and Knowledge will not go with you into that relationship. If you commit yourself prematurely, you pull yourself away from Knowledge. You can still come back to Knowledge, but it will not go along with you. It will become mute and silent, patiently waiting once again while you live out another long and perilous error in life.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
“Your Knowledge cannot emerge within you alone. It must emerge in the context of relationship. It is absolutely hopeless for you alone to find out why you are here. You may have some wonderful definitions, but you are still a slave of your mind.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
“There is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. These are the only two things that any relationship can demonstrate to you.”<br />
<ref name="stkII">''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
“There is a means for you to escape the world of ideas and enter the world of relationship, where everything is viable and real and based upon a foundation that can never change.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 277</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with the World ==<br />
<br />
"The world represents a relationship in which your purpose is initiated, fostered and realized. That is why seeking escape from the world or a permanent retreat from the world is counterproductive. The very tribulations in the world that you find so difficult and so unpleasant are the very things that will call out of you the greatness that you have come to give."<br />
<ref name="gcs18"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
“Relationship is the essence of your environment, the environment in which you live. What you decide to do in your relationships will determine the kind of life you will have and the kind of problems you will have to solve.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are a part of life and you will need to rely upon your relationships with others and with life as a whole to accomplish anything, even to survive."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 250</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Self==<br />
<br />
“You have a relationship with yourself, which is primarily your relationship with your mind and your body.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
"Underneath everyone’s desperate pursuits, addictions, goals and fears is the desire to be known and recognized.”<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Starting Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You must become the person you are meant to be before you can be in a relationship successfully, a deep harmonious relationship, a greater partnership. You bring to that what you have discovered within yourself.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“You must have a sense of who you are and where you are going in life based upon Knowledge before you can know who to be with and how to be with them.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Choose your engagements carefully, enter into them slowly and allow your Knowledge, as opposed to your ambition, to guide your actions. You lose nothing by moving slowly; you risk everything by moving quickly. If you cannot allow yourself to move slowly, you have good cause to distrust your motives already.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
"Many of the relationships that people initiate out of desire, passion or need are premature because it is important to get your bearings in life before you engage yourself or commit yourself to others." <br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Here it is important to realize that you cannot change or improve another person. You cannot take someone who appears charming and talented, but who cannot seem to function very well, and turn them into a functioning person. Young women make this mistake all the time, particularly, thinking they are going to rehabilitate the young man. 'Oh, with her guidance, this young man will become productive and responsible and effective.' Do not make this mistake. It is an immense waste of your time. You cannot change or improve another person. That is what they must do for themselves."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Maintaining Relationships==<br />
<br />
"In living in the world, there are Four Pillars of life. These are all part of your foundation building. They are the pillars of relationships, health, work and spiritual development. These are the cornerstones of your foundation in life."<br />
<ref name="ltwk2">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
“To develop the Pillar of relationship means to recognize, to discern and to be prepared to participate in the essential relationships that are meant for you.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“It is what you do together that determines the nature and purpose of relationship. That is why human romance is such an empty promise, for if you cannot do anything together, you have no basis for being together. The initial attraction turns cold and dark, and the desire and the embellished feelings turn ashen and become bitter and resentful.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/> <br />
<br />
==Concluding Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You cannot be given a new realization if your life is full of relationships with people, places and things that are not right for you, that will not help you.<br />
<ref name="pftf">Preparing for the Future (September 5, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
“Every relationship you have should give you the strength to do this. Every possession you have should be either useful or inspiring to you. Every commitment and obligation must help you to prepare and to gain a foundation in Knowledge. For there are no neutral relationships in life. All your relationships with people, where you live, your possessions, your activities, are either strengthening or weakening you in taking the steps to Knowledge and in building a real foundation for your life.”<br />
<ref name="pftf"/><br />
<br />
==Strength and Weakness in Relationships==<br />
<br />
“A relationship is only as good as the strength that its participants bring to it. It is the sum of your accomplishments.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 78</ref><br />
<br />
“Here every relationship is either strengthening you or weakening you, for there are no neutral relationships. Everyone casts influence on one another, and that influence is either strengthening you and bringing you closer to Knowledge, or it is weakening you and taking you further away.”<br />
<ref>Spiritual Community (March 11, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Therefore, we emphasize the value of your relationships to you who now seek to reclaim Knowledge. These relationships must be imbued with the Knowledge that you are reclaiming. Then they will have the stability, the efficacy and the grace that your Knowledge contains for you. For only relationships based upon Knowledge can carry the Wisdom that Knowledge will exert within the world. Relationships based upon personal attraction or personal fantasy do not have the foundation to carry Knowledge and will fail abruptly in the presence of the demands and requirements of a true life.”<br />
<ref name="s2k"/><br />
<br />
“The greatest evidence of a person’s self-understanding is the nature and the quality of the relationships that they establish around themselves.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 41</ref><br />
<br />
“We say cultivate Knowledge and Knowledge will bring to you all relationships you truly need. Those you do not truly need will find no purpose there, and so your life will not be hindered and held back by inappropriate engagements.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
"In the Greater Community, there are no powerful individuals. There are only powerful relationships.”<br />
<ref>''[[Preparing for the Greater Community]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
“Here people try to offset their sense of insecurity by securing partnerships with others. As a result, they form relationships based upon weakness and not upon strength.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"You have no neutral relationships, for every one of them is either helping you or hindering you and holding you back. You are either gaining strength or losing strength to every one of these relationships."<br />
<ref>The Deep Evaluation (June 3, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
“And the person who will do you the most harm could well be someone who is totally enchanting to you and who seems to fit the absolute picture of what you are trying to acquire for yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
“Your progress here can only truly be thwarted by your misapplication in relationships.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Without Knowledge, relationship is trial and error only. There are many people who have spent their primal energy on relationships with very little to show for it. They have wasted their lives, and yet they have justified this waste by saying that they have grown personally and that they have learned so much. But they are right back where they began. They are alone and they are still seeking for a meaningful union.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
