Download LIGHT OF THE WORLD INSPIRATIONS Why Is This Happening to

LIGHT OF THE WORLD INSPIRATIONS
Why Is This Happening to Me?
by Tony den Hartog
Preached 10/3/1994
A transcription of tape 1270
Transcribed by Jackie Weber
We are all on various levels of development
in our consciousness. It doesn't really
matter where you are; the secret is to
realize that there are principles that
govern life. They are laws of the Spirit of
life that function in the mind of Christ; they
do not function in the human mind. The
human mind is not really a mind; it is a
belief in two powers, or a belief in good
and evil which exists because we have five
sense gates through which we give value to
things. We see something and pronounce it
good or not so good. We hear things and
think it nice or not so nice. So we have
good and evil constantly in our human
experience.
What we call the "human" is not a human
being. There are no such things as human
beings. Humanity is not being. It is a
state of ignorance of the laws and
principles that govern life. One person
may experience good things in life and only
a small amount of calamity (evil, disease,
problems) while others may have numerous
problems and do not really know why it is
happening to them.
We all want to know why things happen to
some people and not to others. This is what
we call "cosmic" (not spiritual) law. Cosmic
law is the law of sowing and reaping:
whatever a man soweth, so shall he reap
(Gal 6:7). If we do not understand the
principles of sowing and reaping, we will be
governed by what we call the psychic world,
or the world that exists as good and evil.
That's why Jesus said that in "this world"
[not the God-created world, but the human
world] you will have tribulation. But He also
said, "Be of good cheer, for I have
overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).
By overcoming the belief in two powers,
Jesus cancelled the sin of Adam and
overcame the world. We can do the same.
Jesus did it by first realizing that He wasn't
born. He could say, "Before Abraham was, I
[already] am" (Jn 8:58). In other words,
Jesus was never born. In actual fact, you
were never born either.
Birth and death are beliefs which are
existing in the subconsciousness, or the
psychic race--the human race. We believe
that we were born and consequently
develop a fear of death, which is
basically the root of all our problems.
And because we have a fear of death, we
struggle to survive. Even a drowning man
will grab at a straw--because we all believe
that if you don't breathe, you die or that you
cannot live without organs in your body. But
these are all beliefs. I'm just as alive and
conscious with or without body. Without
body I'd be even more conscious of myself
and the reality of my being than I am with
body. For with body I have a sense of cold
or heat, hunger or thirst, a sense of
whatever I want.
This is the reason all these things are
happening to you; but it is by no means
your fault. The belief of the human race in
two powers has existed universally in the
subconscious ever since Adam. Even
though you weren't born (really), you were
"born" into this world. But that's not a
legitimate birth--because you are not born
of the "corruptible"--something that has a
start and a finish. The incorruptible seed is
the Word of God (1Pet 1:23) which is sown.
God is constantly speaking and sowing His
Word into your heart--or at least attempts
to. When you hear the Word of truth, then
you know it and will accept it as the soil
accepts the seed, activating the life force
which causes it to spring forth. But a seed
placed on a mantel piece will remain
dormant until it is put into the soil; the soil
receives the seed, and we get some form of
harvest.
It is like this with the principle of sowing and
reaping. You must receive a belief (whether
good or evil) into your heart. That's cosmic
law: you must first believe it. For if you do
not believe it, you cannot experience it.
You must first believe that you are going to
die before you can. If you no longer believe
in death (not a mental assent, but a
conscious awareness that there is no
death), you will not die. It is impossible,
because that is the law.
John 11:25-26 I am the resurrection, and
the life: he that believeth in me, though he
were dead [in his sense of corruption, or his
sense of good and evil], yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me
shall never die. Believest thou this?
Jesus is asking, "Do you believe this?" It
doesn't matter what Jesus says, if we do
not believe it, we still die. Or at least we
think we die. There are lots of people today
who believe that death is final. They have a
good religious reason, because there is
going to be a resurrection in the future. No,
the sun never comes up or goes down in
the future. And a seed doesn't grow in the
future. And it doesn't grow yesterday either.
