Good Morning Garden

Why has not your prayer been answered? Perhaps it has. Strangely enough, it often happens that we receive an answer to our prayer and do not recognize it. Some of us have had demonstrations in our possession for weeks or months and have not known it. This mistake is caused by outlining. We have unconsciously decided that the demonstration must take a particular form, and because that form does not appear, we think we have failed. Actually we probably have an even better demonstration than we expected, but for the moment we are blind to it.

If a boy prayed for a man’s hat (because he thought it would look well on him or make him grown up) he would not get it; since divine Wisdom knows that he could not wear it. He would get a good hat of the sort that would be useful to him. We often pray for things for which we are not really prepared; but if we pray scientifically this will not matter, since Creative Intelligence will send us the thing that we really need.

Seek God for his own sake, for the joy of being with Him and demonstrations will take care of themselves.

I will be glad in the Lord (Psalm 104:34)

We have all heard the old saying, “be careful what you pray for”. Prayer is powerful and as such should be handled properly. If, when we pray, we ask for God’s will, then all the things we need for our best good will come to us. If instead, we pray that our will be done, then we may be disappointed that our prayers are not answered, or that the answer was no, or that the answer was not for our best good. When we submit ourselves and our prayers to God’s will, then we can be sure that they will be answered and our lives will be blessed by them.

In prayerful submission,

Z gardener

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The Unforgivable Sin

The Bible mentions the existence of an unforgivable sin, and this has greatly frightened innumerable Christians.

Let us be absolutely clear upon one point. There is no sin that a human being can commit that God will not forgive but there is one sin that he cannot forgive until we make it possible. This sin consists in shutting ourselves off from fresh inspiration or guidance from God. If your mind is already made up about everything appertaining to God; if you decide that you now know all the truth, and that you could not be mistaken; then it will not be possible for the Holy Ghost to open your eyes to error and lead you into higher truth. Naturally, as long as this is your state of mind, no help or improvement can come to you; and in that sense only is your sin unforgivable – unforgivable while it lasts. When you do change your attitude, enlightenment will come, and the sin will be destroyed.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with me (Revelation 3:20).

In the broadest sense, the unforgivable sin is the one which we will not admit. To be forgiven, we must confess that our actions have been wrong, repent of those actions, and ask for forgiveness. None of these things can happen if we refuse to admit our action was wrong. I

In this season of Lent, let us all look honestly at ourselves for those things which we still need to change. Remember, to be fully forgiven, we must be fully repentant. When we do this, we will be cleansed of all our doubt, guilt and shame. Then we will rise from the ashes of sin to live as joyful spirits in communion with God and man. Then we will enter the Garden washed clean and made new. Then we will be as a child full of awe and excitement.

In awe,

Z gardener

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People sometimes accept the idea that a change of thought, plus turning to God in prayer, will transform their lives into harmony and freedom. The logic of this principle appeals to them, and they set to work upon it in earnest. Then, after a few days, they say, “Nothing has happened after all,” and they drop back into their old negative thinking.

That is extremely foolish. The results of many years of general negative thinking are seldom corrected in a few days. No one who goes upon a new physical diet or medical regimen expects to reap the advantages in so short a time. You must keep up the new way of thinking and refuse to be discouraged by seeming failures at first.

The right motive for adopting right thinking is that it is right, and that wrong thinking is wrong; and we should do right whether it seems to pay dividends or not. Of course, it does pay dividends – fabulous dividends – but it usually takes a little perseverance in the face of preliminary slowness.

And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13).

When we apply the same discipline to our spiritual endeavors that we apply to other aspects of our lives we will soon find ourselves living in the Eden God gave us to inhabit. When we seek God with the fervor of love’s first blush, when we rebuke negative thought as we would consistently discipline a child and when we accept the reality of God as we do the existence of gravity, we will find that place where joy and gladness reigns. If we are to live in that Garden, we must create it in our spirit, consciousness and will. Then it will bloom in our lives.

Tending the blossoms,

Z gardener

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God intended us to have dominion over our lives, to be the captains of our souls.

Of course, in the ship of life, you cannot make port unless all sails are set. You must pursue the spiritual life wholeheartedly. You cannot expect to reach port if you are faithful in your prayers and meditations for a time, and then for a time you forget God.

You are the captain of your soul when you can say with Jesus,

I and my Father are one (John 10:30).
…the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works (John 14:10).

When we pursue our spiritual life with all the vigor and commitment within us, we will reach the port that God charted for us. When we take our hand off the tiller, or fall off the wind or veer from the course, we lose our way and slow our progress. So, let us keep a steady hand on the tiller mates. Let us keep our sails full and may God carry us all to the home port he has given to us and to our Garden that waits for us there.

Along the Lee Shore,

Z gardener

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Read Psalm 24.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face…

To many it may seem that the purification of the heart will be a long and wearisome task, but we have to remember that when we pray it is God who works and not we. If you will use the power of the Word, old habits of thinking will fall away and new ones come in; and this is because you will receive your righteousness, or right thinking, from God. You have sought his face, and you must begin to express something of His nature, for we always grow unto that which we contemplate.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Gates and doors symbolize understanding and it is only by the attainment of a higher degree of understanding that the King of glory – the vivid realization of God which we are seeking – can come to our souls. We are then told to ask ourselves who the King of glory is, and for what He stands. He is nothing less than the Lord; strong and mighty in battle, and the battle he fights, of course, is our battle.

The Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.

We are to think about God and live in our awareness of God’s blessings and nature. Then we are to adopt God’s nature and right-thinking. When we fully understand and realize the true nature and will of God, then we will be filled with God’s power and God will go before us in all we do. We will then think and act righteously and will live in the Eden God gave us.