“Falling in love may be a wonderful dream, but it does not assure a real relationship at all. A real relationship is built upon compatibility, shared values and a commensurate level of strength and involvement in the world. Here if a strong person unites with a weak person, the strong person will become weaker. That is why if you want to become strong, you must be with someone who is strong.”<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (January 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
“It is Knowledge that will bring the great relationships to you. It is not your prancing around, making a fool of yourself and degrading yourself in every conceivable way to try to attract the attention and the approval of some person.”<br />
<ref>Listening for Knowledge (September 24, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
“Wrong decisions in relationships have disabled and disarmed many a promising person in the world. Many have lost their way and many have lost their chance in life as a result of making decisions here without Knowledge.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Great truth is a product of great relationship.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 25</ref><br />
<br />
"If you commit yourself to momentary attractions, time will be very disappointing to you." <ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==Purpose in Relationships==<br />
<br />
“Your time in life is precious. Your opportunity here is great. The more you are aware that it is great, the less you will want to waste it on any endeavor or relationship that compromises you or that leads you astray.”<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“You see, if your life is about contribution, you do not have a problem finding people to be with you. Your problem now is choosing the right people to be with. You do not have to worry about a good career. Your problem is choosing the right career. Life bends itself to you who give, so thirsty for giving is life here. If the Presence is with you, people will come to you like magnetism.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15"/><br />
<br />
“God is preparing you for the right relationships, the ones that will make all the difference, the ones that will bring forth the power of Knowledge within yourself, the ones that will encourage you to discover your deeper nature and with it your greater purpose for being in the world.”<br />
<ref name="lar">Love and Relationships (April 21, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Your purpose has been established and relationships have been designed for you already. Therefore, you need not be the author of your relationships, only a wise participant.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“What you have brought from your Ancient Home is meant to be given here and what you have brought is needed here as well. What you have brought from your Ancient Home is the power of relationship.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“Who you are with will determine what you can know and your ability to follow what you know.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Once you prepare a place in your life for true purpose, true relationship must find you, for purpose requires relationship and will draw relationship unto itself.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The power of relationship is the power given to carry out true purpose in the world. The power of relationship is to engage each person beyond their preferences and fear so that their true gifts may be brought forth into the world. The blessing of true relationship is the blessing born of Knowledge, which is the greatest gift that can be rendered, which is the gift that I am sent here to give and to receive, to discover and to leave behind. Let me, then, prepare for my Ancient Home by recognizing the quality of relationship here that truly exists there.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The great lives, what did they accumulate here? Only one thing and that is relationship. When they left, whether they were penniless or rich, what did they take Home with them? They took relationship.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15">''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
==Further Study==<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-1-your-most-primary-relationship/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 1: Your Most Primary Relationship]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-2-your-relationship-with-yourself/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 2: Your Relationship with Yourself]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-4your-relationship-with-the-world/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 4: Your Relationship with the World]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/rhp-chapter-11-your-purpose-and-spiritual-calling/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 11: Your Purpose and Spiritual Calling]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-12-establishing-relationships/''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 12: Establishing Relationships]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-13-maintaining-relationships/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 13: Maintaining Relationships]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Relationships of higher purpose]]<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Short_Quotes_About_Relationships&diff=3687Short Quotes About Relationships2012-05-22T22:58:16Z<p>Mitch: /* Strength and Weakness in Relationships */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
"Relationship is when two or more people come together to fulfill an inner and an outer need."<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
"Much of human engagement is merely an escape from one's self."<br />
<ref>Harmful Influences (May 13, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Alone you can do nothing, for nothing in life is done alone.”<br />
<ref name="s2k">''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 249</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with God ==<br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you going to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another’s presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
"This relationship, however, which is so primary, can never be your sole focus, for God wants your eyes turned to the world where you have come to serve and to work. The more God abides with you as your work progresses and becomes a deeper experience and a greater commitment for you, the more God grows in your experience. Here God becomes more a context than an individual, more a greater experience of relationship than an authority. In this way, God is able to work through you without distracting you. In this way, you are able to work with God without losing your focus in the world."<br />
<ref name="gcs17"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 17</ref><br />
<br />
“Through Knowledge you can feel the Presence of all relationships. This is the experience of God.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 169</ref><br />
<br />
"If you cannot engage with God, how are you gong to really engage with anyone else? If you cannot experience affinity with the Power and the Presence of God, how are you going to experience affinity with anyone else? You may become intoxicated, falling in love temporarily with someone. You may be delighted with another's presence, but will you be able to experience true affinity with them? If you do not trust God, how will you trust anyone else?"<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
“What is God, what is the return to God, but the return to relationship? Some people wish to return to God and commit themselves to God, but they cannot be with anybody. And so they are trying to be with everything, but they do not know how to be with any one thing.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5"/><br />
<br />
"The road to Heaven is through relationships. It is a road of relationships. You may try your hardest to feel whole and joined with life, and you will have experiences of this now and then, but until you can be joined to another, give yourself and dedicate your resources in conjunction with another’s dedication, you are only flirting with reality."<br />
<ref name="ltwok8">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with Knowledge==<br />
<br />
"If Knowledge cannot be brought into your relationships and into your decisions regarding relationships, then Knowledge remains only a potential within you."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Your first and primary relationship is with Knowledge. Can your relationships with others support this?”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Knowledge is your primary relationship because it is your connection to God."<br />
