ERIC BUTTERWORTH PAPERS (3014) BOX 20 FOLDER 40 COVENANT FOR THE NEW YEAR DECEMBER 30,1984 mammtam NEW YEAR £ Aft. 3q/fry t ||’COMMIT YOUR WAY TO tTHE LORD, TRUST IN HIM, AND I HE WILL ACT.' PSALM 37: 5 ('THOU WILT KEEP HIM IN PERFECT PEACE WHOSE MIND > IS STAYED ON THEE.' ISA. 26: 3 not » PROVE ME NOW... IF I WILL-tOPEN YOU THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN, AND POUR YOU OUT A BLESSING THAT THERI SHALL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT' MAL. 3:10 IMF YE IN ME, AND MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ASK WHATSOEVER YOU WILL, AND IT SHALL BE DONE 'UNTO YOU.' JOHN I: 17 THESE SCRIPTURAL QUOTATIONS/ARE UNUSUAL/IN THA^ THEY DEAL WITH/'THE LAW OF THE COVENANT ' IT IS A BIBLE-BASED TECHNIQUE/THAT HAS BECOME/A FUNDAMENTAL IN our/new INSIGHT?' IN TRUTH. the covenant idei/is persistently imbedded/in the TEACHINGS/OF THE HEBREW PROPHETS. IT REPRESENTS /a basic psychological/attitude/which clearly shows/a progressive stage/in the spiritual DEVELOPMENT OF MANKIND. -2- THE ASSYRI AN,/BABYLON I AN ,/AND EGYPTIAN RELIGION^/ RESTED UPON PRIMITIVE/ANIMISTIC OR MAGIC/CONCEPTS OF DIVINITY. THE VERY SAME PRIESTS/WHO LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF MBTHEMATICS/AND ASTRONOMY,/STRANGEL CLUNG TO/RELIGlOUS SUPERSTITIONS. SUCH RELIGIONS ASSUMED A GOD OF CAPRICE/WHO MAY BE BOUGHT,/ CAJOLED,/OR FOOLED/lF ONE HAS THE RIGHT/TECHNIQUE. AMULETS,/lNCANTATIONS,/OMEN-TAKING,/AND BLIND fear/make THE PATTERN CF SUCH A FAITH. I I THE GREAT CONTRIBUTION/OF THE HEBREW PROPHETS/TO MAN'S SPIRITUAL EVOLUTION/ON THIS PLANET/WAS THE 'BERITH'/OR COVEN ANT../THE IDEA OF A PROMIS^/OR AGREEMENT/BETWEEN MAN AND GOD,/WHERE THE CONTRACTING parties/act NOT ON caprice/but ON REASON AN&*' THE ’BERITH’./NOT only implies/an embryo SPIRITUAL /idea,/but it is the fundamentai/law-and-order concept/of the universe/that ultimatelt gave rise Ao A WORLD OF SCIENCE AND LAW. -3- iQEREMTaB HAD THE VISION/OF GOD MAKIN(^A COVENANT jWITH MAN,/SAYING:/'I WILL PUT MY LAW/IN THEIR INWARD PARTS,/AND IN THEIR HEART/WILL I WRITE IT; KAND I WILL BE THEIR GOD/AND THEY SHALL BE M THIS WAS THE FIRST AWARENESS/OF THE LAW OF CON- sciousness./the law of mind action,/the law of ICAUSE AND EFFECT. THUS, LIFE NEED NOT BE/A MATTER I OF TREMBLING WITH FEAR/BEFORE THE CAPRICIOUS W/LL I OF GOD/WHO MAY BRING ABOUT/ALL MANNER OF PAINFU? IFOR