THE GREATER WORLD CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALIST CHURCH

THE ZODIAC MESSAGES

"THE SUNSET OF HUMAN LIFE"

An address by the celestial messenger 'Zodiac' (the unnamed scribe of the Bible and a teacher in the Temple of Jerusalem at the time of Christ), at Rotherham, on Sunday, 28th June, 1936.

1. "SAVIOUR CHRIST, into Thy hands I commend the spirit of this Thy child.

2. "...MY CHILDREN, whatever the tests at hand we continue the Master's work, and I want you to realise this fact in your daily life - when sorrow abounds, where there seems too much that tries the body and mind, if only you turn to the Master Jesus Christ in faith, He will bring you through.

3. "We are saddened at times when we see those in sorrow forgetting the Friend of friends. They turn to those in the Spirit World whom they regard as their own, calling on such as these to help them; but they do not realise that because they are putting their loved ones before the One Who loves them best, they are weakening the power of such as these to help.

4. "Children, I want to lay this thought upon your heart: those in the Spirit World whom you love so well have to borrow the power to help you. In themselves they are as weak children, and in the degree that you turn to these in preference to the Master, so you are hindering their progress, so you are thwarting the plan. God or Christ is the Source, and the guides and the leaders have to get their power from Him, and this law is worked out from the strongest to the weakest. Thus it is that many who ask of those they name the Spirit people for help, sometimes are disappointed because the help they long to make their own is sadly delayed.

5. "But this day, my children, I have come to tell you about that which is charged with hope and joy, and I have been instructed to speak upon THE SUNSET OF HUMAN LIFE. When you think of a sunset you can conjure up something of the glorious colours which are portrayed to the physical mind and the physical eye. You know that there are those who you regard as artists, and they work with feverish haste seeking to catch the beauty which is so fleeting, so that something of it can be preserved upon the canvas for the delight of others. But one and all they confess that Nature is too quick for them; their poor efforts seem poorer still because the lights and the tints and the radiance of the setting sun can only be portrayed in part by their nimble fingers and by the love that inspires.

6. "But before we think of the sunset of human life we must call in the dawn and I want to speak to you about birth. You see around you the so-called little strangers who come to learn the earthly lessons and at times you wonder whether it is wise for them to be here. Sometimes the parents have sick bodies, sometimes those who give them physical life have fallen into the hands of the enemy, and the little 'life' is even conceived under the influence of alcohol; and when the child comes, there is the imprint upon the nervous system and perchance upon the physical tabernacle as well.

7. "I want to speak to the parents. It is wise to bring children into the earth plane when sacrifice inspires, and when you realise that in so doing you are helping another soul to gain valuable experience; but I want you to realise that these acts were meant to be sacred, and the vessels chosen for the bringing of children were meant to be pure.

8. "I want to plead with the fathers and mothers to pass on this teaching to others - that retribution must overtake those who bring children into the world without a thought of God in their minds.

9. "There are many in the great cities who are appalled at the awful conditions which await these little souls, for there is nothing provided that seems as essential for the young, pure life. Social reformers are aghast because the problem is so wide, so vast; they do not know how to grapple with it, and their prayers seem almost in vain. But I want to remind you that God the Father has given unto man free-will, and what the Father has gifted He does not take away, yet man must not forget that the abuse of a divine gift must indeed be suffered for in time to come.

10. "Then we turn the shield and in thought we pass into many homes, some which are poor and others which are rich, and we see the loving preparations made for the little life, that gift from another world. And I want the mothers to realise that the holy ones draw close to them in their hour of trial; indeed they minister direct. I want them to realise that the compassionate Father has made due provision, and that which they endure shall be shown in time to come as a mighty power, as a glorious inheritance which shall never pass from them, but shall give unto them grace over time immortal.

11. "In watching the little children, so beautiful and so full of joy, there are many men and women who realise that the greatest possession of all is the love of a little child. They hurry home from their work, longing to catch the sound of laughter of the one they love so well.

12. "But sometimes a dark cloud descends upon the little home. There is a stranger knocking on the door, and those within are terrified to admit him. It is something that represents a phantom of despair, it is that which man calls 'death' but which we know as 'life'. As the angel approaches, the parents are tortured with anguish, and they pray frantically for help; yet sometimes it is the Will of the Father that the little one continues her work in another sphere.

