Now He drew close enough to each of them that they could feel His breath. He breathed on them: Jesus: Welcome the Holy Spirit of the living God.

— John 20:22 The Voice (VOICE)

“Reaching For The Light”

God’s Standard

There are certain standards in life that, by common consent, we embrace and take for granted, e.g. Greenwich Mean Time; Weights and Measures. There is yet another standard anterior to these and all else in our daily pursuits; one that we as well take for granted, but all too often ignore; namely God’s Standard of Fullness.

God’s Purity of Soul, breathed into each one of us, is the very essence of His Goodness and His Love, setting a spiritually priceless Standard for all mankind.

God’s Light within, never to be extinguished, is the spiritual guide for all that we think and do. The further our thoughts take us from God’s divine inner Light, the more tenuous our life becomes. It is thus worth all we value in life to keep God’s Standard ever-present within. Only then may we avoid the human dross of life that forever threatens to beset us.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

“So don’t worry and don’t keep saying, ‘What shall we eat, what shall we drink or what shall we wear?’ That is what pagans are always looking for; your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Set your heart on the kingdom and his goodness, and all these things will come to you as a matter of course. ” 

— Matthew 6:31-33  J.B. Phillips (PHILLIPS)

“Reaching For the Light”

Goodness

I know that Goodness is: 

A spiritual suffusion 

Of Goodness and Love,

Her soul’s immortal Light revealed, 

Her precious being, Purity

And Divine Love, 

Child of God: a gift to all.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest, may see your devotion to Me, and may turn and praise your Father in Heaven because of it.

— Matthew 5:16  The Voice (VOICE)

“Reaching For the Light”

Lightness of Being

Not always conscious of the fact, we are made a little better each time we express gratitude for that which befalls us. Instantly, our bodily senses transform this act of positive thinking into one that transcends the mind, taking us into the unconscious realm of divine spirituality.

Thus ennobled in this intimate relationship with God, we know a lightness of Being and of love for our fellow-man. 

— Garry D. Kilbourn

For we ourselves have known what it is to be ignorant, disobedient and deceived, the slaves of various desires and pleasant feelings, while our lives were spent in malice and jealousy — we were hateful and we hated each other. But when the kindness of God our saviour and his love towards man appeared, he saved us — not by virtue of any moral achievements of ours, but by the cleansing power of a new birth and the moral renewal of the Holy Spirit, which he gave us so generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour. The result is that we are acquitted by his grace, and can look forward to inheriting life evermore. This is solid truth. Subjects like this are always good and useful but mind you steer clear of stupid arguments, genealogies, controversies and quarrels over the Law. They settle nothing and lead nowhere. If a man is still argumentative after the second warning you should reject him. You can be sure that he has a moral twist, and he knows it.

— Titus 3:5-11  J.B. Phillips

“Reaching For the Light”

Spiritual Rebirth … p 113

Spiritual rebirth is a resurrection of the soul. It is a transcendental healing which reacquaints us with our God-given Goodness that we may again become whole.  Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us becomes our abiding providential guidepost.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honour.

— James 3:17-18  The Message (MSG)

 

“Reaching For the Light”

Concern For Others … p 113

Fortune smiles more readily on those whose lives are in order: Those of sound moral character whose concern is for others, and whose Goodness abounds.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Elihu continued speaking: "Let me go on, and I will show you the truth. For I have not finished defending God! I will present profound arguments for the righteousness of my Creator.

— Job 36:1-3  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

“Reaching For the Light”

Truth … p 112

Truth dwells in the divinely pure soul, our spiritual self. It is an inviolate human characteristic; one akin to Goodness and to oneness with God. Truth is that which we both aspire to and revere.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Wherein God, meaning more abundantly to shew to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have the strongest comfort, who have fled for refuge to hold fast the hope set before us. Which we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and firm, and which entereth in even within the veil; 

— Hebrews 6:17-19  Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

 

“Reaching For the Light”

At One With Nature … p 112

That we, like all else, are subject to the immutable laws of nature is but affirmation of our oneness with God: He who is life eternal.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

A third group hears the message, but as time passes, the daily anxieties, the pursuit of wealth, and life’s addicting delights outpace the growth of the message in their hearts. Even if the message blossoms and fruit begins to form, the fruit never fully matures because the thorns choke out the plants’ vitality. But some people hear the message and let it take root deeply in receptive hearts made fertile by honesty and goodness. With patient dependability, they bear good fruit.