SOME INSCRUTABLE/REASON OF H#S OWN. ONE NEED I ONLY*KNOW THE TRUTH/KEEP THE LAWK,/AND ACTALLY I COMMAND THF RFSIII TR I (ISIAHj HAS GOD SAYING TO MAN,/’CONCERNING THE WORK OF MY HANDS,/COMMAND YEJtE/^ * OF COURSE THE PROPHETS/WERE NOT REALLY HEARD,/AND "THE HEBREWS CARRIED OVER/MUCH OF THE OLD IDEA/AND CONTINUED TO DEAL WITH/THE CAPRICIOUS GOD OF THE SKIES. AOrt/VrCC L/tfDUiH -4- THE MISSION OF JESUS/WAS TO RECALL PBPLE/TO THE 'BERITH'. HE SB ID,/’I CAME NOT TO DESTROY/THE LAW BUT TO FULFILL IT.' HE STRESSED THAT THE/ KINGDOM OF IMPERSONAL LAW/lS WITHIN EACH PERSON. AND WHEN THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS/CONDEMNED HIM FOR SEEMING TO PUT HIMSELF/IN THE PLACE OF GOD, HE SAID,/'I SAY YOU ARE GODSt/AND ALL OF YOU ARE/ CHILDREN OF THE MOST HIGH.' VTHE GREAT TRUTH that/jesus STRESSED/IS THAT THERE (CONSTANTLY,/WHICH WILL WORK FOR YOU/AS HEALTH FOR YOUR BODY/OR PROSPERITY IN YOUR AFFAIRS,/^ Y_0_U [WORK WJ_TH JT.. .XKXXBNXM9RKXMXXMXIX YOU KEEP YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS CENTERED WITHIN. 'SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM...' ^tp*,**# JESUS SAID./’THE FATHER WORKETH UNTIL NOW/AND I WORK.’/I HAVE LONG USED/A SELF-ACTUALIZING -5- /that deals with this ideal:/ IN ME AND THROUGH ME,/AND I WORK WITH Hlty/lN THE WISDOM AND POWER OF SPIRIT.' M1/ Co - f&oNoejtsf CAME TO A POINT OF DECISION/lN THEIR LIVES. OUT OF THE TURMOIL OF ILLNESS/AND FINANCIAL REVERSES./THEY HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR LIGHT/.AND THEY FOUND THE TRUTH. THEY MADE A CONTRACT TOGETHER,/WHICH THEY CALLED COVENAI IT WAS A FORMAL DOCUMENT/SIGNED ON DECEMBER 7, 1692 -/ 92 YEARS AGO. HERE IS WHAT IT SAID: 'WE, CHARLES FILLMORE/AND MYRTLE FILLMORE,/ HUSBAND AND WIFE./HEREBY DEDICATE OURSELVES,/DUR -6- TI ME,/ OUR MONEY./ALL WE HAV^AUD ALL WE EXPECT/TO HAVE,/TO THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH... IT BEING UNDERSTOOD/AND AGREEB/THAT THE SAID SPIRIT OF TRUTH/SHALL RENDER UNTO US/OUR EQUIVALENT/ FOR THIS DEDICATION,/IN PEACE OF MIND,/ HEALTH OF BODY,/WISDOM, /UNDERSTAND ING,/LOVE,/LIFE /AND AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY/OF ALL THINGS NECESSARY/TO MEET EVERY WANT/wiTHOUT OUR MAKING/ANY OF THESE things/the object of our existence. IN THE PRESENCE OF THE CONSCIOUS MIND OF THE CHRIST THIS 7TH DAT OF DECEMBER 1992. /S/ CHARLES FILLMORE MYRTLE