It is always here and now that we must
believe in what life is.
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold. . . .
This doesn't mean looking into the sky at
the stars and moon; it is looking over and
above the circumstances of life and seeing
through that which appears to be
detrimental--such as a funeral or a doctor's
evil report. If you "lift up your eyes on high,"
you will know that God has not given you
that thought or suggestion. We live by
suggestion. Any book, Bible, or TV show
(whatever we see, hear or read) are all
suggestions--both bad and good. But none
of these things have the germ of life in it;
"for the letter killeth" (2Cor 3:6).
So when you read "lift up your eyes on
high," you must get the mystical meaning of
it. The secret or mystical meaning of this is
to behold something that is invisible, to see
something that is incorruptible and to know
something that is incomprehensible. This
causes the mind to go "tilt," for the mind
cannot behold the activity of God. All that
the mind can say is "this person is dying" or
"this person is poor." The mind constantly
suggests to you only what your physical
eyes behold. The suggestion then goes into
the heart.
But it is not what goes into the heart that
defiles a man; it is what comes out of it (Mt
15:11). For the suggestion has no affect on
you until your heart receives it. You can still
spit it out if you want. But once you
receive and believe it, it will bring forth
after its own kind. Jesus said, "It is what
comes out of the heart that defiles a man"
(Mt 15:18)--because he has believed it.
On the other hand, I can also believe that
which benefits me. And that will also bring
forth after its own kind. So two people can
be in the same situation and one will
experience something good while the other
experiences something evil. Then he
wonders why God allowed this to happen to
him. But God doesn't allow it.
Isaiah 40: 26 Lift up your eyes on high,
and behold who hath created these things. .
..
These are the "things" which God created in
the beginning and declared to be very
good. There is not one bad idea in God's
economy; everything works perfectly--be it
the butterfly or the bumblebee.
I no longer know that I'm going to "die." I
have forgotten. The Scripture says,
"Remember not the former things; neither
consider the things of old" (Is 43:18).
And Paul says:
Philippians 3:13 . . . but this one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which
are before, 14 I press toward the mark for
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus.
That is the manifestation of the fullness of
the good idea that God has for your life.
First we forget the former things; then we
begin to remember the things that we have
forgotten. We have forgotten the Genesis 1
principle. It is perpetual motion, eternal
being, life everlasting--without father or
mother, without beginning or ending. I'm not
talking about length of life. Life is eternal,
immortal, incorruptible, incorporeal,
unfolding itself here and now.
I am now beginning to feel the eternality of
my being. I still have a little anxiety at times,
but very little. Nobody can give me anything
or take anything from me--for I am self
contained, self maintained and self
sufficient. "But I thought God was your
sufficiency." That's right; "I" am self
sufficient. "Are you saying that you are
God?" No, God did. God called Himself
"God"; and beside Him there is no other
Being.
Humans are not beings; they are only the
formation of thoughts and beliefs that exist
in the subconsciousness as two powers,
and which form the calamities and the
problems and the anxiety that are existing
in the world because of its illusive nature.
We put values on things, saying, "This is a
white person and this is a black one." There
is no such thing as a black or white, poor or
rich, good or evil person. God is not a
person. And you are not a person. You are
Being. God reveals Himself as person, but
you are not a person. We have taken upon
ourselves an identity. First we say that we
were born; then we say we are male or
female; then our mother tells us that we are
good or bad. We get all kinds of
experiences, and this is what we call
humanity developing. It is what we call
personality. Every person appears to be
different, but in reality we are all one.
Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and
behold who hath created these things, that
bringeth out their host by number.
All that you see, all creation, is the host of
God appearing as effect--trees, whales,
microbes, apes, plants. All life that you
see is the host of God appearing as
form.
Verse 26 . . . he calleth them all by names
[nature] by the greatness of his might. . . .