— Luke 8:14-15 The Voice (VOICE)

“Reaching For the Light”

Spiritual Development

“Are you going to believe what you see, or what I’m about to tell you?” is a colloquialism ofttimes used in jest or to lighten an otherwise sticky situation.

In terms of our own spiritual development, it is an expression that might easily be used to illustrate why we so willingly embrace God intuitively by way of our sixth sense — our spiritual eye; whereas when we are exhorted to hear the Word of God, all too often the seed is sown in stony ground: The message is heard and received but for a season.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Take great joy in the Eternal! His gifts are coming, and they are all your heart desires!

— Psalm 37:4 The Voice (VOICE)

“Reflections From Infinite Mind”

Nurturing The Soul … p 77

Were we to count our blessings, would those we ourself have nurtured, which give insight to the soul, our true spiritual nature, be numbered? Selflessness, humility, love of ourself and our fellow-man — these are the blessings that give life and meaning that ever endure, all of which are to be found in that age-old maxim: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Worldly wealth and power are as nothing compared to “knowing thyself;” of being at one with God.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Please answer me: Don’t give up. Wait for the Eternal in expectation, and be strong. Again, wait for the Eternal.

— Psalm 27:14 The Voice (VOICE)

“Reaching For The Light”

The Enlightened Soul … p 111

All else aside, we have a moral obligation to provide for our own well-being, physical and spiritual. Herein lies the rub: Familiar to most is the lifelong pursuit of earning a living, in itself both necessary and laudable. Much less so, however, are we given over to the needs of the soul, our “other,” spiritual being.

Unbeknownst to many, it is this divine inner self that must, at the very least, be given equal time and study to that spent in the effort to earn a living.

The physical and spiritual aspects of life, while separate, are nonetheless interdependent. If we are to know harmony of mind, body and soul, the incessant workings of the mind must give way in part to the enlightened soul. In the doing we become a changed person, with a new-found sense of empowerment and inner peace.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. That I may see the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. For he hath hidden me in his tabernacle; in the day of evils, he hath protected me in the secret place of his tabernacle. He hath exalted me upon a rock: and now he hath lifted up my head above my enemies. I have gone round, and have offered up in his tabernacle a sacrifice of jubilation: I will sing, and recite a psalm to the Lord.

— Psalm 26:4-6 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

“Reaching For The Light”

Prayer … p 110

Spirituality is an expression of the soul: God within. How to become one with this, our inner self, becomes the question central to our well-being. To our own good fortune the answer is ever before us: We have but to surrender ourself to God in prayer.

Prayer is self-effacing communion with God. Here, thoughts of the mind lose themselves in our divinely spiritual self, our very being suffused with Love: Love of God and Love of our fellow-man. Such is man’s natural state.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to — to God’s kingdom.” “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?” Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation — the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life — it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch — the Spirit — and becomes a living spirit.

— John 3:3-6 The Message (MSG)

“Reflections From Infinite Mind”

Born Again … p 76

To ignore, or to take lightly, the import of the familiar Biblical phrase “born again”, we do so at our own peril. Even so this is our way, as we actively pursue that which we unknowingly deem to be life’s purpose — that of materialism. Although this strange phenomenon, which weighs heavily upon the soul, is seldom discussed for reasons apparent to any thinking person, it is one that many, to their lasting good fortune, overcome.

We free ourself from self-destructive earthly materialism to become the person we truly are when we rediscover our soul, our oneness with God: He in whose image we are made. Such rediscovery is no less than a conscious transition of mortal thought to an awareness of God within. Through faith we become attuned with God’s harmoniously Divine Mind, from which we both emanate and return. And thus do we know God’s Elysian Garden of bliss.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Faith is the assurance of things you have hoped for, the absolute conviction that there are realities you’ve never seen. It was by faith that our forebears were approved. Through faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God; everything we now see was fashioned from that which is invisible. Faith begins as hope and indeed is unseen; so many doubt that it is real. What follows is the proof that faith is a reality that can be trusted.