FILLMORE THIS AMAZING DOCUMENT IS INTERESTING,/BOTH BECAUSE OF THE DEEP COMMITMENT./AND ALSO THE DELIGHTFUL WAY/In WHICH THEY FULLY EXPECTED/THE COMEBACK OF SECURITY IN THE CONTRACT. M SlPENT MANY TRANSCENDENT HOUR0/ITH 'PAPA CHARLIE'./ AND I WAS STRONGLY INFLUENCEt/BY HIS UNIQUE IDEA OF DIVINE LAW/.AN ACTIVITY OF GOD THAT IS AS DEPENDABLE/AS THE RISING AND SETTING OF THE SUN. HE WOULD SAY/'TRUTH DEMONSTRATES -7- ITSELF.' MAKE DEMONSTRATION. WE NEED ONLY T(^MAKE A COVENANT^ AND KEEP IT /jccaj^c'1 I FIRMLY BELIEVE/THATSOMEWHERE/1M THE DISCIPLINED CONSCIOUSNESS/OF EVERY GREAT ACHIEVER/IN LIFE/IS A PERSONAL COVENANT/MADE SOMEWHERE/aLONG HIS EARL' LIFE. AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE/COME ABOUT OFTEN IN SPITE OF HARDSHIPS/AND HANDICAP$/AND BAD BREAKS.. /PEOPLE TALK OF 'LUCK1. IN TRUTH WE SAY IT IS CONSCIOUSNESS. BUT IT IS CONSCIOUSNESS/GIVEN A SHARP FOCUS/THROUGH A STRONl/COMMI TMENT/OR COVENANT. / »/' OF LIFE,/NOT A SLAVE. TO MEET LIFE/AS A POWERFUL CONQUERDR. /.AND NOTHING EXTERIOl/SHALL EVER TAKE COMMAND OF ME.' r "8" f>ocr OfcC/______________ IT IS SIGNIFICANT THAT "HIGH YEARNINGS’/ALWAYS SEEM TO COME FROM HIGH PLACES. JESUS GAVE HIS CLASSIC SERMON/ON THE MOUNT. MOSES RECEIVED THE TEN COMMANDMENTS/ON MT. SINAI. ABRAHAM RECEIVED HIS GREAT VISION/ON THE MOUNT. HE WAS TOLD TO/ LOOK UP FROM WHERE HE WAS./TO LOOK NORTHWARD,/ SOUTHWARD ./EASTWARD,/AND WESTWARD,/AND THAT ALL HE COULD SEE/WOULD BE GIVEN TO HIM. [MARGARET LEE RUNBECM SAYS, /'MAYBE WE DON'T (LOOK FROM HIGH ENOUGH UP.’ WE NEED TO TAKE TIME OCCASIONALLY/TO LOOK UP TO THE HILLS OF CONSCIOUSNESS,/IN MED I TATI ON,/TO CONTEMPLATE THINGS/FROM THE HIGHEST POINT OF VIEW, AND MAKE A COMM ITMENT/TO A NEW KIND OF THINKING ' AND LIVING. I I LOVE THE STORY OFgAECfflTO./THE MAN WHO WAS CAUGHT IN THE CROWD/ON THE DAY JESUS PASSED HIS HOME. HE WAS SHORT OF STATURE/AND COULDN'T SEE. -9- SO HE CLIMBED A TREE./HE HAD BEEN THE SYMBOL/OF THE MATERIAL-CENTERED PERSON/6BSCURED BY LIMITED consciousness/from SEEING THE TRUTH. ilHENRY FORD) ONCE ASKED/ONE OF HIS YOUNG EXECUTl\ES /MAT HE WANTED IN LIFE./’ALL I WANT/lS TO MAKE A MILLION DOLLARS.'