Spiritual Solutions

THE RESURRECTION

Easter Sunday. Read John 20:1-18.

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Its inner meaning and spiritual significance is the awakening and raising to spiritual consciousness of the I AM in humankind, which has been dead in trespass and sin and buried in the tomb of materiality.

“I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” The resurrection is the raising up of the whole person – spirit, soul, and body – into the Christ consciousness of life and wholeness. This Jesus did. The tomb could not hold His redeemed perfected body temple. Resurrection is accomplished by the quickening power of the Holy Spirit.

Every time we rise to the realization of eternal, indwelling life, making union with the Father-Mind, the resurrection of Jesus takes place within us. All thoughts of limitation and inevitable obedience to material law are left in the tomb of materiality.

Jesus was born into the race thought so that He might reconstruct it in conformity with the divine law. He thus became our Way-Shower, our Saviour, our Helper.

Today the light of Truth is illumining my mind, and I rise up in the majesty of my divine sonship and proclaim myself to be the child of the Most High, free from all belief in sin, sickness, and death.

I affirm: “In unity with Christ I realize that I am resurrected into the life, light, and power of God.”

Questions:

1. What is the spiritual significance of Easter?

2. What is the resurrection?

3. How is resurrection accomplished?

4. Why was Jesus born into the race thought?

Christ within me is the resurrection and the life. Christ within me is the power that enables me to rise triumphant out of every trial.

About the Author of Keep a True Lent

Charles Fillmore was an innovative thinker, a pioneer in metaphysical thought at a time when most religious thought in America was entirely orthodox. He was a lifelong advocate of the open, inquiring mind, and he took pride in keeping abreast of the latest scientific and educational discoveries and theories. Many years ago he wrote, “What you think today may not be the measure for your thought tomorrow”; and it seems likely that were he to compile this book today, he might use different metaphors, different scientific references, and so on.

Truth is changeless. Those who knew Charles Fillmore best believe that he would like to be able to rephrase some of his observations for today’s readers, thus giving them the added effectiveness of contemporary thought. But the ideas themselves–the core of Charles Fillmore’s writings–are as timeless now (and will be tomorrow) as when they were first published.

Charles Fillmore was born on an Indian reservation just outside the town of St. Cloud, Minnesota, on August 22, 1854. He made his transition on July 5, 1948, at Unity Village, Missouri, at the age of 93. To get a sense of history, when Charles was eleven, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated; when Charles died, Harry Truman was President.

With his wife Myrtle, Charles Fillmore founded the Unity movement and Silent Unity, the international prayer ministry that publishes Daily Word. Charles and Myrtle built the worldwide organization that continues their work today, Unity School of Christianity. Through Unity School’s ministries of prayer, education, and publishing, millions of people around the world are finding the teachings of Truth discovered and practiced by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore.

Charles Fillmore was a spiritual pioneer whose impact has yet to be assessed. No lesser leaders than Dr. Norman Vincent Peale and Dr. Emmet Fox were profoundly influenced by him. Dr. Peale borrowed his catchphrase of positive thinking from Charles Fillmore. Emmet Fox was so affected by Fillmore’s ideas that he changed his profession. From an engineer, he became the well-known writer and speaker.

Charles Fillmore – author, teacher, metaphysician, practical mystic, husband, father, spiritual leader, visionary – has left a legacy that continues to impact the lives of millions of people. By his fruits, he is continuously known.

Remember, God is Blessing You, Right Now!

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 Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over forty years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions.

Please feel free to publish this article in your blog or newsletter or share it with a friend, as long as you include this resource box.

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Today, Sunday, April 24, is Easter Sunday. During the forty days of Lent we have been preparing ourselves for this resurrection day, this Easter experience of our own lives.
 
 
Here is the message for Easter Sunday:
 
Resurrection is the rising of man out of the human thoughts, beliefs and superstitions in which he is submerged. This is the waste of the ages. Instead of discarding this waste in experiencing Truth, man has become enmeshed, mind, body and soul in this waste which results in an outer experience he calls death. Death is the cessation of the activity of breath and life.
 
All breath and life proceed out of the consciousness of life. The awareness of the functions of life which are faith, love, will, strength, imagination, wisdom, the power to listen and understand and the ability to let the love of God move unhampered through the experiences, is the true purpose of every human form.
 
Life is consciousness! Death is the lack of consciousness. Man becomes smothered and lifeless in the machinations of his own mind and the misdirection of his feeling nature. The result is inertia. It is the destination of power to move itself. Life is activity! Death is the result in life of inherent or habitual indisposition to activity.
 
This activity is caused by the forgotten use of the powers of life, such as loving, willingness and ability to serve with joy, freedom and with original power and authority. Death is a forgetfulness of life which results in heaviness and a dreading of the faculties of life. It is the lethal, fatal condition of complete unconsciousness.
 
The overcoming of such a condition is the resurrection. There is a power in man which if he knows and uses, he will never taste death. Man himself makes the cession by yielding his true self, by accepting something less than all truth.
 
