Power

“All power is given unto ME in heaven and in earth.”

In spite of this, men still wonder if it is possible for God to set aside the evil in their lives; if it is possible for the All-power to neutralize the fearful problems that have come to them.  “All power is given unto ME in heaven and in earth.”  This statement is certainly not true of man, for he seems strangely without power.  In fact, everything else in the Universe seems to have more power than man.  Hence he is subject to all sorts of influences over which he seemingly has no control.  God is ruled out of His Universe and a power of evil is enthroned.

When man examines his human self to ascertain his capacities and abilities, he finds them strangely lacking in power.  He takes into account his birth, breeding, education, muscular power, general health, etc., and knows exactly what he can do, even to his earning capacity.  This is verified by thousands of laws, statistics and proofs, as well as the findings of the wisdom of the world.  What good is it to tell a man who has measured himself by these standards that a power exists that can and does make every one of his findings null and void?

He knows he cannot lift a two-hundred-pound weight — he has tried it.  What is the good of argument on this point?  He can prove it to you.  Yet occasionally he finds that someone in a moment of excitement or stress has lifted many times his own weight, and this in spite of the best findings of human intellect.  He knows it cannot be done, and yet time and again it has been done — and man says “by a supernatural power.”  Exactly, and that is what he should say, and that recognition should suddenly turn his attention away from the limited human capacity unto the Supernatural Power.

The law by which this power is discovered and used is by taking the attention away from the limitations of the human world, and contemplating the Real and Supernatural Universe, the unconditioned power of God.

The following was clipped from the New Yorker.  It was found in an article on Zimbalist, the great violinist:

“Somehow, nobody told Zimbalist that he was supposed to play the piano, too; but during the final examinations, in his eighteenth year, they handed him a Beethoven sonata to be read at sight, in the presence of the whole facility.  He had never touched a piano except to get his ‘A’.  He sat down, however, got his breath, played.  When he finished, he was told to close the book and repeat the whole sonata from memory; he did so.  After a moment of silence the room broke unanimously into applause — an unheard-of demonstration.”

All the human intellect in the Universe could not conceive this possible.  They would immediately say it could not take place, and yet it did take place.  Few things could be more difficult.  It bespeaks a power which is entirely outside human capacity.  Imagine reading a difficult sonata once, and then playing it note perfect, and this, too, on an instrument you had never touched.  Just think about it a moment, then you will begin to see what the power of which Jesus spoke is capable of doing.  It is capable of setting every human law at naught.  Is it any wonder, then, that within this law lies the Kingdom of Heaven, and should it not thrill you to know that this very law is possible of operation within your midst?

“Ah, but Zimbalist is a genius.”  Not being able to dispose of the Power, which upsets the most cherished laws of the human mind, it finally disposes of the matter thus.  But presently it is confronted with another interesting news item concerning an invalid who had been paralyzed for twenty years and was being conveyed on a stretcher to another town.  In crossing the tracks, the carriers suddenly discovered they were in the way of an on-coming express train.  Without time to go forward or backward the length of a stretcher they did the most natural human thing.  The law of self-preservation came into play and they dropped the stretcher and fled.  From the human standpoint it was certain destruction to the invalid, who had not walked a step for years and could not move himself.  But what happened?  He, the invalid, suddenly seeing the train, leaped from the stretcher and ran.  But how?  Only a moment before he could not move.  A miracle had happened, said the Press, and so it had.  Something that the human mind could not conceive as possible had happened, and laws of twenty years’ standing were as naught.  What about it?  Do you think it is necessary for the God-Power to have an express train in the picture in order to operate?  Do you think it is always necessary to have some terrific thing about to happen before God is able to come into manifestation?  It does not matter whether it takes an on-rushing express train, an earthquake or torrent to produce it, or whether you produce it in the quiet of your own soul.  One thing alone is necessary, and that one, all important point is your willingness to take your attention away from the limited human concept of yourself.  In the simple language of Jesus, we find “that to be absent from the body and present with the Lord” is the way of great miracles.  Looking at the appearances of things only binds you to the human capacity which is practically nil.