/THE NEXT DAY/FORD GAVE HIM A PAIR OF SPECTACLES/WITH SILVER DOLLARS REPLACING THE LENSES. /'PUT THEM ON../.WHAT DO YOU SEE?' /'I CAN'T SEE AT ALL/BECAUSE OF THOSE DOLLARS.' /'AND THAT WILI/ILWAYS BE YOUR PROBLEM THERE IS A LITTLE OF ZACCHAEUS/lN ALL OF US. WE LOSE OUR PERSPECTIVE/THROUGH INVOLVEMENT WITH things./reaching for worldly success/at ANY JfMggJ PRICE - PRE-OCCUPAT#BN WITH NON'ESSENTIALS/LEAV- ING US WITH LITTLE TIME/FOR IMPORTANT THINGS. You BUT«g HAVE TO HAND IT TOZACCHAEUS./.HE SAW HIS PROBLEM/AND TRIED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. AND -10- THERE HE WAS/SlTTING IN HIS TREE /AS JESUS PASSED BY. JESUS COULD SENSE/THAT HIS BEING THERE/REPRE SENTED A DEDI CAT I ON/AND COVENANT/TO A NEW WAY OF LIFE. SO HE SXXH LOOKED UP ABD SAID,/'ZACCHAEUS, MAKE HASTE,/COME DOWN,/FOR TODAY I MUST ASIDE IN THY HOUSE.’ THIS REFLECTS THAT GLORIOUS PASSAGE,/'BEHOLD, I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK,/AND IF ANYONE WILL OPEN UP,/I WILL COME IN/AND SUP WITH HIM.' THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE. NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE IN CONSCIOUSNESS,/ALL WE HAVE TO DO/lS LOOK UP, f ———— OR"CLIMB A TREE./AND WE WILL FIND THE NEW EXPERIENCE. THIS IS IMPLIED/BY OUR PERSONAL COVENANT FOR LIVING. ► IN LLOYD C. DOUGLAS' BOOK/'THE ROBE'/-- MARCELLU! IS QUESTIONING MlRlAM/ABOUT ZACCHAEUS. MIRIAM XKKKSXMBWXNKXKXNKXBBXXBKXKXSXMBWSKX ""11* TELLS HOW HE/CAME OUT OF HIS HOUSE/ON THAT DAY, AFTER DINING WITH JESUS,/AND HUMBLY TOLD THE pecple/he WAS GOING TO GIVE HALF/OF ALL HE OWNEi/ TO FEED THE POOR/AND TO MAKE RESTITUTION/TC THOSE WHOM HE HAD DEFRAUDED. 1MARCELLUS?:/'BUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED?/WHAT HAD JESUS SAID/TO HIM?' IMIRI AM/: 'NOBODY KNOWS../.MAYBE HE DIDN'T/SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. PERHAPS HE LOOKED ZACCHAEUS/SQURE IN THE EYES/jNTIL THE MHN SAW REFLECTED THERE/THE IMAGE/ OF THE PERSON/HE WAS MEANT TO BE.' SYMBOLICALLY:/WHEN WE LOOK AT OURSELVES/FROM A HIGHER LEVEL/OF CONSCIOUSNESS,/VJE SEE THE SELF/iN THE MIRROR OF TRUTH/AND CATCH (THE VISION OF BtE CHRIST SELF. ZACCHAEUS MADE A CONTRACT /IN WHICH HE DECIDED/TO REMAKE HIS LIF^/IN THE CONTEXT OF GIVING. ZACCHAEUS REPRESENTS/TJ^T IN EACH OF IIs/that YEARNS TO MAKE LIFE COUNT. HE HAD ALL DHAT ONE CAN POSSIBLE HAVE./BUT HE KNEW HE Hin unr ^T2 — {ro>. S'- btc. l»,lfU fosriSLV ATTAINED/ALL THAT THAT HE COULD''BE. SO HE CLIMBED A TREE. HE MADE A ''COVENANT WITH LIFE. NOTE: ZACCHAEUS REALIZED/hIS SMALLNESS OF STATURE. WITHOUT THIS SELF-HONEST ADMISSION,/ OUR WORK WITH TRUTH/MAY WELL BE IN TERMS