13. "But oh, my little ones, forget not that what God has given He never takes away, and by faith, by the gift of spiritual sight, there are thousands of men and women who have had glorious visions of their little children in the Better Land, and I know that there are many of them who have had the strength and the vision to say: 'Thank God, my child is safe!'

14. "Then there are those who grow up to man's or woman's estate, and sometimes all the hopes and plans made by the parents seem to go astray. The boy and the girl are determined to carve out their own way; they will not stand any interference from the home, they say: 'You had your life, and this is mine!' And in spite of entreaties they pass out almost as strangers and leave the vacant chair behind.

15. "To those who have sorrowed thus, my sympathy goes out, and indeed the Christ suffers with the parents who have been so hard beset. But I want to comfort you. Sometimes a wayward soul must buy its own experience, and the only way the lessons can be learnt is by making mistakes and seeing the sorrow of that wrought by the abuse of free-will.

16. "So to the parents who have grieved over the erring child I say: Pray on, and pray with faith and hope. In the morrow of time your prayers shall be answered, not perhaps as you thought, but in a better way than you ever dreamed. The time will come in God's Fair World when the boy or the girl to whom you gave physical life will once again stand before you and there shall be love between, and the past shall be hidden by the effort of the present, and at last the past shall be buried by the service which is so gladly given by the one concerned.

17. "Then I turn to the men and women who have struggled much, who have tried to do their best, who have given out by example the Christ teaching in the home, yet as old age creeps on they are sorrowful to find that they seem to be overlooked by God. The toil which is necessary for them is not forthcoming; they look round the once pleasant home and they realise that even that must be given up by them. Sometimes it happens with the aged, because the younger ones have gone on before, that they stand bereft, it seems to them, of kith and kin, that in their old age they are unwanted, and the cold hand of charity remains alone for them.

18. "I want you to know about those who gather into the institutions for the aged and the poor, unseen by man. True it is that at times the ones in authority forget their duty to God and humanity. True it is at times that the cup of cold water seems to be poisoned ere it meets the lips of the sufferer; true it is that there are those who forget that the time will come when they too may grow old and unwanted in turn. But forget not this: God has made provision, and in those institutions for the aged so the holy ones walk, and many Spirit children as well. And if your eyes could be opened you would see a wonderful sight.

19. "Some of you pass up through the long aisles and as you look on the beds on either side, a pang strikes you; they are all so old, the noonday and even the sunset of life seem to have passed for them. The clouds of night have gathered in, but the spirit remains in the tabernacle of flesh. Some are horrified at what they see, and they pray within: 'Oh God, take me before I reach that stage!'

20. "But to such as these I speak, and I want them to look upon another scene, the reality which has the power to obliterate what seems real to them. Picture to yourselves in that long, dreary ward a wonderful glade which seems as fairyland. There are festoons of flowers that never fade; over the bed of each sorrowing soul is built up a glorious arbour, and from the blooms that are above falls the dew of balm for the soul within. And through these arbours of flowers so there flit the birds of another plane, and many a dove, brighter than you can imagine, whiter than the earth can show, rests upon the shoulder of an old man or an old woman, bringing a message of peace for the life to come.

21. "But that is not all! There in the midst of the ward is the fountain of Eternal Life. Glorious are its hues, pulsating its power, and the rays of this eternal fountain spray the sick and those who minister unto them, and that is not all. Passing to and fro are the joyous ones, the angelic ones, and by their sides are the little children - your children, perchance, who have gone back to God - and they are building the daisy chains, bringing their loveliest flowers. If only the old could see! They are lying beneath a cushion of flowers of love brought by the little ones so sweetly, so lovingly, so that the aged may have in their poverty the very best.

22. "And that is not all. At evening, ere the sun has set, One comes greater than the mind can think. The Master Jesus passes, giving the blessing to those who seem neither in this world nor the next; and then when the body gives up its life, so the once aged are brought back into that self-same ward, and they are shown what God has done.

23. "Can you not visualise how the mind of the next body they wear is healed by the sight of so much grace? Cannot you imagine that such as these reproach themselves because they did not understand, because the lamp of their faith grew dim, because they thought that God had forgotten them in their old age and poverty and despair?