<ref>Ending Separation (March 3, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge is the foundation for your ability to be in relationship with anyone or anything. Without Knowledge, people are in relationship only to gain advantage. They use others and they use life to gain advantage or to provide protection. They barter with their affections. They negotiate with their feelings. Here relationship is a form of commerce rather than a form of union. Prices are paid. Services are rendered. Can this be the real meaning of relationship?”<br />
<ref>The Meaning of Christmas (December 23, 1994)</ref><br />
<br />
“Knowledge will not support a wrong decision in a relationship, and Knowledge will not go with you into that relationship. If you commit yourself prematurely, you pull yourself away from Knowledge. You can still come back to Knowledge, but it will not go along with you. It will become mute and silent, patiently waiting once again while you live out another long and perilous error in life.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
“Your Knowledge cannot emerge within you alone. It must emerge in the context of relationship. It is absolutely hopeless for you alone to find out why you are here. You may have some wonderful definitions, but you are still a slave of your mind.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
“There is only Knowledge and the need for Knowledge. These are the only two things that any relationship can demonstrate to you.”<br />
<ref name="stkII">''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Level II''</ref><br />
<br />
“There is a means for you to escape the world of ideas and enter the world of relationship, where everything is viable and real and based upon a foundation that can never change.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 277</ref><br />
<br />
== Relationship with the World ==<br />
<br />
"The world represents a relationship in which your purpose is initiated, fostered and realized. That is why seeking escape from the world or a permanent retreat from the world is counterproductive. The very tribulations in the world that you find so difficult and so unpleasant are the very things that will call out of you the greatness that you have come to give."<br />
<ref name="gcs18"> ''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 18</ref><br />
<br />
“Relationship is the essence of your environment, the environment in which you live. What you decide to do in your relationships will determine the kind of life you will have and the kind of problems you will have to solve.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"You are a part of life and you will need to rely upon your relationships with others and with life as a whole to accomplish anything, even to survive."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 250</ref><br />
<br />
==Relationship with Self==<br />
<br />
“You have a relationship with yourself, which is primarily your relationship with your mind and your body.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
"Underneath everyone’s desperate pursuits, addictions, goals and fears is the desire to be known and recognized.”<br />
<ref>Deeper Recognition in Relationships (September 11, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Starting Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You must become the person you are meant to be before you can be in a relationship successfully, a deep harmonious relationship, a greater partnership. You bring to that what you have discovered within yourself.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“You must have a sense of who you are and where you are going in life based upon Knowledge before you can know who to be with and how to be with them.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Choose your engagements carefully, enter into them slowly and allow your Knowledge, as opposed to your ambition, to guide your actions. You lose nothing by moving slowly; you risk everything by moving quickly. If you cannot allow yourself to move slowly, you have good cause to distrust your motives already.”<br />
<ref>''[[Relationships & Higher Purpose]]'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
"Many of the relationships that people initiate out of desire, passion or need are premature because it is important to get your bearings in life before you engage yourself or commit yourself to others." <br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"Here it is important to realize that you cannot change or improve another person. You cannot take someone who appears charming and talented, but who cannot seem to function very well, and turn them into a functioning person. Young women make this mistake all the time, particularly, thinking they are going to rehabilitate the young man. 'Oh, with her guidance, this young man will become productive and responsible and effective.' Do not make this mistake. It is an immense waste of your time. You cannot change or improve another person. That is what they must do for themselves."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==Maintaining Relationships==<br />
<br />
"In living in the world, there are Four Pillars of life. These are all part of your foundation building. They are the pillars of relationships, health, work and spiritual development. These are the cornerstones of your foundation in life."<br />
<ref name="ltwk2">''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 2</ref><br />
<br />
“To develop the Pillar of relationship means to recognize, to discern and to be prepared to participate in the essential relationships that are meant for you.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“It is what you do together that determines the nature and purpose of relationship. That is why human romance is such an empty promise, for if you cannot do anything together, you have no basis for being together. The initial attraction turns cold and dark, and the desire and the embellished feelings turn ashen and become bitter and resentful.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/> <br />
<br />
==Concluding Relationships==<br />
<br />
“You cannot be given a new realization if your life is full of relationships with people, places and things that are not right for you, that will not help you.<br />
<ref name="pftf">Preparing for the Future (September 5, 2007)</ref><br />
<br />
“Every relationship you have should give you the strength to do this. Every possession you have should be either useful or inspiring to you. Every commitment and obligation must help you to prepare and to gain a foundation in Knowledge. For there are no neutral relationships in life. All your relationships with people, where you live, your possessions, your activities, are either strengthening or weakening you in taking the steps to Knowledge and in building a real foundation for your life.”<br />
<ref name="pftf"/><br />
<br />
==Strength and Weakness in Relationships==<br />
<br />
“A relationship is only as good as the strength that its participants bring to it. It is the sum of your accomplishments.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 78</ref><br />
<br />
“Here every relationship is either strengthening you or weakening you, for there are no neutral relationships. Everyone casts influence on one another, and that influence is either strengthening you and bringing you closer to Knowledge, or it is weakening you and taking you further away.”<br />
<ref>Spiritual Community (March 11, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Therefore, we emphasize the value of your relationships to you who now seek to reclaim Knowledge. These relationships must be imbued with the Knowledge that you are reclaiming. Then they will have the stability, the efficacy and the grace that your Knowledge contains for you. For only relationships based upon Knowledge can carry the Wisdom that Knowledge will exert within the world. Relationships based upon personal attraction or personal fantasy do not have the foundation to carry Knowledge and will fail abruptly in the presence of the demands and requirements of a true life.”<br />
<ref name="s2k"/><br />
<br />
“The greatest evidence of a person’s self-understanding is the nature and the quality of the relationships that they establish around themselves.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]] Continuation Training'', Step 41</ref><br />
<br />
“We say cultivate Knowledge and Knowledge will bring to you all relationships you truly need. Those you do not truly need will find no purpose there, and so your life will not be hindered and held back by inappropriate engagements.”<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 13</ref><br />
<br />
"In the Greater Community, there are no powerful individuals. There are only powerful relationships.”<br />
<ref>''[[Preparing for the Greater Community]]'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
“Here people try to offset their sense of insecurity by securing partnerships with others. As a result, they form relationships based upon weakness and not upon strength.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
