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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
CH 7 "THE CONSISTENCY OF THE KINGDOM"
XII. THE STATE OF GRACE
110 You who could give the love of God to everything you see and touch and remember are literally denying Heaven to yourselves. I call upon you again to remember that I have chosen you to teach the Kingdom to the Kingdom. There are no exceptions to this lesson, because the lack of exceptions is the lesson. Every Son who returns to the Kingdom with this lesson in his heart has healed the Sonship and given thanks to God. Everyone who learns this lesson has become the perfect teacher because he has learned it of the Holy Spirit, Who wants to teach him everything He knows. When a mind has only light, it knows only light. Its own radiance shines all around it and extends out into the darkness of other minds, transforming them into majesty.
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
WORKBOOK Part I ~ REVIEW II
INTRODUCTION
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
1 We are now ready for another review. We will begin where our last review left off and cover two ideas each day. The earlier part of each day will be devoted to one of these ideas, and the latter part of the day to the other. We will have one longer exercise period and frequent shorter ones in which we practice each of them.
2 The longer practice periods will follow this general form: take about 15 minutes for each of them, and begin by thinking about the idea and the comments which are included in the assignments. Devote about three or four minutes to reading them over slowly, several times if you wish, and then close your eyes and listen. Repeat the first phase if you find your mind wandering, but try to spend the major part of the practice period listening quietly but attentively.
3 There is a message waiting for you. Be confident that you will receive it. Remember that it belongs to you and that you want it. Do not allow your intent to waver in the face of distracting thoughts. Realize that, whatever form they take, they have no meaning and no power. Replace them with your determination to succeed. Do not forget that your will has power over all fantasies and dreams. Trust it to see you through and carry you beyond them all.
4 Regard these practice periods as dedications to the way, the truth, and the life. Refuse to be side-tracked into detours, illusions, and thoughts of death. You are dedicated to salvation. Be determined each day not to leave your function unfulfilled.
5 Reaffirm your determination in the shorter practice periods as well, using the original form of the idea for general application and a more specific form when needed. Some specific forms will be included in the comments. These, however, are merely suggestions. It is not the particular words you use that matter.
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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A COURSE IN MIRACLES
DAILY LESSONS
L e s s o n 85 ~ Review II
[Review Lesson 69 and Lesson 70]
<
AUDIO
><VIDEO>
Voice and Music by CIMS SonShip Radio
1 Today's review will cover these ideas:
[69] My grievances hide the light of the world in me.
2 My grievances show me what is not there and hide from me what I would see. Recognizing this, what do I want my grievances for? They keep me in darkness and hide the light. Grievances and light cannot go together, but light and vision must be joined for me to see. To see, I must lay grievances aside. I want to see, and this will be the means by which I will succeed.
3 Specific applications of this idea might be made in these forms:
4
Let me not use this as a block to sight.
The light of the world will shine all this away.
I have no need for this. I want to see.
[70] My salvation comes from me.
5 Today I will recognize where my salvation is. It is in me because its Source is there. It has not left its Source, and so it cannot have left my mind. I will not look for it outside myself. It is not found outside and then brought in. But from within me it will reach beyond, and everything I see will but reflect the light that shines in me and in itself.
6 These forms of the idea are suitable for more specific application:
7
Let this not tempt me to look away from me for my salvation.
I will not let this interfere with my
awareness of the Source of my salvation.
This has no power to remove salvation from me.
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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ACIM Edmonton - Sarah's Reflections
LESSON 85
Review II ~ Lesson 69 and Lesson 70
Sarah's Commentary:
It is important to look at every Lesson in Review II as a response to anything that tempts us to throw away our peace. It means that when anything, anyone, or any situation tempts us to become angry or distressed, we could be applying the Lesson of the day. For example, when you are focusing on the Lesson, "My grievances hide the light of the world in me," (W.85.1.1) you might respond with any of the three thoughts that follow in the Lesson.