The story of the prophet and his servant is the story of every man.  The servant, looking to appearances, saw they were about to be destroyed, and called out in fear.  But the prophet was smiling and called the servant’s attention to the invisible-visible power and said, “Those that are for us are more than those that are against us.”  That is, the power that is for you is greater than all the combined beliefs opposed to you.  The reward is rich if you can heed the Scriptures — “Be absent from the body and present with the Lord.”  If the Lord knows your every need, and supplies it before you ask, then why not fix the attention on the Allness of God now?

“They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.”

Can you but place your Trust in the Lord; not as some mysterious power, but as the very presence of Life within you and your Universe, then you can know the feel of instant release from the evil of human belief.  “With God all (not some) things are possible.”  ALL things are possible.  Do you hear, you who read this book?  “Believest thou this?”

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, even as the waters covers the sea.”

We begin to see, then, that Jesus was a Truth sayer when he said, “I come not to destroy, but to fulfill.”  The idea that we are here for the purpose of destroying something gives way to the truth of the redemption of everything.  The fulfilling of the Law is the realization of the presence of the Power which is able to do that which the human limitation finds impossible.

“God is able to do for us exceeding abundantly, above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.”  The God-Power is able and willing to do that which completely out distances human thinking with its limited idea of the possibilities of the God-Power; but note the crux of the whole thing lies in the word “according.”  According to your acceptance of the God-Power as everywhere present, and as omnipotent, will It be able to do more than human thought can conceive of.  The God-Power reverses every human law.  “Before they ask I shall answer” is one of the interesting things to be considered.  From the standpoint of reason this is absolutely ridiculous, so inversely to the Divine Mind the “Reason of man is foolishness in the eyes of God.”

Cannot you see, you who read this page, how we are fast approaching the state of “Be still and know that I AM GOD”?  Can you see why the noisy chattering of the human mind must give way to the glorious peace and poise of the Presence?  If your question is answered before it is asked, why repeat it over and over, why not stay on the finished idea?

“The former things have passed away, they shall not come into mind nor be remembered any more.”

Even the memory of the evil shall be passed through the waters of forgetfulness and man shall arise from this glorious bath and be clothed in a cloud of perfume from an unseen flower of spirit.  He shall stand on the heights naked and be enveloped by a golden veil of life.  The former things shall have passed away and shall not be remembered any more.

“The works that I do, I do not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth within me, He doeth the works.”

Indwelling in every man is this Father which is able to do more that we ask or think, and which is able to set aside the limitations of the human expression.  Making your union with this Father brings you to the point of which Jesus spoke: “I can of myself do nothing, but with God all things are possible”; and a little contemplation will cause you to see that if you will open wide the doors of your consciousness and let this Christ come into your life and become one with you, “The Father within” will do the works.

“Behold, I have received a commandment to bless, and He hath blessed and I cannot reverse it.”  The capacity of the Father within is to bless, and the meaning of the word “bless” conveys that heavenly capacity of invoking the Divine favor.  It is wondrous and beautiful to contemplate that “I have received the commandment to bless.”  The “I” of you hath received the commandment to bless, to “invoke the Divine favor” — it is that which sets aside the sternest human laws and beliefs; it is the power which causes the oldest and time-honored limitations to crumple as a sand-castle before a tidal wave.  Nothing can revoke this Divine blessing, when once it is recognized and called into manifestation.  All that is necessary to bring out the glorious revelation are the simple words, “I bless you” spoken from the conscious recognition of your at-one-ment with the Father within.  Remembering all the while that this glorious teaching is given to the child.  Not the child in years, but in consciousness — the mind that can accept the fact that God is the only Power and is everywhere present.

“All power is given unto ME in heaven and in earth.”  In the mind and in the body is all power given unto the I AM.

Arise and go forth with this glorious command written in gold across your heart: “Behold, I have received a command to bless (to invoke the Divine Power), and He hath blessed and I cannot reverse it.”  You can go your way invoking the Divine Power because you are the Child of the Living God, and right now and right in the place you stand you have the power to do this.

“Arise, shine, for thy light hath come and the glory of God hath risen upon you.”

You are the Being of Light in the Universe of Light.  It is well with you NOW.

 

 

 

Jesus had the ability to look into darkness and see light.

Jesus was totally convinced of God willingness to manifest.

Jesus knew that he contained this Power.

Jesus knew that this Power was “let” into expression.

 

Walter C. Lanyon