"You have no neutral relationships, for every one of them is either helping you or hindering you and holding you back. You are either gaining strength or losing strength to every one of these relationships."<br />
<ref>The Deep Evaluation (June 3, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
“And the person who will do you the most harm could well be someone who is totally enchanting to you and who seems to fit the absolute picture of what you are trying to acquire for yourself.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
“Your progress here can only truly be thwarted by your misapplication in relationships.”<br />
<ref name="wgcII"/><br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Without Knowledge, relationship is trial and error only. There are many people who have spent their primal energy on relationships with very little to show for it. They have wasted their lives, and yet they have justified this waste by saying that they have grown personally and that they have learned so much. But they are right back where they began. They are alone and they are still seeking for a meaningful union.”<br />
<ref name="wgc5">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 5</ref><br />
<br />
“Falling in love may be a wonderful dream, but it does not assure a real relationship at all. A real relationship is built upon compatibility, shared values and a commensurate level of strength and involvement in the world. Here if a strong person unites with a weak person, the strong person will become weaker. That is why if you want to become strong, you must be with someone who is strong.”<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (January 29, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
“It is Knowledge that will bring the great relationships to you. It is not your prancing around, making a fool of yourself and degrading yourself in every conceivable way to try to attract the attention and the approval of some person.”<br />
<ref>Listening for Knowledge (September 24, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
“Wrong decisions in relationships have disabled and disarmed many a promising person in the world. Many have lost their way and many have lost their chance in life as a result of making decisions here without Knowledge.”<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“Great truth is a product of great relationship.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 25</ref><br />
<br />
"If you commit yourself to momentary attractions, time will be very disappointing to you." <ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==Purpose in Relationships==<br />
<br />
“Your time in life is precious. Your opportunity here is great. The more you are aware that it is great, the less you will want to waste it on any endeavor or relationship that compromises you or that leads you astray.”<br />
<ref>''[[Greater Community Spirituality]]'', Chapter 12</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Build real relationships. Begin with your relationship with Knowledge and develop character by developing patience, forbearance, restraint, objectivity, compassion, the ability to observe others and the ability to have your life be undefined. This builds character, and with this you gain a greater capacity for experience. This is Wisdom. And in order for you to be a vehicle for Knowledge in life-to be an inspiration to others and to give your life wholeheartedly-you must have this foundation and you must have your essential relationships."<br />
<ref name="ltwok3"/><br />
<br />
“You see, if your life is about contribution, you do not have a problem finding people to be with you. Your problem now is choosing the right people to be with. You do not have to worry about a good career. Your problem is choosing the right career. Life bends itself to you who give, so thirsty for giving is life here. If the Presence is with you, people will come to you like magnetism.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15"/><br />
<br />
“God is preparing you for the right relationships, the ones that will make all the difference, the ones that will bring forth the power of Knowledge within yourself, the ones that will encourage you to discover your deeper nature and with it your greater purpose for being in the world.”<br />
<ref name="lar">Love and Relationships (April 21, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
“Your purpose has been established and relationships have been designed for you already. Therefore, you need not be the author of your relationships, only a wise participant.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“What you have brought from your Ancient Home is meant to be given here and what you have brought is needed here as well. What you have brought from your Ancient Home is the power of relationship.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“Who you are with will determine what you can know and your ability to follow what you know.”<br />
<ref name="lar"/><br />
<br />
“Once you prepare a place in your life for true purpose, true relationship must find you, for purpose requires relationship and will draw relationship unto itself.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The power of relationship is the power given to carry out true purpose in the world. The power of relationship is to engage each person beyond their preferences and fear so that their true gifts may be brought forth into the world. The blessing of true relationship is the blessing born of Knowledge, which is the greatest gift that can be rendered, which is the gift that I am sent here to give and to receive, to discover and to leave behind. Let me, then, prepare for my Ancient Home by recognizing the quality of relationship here that truly exists there.”<br />
<ref name="stkII"/><br />
<br />
“The great lives, what did they accumulate here? Only one thing and that is relationship. When they left, whether they were penniless or rich, what did they take Home with them? They took relationship.”<br />
<ref name="wgc15">''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 15</ref><br />
==Further Study==<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-1-your-most-primary-relationship/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 1: Your Most Primary Relationship]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-2-your-relationship-with-yourself/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 2: Your Relationship with Yourself]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-4your-relationship-with-the-world/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 4: Your Relationship with the World]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/rhp-chapter-11-your-purpose-and-spiritual-calling/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 11: Your Purpose and Spiritual Calling]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-12-establishing-relationships/''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 12: Establishing Relationships]<br />
<br />
*[http://wp.newmessage.org/relationships-and-higher-purpose-chapter-13-maintaining-relationships/ ''Relationships and Higher Purpose'', Chapter 13: Maintaining Relationships]<br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Relationships of higher purpose]]<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Universal_truths&diff=3686Universal truths2012-05-22T08:54:17Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div>"So, the first Spiritual Truth is that there is no absolute truth here."<br />
<ref name="wgcI9>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 9</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
==Desire for freedom==<br />
"Whatever form the desire for freedom takes, it is universal, both within this world and within the Greater Community of worlds in the Universe around you. Beyond meeting certain basic requirements of life, freedom represents a deeper need of the soul, and this deeper need expresses itself through a person’s understanding—through their ideas and associations. But the pure impulse comes from deeper within them, beyond the realm of the intellect or intellectual understanding."<br />
<ref name="nmof">The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
"There must be a fundamental shift in your understanding of freedom. Said most simply, your freedom here is to find your purpose and to fulfill it."<br />
<ref name="nmof"/><br />
<br />
===Requirements for freedom & sovereignty===<br />
"The three requirements for freedom are all unmet by the human family at this time. You are not united and face the risk of greater division and conflict between your peoples and nations. You are rapidly destroying your self-sufficiency in your world. And you are hardly discreet, broadcasting your strengths and weaknesses to all who wish to view them....<br />
<br />
These are the three great needs of humanity, not only for your own well being and your future in this world, but also to give you the opportunity to build real freedom and unity in the Greater Community. Any contribution that you can make as an individual and as part of the human family in this regard is vitally important in giving humanity a greater freedom and a greater promise for the future."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
