Sunday Message for January 9, 2022

YOUR DYNAMIC POWERS

Let's begin with a prayer: Father, Mother, God; be with us this year as we move forward into 2022. Help us to see the opportunities and possibilities that lie ahead. We know that we are in charge of creating our life story. Be with us and help us to make it a good one. Amen.

This is the first Month of 2022. I would like to use this year to show that each of us is a projection and projector of God. What we produce on the screen of life is determined by what is going on in our soul (consciousness) as we use our Twelve Powers. These Powers are
Faith
Love
Strength
Wisdom
Power
Imagination
Understanding
Will
Order
Enthusiasm
Release
Life.

Our "focus" and "frame of mind" make the difference. Not only in our lives, but also in the lives around us.

It had long been foretold that the time was ripe for the advent on this planet of a new race, and there had been much speculation as to the character and advent of the superman. This is the metaphysical idea of the spiritual quickening of man on the human plane and his transformation into the divine, not by a miracle of God, but by the gradual refinement of the man of flesh into the man of Spirit.

TWELVE POWERS FOR TWELVE MONTHS
It says in Matthew 13:45-46 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it."^a

This year will be a magnificent opportunity in spiritual growth and development. You will be presented with the means to work with your Twelve Powers. Consider this "Your Year of Power." We will have an in-depth study and application of one Power each month, giving you plenty of time to study and develop each Power.

Since there are 730 hours each month - if you take out 8 hours a night for sleeping, 40 hours a week for working, 2 hours a day commute, 1 hour a day to shave, dress, etc.; and 3 hours a day for meals - that leaves you 170 free hours a month. Do you think you can take 15 minutes a day for yourself and your power of the month? Believe me that this is a "pearl of great value".

Jesus was the "first-fruits" of those who are coming out of the mortal into the immortal. He was the type man, the Way-Shower, and, through following His example and taking on His character as a spiritual-minded man, we will come into the same consciousness.

THE TWELVE POWERS IS ONE OF UNITY'S MOST UNIQUE & LEAST UNDERSTOOD TEACHINGS
During this yearlong program, we will study and be empowered by the higher use of our spiritual "faculties" or "powers" that were named and defined by Unity's co-founder, Charles Fillmore.

Spiritual discernment always precedes demonstration, consequently, more will be taught this year as a possibility of attainment than has been demonstrated by any person except Jesus. But if you are ready for this adventure - don't let that stop you. Through mental energy, or the dynamic power of the mind, we can release the life of the electrons from the atoms that compose the cells of our body.

Physical science says that if the electronic energy stored in a single drop of water were suddenly released - its power would demolish a six-story building.

So, who can estimate the power stored in the millions of cells that compose the human body? The method of release of this body energy and its control are mystically taught by Jesus. He was transfigured before His apostles, "and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light."^b

Before His crucifixion He had attained such mastery over His body cells that He told them that they might destroy His body and "in three days" He would "raise it up." He demonstrated this in the resurrection of His body after it had been pronounced lifeless. When He disappeared in a cloud, He simply let loose the dynamic atoms of His whole body and released their electrical energy. This threw Him into the fourth dimension of substance, which He called the "kingdom of the heavens."

I'VE GOT THE POWER
We don't acquire these Powers; we already have them. We use our Twelve Powers all the time, according to our understanding. Our suffering, frustration, sense of failure, and world disorder come mostly from our misuse or imbalance in the use of our Powers. Constructive, enlightened understanding and use of our Powers leads to "salvation." "Salvation" or "being saved" means the state of healing or wholeness that comes about by allowing the Christ consciousness to call forth and direct our Powers, as Jesus called forth and commissioned his disciples to carry forth his work of "salvation."

The dynamic energy that we release through prayer, meditation, and the higher activities of our mind are very great, and if not controlled and raised to the spiritual plane, may prove a source of body destruction; if carried to the extreme, it may even prove a cause of soul destruction. In Matthew 10:28 it says: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."^c This one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna is the personal self or selfish ego that is in us all.

I AM A PROJECTOR OF GOD
Imagine a slide projector: God is the sum total of all the Creative Energy in and as the Universe. As expressed in us, we call this Creative Energy "the Christ." The Christ is our innate Divinity, not a single man: It says in John 1:9: "The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."^d Others may call this our God Self, our spiritual Essence, our Buddha nature, Atman, I AM, or transpersonal Self. The Christ (Light) expresses in us through our powers of mind. We project our God self out into and onto "the world" or the "screen of life."

The Christ is like a light bulb in a slide projector, always shining. We don't get more light. Rather, we improve the quality of our slides (beliefs, self-image, conceptions, and viewpoints) and radiate the light more fully (holistically) so we get improved conditions on the "screen of life."

WHAT WE WANT TO LEARN & PRACTICE
Our Twelve Powers are basic, primal spiritual gifts or abilities that everyone possesses. Jesus referred to these Powers when he said, in Matthew 19:28:..., "at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, ..."^e Each Power is represented by one of the twelve disciples. The Twelve Powers and corresponding disciples are:

FAITH: This is my "perceiving power of mind". Faith is a spiritual power, but it is not confined to religion. We use our faith faculty all the time when we give mental attention to something. Jesus said, "Have faith in God."^f That is, focus your mental attention on the good, on the limitless flow of renewing energy. Peter represents faith and the corresponding color is True Blue.