If someone cuts you off in traffic, you could respond with the thought, "Let me not use this as a block to sight." (W.85.2.2) Or if someone upsets you today with how they are behaving, you might hold the thought, "I have no need for this. I want to see." (W.85.2.4) If another version of a thought suits you better, feel free to use it. Remind yourself that when you see someone do something you judge as inappropriate, you are making a decision to throw away your peace and thus stay blind to the truth. In effect, your judgment is based on something that is not even there and keeps you from vision. "My grievances show me what is not there, and hide from me what I would see." (W.85.1.2) Grievances keep us from the light, but we have a choice we can make. "The light of the world will shine all this away." (W.85.2.3)
Similarly, in our afternoon practice, we focus on the idea, "My salvation comes from me," (W.85.3.1) meaning that nothing outside of us will ever bring us happiness. In fact, there is nothing outside of us. Only in uncovering the light in us and recognizing that we are not separated from our Source can we experience peace and joy.
What interferes with this recognition? The interference comes when we give our power to something from outside of our own minds that has seemingly taken our peace from us. Nothing outside of our own minds has that kind of power unless we choose to allow it. Our grievances come in the form of various judgments we make throughout the day. Try to go through the day, and with each temptation to give up your peace, respond with a thought such as, "Let this not tempt me to look away from me for my salvation." (W.85.4.2)
If the words do not resonate for you, choose another of the phrases offered or change the words to suit you. If you stumble on words such as salvation, you can substitute words such as peace or happiness. Jesus tells us, "Let us not forget, however, that words are but symbols of symbols. They are thus twice removed from reality." (M.21.1.9-10) If we stumble on the symbol, we can substitute something that resonates with us. The important thing to always remember is that if we don't apply this teaching to our daily lives, there will be no change. The words and ideas may resonate and feel good when we read them, but that is not enough. Application is essential.
In the text, Jesus tells us, "I have made every effort to use words that are almost impossible to distort, but it is always possible to twist symbols around if you wish." (T.3.I.3.11) (ACIM OE T.3.III.16) Notice how we even have grievances around words. We may, for example, get upset with the masculine terminology, or we hold negative views on the symbol of Jesus. We have negative connotations with words like salvation, atonement, forgiveness, last judgment, God, and many others. It is all part of our past conditioning. The words themselves are neutral. The meaning we give to that which is meaningless is what upsets us.
The only appropriate response to attack is forgiveness. It is our way through to the experience of peace and joy. It is not what the ego counsels us to do. The ego wants us to retaliate, which keeps us from the awareness of our divinity. Then when we follow its advice, it tells us that we should feel guilty for what we have done. This is the ego's vicious cycle that keeps us on the hamster wheel of sin, guilt, fear, and attack, which is mostly how life is experienced in this world. Yet we are not of this world, even though we seem to be in it.
Our morning practice is about the importance of releasing grievances so we can know the truth about ourselves as the light we are. "Grievances and light cannot go together, but light and vision must be joined for me to see. To see, I must lay grievances aside." (W.85.1.5-6) Grievances darken our minds and our sight so we become blind to the truth. Instead of seeing innocence in our brothers, we see their guilt, and thus we "make of love an enemy." (T.19.IV.D.13.8) (ACIM OE T.19. V.d.102) Now we are being motivated to make a choice by declaring, "I want to see, and this will be the means by which I will succeed." (W.85.1.7)
In the afternoon practice, we are reminded, "It (my salvation) is in me because its Source is there." (W.85.3.3) What is there to look for outside of ourselves? We keep thinking there is an answer out there in some new book, another workshop, or another guru. Yet the answers are all within. There is no one who can save us and no one to look to outside of ourselves. Similarly, there is nothing we need outside of ourselves as God is in our minds. We look outside all the time for our happiness, yet it is not there. When you are tempted today to look for something from a situation that does not seem to be delivering what you want, remember to affirm, "This has no power to remove salvation from me." (W.85.4.4) In fact, nothing outside of us has that power. It is all within.