*'''Must be unified'''<br />
"Human unity now will not be the consequence of ideology but of necessity, for you will fail if you are divided facing the great change in your world, and you will fail in the face of the Greater Community if you cannot establish this unity of will and purpose. All free nations in the universe must establish this unity of will and purpose, particularly regarding their use of their home worlds and their awareness and approach to the Greater Community. This need, therefore, is universal.<br />
<br />
Your evolution has always been towards greater unity and cooperation, but now it must enter a more mature phase. For no nation will prosper and remain free if other nations in your world fall under foreign persuasion—a persuasion that will encourage human conflict in order to weaken the earthly powers that you have and to weaken the strength of the human family, fracturing it and making it more susceptible to persuasion, to foreign manipulation and to the need for foreign technology."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2">''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book 3: Second Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
*'''Must be self-sufficient'''<br />
<br />
*'''Must be discreet'''<br />
"Living underground has many advantages. Discretion is one of them. But that is not your condition now, so you will have to find other ways to maintain discretion.<br />
<br />
Your world is being watched. Your governments are being watched. Your conflicts are being watched. Your trade and commerce are being watched. Your tendencies are being watched, both by your allies and by those who would seek to exploit you.<br />
<br />
In the future, should you gain a greater unity and should you be able to sustain the use of your world, the development of this discretion will become essential. For indiscretion is always exploited in nature. It always makes one vulnerable in nature, and the universe is a natural environment, fundamentally."<br />
<ref name="aoh3-2"/><br />
<br />
==Learning from others==<br />
"To advance in the way of Knowledge, to learn of the world and to find your contribution, you must be able to learn from others. So, let us now explore this together.<br />
<br />
Positioning yourself as a student offers you a great advantage and can in many ways protect you from your own destructive tendencies. Claiming and reinforcing your studenthood gives you the opportunity to learn in a very maximal way and tends to prevent you from making premature conclusions or identifying with self-comforting ideas. It allows you to be open, vulnerable, perceptive, observant and can in many ways restrain you from coming to conclusions that do not represent a deeper understanding. By the very nature of studenthood, one must wait to learn.Yet, during this time of waiting, one must apply oneself. One must seek a curriculum of preparation, and one must become very observant of others.<br />
<br />
This seems so obvious in order to learn anything of great importance. Surely, if you think of any skill that you value, you realize that you will need instruction; you will need some kind of curriculum; you will need help from others. And you will need many examples.This is universally true and has so many applications."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]]'', Volume 2, Chapter 20: Learning from Others</ref><br />
<br />
==The wise remain hidden==<br />
"Let us give this very great idea from the Greater Community for you to consider. This is a truth that advanced races in the Greater Community have come to realize through life’s experience. Because it is a universal truth, it means that it is applicable everywhere. It is a truth that transcends race, culture, temperament and nature. It is true everywhere, whether you are a human being, or whether you are something else.The truth is this: The Wise remain hidden to remain wise. We recommend that you contemplate this idea, but do not be satisfied with your first conclusions. You must go far beyond them to reach the real meaning of this idea.This idea is so important if you can consider it and stay with it long enough because it teaches you about yourself, about the nature of your real ability, about the role of Knowledge and about the reality of the world. Only a person who can penetrate this idea will gain these great results."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]]'', Volume 2, Chapter 32: Pride</ref><br />
<br />
==What is the World?==<br />
"In a greater context, the world is a place where you have come to serve, to give and to reunite with those whom you are destined to meet, to know and to participate with. This definition, though universally true, is a truth that is not accessible to many human beings at this stage of development, for they are much too focused on survival and gratification to be able to see its importance.However, even as you grasp this idea and begin to experience it within your own range of relationships and understanding, it opens up a whole new panorama, a greater vista where things can be seen and known which could not be seen and known before."<br />
<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/books/greater-community-spirituality-contents.php ''Greater Community Spirituality''] Chapter 2: What is the World?</ref><br />
<br />
==To give is to receive==<br />
"As you give yourself, you will receive and in this you will learn the ancient law that to give is to receive."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 148</ref><br />
<br />
==All minds are truly joined==<br />
"Your practice is a gift to the world, for it gives that which you are affirming within yourself.What you affirm within yourself you affirm for all individuals, in all circumstances, in all worlds and in all dimensions. Thus, you affirm the reality of Knowledge. Thus, you affirm your Ancient Home while you are here."<br />
<br />
"Give all that you realize you can give, for this is a gift to the world. Though you cannot as yet see the result, have confidence that this giving will extend beyond your own mind and will touch all minds in the universe, for all minds are truly joined in reality."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 149</ref><br />
<br />
==The source of all judgment is fear==<br />
"Do not rely upon your judgments of yourself and the world. As you withdraw from them, you will realize that their source is fear, for you have only been trying to comfort yourself with your judgments, to provide a false security, stability and identity which you feel you are lacking. Therefore, be without a substitute for Wisdom and Knowledge, and allow Wisdom and Knowledge to arise naturally."<br />
<br />
"Only from a place of self-love can you offer correction to yourself and to others."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 151</ref><br />
<br />
==Communication is life==<br />
"Your life is communication, for communication is life. Communication is the extension of Knowledge. It is not merely the sharing of little ideas from one separated mind to another. Communication is far greater, for communication creates life and extends life, and within this is all joy and fulfillment. Within this is the depth of all meaning. Here darkness and light mix together and cease their separation. Here all opposites blend and melt into each other.This is the unity of all life."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'' Step 153</ref><br />
<br />
==Alone you have no meaning==<br />
"Alone you have no meaning. There are no meaningful individuals in the universe. An individual is a potential for relationship. It is the relationships that are important. It is what you are connected to and who you represent that gives meaning to your existence here. It is what you belong to— not as in a political party or a social club, but who in your heart you are joined with— that gives meaning and substance to your existence. No matter how great and glorious you may become as an individual, no matter how esteemed and worshipped you may be in your society, you are only a potential human being until you have given your life to another. As a potential human being, you will not find your fulfillment. You will not fully experience your meaning or your purpose in the world or the direction that you must go in life. And you will need more and more adulation in order to offset the terrible sense of isolation that you feel.<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
"How can you understand yourself except in the context of contribution to others? Alone you can do nothing. Alone you have no meaning.This is because you are not alone.This will be viewed as a burden and as a threat until you realize the great meaning that it has and the gift that it really is. It is the salvation of your life.When life reclaims you, you reclaim life and receive all of its rewards, which far exceed anything that you could give yourself.The value of your life is consummated and fully demonstrated through your contribution to others because until contribution exists, you can only partially realize yourself—your value, your purpose, your meaning and your direction."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 53</ref><br />
