The State of Lazarus

Simply in Scripture

13–05–2022

We are told in John, ‘A certain man was sick, Lazarus.’ Also in Luke, ‘A poor man named Lazarus covered in sores’. So that these two stories are one, and about any man. Lazarus is the one afflicted with a contagious disease, but the name has its origin as ‘God is helper.’ Here is he whom God helps, but he is sick. Isn’t he? When he waits to eat the crumbs of the rich man’s table while he could have God’s help, is he not then sick? So, the state of Lazarus is the state of the man who is self-afflicted, self-tormented because he by forgetting where his help could come, he asks help of mortal men, of physical conditions. He is sick and troubled when the facts do not favour him, and he is trying to change a little part of the facts. Maybe if he has that crumb, he could survive until the next day. Well, let him. Let him sicken himself by trying to change circumstances without changing his imaginal acts. For the dogs of this mortal world will lick his sore as he tries to conform. They are always present to give a little comfort here, a little disappointment there. And that keeps the delusion going.

So, a certain man — well, that is all men. He wants something in this world of Caesar. When desire rouses in him, does he do? Does he turn to God? Does he create the imaginal scene that will imply he has it, and then animate the scene by dwelling in it? He is very sick. His name is Lazarus, a sick man, sick with sores. Constantly pained for what he wants that he doesn’t have. But his name is ‘God, my helper.’ He can turn to God and his help will come. Does he? He waits by the facts of life to change, expecting the rich man to drop some crumbs. He is hoping the economy would change, his union would bargain for a raise in minimum wage, the doctors will find the latest cure. Always hoping, and they will give him the sweet promises of a financial cure, a health cure, the cure of all misery… to lick his soreful disappointments at life. That man is Lazarus who could look ‘unto up hills from where his help comes, from the LORD,’ but he didn’t until he died. He didn’t turn to his Imagination to heal himself until he died to the thinking that there’s any power outside of himself to help him.

‘To attempt to change circumstances before you change your imaginal activity, is to struggle against the very nature of things. There can be no outer change until there is first an imaginal change. Everything you do, unaccompanied by an imaginal change, is but futile readjustment of surfaces.’ (Neville, The Law and the Promise)

So, God is his help, the Imagination is his saviour. But man sleeps. ‘Lazarus is asleep, and I go to wake him up.’ It wouldn’t matter what hardships you could have experienced, these sores that ache to the heart. If you would realise that your dwelling place is Abraham’s bosom, you will be raised from the dead. Abraham is the man of faith. He said, ‘So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, THE man of faith.’ So, die like Lazarus. Die to the little things parading themselves as power in this world. Money is not the power of God. Dieting is not. Your ethical code is not. Military power is not. None of these things is the creative power of God. If you would die to them, and ask no help of any mortal power for the realization of your objectives, then you rest ‘comforted’ in Abraham’s bosom, that is in the heart of faith. For Abraham is the personification of Faith. Well, rest in it. For you will be raised to life by the one true power. He raised him to life, you know. Jesus raised Lazarus to perfect health. He said, ‘I AM the Resurrection and the Life.’ So, this is your I Amness, he alone has the power to bring your desires alive. This is the story of Lazarus, the state called Lazarus. It is the state of every man who ignores calling on his imagination for help, seeking his help from the circumstances of life when within him is housed the creative power of God, the human Imagination. Lazarus is asleep, but within him is the help he seeks. The help on the hills where God dwells. You hear that he dwells within you. So, try it. If he really dwells within you and he has finished creation, then are you not only making what is already finished become done? Are you not only having it done that which is already finished? Leave the attempts to change your circumstances — it’s futile. Change your imaginal activity.

So ask yourself. ‘What do I want out of life?’ I don’t care the size, depth, weight nor any physical/mental measures of it. Whatever it is, the imagination will do it, for the imagination has finished it. This world is experiencing a finished reality. Well, what do you want? You are told, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ So, you will have it if you believe. Well, are you not in the bosom of THE MAN of faith? Enter into it. How do I enter into it?

I clearly know what I want. I want to be this. Now, I ask myself, what would imply that I am it? What would I find myself doing if it has happened already? What would I find myself saying? With whom? Where? In what attitude of mind, what mood? Then I would become it. Ask no one’s permission, unless, well you are enjoying the company of the dogs who lick Lazarus’ sores. You know, there’s those who want to be wretched because they receive the pity. But what are you doing here if you want that? Join the association of victims, or something. Find yourself where you can be useful. But I know you are here because you don’t enjoy the crumbs. You want to live in freedom, to be raised from the sleep of desires into the life of fulfilment. So, you ask yourself, ‘What would it be like if I am already what I once wanted to be? What would I feel like?’ If the help of God is truly within you, then the answer would be there. You will know what you would feel like if ‘I Am now the one I once wished to be.’ Then take this feeling and make it TRUE for you. It is already a reality. By faith, we know that this seen world is made of unseen reality. So, imagine you are it. Don’t just imagine it; imagine that you are IT. Wear this unseen reality as yours. Make it very natural with feeling. This is how you call Lazarus out of the dead, and you are all Imagination who is God. You wear it so frequently that deep within you, you know, ‘I AM THIS.’

If your objective is to be rich, what would you be doing were you as rich as you wish? What would it feel like? Wear the feeling until you know ‘I Am Rich.’ If your objective is to be healthy, to be happily married, to be a great parent, to be anything in this world of Caesar. You can have anything, but you must wish it, you know. Don’t be deceived that it will come if you don’t wish it; there are no accidents. Don’t be the complacent Lazarus in his tomb, tightly bound to the gate of circumstances. Rouse yourself with desire. Fall in love with your ideal beyond complacency with your limitations. This is how to rise in consciousness.

So, the state of Lazarus is that. He will awaken in every man one day. All men will find that their imagination is the creative power one day. I have found it; but was I going to believe that my subjective attention creates objective facts? Years ago, was I? I entered debates to prove intellectually that this world is so objective, that everything is so absolute, that fate is predetermined. And I begged by the gates of facts. But when the time came to know that Imagining Creates Reality, I forsook all these sores and ‘the Lazarus in me was unbound’ for I have found the creative power. He is I AM. For he says that I, Adelere, that I AM the Resurrection and the Life. That is the name of God forever. So, if someone wants self-pity, let them have it. But you are here today reading this. You’re reading because you believe that the power is in you, and you want to know how to drive the power subjectively. So, do it. Ask yourself the question, and PRACTICE your answers. Many of us would rather give lofty advice than take our own. But take yours. Would you feel calm if you were rich? Assume the feeling of calmness now, wear it until your name has changed from ‘I am poor’ to ‘I Am Rich.’ How would you feel if you were healthy? Assume the feeling until your name changes from ‘I am weak’ to ‘I Am strong.’ Then you will not be Lazarus the dead, but one who God helps. Lazarus who is comforted in Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus, who lives.