24. "So, my children, when next you visit the sick forget not my words, and remember this: The earthly language is so limited that I have been able to portray only one fragment of the beauty and the power built up in those institutions for the sick, for the poor. The poor indeed are rich beyond explanation, the sick indeed are imbibing a spiritual strength that shall not be taken from them throughout all time to come.

25. "So I want you to think of the sunset of human life, and when your eyes rest upon the old and the poor, upon the sick and the lame and the blind - to have more faith in God, to realise that He is their Father and they are infinitely precious to Him, and although the soul or the spirit has taken on these adverse experiences for a little while, it is only for a little while; and all the time God is building up mighty compensations so that when the spirit is released from that which cages and holds, there shall be nothing representing loss, only pure gain, pure joy, a cleansed faith in God which shall not be tarnished again.

26. "Cannot you see your work? You say unto me, some of you, that your lives are restricted, the duties of the home hold you, opportunity comes not to you to do the big task; but I say that is wrong. It is only, my children, that you do not understand what represents the big task in the sight of God. I know that there are those here who visit the sick, give the word of comfort to the aged, and they long to do more. Tell them the old, old story of Jesus and His love. Tell them what I have told you to-day about the glories of the Spirit World, built up, perchance, in their seemingly lonely room, built up by a divine law, which no one and nothing can destroy.

27. "You are stronger than you guess, you are mightier than you have ever been taught. Within you is God, and you are called to be in turn a rescuer, a saviour of others from black despair. What is it that represents the greatest menace of human life? Is it not fear of destitution and of a terrible old age? Go to the ones who are standing on the brink of that which seems unto them as a dark shadowland, and show them that although they are old and infirm, the sunset hues of Divine Love are for them - too beautiful to be portrayed by earthly tongue, yet you can portray something of their loveliness, something of their power, something of their symbolism of the greater, sweeter Life to come.

28. "There are many who are conscious of deep anxiety. To you, dear children, I speak. Let not fear hold your heart, turn to the Friend of friends, remember what He bore, remember that He was homeless and persecuted and forsaken. You will never be homeless and persecuted and forsaken if you turn to Christ. You may be tested; the spirit within desires to be tested now for the sake of the great gain it will bring in the life to come; but if your faith holds firm you shall find that even at the eleventh hour help shall come, for God's angels walk with the earth children, and when they stumble they are there to raise. But they cannot interfere with free-will. If the one beset by trouble and anxiety turns from them and Divine help, they can only wait, praying for the sufferer to respond.

29. "Oh, remember this! In your dark hour God cannot force you to do that which is against your will, because He binds Himself by His own laws. He has given you free-will; thus the Father does not break His word. But only turn to Him, however feebly, however falteringly, and you shall find the answer shall come, you shall find that peace shall cast out fear, and that confidence shall shut the door on dread.

30. "I see in front the future of many gathered here. Some might say that the eventide of their life was rather overcast, but I see no clouds at all; I only see the glorious hues of the sunset illuminating the dark patches of their earthly life, and I say to those gathered in: Take the challenge from the Master Jesus Christ, and if it seems unto you that the clouds are gathering fast, then remember my words. You are looking at the clouds, which is looking at the enemies of God. Turn from the clouds, pierce the darkness by faith, realise that the sunset in all its sweet glory is there for you, and Christ shall give the Light, and the darkness of the earth shall be banished by His Grace.

31. "So I come amongst you to bless, to bless you with all those things you wish you had, yet at times it seems you cannot possess. I come with so much love in my heart for each and everyone, but there is One more loving than myself who comes to give strength, Jesus the Christ. Cannot you feel the glory of His Presence, cannot you feel the rays of Divine Love streaming upon you?

32. "There are those who are sick gathered in, there are others who have been through the fiery processes of pain; but they are putting the past behind them, pressing on to a glorious future. Those pains of yours, because they were bravely borne, they are even as a hedge of Divine Protection - and the storms of physical life they seem to beat upon you, but sheltered in your hedge you shall remain calm. Pain is so hard to bear while the body holds, and because of this, beloved, it builds in so much; it means that as the sunset of life comes on for you, there are still brighter hues, a still more radiant glory, all promises for the sweet life to come.