He has given the nature, the character, and
the expression to everything that lives,
whether bear, caterpillar or snake.
Whatever God created, He called it all by its
name and gave it a nature. God didn't give
the snake a poisonous nature or the
mosquito the power to suck blood. The
belief in two powers (or Adam) has done
that. Adam named the animals.
Not just man, but everything is created after
God's own likeness. God's nature is love,
and everything that is created is love
expressed. In the love nature of God there
are no good and evil activities, no
poisonous activities.
Well, how did evil come about? Adam
became afraid and hid himself from the
Presence, or the realization of who he was
and began to name the animals that God
had already named--or given to them a
nature.
Verse 26 . . . he calleth them all by names
[nature] by the greatness of his might, for
that he is strong in power; not one faileth.
This means that if God says I am His image
and likeness, then I am also His nature
expressed. So I can never be evil; I cannot
have an evil nature. God didn't give
anything an evil nature. So whatever
God did not create wasn't created;
therefore it doesn't exist. So evil nature
doesn't exist, though a BELIEF in an evil
nature does.
There can be a belief that a snake is
poisonous and that if it bites me it will kill
me. That's a belief; and usually when you
have a strong belief in that sort of thing,
then you'll meet the snakes everywhere you
go. And given any opportunity, they will get
you--because you have believed it. You
draw to yourself that which you fear
greatly (Job 3:25).
God has not given us the spirit of fear (2Tim
1:7). We get rid of the spirit of fear by
realizing that everything which God created
is good--including the mosquitoes. Most of
us have not yet come to the point where we
can really believe that if we would drink
anything poisonous it wouldn't hurt us and
even if we would pick up snakes they
wouldn't bite us--as Jesus said we would
(Mk 16:18). Some have tried it in the United
States, but they get bitten because they are
tempting God.
It is a secret that we have to come to. But
as long as we have a belief in death, we'll
have a fear of snakes. Paul the apostle was
bitten by a viper on the isle of Melita (Acts
28:1-5). But he knew in whom he had
believed and was fully persuaded (2Tim
1:12). He said that he had not yet attained
to the resurrection of the dead but was
pressing on (Phil 3:11-14). He had seen
and heard things which were unspeakable
and not lawful to be uttered (2Cor 12:4).
In other words, he had lifted his eyes on
high and beheld the activity of the only
power, the only creative process. He saw
God in action, and because of what he saw,
he just shook the viper off his arm. Then all
the people on the island began to worship
him; they thought he was God (Acts
28:5-6). This is why they wanted to worship
Jesus--and they still do. They think He is
God. If you shake a deadly snake off your
arm, they call you God.
Paul didn't want them to do that. He wanted
them to also realize that vipers have no
power in the light of the glory of God that is
being wrought into our consciousness. It is
line upon line, here a little and there a little,
that God is speaking to us (Is 28:9-11); He
is sowing His seeds into our hearts. It all
depends on our ability to receive.
Mark 4:14 The sower soweth the word.
What you are hearing now is the Word. The
Word has the power within itself to
cause itself to come to pass--if you
receive it. You don't have to do anything
except water it. You must let go and let
God. I don't expect you to get this
overnight. Some people want it right now,
and if they don't get it, off they go, saying
that it didn't work. But the Word does work:
Proverbs 4:20 My son, attend to my
words; incline thine ear. . . .
It is not your physical ears, but your
inner consciousness, which has to hear
the Word. Some people have been
listening for years and yet have never heard
it. I don't know why. But I'm hearing; and
with all my heart I want you to hear
whatever God is speaking to you about.
Verses 20 My son, attend to my words;
incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let
them not depart from thine eyes; keep them
in the midst of thine heart. 22 For they are
life unto those that find them, and health to
all their flesh. 23 Keep thy heart with all
diligence.
Don't let the junk come in. Keep your heart
from receiving the lies, the suggestions.