<br />
==Greater Community like our own world==<br />
"Here you must come not with hopeful expectations or with dread or fear, but with a greater sobriety and clarity of mind. Do not approach the Greater Community wanting things for yourself, hoping and believing that those whom you will encounter will provide these things for you. For this is unwise and will rob you of the discernment that you must have to see clearly and to be able to discern those opportunities that are beneficial from those that only appear to be beneficial. This is the wisdom one must utilize within one’s own world, for this is a universal truth."<br />
<ref>''[[The Allies of Humanity]]'' Book 3: First Briefing</ref><br />
<br />
==Evolution of intelligent races==<br />
"You have become increasingly interdependent between your nations and cultures.<br />
<br />
This was the intention of the Creator, for this is the natural evolution of humanity and all intelligent races in the universe." <ref>The Recitation (April 1, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/></div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Wealth&diff=3685Quotes About Wealth2012-05-22T08:51:16Z<p>Mitch: </p>
<hr />
<div><br />
<br />
"Affluence will fade in the world. It will be lost by many people. The human need will become so great that it will call upon people everywhere to serve and to participate. The ship is already taking on water, you see. It is already beginning to list to one side. Those who know this are being called to respond, to prepare themselves and to see where their contribution can be of the greatest benefit." <br />
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Wealth is investing yourself in that which yields the greatest benefit for yourself and others."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
==Directives==<br />
<br />
"If you have a lot of money, become a benefactor. Give money to worthy people and worthy endeavors. The only value for having wealth is to be able to give it away."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5: The Pillar of Work</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The wealthy will have to take care of people."<br />
<ref name="teow">The Engine of War (April 17, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you are wealthy, you may need to feed a hundred people or five hundred people."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your richest person in the world should take care of thousands of people—feed them and provide for them!"<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Take 20% of your wealth and spend it on taking care of people."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Own fewer things of higher quality."<br />
<ref>Relationships and the Mental Environment, Chapter 7: Discretion</ref><br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<ref>Money, Wealth and Power (January 13, 2008)</ref><br />
<ref>Possessions (November 30, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Do not ask anything of the world save what few material things you need to fulfill your function. This is a small request in light of what you have come to give. And if your demands are not in excess of what you need, the world will gladly render them to you in exchange for a greater gift which you possess."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 160</ref><br />
<br />
==True wealth and apparent wealth==<br />
"The rich may chase their dreams and dress themselves up, but inside they are living in poverty."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Redeemer (January 18, 2010)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The power of force, the power of wealth, the attractions of beauty and charm ultimately cannot compete or compare with God's Power and Presence."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Here the poor are often more rich in spirit than the rich themselves, who have a great competing agenda differing from their primary purpose and function of being in the world.... The power of force, the power of wealth, the attractions of beauty and charm ultimately cannot compete or compare with [God's Power and Presence]."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God's Power and Presence in the World, April 23, 2011</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Your real wealth is discovered through the reclamation of Knowledge. It is not counted in how many assets, friends and pleasures you have acquired in life. All of these are constantly threatened and are easily lost. But the reclamation of Knowledge cannot be lost unless it is neglected or denied, and even then it will abide with you and go with you wherever you go."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 4</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“You need not be poor, for poverty is not of your heritage nor of your true destiny. Do not be poor today, for Knowledge is the great wealth, and once it is allowed to emerge within any mind, it begins to generate its presence naturally in the world. It begins to balance and harmonize the mind that is its vehicle, and it begins to give specifically to certain individuals in certain ways. This is the genius that is with you.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 228</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"As long as you are drawn by beauty, wealth, and charm, you do not yet have the discernment to see what is really meaningful and important. If you have never really felt a deep connection with another, do not think it is not possible and meant for you.<br />
<br />
"You have a greater destiny in the world, and there are others who are part of this destiny and who will play a significant role in its discovery and expression. This is an article of faith for you now, for not all your needs can be met in this moment, nor should they be met.<br />
<br />
"You have to have a sound relationship with your mind and your body. You have to develop your health. You have to develop your Pillar of Work. You have so many things to do now to build your foundation in life. You have the Steps to Knowledge to take to build your connection with Knowledge. No one should be pining away for a relationship when they have all of this work to do to build their foundation." <ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
<br />
==Hazards of acquisition==<br />
"Understand, then, the meaning of impoverishment. Understand, then, the meaning of wealth. Do not think that those who possess more objects than you are in any way wealthier than you are, for without Knowledge they are impoverished and will acquire things only to offset their misery and uncertainty. Thus, their impoverishment is compounded by their acquisition."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 160</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"How many saints have arisen from the slums and the wretched conditions of humanity? Poverty is a better breeding ground for sainthood than wealth and affluence."<br />
<ref name="whad">What Happens After Death (July 11, 2008) </ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The wealthy are far more deluded than the poor. They are far more distracted. They are far more seduced. They have far greater attachments to things of little value than do the poor."<br />
<ref name="whad"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"Has it not been curious to you that as your life becomes easier, you lose vitality?"<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from The Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The highly educated, the highly sophisticated—people who indulge themselves in ideas and beliefs and social trends—have a great difficulty, whereas a simple poor person can respond more immediately. It is a curious thing that the more that people have and pretend to be, the more difficult it is for them to have this clarity, this simplicity, and this honesty."<br />
<ref name="integ">Integrity (April 6, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"People who give themselves to accumulating wealth and accumulating possessions find a great emptiness there, as if they were hollow on the inside. Now they become caretakers of their possessions, as if they were museum keepers of all the things they have collected in their lives, but as individuals they are hollow. There is nothing inspiring about them. There is nothing really important that has come out of them. They have not found their greater purpose in the world."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Goaded by the fear of poverty and deprivation, people are driven to seek endless amounts of wealth and reassurance for themselves. This is pervasive in the world. This is the condition of the human family. This is the 'state of the union' for the human family.<br />