So for the month of January think of something Blue that you can wear or bring to the Sunday Service.

The next power is LOVE: This is my ability to know oneness with all and to desire that only good comes to all. Love heals, harmonizes, renews, prospers and unites. Love is my ability to share, to draw together.

Know: "God is love, and I am that love power expressing as me." My consciousness of love casts out fear, loneliness, and ego demands. John represents love.

The next power is STRENGTH: In Isaiah 30:15 it says "...in quietness and in trust shall be your strength..."^g Strength often is seen as physical force (Samson type), but true strength (Jesus Christ type) is quietness, inner confidence, ability to keep my peace, non-resistance, love of enemies, not being provoked, giving good for evil. Strength is also balance between thinking and feeling, logic and emotion, conscious and subconscious, intellect and intuition. Andrew represents strength.

The fourth power is JUDGMENT-WISDOM: This is my ability to discern, evaluate and make decisions. Every day is Judgment Day. Judgment is the ability to "make up" our mind. Heaven and hell are not places we go after we die. They are states of mind that we create by the decisions we make in the courtroom of our mind. James Zebedee represents wisdom.

The next faculty is POWER: This is my ability to convert an idea into words I speak, actions I take, and things I build. I affirm my oneness with the Higher Power. It is not I, but the Power within that does the work. I need to own my power, to not give it away, and to be poised and centered in my power. Philip represents power.

The sixth faculty is IMAGINATION: This is my ability to form thoughts, mental pictures and positive images. This is often called "visualization" today. We also have the ability to be aware of the flow of images that just come to us. When we say, "The Lord is my shepherd," we are praying with an image as well as words. Bartholomew represents imagination.

The next faculty is UNDERSTANDING: This is my ability to make sense of all my other Powers and of life. It allows me to know that Divine Mind stands under all things. It is being aware that what stands under me is the eternal growth process. "With all my getting, give me an understanding heart." Thomas represents understanding

The eighth faculty is WILL: This is my ability to be willing toward God. Charles Fillmore calls our will "the executive faculty of mind." We are God's executives. I am the CEO of my life enterprise. We are the ones who can get the job done with God. Matthew represents will.

The next power is ORDER: This is my ability to know what is important and to put my life in order. I begin to put "first things first." I seek first the kingdom of heaven (spiritual consciousness and values) and then I add all things unto this. Order helps me to establish and maintain worthy personal and social priorities. James Alphaeus represents order.

The next power is ENTHUSIASM: This is my ability to be fired with energy. It is my starting power and staying power. It is my urge to stretch, my drive to excel, my desire to improve and contribute. "En-theos" means, on fire with God and filled with God. Simon the Cananaean represents enthusiasm.

RELEASE is the next faculty: This is my ability to give a "no, thank you" response to the untrue and undesirable. It is my ability to forgive, free myself, and break bad habits. Release uses the "vacuum principle" by letting go of mental and physical "stuff," so that God has space and place to be real-ized. Thaddaeus represents release.

And the twelfth power is LIFE: This is my power to restore, heal, mend, procreate, regenerate, vitalize, and energize. My life power is always present within me. It does not grow old, wither, or pass away. We are not getting older, we are getting better. I celebrate life. I honor my sexuality as a sacred and positive life expression. Judas represents life.

These twelve powers are all expressed and developed under the guidance of Divine Mind. It says in Zechariah 4:6 "...Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts."^h You must, in all the bringing forth of the twelve powers, realize that they come from God: that they are directed by the Word of God, and that man (Jesus) is their head.

We have twelve powers to explore. Twelve is a symbolic number in the Bible and in much of the ancient world. In addition to the twelve disciples and the twelve tribes of Israel, there are twelve sons of Jacob, twelve stones in the altar, twelve spies of Moses, twelve stars in the bride's crown, and twelve kinds of fruit on the tree of life. Of course, we know of the twelve months of the calendar and the twelve signs of the zodiac, twelve inches to a foot, twelve units in a dozen, and so on. In addition, many ancient pantheons consisted of twelve gods and goddesses.

Twelve, as a symbol, means "completion." To me, this means we need not get hung up over whether there are really twelve powers or actually more or less - just as we know there must have been more than twelve historical disciples of Jesus. The point is that here is a map of twelve pathways to completion, the realization of our innate perfection, the actualization of our Christ nature. Let's not argue about the map; let's get to our destination. There we are likely to know the answer, not before. So join me in this year of exploration and maybe we will all grow a bit.

Let's end with a prayer: Father, Mother, God; be with me as i give up all ideas of lack and limitation that I have made up in my life. Help me to accept and know that I am God's perfect child. I know that God created me in perfection. So help me to begin to live that truth. Help me to think as if I were the Christ consciousness. To begin to know and feel, at a gut level, that this is the Truth of me. I now let every word that falls out of my mouth affirm this Truth. And I allow my deeds to show that this is who I am. Amen