— Hebrews 11:1-3 The Voice (VOICE) 

“Reflections From Infinite Mind”

Faith … p 75

History, it is well known, is replete with those claiming knowledge of the afterlife. We in this age are both the beneficiaries of this thought and of the human condition ever revealed to us as the centuries unfold. What we have learned, and have come to know, is that human knowledge, i.e., that limited by the five senses, is alone of this world. This despite the fact that conjecture and fantasy oftentimes lead us astray in our thinking and in our behaviour. Even so, it is in our very nature to seek and to have a deeper understanding of our purpose, one that takes us beyond and frees us of human thought. Thus do we reach out to Faith, that which anchors and ennobles us, it at once the transitional and transformative force uniting mortal with immortal to reveal in our consciousness our true, ever-present, divinely spiritual Being.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Our Father-Mother God, all-harmonious, Adorable One. Thy kingdom is come; Thou art ever-present. Enable us to know, — as in heaven, so on earth, — God is omnipotent, supreme. Give us grace for to-day; feed the famished affections; And Love is reflected in love; And God leadeth us not into temptation, but delivereth us from sin, disease, and death. For God is infinite, all-power, all Life, Truth, Love, over all, and All. 

— From Christian Science, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, pp. 16-17

“Reaching For The Light”

Knowing God … p 109

Believing them to be separate and distinct, we speak of “God’s will,” as in the oft-quoted Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:5-13)“Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven,” and of “human will,” the latter being a product of the mind — deliberate thought and action.

God’s will is that divinely primordial force governing the laws of the universe, of nature and of mankind. The exercise of human will, absent of divine influence, is little more than wishful thinking. When, however, our will is not a manifestation of personal preference, but instead, the divine emanation of human spirit, human will becomes one with God’s will. Such is made possible when thought transcends worldly concerns by going beyond belief and beyond faith to that of Knowing God lives in us and we in Him. It is this purity of thought, of humble selflessness and love of others — in essence, harmony of Being — that transforms us, whereby our will “in earth” becomes one with God’s will “in heaven.”

— Garry D. Kilbourn

We do, of course, speak “wisdom” among those who are spiritually mature, but it is not what is called wisdom by this world, nor by the powers-that-be, who soon will be only the powers that have been. The wisdom we speak of is that mysterious secret wisdom of God which he planned before the creation for our glory today. None of the powers of this world have known this wisdom — if they had they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him’. But God has, through the Spirit, let us share his secret. For nothing is hidden from the Spirit, not even the deep wisdom of God. For who could really understand a man’s inmost thoughts except the spirit of the man himself? How much less could anyone understand the thoughts of God except the very Spirit of God? And the marvellous thing is this, that we now receive not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God himself, so that we can actually understand something of God’s generosity towards us.  — 1 Corinthians 2:8-12  J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS) 

“Reflections From Infinite Mind”

Divine Thought: 

Ever Our Companion … p 74

The expression “writer’s block” refers to the inhibition of creative thought in those engaged in the writing of literary works — “inhibition” being the operative word. Were we to apply this concept in day-to-day life, not as it relates to our own thinking, but to the laws governing all of nature — to Divine Mind (God), from which all in all both emanates and returns, reason alone suggests we are either unable or unwilling to hear the ever-present voice of God within. The first are those who exhibit their own will, not that of God’s, denoting an unawareness of the power of Divine Mind. The second is alone the product of our consciousness, whereby we choose to deny God’s beneficent power. Either or both is detrimental to our well-being.

To avoid so-called “writer’s block”—that which is not real—there is but one path for all: In selflessness and humility we must give ourself over to God’s care, asking that His will be done. Faith manifests itself in God’s goodness and love, freeing us to become who and what we are meant to be. Divine thought becomes ever our companion.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

The man replies, “Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make.”

— Mark 12:32-33 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

“Reflections From Infinite Mind”

Oneness 

With God … p 73

Let fall away 

Life’s many masks

That give lie to our

Spiritual self.

Know a love that comes 

From deep within

That so bestirs the soul;

A love to share with others;

’Tis this which makes us whole.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Above all things be loving, humble, united:

Now if your experience of Christ’s encouragement and love means anything to you, if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and all that it means in kindness and deep sympathy, do make my best hope for you come true! Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs but should learn to see things from other people’s point of view.

— Philippians 2:1-4  J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

“Reaching For The Light”

Spiritual Insight … p 108

Midst the frenzy of materialism that defines much of our life we rely for the most part upon five familiar senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Within these confines we live out our lives in a never-ending effusion of goods and services, all the while longing for more to life. And so there is, in two lesser known senses: intuition and understanding. When brought into play they are, within themselves, no less than our saving grace.