This whole cosmos is full of psychic voices,
vibrations and impressions. You can just be
walking around happily and suddenly feel
this heavy oppression coming over you. Or
you are enjoying a wonderful day and the
flu comes on. Where does it come from?
We are very vulnerable.
If we are to keep our hearts with all
diligence, we have to learn to behold only
the activity of God without looking at good
and evil. I'm saying both good and evil,
because it is easy to look at a beautiful
garden with nice flowers; but don't look at it
as your criterion for life, peace or joy--for
the next minute a big storm can blow the
garden away. Then where are you? We
must continue to listen to the Word. For the
Word of God is life to those that find it.
Mark 4:15 And these are they by the way
side, where the word is sown; but when
they have heard. . . .
People do hear the Word here. They come
with cancer and get healed; and you never
see them again until four or five years later
when they come asking us to pray for them
because they have only two weeks to live.
They hear it, but
Verse 15 . . . Satan [the belief in two
powers] cometh immediately and taketh
away the word that was sown in their
hearts.
Satan is the belief that exists as ignorance,
as universal stupidity, universal impressions
that exist for no reason. You don't know
where they come from, but they come and
try to tempt you into believing something.
They tell you that you just thought you got
healed, but didn't really. They come
immediately to take the Word that was
sown in the heart.
Then there's another group.
Verse 16 And these are they likewise
which are sown on stony ground; who,
when they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with gladness;
"Hallelujah, isn't that wonderful. Listen to
this; isn't this a wonderful message!" I've
heard that before too. First they think that
the Word of God is wonderful and what they
want. But they go away and immediately
Satan comes in the form of a pastor or
preacher and suggests, "That which Tony is
preaching is all heresy" and you don't see
them anymore. They keep on coughing and
sputtering and finally die. Is it worth it--when
it is God's will for you to prosper and be in
health, even as your soul [or heart]
prospers? (3Jn 2) That is God's will and
there is no other will. That is the soundest
doctrine that you will ever hear.
Your heart can prosper only when you
receive the Word and keep out the junk.
Obedience is better than sacrifice (1Sam
15:22). You must obey that which you
hear from within yourself--and forget
about all the suggestions. They were
suggesting to Jesus that He was of the
devil too, and that he was casting out devils
by Beelzebub, the prince of devils (Mt
12:24).
So don't worry about what somebody else
says, not even about what I say. But when
you hear something from within
yourself, that is God speaking to you.
That is the Word of God coming to
you--so don't let your heart be stony
when you receive it.
Mark 4:16 . . . [they] immediately receive it
with gladness; And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time:
afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word's sake. . . .
It is for the Word's sake. That carnal
reasoning or universal belief in two powers
always wants to take away the Word
through persecution. I've experienced it a
hundred times. If you would have all the
people who have been through our
fellowship, you'd have two or three
thousand. But, for one reason or another,
people get sidetracked.
Sometimes it is believing in sacrifices and
what Jesus is supposed to have come to
do. Jesus didn't come here to die on a
cross; He came here to reveal the
Father. But he did say, "Once the Son of
man is crucified, then you will know
afterwards that I am He and that we are
one, you in Me and I in you." There is only
one, not the Father, Son and Holy Spirit;
there is only God appearing as you in
individual being. The Spirit, Son and Father
are one, not three. There are not three
persons in the godhead; there is no person
in the godhead. You can't show me that in
the Scriptures. "Our Father WHICH is in
heaven" (Lk 11:2). "The Spirit ITSELF
makes intercession for the saints according
to the will of God" (Rom 8:26-27). "I can do
all things through Christ WHICH
strengtheneth me" (Phil 4:13).
Saying this is sufficient to get you
persecuted and excommunicated. You not
only undermine, you take the foundation of
the church away. You take away their
trinity, their god, their devil, their heaven
and their hell. And they've got nothing more
to do.
Instead of paying attention to all that
doctrine, just begin to listen to the Word.