Seeking God’s face,

Z Gardener

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How Much Conviction?

What do you really believe? It is as a man thinketh in his heart that matters, says the Bible, and this means the heartfelt conviction as distinct from mere formal assent.

If you want to know what you really believe, simply watch what you do. We always do what we believe, although we frequently talk differently. If you feel that you are not making the most of your life, change your beliefs. Your present beliefs must be wrong if they are not producing harmony and satisfaction.

Start believing in health; start believing in prosperity; start believing in the Christ in those about you; start believing that your own divine Selfhood is rapidly unfolding. Act as though you believed these things and the results will surprise you.

For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul…Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as was told me (Acts 27: 23-25)

Just as our bodies are what we eat, our spirits and our minds are what we think and believe. For those of of us who struggle with getting to the belief part, try this. Apply the biblical rules for one week (or at least the ten commandments). Call on God in prayer each day, submit to God’s will and the principles in the bible and live in a spirit of love, joy and peace. Rebuke all negative thoughts and feeling, forgive those who hurt, refuse to judge or condemn and look for the good in all things (especially the bad ones). Exude love, dispense joy and create peace. When the week has ended, take stock of how much better or worse it was than the week before. The point here to show ourselves that following God’s will works in our “real world”. Once we are convinced of this, we are on the road to belief. Once we believe, then we must do. When we fully adopt this belief system the basis of our lives, will find ourselves in the Eden God created for us. We are the only obstacle to life in the Garden.

In belief,

Z gardener

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Mental relaxation is just as important as right mental activity. Wise relaxation and wise activity are the balanced poles of all true actions. Many people are constantly subjecting their minds to totally unnecessary wear and tear.

We speak colloquially of “taking the train” somewhere and actually many people who ride in trains do take the train mentally the whole journey. Many years ago I noticed that when a train arrives in the terminal after a long run, the locomotive men always seem to come off the train looking fresher than most of the passengers; although they have been working and the passengers have not. The explanation is that for the engineer and fireman it was only a routine day’s work. They did not 0take the train” mentally – they let the engine take it.

The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms…(Deuteronomy 33:27).

When we make time for mental relaxation, our spirits have time to rest and regenerate. How would we feel physically if we never slept or rested? Prayer time is a wonderful time to practice metal relaxation. Its not hard. In preparation for prayer; just take three deep breaths, ask God to relax the body and release all tensions and earthly concerns and then ask that the spirit be lifted and that the heart, spirit, consciousness and will be opened to demonstrate God’s divine will, universal consciousness and Holy Spirit. Then one is mentally and physically relaxed and ready to pray.

To avoid unnecessary wear and tear on the mind, one should refuse to worry and indulge doubt, fear and anxiety. These mental activities exhaust the spirit, weaken the will and lower our consciousness. They are the mental and spiritual equivalent of pouring acid on our souls and allow our will and spirit to deteriorate, rust and decay. The antidote to these mental states are hope, faith and love. They build, strengthen and secure our joy, happiness and peace.

Leaning on God,

Z gardener

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For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (Matthew 25:29).

This great text has been a stumbling block to many. It looks like injustice. It sounds like cruelty. Yet Jesus said it, and we know that he was always right.

The explanation is logical when you have the key to life. Your experience is the expression (pressing out) of your state of mind or consciousness, at any time. When your consciousness is high, everything goes well. When your consciousness is low or limited, everything goes wrong.

When trouble comes the usual thing is to meet it with fear, anger, disappointment, self-pity, or brutal will power. This naturally lowers the consciousness a good deal more, and things get still worse. From him that hath not (much) harmony, shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Harmony and joy naturally raise your consciousness and your faith in God still higher, and so things improve further. Unto everyone that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance. This is a simple statement of natural law. Let us thank God that this wonderful law exists.

On any given day, what is the level of our consciousness? Are we joyful, glad and peaceful in all that comes our way? It is only when we express our highest forms of consciousness that God’s full abundance can flow through us. Though we face sadness, loss and disappointment in our lives, our consciousness dictates how we react to these things. Even the miraculous, beautiful and wonderful occurrences in our lives can feel miserable if our consciousness only recognizes fear , doubt and worry. It is when we lift our spirits, count our blessings, help those around us and embrace joy and gladness, that God’s abundance and blessings manifest themselves in our lives. So, smile, believe, give, love, share and hope. God is waiting to shine through in our lives.

With spirit aloft,

Z gardener

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When you go down to the seashore, you find what is practically an unlimited supply of sea water at your disposal. There are billions upon billions of gallons there, but the amount that you can carry away will depend upon the vessel with which you have provided yourself. If you take a ten-gallon can, you can get ten gallons, but if you take only a pint pot you can take away only a pint, and if you have nothing bigger than a thimble, you would not be able to take away more than a thimbleful.

So it is with divine abundance. The only limit is the limit of our capacity to receive.

Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16).

When we are fully receptive to God’s abundance, when we replace our will with God’s will, when we truly believe that God can and will grant all things (even the things we can’t imagine), then God grants us infinite abundance in all things for our best good. However, when we accept limitation, when we insist on following our own will, when we doubt that God will grant us everything and beyond for our lives, then we cut ourselves off from God’s abundance and depend on our small and finite capability for the things we need. Faith gives us a bucket bigger than the ocean in which we can receive God’s blessings, while doubt limits us to receiving only a thimble full of God’s grace, love and power. How large are our buckets?

Growing the bucket,

Z gardener

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