OF LITTLE AIMS,/THINKING ONLY OF DEMONSTRA. THINGS ZACCHAUS WANTED/TO SEE OVER THE CROWD, SC HE CLIMBED A TREE. HE WANTED TO TAKE HOLQ/OF THE TRUTH FROM A HIGHER LEVEL. /.AND IT IS AT THIS POINT/WHERE WE SEE THAT THE ONLY TRUE HAPPINESS IS IN GROWING./GIVING./SERVING. SOMEONE HAS SAID: ’YOU HAVE NOT LIVED/A PERFECT DAY/ EVEN THOUGH/YCU HAVE EARNED/MUCH MONEY/ UNLESS YOU HAVE/DCNE SOME1HNG/FOR SOMEONE/WHO WILL/NEVER BE ABLE/TO REPAY YOU.’ IT IS WHEN YOU BEGIN TO ’THINK GIVE/INSTEAD OF ’GET’,/THAT YOU GET INTO THE FLOW./WHICH BECOMES A HEAL ING/AND RESTORING FORCE/IN YOUR LIFE. MAKE A NEW COVENBNT FOR LIVING.Z.DFDIOATE YOUR MIND./YOUR HEART,/AND YOUR HANDS/TO A NEW KIND OF EXPRESS I ON../.AND EXPECT A RETURN/OF ALL THAT -13- MAY BE REQUIRED/TO MAKE FOR A FULL/AND COMPLETE LIFE, CLIMB YOUR OWN TREE/OF ASP I RAT I ON/AND COMMITMENT. GOALS MORE SATISFYING /THAN MATER IAL/WILL COME TO YOU. YOU WILLjfJE DIRECTED TOWARD SUCCESS/AND THINGS...BUT NONE WILL BECOME/THE OBJECT/OF YOUR QUEST. YOU WILL CLIME/THE HILLTOP/OF SUCCESS,/ BUT YOU WILL HAVE FOUND/A NEW AND MORE SATISFYING /HILL TO CLIMB../.WITHIN. YOU WILL EXPECT TO BE PReVIDED FOR/AND RIGHTLY DIRECTED. BUT THE GREATEST GOAL/WILL BE TO KEEP PLUGGED IN/TO THE DIVINE CREATIVE FLOW./.AND TO KEEP ON/WITH YOUR SPIRITUAL UNFOLDMENT. GIVE SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT/TO THIS COVENANT PROCESS./YOU MAY WANT TO MAKE A PERSONAL COVENANT FOR YOURSElf/AS YOU STAND AT THE C/ETE/OF THE YEAR. GET A HIGH PERSPECTIVE/OF YOUR LIFE../.SEE YOURSELf l~lir THE iou /VKT (CflAud) ' I -14- IN THE MIRROR OF TRUTH, y'.SKETCH OUT YOUR VERY OWN/DEDI CAT I ON AND COVENANT. IT MAY BE IN THE form/of some resolutions,/or it may be/a series OF AFFIRMATIONS/OR A KIND OF PRAYER. ACcQr /Mr HAS A-M-Of Cbv-TrtAcr ©t. OLGA AND I HAVE PREPARED FOR YOU/A SPECIAL COVENANT FOR PERSONAL FREEDOM. IN CASE YOU DO NOT WANT/TO CREATE YOUR OWN,/OR EVBN IF YOU DO,/ THIS WILL BE FOR YOU/A POWERFUL PRAYER OF NEW COMMITMENT. WE HAVE ESPECIALLY BLESSED/THIS COVENANT, / WE HOPE YOU WILL REFLECT ON ITS message/at the eve of the new year, you may also WANT TO PUT IT/IN A PLACE THAT YOU WILL SEE OFTEN, /O CONTINUOUSLY RENEW YOUR COMMITMENT.* ►WE HAVE A SCROLL FOR EACH OF YOU WHICH OLGA AND I WILL PERSONALLY PUT IN YOUR HAND AS YOU LEAVE. 