There is a part of our minds that really does want the truth, but we still have resistance, as another part of the mind is afraid of the truth. Increasingly, as we do these Lessons, we become aware of our split mind where part of us wants God and another part does not want to wake up. We are always making a choice as to which teacher we turn to---the ego or the Holy Spirit. If we look for salvation outside of ourselves for our happiness, we are giving our power away. If we get triggered by what someone says or does, there is a place in us where we are attacking ourselves. Nothing outside of the mind can bring pain or suffering or even true happiness. Everything rests on the power of our minds to choose the Holy Spirit where our happiness resides, rather than in anything external.
Love and blessings, Sarah
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PAUSED FOR WEEKEND
A Course in Miracles
TEXT
Chapter Seven
The Consistency of the Kingdom
<TEXT AUDIO>
Voice and Music by Martin Weber, CIMS SonShip Radio
XI. The Confusion of Strength and Weakness
101 You no more recognize what is painful than you know what is joyful and are in fact very apt to confuse the two. The Holy Spirit's main function is to teach you
to tell them apart. However strange it may seem that this is necessary, it obviously
is. The reason is equally obvious. What is joyful to you
is painful to the ego and, as long as you are in doubt about what
you are, you will be confused about joy and pain. This confusion is the cause of the whole idea of sacrifice. Obey the Holy Spirit, and you
will be giving up the ego. But you will be sacrificing
nothing. On the contrary, you will be gaining
everything. If you believed this, there would
be no conflict.
102 That is why you need to
demonstrate the obvious to yourself. It is
not obvious to you. You believe that doing the
opposite of God's Will can be better for you. You also believe that it is possible to
do the opposite of God's
Will. Therefore, you believe that an impossible choice is open to you and one which is both very fearful
and very desirable. Yet God
wills. He does
not wish.
Your will is as powerful as His because it
is His. The ego's wishes do not mean anything, because the ego wishes for the impossible. You can
wish for the impossible, but you can
will only with God. This is the ego's weakness and
your strength.
103 The Holy Spirit
always sides with you and with your strength. As long as you avoid His guidance in any way, you
want to be weak. Yet weakness
is frightening. What else, then, can this decision mean except that you
want to be fearful? The Holy Spirit
never asks for sacrifice, but the ego
always does. When you are confused about this
very clear distinction in motivation, it can
only be due to projection. Projection of this kind
is a confusion in motivation and,
given this confusion, trust becomes impossible.
104 No one obeys gladly a guide he does not trust, but this does not mean that the
guide is untrustworthy. In this case, it
always means that the
follower is. However, this too is merely a matter of his own belief. Believing that
he can betray, he believes that everything can betray
him. Yet this is only because he has
elected to follow false guidance. Unable to follow this guidance
without fear, he associates fear
with guidance and refuses to follow
any guidance at all. [If the result of this decision is confusion, this is hardly surprising.] The Holy Spirit is perfectly trustworthy, as
you are. God Himself trusts you, and therefore your trustworthiness
is beyond question. It will always remain beyond question, however much
you may question it.
105 We said before that you
are the Will of God. His Will is not an idle wish, and your identification
with His Will is not optional, since it
is what you are. Sharing His Will with me is not really open to choice, though it may seem to be. The whole separation lies in this fallacy. The only way
out of the fallacy is to decide that you do not have to decide
anything. Everything has been given you by
God's decision. That
is His Will, and you can
not undo it. Even the relinquishment of your false decision-making prerogative, which the ego guards so jealously, is not accomplished by your wish. It was accomplished
for you by the Will of God, Who has not left you comfortless. His Voice
will teach you how to distinguish between pain and joy and
will lead you out of the confusion which you have made. There
is no confusion in the mind of a Son of God whose will
must be the Will of the Father because the Father's Will
is His Son.