Intuition we know to be spiritual insight founded on Truth. Understanding, which follows upon and is indeed a concomitant of intuition, is acknowledgement of that Truth. These combined faculties are a phenomenon common to all. How to put it to use in our daily life becomes the question. The answer, ever the same, is to go within, to rediscover our true inner self; our God-given Goodness and Love. Thus, in selfless humility, may we let others be witness to our own vulnerability. Thus too, in the stillness of mind and body, do we intuitively come to know and to understand another’s true inner self, and with it, brotherly love.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

— Matthew 6:24 New Living Translation (NLT)

“Reaching For The Light”

Life’s Everlasting Quandary … p 107

Were it otherwise, we might find life to be less of a quandary. As it is, however, we humans are a duality, made-up of a mortal body and a spiritually immortal inner self. To our great misfortune, mankind has all but lost sight of its God-given spirituality in favour of an unrelenting pursuit of materialism.

The pleasures of materialism we know to be short-lived at best. Conversely, those emanating from the Light of the soul endure forever. When nurtured, the soul — that is to say, becoming one with God in all that we say and do — is that which gives us our humanity.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

He makes me whole again, steering me off worn, hard paths to roads where truth and righteousness echo His name.

— Psalm 23:3 The Voice (VOICE)

“Reaching For The Light”

Spirit and Matter … p 106

In honouring the age-old admonition to “Know Thyself,” we come to learn of the very real and discernible correlation between Spirit and Matter as devotion to one increases, the other suffers a like decrease. And so it is as we reconnect with our inborn Spiritual nature, we lose sight of needless mind-driven materialism. So it is too that the ground we stand on becomes ever firmer as we ascend our Spiritual path, ever closer to knowing our true inner self; to God within.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

“You must be merciful, as your father in Heaven is merciful." Don’t judge other people and you will not be judged yourselves. Don’t condemn and you will not be condemned. Make allowances for others and people will make allowances for you. Give and men will give to you—yes, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will they pour into your lap. For whatever measure you use with other people, they will use in their dealings with you.”

— Luke 6:36-38  J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

“Reaching For The Light”

Allowing Others 

To Be Themselves … p 105

We all know moments of disquiet in our personal relationships, be it family or otherwise, when things don’t go our way. Were we to go within and reflect on the matter, we could but conclude in all honesty that things are not always meant to go our way. Just as we are quick to rightfully assert our own individuality, so must we honour this in others. In so doing we achieve a hitherto unknown magnanimity of character, in essence a transformation to a higher, spiritually enlightened mode of thought. We instinctively know it is our moral duty to allow others to be themselves.

As is ever the case when we seek the Truth, Selflessness and Humility obtain. Truth’s revelation both frees and uplifts us: Life becomes so much more worthwhile.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

Hear my words, my son, and take them in; let them soak in so that you will live a long, full life. I have pointed you in the way of wisdom; I have steered you down the path to integrity.

— Proverbs 4:10-11  The Voice (VOICE) 

“Reaching For The Light”

Right and Wrong … p 104

Fundamental to our well-being, nay, to our very humanity, is our intuitive sense of right and wrong. Awareness and self-discipline help in honouring these distinctions and in keeping us on the right path. Other ennobling traits contributing to our humanity; traits all too often lying obscured within us, are those of Selflessness and Humility. These alone ensure a place on the path and are, as well, key to an enlightened soul. Thus is our God-given Goodness made real and thus too are we enabled to love both ourself and our fellow-man.

— Garry D. Kilbourn

“Believe me,” returned Jesus, “a man cannot even see the kingdom of God without being born again.” “And how can a man who’s getting old possibly be born?” replied Nicodemus. “How can he go back into his mother’s womb and be born a second time?” “I assure you,” said Jesus “that unless a man is born from water and from spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to spirit: you must not be surprised that I told you that all of you must be born again. The wind blows where it likes, you can hear the sound of it but you have no idea where it comes from and where it goes. Nor can you tell how a man is born by the wind of the Spirit.”

— John 3:3—8  J.B. Phillips New Testament 

“Reaching For The Light”

Changing Our Mind … p 103

Changing our mind is easy: we do it all the time with thoughts of little or of lasting consequence. Changing our mind to effect a new way of living, of becoming a better person, is another matter, however, requiring more than good intentions and ephemeral thought. 

The change we long for, that which endures and brings joy to the soul, is nothing less than a metamorphosis of the self, whereby our true spiritual Being is set free to enlighten the mind and engender a sense of peace within.

Transformation of this magnitude is made possible only when we freely acknowledge our plight and surrender in all humility to God: He who lives in us, and we in him.

— Garry D. Kilbourn