4these are very personal/and only for you who are |here./so you will understand when we say, you mat not have one/for someone not here. -15- I AM GOING TO READ THE COVENANT/1N THE FIRST PERSON,/AS IF YOU ARE READ ING/l T FOR YOURSELF. GET VERY STILL../.AND LET MY VOICE BE YOUR VOICE. IN THE YEAR OF 1985/1 DECREE THAT/*OLD THOUGHTS AND OLD CONDITlONS/ARE AS WATERS/THAT HAVE/PASSED AWAY.’ I LET GO/OF THE PAST/AND ALL THOUGHTS RELATED/TO THE PAST. JOYOUSLY/AND IN A BELIEVING ATTITUDE/I ACCEPT AND EXPECT/THE ’ALL THINGS/MADE NEW.' 0 EACH DAY OF THE YEAR/CARRIES WITH IT/EVERYTHING THAT I NEED/TO COMPLETE IT^I MOVE FREELY/ON MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY/THROUGH LIFE,/CONFI DEN T THAI/ WHATEVER I OUGHT TO KNOW/I SHALL KNOW,/THAT WHATEVER I OUGHT TO DO/I SHALL DO,/AND THAT WHATEVER XMKK8KKB BELONGS TO ME/WILL COME TO ME. I FACE THE UNKNOWN/IN THE CALM FAITH/THAT THERE IS NO PR03LEM/THAN CANNOT BE SOLVED,/NO SITUATION/THAT CANNOT BE MADE RIGHT,/NO OBSTACLE/THAT CANNOT BE OVERCOME./AND THIS IS m YEAR/OF FULFILLMENT. I COMMIT MYSELF/TO KEEP THE HIGH WATCH OF TRUTH / AND I AM HAPPILY ESTABLISHED/IN THE FLOW OF MY GOOD. I AM TRULY ALIVE/EVERY MINUTE OF EVERY DAY I AM TRULY AWAKE,/AWARE,/AND ENTHUSIASTIC / I MA*r -16- CONSTANT USE OF THE OPPORTUMITIES/THAT ARE MINE /IN LIFE'S CREATIVE CLASSROOM. / I LOVE LIFE/AND LIFE LOVES ME!4 GOO’S POWER/STIKULATES/AND STAB ILIZES/ALL MY BUSINESS ENDEAVORS. DIVINE LOVE/RESOLVES ALL DIFFERENCES /AND MAKES RIGHT/EVERY RELATIONSHIPJ IF I SHOULD STUMBLE/I KNOW THAT I CANNOT FALL/FROM THE SUPPORT OF THE CREATIVE FLOW/FROM WITHIN ME. I MAY LOSE MY WAY,/BUT I CAN NEVER LOSE/MY STELLAR place/in the universe. THIS IS MY YEAR/OF COMPLETE/ HEALING LIFE./ I LET GO OF ALL/NEGATIVE PROGNOSES/AND PATTERNS OF PAIN, I ACCEPT THE POSSIBILITY/OF COMPLETE REMISSION. DAT BT DAY,/AS THE YEAR PROGRESSES,/I EXPERIENCE WONDERFUL NEW LEVELS/OF WHOLENESS AND VITALITY. 1985 IS MY YEAR OF SELF-MASTERY./I AM THE MASTER OF MY LIFE/AND ALL ITS CIRCUMSTANCES. I CONTROL MY BODUif../. IT DOES NOT CONTROL ME. I RUN MY AFFAIRS../.THEY DO NOT RUN ME. I RESPECT MYSELF/ AND I TREAT MY MIND AND BODY/ WI TP THIS RESPECT. I PLEDGE/TO BEGIN/EACH DAY/OF THIS YEAR/WITH A TIME OF RECENTERING/IN THE DIVINE FLOW WITHIN... AND I EXPECT/AND ACCEPT/A CEASELESS FLOW/OF HEALTH, /ABUNDANCE,/FULFILLMENT./. .AND A CONTINUITY OF LIFE- ENHANCING IDEAS/.THIS IS MY YEAR OF FREEDOM TO BECOME ALL THAT I REALLY AM. /S/ SIG. OF COMM