106 Miracles are
in accord with the Will of God Whose Will you do not know because you are confused about what
you will. This means that you are confused about what you are. If you
are God's Will and do not
accept His
Will, you are denying joy. The miracle is therefore a lesson in
what joy is. Being a lesson in sharing, it is a lesson in love, which
is joy. Every miracle is thus a lesson in truth, and by offering truth you are learning the difference between pain and joy.
107 The Holy Spirit will
always guide you truly because
your joy is
His. This is His Will for everyone because He speaks for the Kingdom of God which
is joy. Following Him is therefore the easiest thing in the world and the only thing that
is easy, because it is not of the world and is therefore
natural. The world
goes against your nature, being out of accord with God's laws. The world perceives orders of difficulty in everything. This is because the ego perceives nothing as wholly desirable. By demonstrating to yourselves that there
is no order of difficulty in miracles, you will convince yourselves that in your
natural state there is no difficulty because it is a state of grace.
108 Grace is the
natural state of every Son of God. When he is
not in a state of grace, he is out of his natural environment and does not function well. Everything he does becomes a strain because he was not created for the environment that he has made. He therefore
cannot adapt to it, nor can he adapt
it to
him. There is no point in trying. A Son of God is happy
only when he knows he is with God. That is the only environment in which he will not experience strain, because that is where he belongs. It is also the only environment that is worthy of him, because his own worth is beyond anything he can make.
109 Consider the kingdom
you have made and judge its worth fairly. Is it worthy to be a home for a Child of God? Does it protect his peace and shine love upon him? Does it keep his heart untouched by fear and allow him to give always without any sense of loss? Does it teach him that this giving
is his joy and that God Himself thanks him for his giving? That is the
only environment in which you can be happy. You cannot make it any more than you can make yourselves. It has been created
for you, as you were created for it. God watches over His Children and denies them nothing. Yet when they deny Him, they do not know this, because they deny
themselves everything.
110 You who could give the love of God to everything you see and touch and remember are literally denying Heaven to yourselves. I call upon you again to remember that I have chosen you to teach the Kingdom
to the Kingdom. There are no exceptions to this lesson, because the lack of exceptions
is the lesson. Every Son who returns to the Kingdom with this lesson in his heart has healed the Sonship and given thanks to God. Everyone who learns this lesson has become the perfect teacher because he has learned it of the Holy Spirit, Who wants to teach him everything He knows. When a mind
has only light, it
knows only light. Its own radiance shines all around it and extends out into the darkness of other minds, transforming them into majesty.
111 The Majesty of God is there for you to recognize and appreciate and
know. Perceiving the Majesty of God
as your brother is to accept your
own inheritance. God gives only equally. If you recognize His gift in anyone else, you have acknowledged what He has given
you. Nothing is as easy to perceive as truth. This is the perception which is immediate, clear, and natural. You have trained yourselves
not to see it, and this has been very difficult for you.
Out of your natural environment, you may well ask, "What is truth?" since truth
is the environment by which and for which you were created.
112 You do not know yourselves, because you do not know
your Creator. You do not know your creations, because you do not know your brothers, who created them
with you. We said before that only the whole Sonship is worthy to be co-creator with God because only the whole Sonship can create
like Him. Whenever you heal a brother by recognizing his worth, you are acknowledging
his power to create
and yours. He cannot have lost what
you recognize, and
you must have the glory you see in him. He is a co-creator with God with
you. Deny
his creative power, and you are denying yours
and that of God, Who created you. You cannot deny part of truth. You do not know your creations because you do not know their creator. You do not know yourselves because you do not know
yours.
113 Your creations cannot establish your reality any more than you can establish God's. But you can
know both. Being is known by sharing.
Because God shared His Being with you, you can know Him. But you must also know all He created to know what
they have shared. Without your Father, you will not know your fatherhood. The Kingdom of God includes all His Sons and their children, who are like the Sons as they are like the Father. Know then the Sons of God, and you will know
all creation.
~ Original Hand Script of ACIM
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