And all of the addictions, all of the depression, all of the poor mental and physical health you see around you is a product of this desperation and this disassociation that people have with themselves and with the greater purpose that has brought them into the world."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
<br />
==The imperative of cooperation==<br />
===In dire straits===<br />
<br />
“You will not have the wealth or the social power to do the things perhaps you could do before, if you were living in an affluent nation. People do not make this association. They do not see that plundering their world’s resources is actually creating the very set of circumstances that will rob them of their personal freedoms and advantages.”<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The very rich will have to give up their very silly little games, their indulgences and addictions, to really get out and help people. Otherwise, they too will be overthrown. The anger towards the rich will become so severe that the rich will have nowhere to run in the future if the world goes out of control."<br />
<ref>Rebellion, Revolution and War (February 22, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"The richest amongst you must be prepared to take care of people, for there will be great human need in the future, greater than you have known, greater than that occurs even at the moment. Your richest person in the world should take care of thousands of people—feed them and provide for them. You have already destroyed their livelihood. It is impossible now for them to farm their land. Their local resources have been depleted, the land has been set to waste, so it is now your job to feed them and take care of them. That will be your job. And if you are to generate more wealth, it will be for this purpose."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
"There must be a great sharing here, a great compassion here. Here you do not throw the poor some pittance, some little excess of your wealth. For there will be poverty of a very grave nature as nations fail, as agriculture fails, as people cannot afford their food, as essential energy becomes rare and inaccessible to many people. Take 20% of your wealth and spend it on taking care of people. That is what the future will require if humanity is to have stability and if humanity is to avoid the ravages of war and deprivation, hunger and starvation."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
<br />
<br />
===For redemption of purpose===<br />
"What can God do for you but encourage you to be of service to others? That is the redemption for the wealthy. They have given themselves to their pursuit of power, pleasure and recognition, but God gives them the opportunity to serve others. Not just to give some little portion of their wealth as a charity, but to give the bulk of their wealth to serve a real set of needs in the world. That is the path of redemption. Even if they missed their calling earlier in life, this will redeem them—service, selfless service, born of a deeper inner need, not as an attempt to quell guilt or inadequacy, but as something that naturally emerges from within them."<br />
<ref>Failed Saints, October 22, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
“Here it is all right to be wealthy as long as you are willing to give away most of your wealth, to become a benefactor. For beyond your basic needs, why have all this wealth? For prestige? To impress others? To use it as a social power? To overtake others? Money becomes a god and a demon when it ceases to merely be a useful tool. Therefore, all the wealthy people should be benefactors. That is their role and responsibility. That is what will redeem them and prevent them from thinking that their wealth is their real value.”<br />
<ref name="htl"/><br />
<br />
===For the sake of sustainability===<br />
"Someone else’s life must be degraded to provide what you want at the price that you want to pay. You may think you are employing the world to meet your uncontrolled desires, but what you are really doing is destroying cultures and enslaving other people in conditions that you yourself would never tolerate or condone."<br />
<ref name="htl">How to Live, October 29, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"If you are wealthy, give generously to those who are securing the diversity and the health of the natural environment, for this is the environment that is sustaining everyone. Do not simply be like a locust upon the land, devouring everything in sight only to perish in the end when the food is depleted."<br />
<ref name="htl"/><br />
<br />
==References==<br />
<references/><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
[[Poverty]]<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitchhttp://www.wiki.newmessage.org/mediawiki/en/w/index.php?title=Quotes_About_Wealth&diff=3684Quotes About Wealth2012-05-22T08:48:12Z<p>Mitch: /* True wealth and apparent wealth */</p>
<hr />
<div><br />
<br />
"Affluence will fade in the world. It will be lost by many people. The human need will become so great that it will call upon people everywhere to serve and to participate. The ship is already taking on water, you see. It is already beginning to list to one side. Those who know this are being called to respond, to prepare themselves and to see where their contribution can be of the greatest benefit." <br />
<ref>The Shock of the Future (April 30, 2011)</ref><br />
<br />
<br />
"Wealth is investing yourself in that which yields the greatest benefit for yourself and others."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 3</ref><br />
<br />
==Directives==<br />
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"If you have a lot of money, become a benefactor. Give money to worthy people and worthy endeavors. The only value for having wealth is to be able to give it away."<br />
<ref>''[[Living The Way of Knowledge]]'', Chapter 5: The Pillar of Work</ref><br />
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"The wealthy will have to take care of people."<br />
<ref name="teow">The Engine of War (April 17, 2008)</ref><br />
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"If you are wealthy, you may need to feed a hundred people or five hundred people."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
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"Your richest person in the world should take care of thousands of people—feed them and provide for them!"<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
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"Take 20% of your wealth and spend it on taking care of people."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
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"Own fewer things of higher quality."<br />
<ref>Relationships and the Mental Environment, Chapter 7: Discretion</ref><br />
<ref>How to Live (October 29, 2008)</ref><br />
<ref>Money, Wealth and Power (January 13, 2008)</ref><br />
<ref>Possessions (November 30, 2008)</ref><br />
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"Do not ask anything of the world save what few material things you need to fulfill your function. This is a small request in light of what you have come to give. And if your demands are not in excess of what you need, the world will gladly render them to you in exchange for a greater gift which you possess."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 160</ref><br />
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==True wealth and apparent wealth==<br />
"The rich may chase their dreams and dress themselves up, but inside they are living in poverty."<br />
<ref name="tr">The Redeemer (January 18, 2010)</ref><br />
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"The power of force, the power of wealth, the attractions of beauty and charm ultimately cannot compete or compare with God's Power and Presence."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw"/><br />
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"Here the poor are often more rich in spirit than the rich themselves, who have a great competing agenda differing from their primary purpose and function of being in the world.... The power of force, the power of wealth, the attractions of beauty and charm ultimately cannot compete or compare with [God's Power and Presence]."<br />
<ref name="gpapitw">God's Power and Presence in the World, April 23, 2011</ref><br />
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"Your real wealth is discovered through the reclamation of Knowledge. It is not counted in how many assets, friends and pleasures you have acquired in life. All of these are constantly threatened and are easily lost. But the reclamation of Knowledge cannot be lost unless it is neglected or denied, and even then it will abide with you and go with you wherever you go."<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume Two'', Chapter 4</ref><br />
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“You need not be poor, for poverty is not of your heritage nor of your true destiny. Do not be poor today, for Knowledge is the great wealth, and once it is allowed to emerge within any mind, it begins to generate its presence naturally in the world. It begins to balance and harmonize the mind that is its vehicle, and it begins to give specifically to certain individuals in certain ways. This is the genius that is with you.”<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 228</ref><br />