This is what Jesus came to reveal.
Mark 4:17 . . . afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word's sake,
immediately they are offended.
Don't be offended at the rock:
1Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all
malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and
envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of
the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so
be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively
stones, are built up a spiritual house, an
holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in
the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief
corner stone, elect, precious: and he that
believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7
Unto you therefore which believe he is
precious: but unto them which be
disobedient, the stone which the builders
disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and
a rock of offence, even to them which
stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But
ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of
darkness into his marvellous light:
Verses 1 Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies,
and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye
may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted
that the Lord is gracious.
It is sweeter than the honey in the rock,
sweeter than the most precious thing you've
ever become aware of with your five
physical senses. This is far above the
tasting of good food. This is the tasting of
the spiritual, of the mystical, of the eternality
of life. And who is coming?--the Lord, that
gracious activity
Verse 4 To whom [the Lord, that gracious
activity (or Presence) of God] coming, as
unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of
men, but chosen of God, and precious. . . .
Anything at all that is of God (or Spirit) is
always disallowed by religion--because
it makes it possible for all men to
experience God just the same as the
clergy. And they won't allow it--because
then they lose all control over the
people. I can receive the Spirit just as
much as the Pope (or any other minister)
can. When we all know this, the church
loses its government and each of us has to
work out his own salvation (Phil 2:12). We
can come together and commune. I don't
say I know more than you; actually, I don't
know a thing. It is only my Father who does
the works and who speaks through me. He
can speak to me only because I no longer
have a fear of disease, poverty, impending
doom or death.
Verse 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built
up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood. . . .
That is the Melchizedek priesthood which is
the administration of righteousness, or the
administration of oneness--letting everyone
know that God was in Christ reconciling the
world unto Himself, not imputing their
trespasses, and has given to us the ministry
of reconciliation (2Cor 5:19). We are to let
all men know that you are self contained,
that you as individual being are the
fullness of God manifesting in the earth.
God doesn't know what you have done, so
you should forget about the past. Do not
remember the former things (Is 43:18).
Verse 5 . . . to offer up spiritual sacrifices.
...
To offer up a spiritual sacrifice is to
Romans 12:1-2 . . . present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service. And be
not conformed [in your mind] to this world
[and its beliefs]: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove [know] what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God [for
you].
You needn't worry about what God's will is
for someone else. You will know God's
perfect will for yourself, without anyone
else telling you. You will know it from
within yourself, because there is an inner
communion with the Father who teaches us
and reveals to us all things that have been
hidden and overshadowed by the belief in
two powers. God is revealing Himself,
making Himself known to you.
1Peter 2:6-7 Wherefore also it is
contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in
Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:
and he that believeth on him shall not be
confounded. Unto you therefore which
believe he is precious. . . .
It's precious to me. It is the pearl of great
price which I would not exchange for
anything else. They can keep their millions.
I don't want anything at all but just that
feeling that I have right now; I wouldn't
trade it for anything. I'd rather be locked in a
dungeon for the rest of my life and keep my
precious little pearl. I wouldn't trade it for
the most wonderful property and house; it is
far too precious. No one can take my
pearl from me, but I can throw it before
the swine. The "swine" are unprepared
religious thoughts. They will trample
your pearl if you start talking about it to
them.
1Peter 2:7 Unto you therefore which
believe he is precious: but unto them which
be disobedient, the stone [the Christ, the
stone hewn out of the mountain without
hands] which the builders disallowed, the
same is made the head of the corner.
When people are trying to build the church,
the thing which they should let in is the
Christ. But, instead, they have built a brick
building and put a minister and pews in it.
And the thing they ought to let in they leave
out; they reject the cornerstone which is
Verse 8 . . . a stone of stumbling, and a
rock of offence, even to them which
stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed.
But they were not appointed by God. When
we become rebellious and disobedient, we
begin to reap the consequences. Eventually
it will catch up with us.