33. "I know that I am speaking to some brave souls here. I know that there are some gathered in who are saying mentally: 'I will not complain again; I will have more faith in Christ.' And even the instinct that holds you shall make it easier when the next test comes that your faith shall be stronger. God understands your weakness, God understands the temptation that assails you, and Christ is there to give you strength; only turn to Him, turn to Him whatever the task, however mundane, however unpleasant. Ask the Saviour to help you and He will carry you through.

34. "Yes, we are blessed this day because there is going to be left upon the minds of some gathered in and the many who will read my words, the thought of old age, not as some dark menace, but as a glorious sunset vibrant with Spirit Power, and soon for such as these the old garment of the flesh will be cast asunder to be forgotten as some worn-out cloak, and in their new body, charged with beauty and with power - oh! how joyfully the once old take up their new work, feel the strength surging through their being, the mind responding once again to their will - no longer dim with age, no longer dull of understanding, but alert, full of inspiration for God and His work.

35. "Is it not worth the struggle here, my children, is it not worth the testing and the laying aside, to feel that in your homes, though there may be anxiety in many forms, there is something stronger still, there are the angels with their power? They are taking the tangled knot of your human life and they are making what seemed once as muddle, so smooth and clear; and when you are free, to your joy you will take up what seems as a ball of many hues, glossier than any silk can be, and you will find in the many colours that this typifies the experiences that you have gone through.

36. "If you ask me: 'Of what use is this?' then I answer: Cannot you grasp that there are your brothers and sisters sinking in the mire, drawn down into the dark waters of sin and sorrow? There in your hands is the saving-line, so beautiful that even if it touches that which is filth, no filth can cling to it, for it is charged with God-power. There in your hand is the saving-line to throw out to those who are drowning in misery and despair; and you, given power by those who are stronger still, shall hold fast to your saving-line until that one is on the Golden Shore at last, free from that which would hold, cleansed in little part, and you shall complete the work upon him that you have begun.

37. "And now I bless you, bless you with joy, and the joy that no one can take away comes from that sense of peace that you are doing God's Will and are helping along the Christ Mission.

38. "As you seek to commune with those from the Other World, forget not that which I have said - turn first to the Master! Pray that the Master may allow your beloved to come back; but pray still more earnestly that the messages given by those you love so well may not be of the material at all, but only of spiritual things, spiritual thoughts and spiritual power. This is of more vital importance than man can grasp while the body holds. If spirits come back and, using the power of communication, pass on material messages, they are not only hindering you but they are being hindered on the path that they must tread in time to come.

39. "The messages which are blessed by Christ are those which are given by your true friends from the World of Spirit, those who urge you on to make a greater effort, to be truer, kinder, more self-sacrificing; these are the messages that indeed you should thank God for now and in time to come; and each message that comes through from a spirit charged in this way, that means that he is one point nearer to God, nearer to peace, nearer to revelation.

40. "I charge the workers here to soar in thought still higher, to remember ever that this is Holy Communion, that the Services are held in the Temple of God; therefore, they must be regarded as something sacred, something on which reverence is poured forth. I know I am speaking to willing minds and willing hearts, and I know that those shepherds who indeed lead their flock, will see that the flock they meet together each day, are taken just another inch up the mountain-side of spiritual achievement, just another inch away from the valley path.

41. "And in time to come, if only that is adhered to faithfully, there shall be born in this Church a mighty power, and because there is a mighty power great things shall be done in the Master's Name. But great things can be done in the Master's Name only where there are holy conditions, where there is love and reverence, where there is sacrifice and toil, and these things are within the reach of everyone. Therefore rejoice and have the faith to believe that by your own trueness to the Divine Purpose, great things spiritually can be wrought, and others shall indeed bless your name.

42. "Farewell, my little ones. May the thought of the Living Presence of the Christ be with you now and forever - the living Christ, our Friend of friends!

43. "Farewell, farewell!"

GIFT

Instead of having to connect to the Internet to read the wonderfully revealing Zodiac Messages on this site, it is possible to have them on your computer. A setup file installs the Messages in a folder of your choice, and can be given as a gift simply by clicking HERE. Then a message can be read at anytime giving immense inspiration, guidance, reassurance and spiritual renewal.

Other highly recommended reading...

“Life Beyond The Veil”
“Paul and Albert”
“Spiritual Realms”
“The Ministry of Angels”