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"As long as you are drawn by beauty, wealth, and charm, you do not yet have the discernment to see what is really meaningful and important. If you have never really felt a deep connection with another, do not think it is not possible and meant for you.<br />
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"You have a greater destiny in the world, and there are others who are part of this destiny and who will play a significant role in its discovery and expression. This is an article of faith for you now, for not all your needs can be met in this moment, nor should they be met.<br />
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"You have to have a sound relationship with your mind and your body. You have to develop your health. You have to develop your Pillar of Work. You have so many things to do now to build your foundation in life. You have the Steps to Knowledge to take to build your connection with Knowledge. No one should be pining away for a relationship when they have all of this work to do to build their foundation." <ref>Discernment in Relationships (February 13, 2009)</ref><br />
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==Hazards of acquisition==<br />
"Understand, then, the meaning of impoverishment. Understand, then, the meaning of wealth. Do not think that those who possess more objects than you are in any way wealthier than you are, for without Knowledge they are impoverished and will acquire things only to offset their misery and uncertainty. Thus, their impoverishment is compounded by their acquisition."<br />
<ref>''[[Steps to Knowledge]]'', Step 160</ref><br />
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"How many saints have arisen from the slums and the wretched conditions of humanity? Poverty is a better breeding ground for sainthood than wealth and affluence."<br />
<ref name="whad">What Happens After Death (July 11, 2008) </ref><br />
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"The wealthy are far more deluded than the poor. They are far more distracted. They are far more seduced. They have far greater attachments to things of little value than do the poor."<br />
<ref name="whad"/><br />
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"Has it not been curious to you that as your life becomes easier, you lose vitality?"<br />
<ref>''[[Wisdom from the Greater Community]] Volume One'', Chapter 6</ref><br />
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"The highly educated, the highly sophisticated—people who indulge themselves in ideas and beliefs and social trends—have a great difficulty, whereas a simple poor person can respond more immediately. It is a curious thing that the more that people have and pretend to be, the more difficult it is for them to have this clarity, this simplicity, and this honesty."<br />
<ref name="integ">Integrity (April 6, 2011)</ref><br />
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"People who give themselves to accumulating wealth and accumulating possessions find a great emptiness there, as if they were hollow on the inside. Now they become caretakers of their possessions, as if they were museum keepers of all the things they have collected in their lives, but as individuals they are hollow. There is nothing inspiring about them. There is nothing really important that has come out of them. They have not found their greater purpose in the world."<br />
<ref>The New Message for Young People (Aug 18, 2008)</ref><br />
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"Goaded by the fear of poverty and deprivation, people are driven to seek endless amounts of wealth and reassurance for themselves. This is pervasive in the world. This is the condition of the human family. This is the 'state of the union' for the human family.<br />
And all of the addictions, all of the depression, all of the poor mental and physical health you see around you is a product of this desperation and this disassociation that people have with themselves and with the greater purpose that has brought them into the world."<br />
<ref>The New Message on Freedom (February 23, 2008)</ref><br />
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==The imperative of cooperation==<br />
===In dire straits===<br />
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“You will not have the wealth or the social power to do the things perhaps you could do before, if you were living in an affluent nation. People do not make this association. They do not see that plundering their world’s resources is actually creating the very set of circumstances that will rob them of their personal freedoms and advantages.”<br />
<ref>''[[Life in the Universe]]'', Chapter 8</ref><br />
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"The very rich will have to give up their very silly little games, their indulgences and addictions, to really get out and help people. Otherwise, they too will be overthrown. The anger towards the rich will become so severe that the rich will have nowhere to run in the future if the world goes out of control."<br />
<ref>Rebellion, Revolution and War (February 22, 2011)</ref><br />
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"The richest amongst you must be prepared to take care of people, for there will be great human need in the future, greater than you have known, greater than that occurs even at the moment. Your richest person in the world should take care of thousands of people—feed them and provide for them. You have already destroyed their livelihood. It is impossible now for them to farm their land. Their local resources have been depleted, the land has been set to waste, so it is now your job to feed them and take care of them. That will be your job. And if you are to generate more wealth, it will be for this purpose."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
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"There must be a great sharing here, a great compassion here. Here you do not throw the poor some pittance, some little excess of your wealth. For there will be poverty of a very grave nature as nations fail, as agriculture fails, as people cannot afford their food, as essential energy becomes rare and inaccessible to many people. Take 20% of your wealth and spend it on taking care of people. That is what the future will require if humanity is to have stability and if humanity is to avoid the ravages of war and deprivation, hunger and starvation."<br />
<ref name="teow"/><br />
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===For redemption of purpose===<br />
"What can God do for you but encourage you to be of service to others? That is the redemption for the wealthy. They have given themselves to their pursuit of power, pleasure and recognition, but God gives them the opportunity to serve others. Not just to give some little portion of their wealth as a charity, but to give the bulk of their wealth to serve a real set of needs in the world. That is the path of redemption. Even if they missed their calling earlier in life, this will redeem them—service, selfless service, born of a deeper inner need, not as an attempt to quell guilt or inadequacy, but as something that naturally emerges from within them."<br />
<ref>Failed Saints, October 22, 2008</ref><br />
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“Here it is all right to be wealthy as long as you are willing to give away most of your wealth, to become a benefactor. For beyond your basic needs, why have all this wealth? For prestige? To impress others? To use it as a social power? To overtake others? Money becomes a god and a demon when it ceases to merely be a useful tool. Therefore, all the wealthy people should be benefactors. That is their role and responsibility. That is what will redeem them and prevent them from thinking that their wealth is their real value.”<br />
<ref name="htl"/><br />
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===For the sake of sustainability===<br />
"Someone else’s life must be degraded to provide what you want at the price that you want to pay. You may think you are employing the world to meet your uncontrolled desires, but what you are really doing is destroying cultures and enslaving other people in conditions that you yourself would never tolerate or condone."<br />
<ref name="htl">How to Live, October 29, 2008</ref><br />
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"If you are wealthy, give generously to those who are securing the diversity and the health of the natural environment, for this is the environment that is sustaining everyone. Do not simply be like a locust upon the land, devouring everything in sight only to perish in the end when the food is depleted."<br />
<ref name="htl"/><br />
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==References==<br />
<references/><br />
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==See also==<br />
[[Poverty]]<br />
<br />
[[category:relationship]]</div>Mitch