This is why we ask, "Why is this happening
to me?" As you receive the seed into
your heart, it brings forth according to
its own nature. If you receive the seed of
fear, you are going to experience fear.
But if you receive the love of God and are
rooted and grounded in it, you are going to
experience love everywhere you go,
whereas another will experience hatred.
When you take the attitude of thinking of
others before yourself, you'll always
experience good coming to you.
1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy
nation, a peculiar people; that ye should
shew forth the praises of him who hath
called you out of [the] darkness [of the
human mind] into his marvellous light
--where all things begin to work together for
the good. Your health and prosperity will
begin to spring up; friendships begin to
spring up, and your life becomes abundant.
That is showing forth the praises of
Him--not saying "Hallelujah, praise the
Lord!" "It is out of the mouth of babes and
sucklings that I have perfected praise" (Mt
21:16). Praise is perfected when we can
manifest or demonstrate the Genesis 1
principle of the abundance of all things
through our own
consciousness--without ever being
afraid to let go of anything. What you
compromise to keep, you will lose.
I used to be a magpie collecting a shed full
of junk for some feeling of security. But that
is not showing forth the praises of Him. You
must let it go, let it flow through your
consciousness. Your love and your
giving-ness and your willingness to
cooperate as it flows through you will insure
that you never run out; as soon as it goes
out the front door, it will come in the back.
That is showing forth the praises of Him
who has called you out of darkness, out of
limitation--which is what darkness is.
You are limited by your own mind, by
your own beliefs.
Galatians 6:7 . . . for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap.
This means that if we plant thoughts or
attitudes of peace, harmony, health and
prosperity, we shall reap accordingly. But if
we sow thoughts or attitudes of sickness,
lack, strife and contention, we shall reap
these things. We must remember that our
subconscious mind is like the soil. It will
grow whatever type of seed we plant in
the garden of our mind. Biblically
speaking, we are sowing thoughts when
we believe them wholeheartedly. What
you really believe deep down in your
heart is what you will demonstrate.
Cosmic law is the law of belief. IT IS
BECAUSE OF MY BELIEFS THAT THIS
IS HAPPENING TO ME. When I begin to
understand this and become aware of the
Presence of God, I will gradually be
translated out of the law of belief into the
law of life that was also in Christ Jesus,
who thought it not robbery to be in harmony
with God.
But we are not there yet. If we were, we
would not be experiencing sickness,
poverty, fears or problems. We would be in
the law of life.
We are still in the learning process. We
have to, first of all, come to terms with the
cosmic law of sowing and reaping and
begin to understand why this is happening
to me. Then we begin to transcend through
it, as Jesus did. He had to come to terms
with why He had to die on a cross. Was He
predestined to do it? No, it was the law of
belief. That's what Caiaphas said, "Let one
man die for all" (Jn 18:13). It had been
prophesied through the prophets that one
man was going to die for us all. So He
came and died for all. It was not ordained
by God, but was rather the outworking of
cosmic law.
Whatever happens in this world is the
outworking of cosmic law--because this
world is not God's world.
Trouble of any kind is nature's alarm signal
that we are thinking or having a wrong
attitude in that direction. And nothing but a
change of attitude can set you free. It has
been said by the metaphysical mystic
Quimby that the hu-man is belief
expressed. And we demonstrate what we
really believe. There is a law of cause and
effect operating at all times, and nothing
happens to man without his mental
consent and participation. You do not
have to think of an accident to have it befall
you. When you are irritated and upset
emotionally, you become uncoordinated,
causing accidents.
That is the cosmic law of cause and effect.
It works in various ways and on various
levels. These are lessons that we have to
learn first. What you are experiencing is
never God's ordination or God's will. And it
is not God teaching, rewarding or punishing
you, or ''calling you home." God never
called anybody home; it is man's beliefs
that kill him. God doesn't do anything to
anybody an any time. If something
happens to you, it is simply and solely
the outworking of your beliefs.