Every time we are aware consciously of this indwelling power within, our mind is resurrected. There indwells man one great Truth, that man himself is not personality or even individuality; man is the one unlimited, all knowing, eternal all powerful essence of life we call God. When man knows in mind, body and soul who and what he is, there will be no death.
 
Resurrection is a moment by moment awareness, a bringing to view again that which was forgotten or lost. It is to rise again to an original concept of life and includes the renewal of the body!
 
 
(This series of Lenten messages was first developed by Unity minister Dr. Sue Sikking, founder of Unity-by-the-Sea, Santa Monica, California, author of God Always Says Yes and Seed of the New Age.)
 
If you’d like to hear an Easter Message in two parts, click the play buttons below and Let Your Spirit Soar!
 
Let Your Spirit Soar! – Part 1

Let Your Spirit Soar! – Part 2

God is Blessing You, Right Now!
 
Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham
 
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Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham, a Unity minister for over thirty-nine years, invites you to subscribe to his free inspirational newsletter, Spiritual Solutions, at www.spiritualsolutionsblog.com
 
To subscribe for free weekday inspirational quotes, Rich Words, go to www.alanrowbotham.com
                                                 
Feel free to share this article in its entirety with a friend.
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In the Easter story, one particular image in the gospel of John captures me; it is the image of Mary weeping as she stoops and peers into the tomb. The body of Jesus has disappeared. But right there quite close to her, standing near her shoulder, is a figure simply waiting for her to turn around, to turn from the tomb to life.

How often do we find ourselves in situations where we think it’s all over, that there’s nothing and nowhere to turn? Yet all we have to do is look away from the problem, away from the darkness and from what seems to be; then we can see that which we thought was dead has risen and is still alive in us.

We hear the Easter celebrant declare, “He is risen! Christ is risen!”

But what does that mean? Is it only an event which happened over 2000 years ago? Or is it something which can happen in our lives today?

The truth is, Easter is all about life made new again. When we think it’s over, it’s not. We have a God that makes the impossible possible.

When the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were flying their first airplane in 1903, an astronomer named Simon Newcomb was writing a thesis about the impossibility of being able to fly. He said, “There is no possible combination of known substances, known forms of machinery, and known forms of force that can be united in a practical machine by which men shall fly long distances through the air. It is impossible.”

You’ve got to be careful who you are listening to, and who you hang out with, because it can destroy your potential.

The Wright brothers’ father was a minister, who also founded the Union Theological Seminary. When he saw his two boys seemingly limited to working repairing bicycles, he decided to share with them his philosophy about the empty tomb and the ability to rise up into newness of life.

He said, “I shared with them my philosophy about the empty tomb and then I just stood back to watch them fly.” How wonderful it is to have someone who encourages us like that and then stands back to watch us fly, to see the potential within us take flight.

The truth is that the potential for triumph is still there, the potential to rise above limitation is still there.

In another version of the Easter story (in Matthew 28), we read that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (the mother of Jesus) went to the tomb. The stone that blocked the entrance had been rolled away and an angel sat upon it. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid.”

Not knowing what to do after the crucifixion of Jesus, the disciples hid in a room together. They were depressed, they were down. Then Jesus appeared to them in the room and said, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe!” Don’t be afraid.

That’s the first thing to remember when things happen. Don’t be afraid!

Fear paralyzes our potential. We become stuck, we become rigid.

Fear breaks down our relationship with God, our trust in God. When we become fearful, we lose the sense of trust. We may say, “Oh yes, I believe in God.” But there’s a big difference between believing in God and trusting in God.

Doubts about our potential and doubts about God’s presence within us limit our possibilities.

What are you dealing with in your life right now? What situation is present in your life? There is never any situation that is beyond hope. There’s always hope, there’s always possibility, there’s always potential.

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” That’s a wonderful scripture to use as an affirmation. You may not know where to turn, but as you turn to the Christ within, as you turn to God’s presence, you are strengthened. And that which seemed impossible becomes possible.

Our God is a God who makes the impossible possible. We can come through all things. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” – through the presence and power of the living God within me. In any situation you face there is always a God-given solution available to you.

It is important to remind ourselves that even though all seems lost, the unexpected is always possible.

I’d like to share with you three action steps prompted by the Easter story:

1. Surround yourself with Easter-thinking people. Don’t get caught up with people who put you down, and don’t put yourself down. You can rise up over your limitations. Hang around with people who remind you of the potential that is always there. If you have to change your friends, do so, and let your friends be those who support you in your potential for growth.

2. Don’t be afraid; refuse to give up. On the Friday before Easter, the worst scenario happened. Jesus died. The disciples went back to their fishing; they didn’t know what else to do. Then three days later the unexpected happened. Jesus appeared to them. So refuse to give up; it’s always possible. Even death couldn’t stop God’s plan.

3. Rise triumphant. You were created to fly. You were created to soar, to rise up above any limitations, to soar above those situations that would hold you back and down. You were created in the image and likeness of God, you have the possibilities and potentials within you to rise triumphant. What’s keeping you from flying? Let your spirit soar!

God is Blessing You, Right Now!

Rev. Alan A. Rowbotham

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