Notes from The Sermon on the Mount, by Emmet Fox, first published in 1938
Fox was an early 20th Century theologian born in Ireland
Jesus explains to us what the nature of God is
All the doctrines and theologies of the churches are human inventions
Prayer does change things
Divine wisdom is the author of the Bible
I disagree with Fox’s view that Adam and Eve, and the Garden of Eden, are just parables
Your life’s experiences are but the outer expression of inner thought
Our free will lies in our choice of thought
Matthew’s chapters 5, 6, and 7 contain the best and most complete version of the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:9-13 – Lord’s prayer
Matthew 7:12 – the Golden Rule
The Bible is a manual for the growth of the soul
Jettison everything in your life that stands in the way of finding God
Get rid of your fear of public opinion, of disapproval of relatives or friends
Pray for wisdom and guidance
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he
The soul’s integrity is the one and only thing that matters
Paraclete = Holy Spirit
Neglect your past negative thoughts and they will fade away due to inattention
You write your own history of tomorrow by the thoughts you entertain today
Jesus calls your consciousness the Secret Place
Pray for wisdom and guidance
Whatever you give your attention to, is the thing that governs your life. Your free will lies in the directing of your attention
Judge not, that ye be not judged
Wisdom is the perfect blending of intelligence and love
The Fatherhood of God – what a great phrase
Axiomatic = self-evident
Raison deter = the most important reason or purpose for someone or something’s existence
When you pray, claim that Divine intelligence is inspiring you
Once again, Fox brings up The Practice of the Presence of God (which, by the way, is an excellent read, written by Brother Lawrence in the 1600s)
This next section of notes is from Fox’s interpretation of The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul
Since God, our Father, is Divine Spirit, so man must essentially be Divine Spirit, too
Our Father, not my Father, indicating we are all children of God
Heaven is the term for the presence of God
Hallowed = holy, whole, wholesome, heal, healed
God has glorious and wonderful plans for every one of us
Man’s wrong thinking brings upon himself all his troubles
It is the will of God that we should all lead healthy, happy lives
Our daily bread signifies the realization of the Presence of God
To live in the past is death. The art of life is to live in the present moment
You must forgive everyone who has ever hurt you if you want to be forgiven yourself
Setting others free really means setting yourself free
Pray daily for wisdom, understanding, purity, and guidance of the Holy Spirit
When you pray, say God is inspiring me
When you are doing any task, think that Divine Intelligence is working through me now
(This has been an enlightening read for me. The explanations of all the key phrases of the Beatitudes. And then Fox’s interpretation and insight on The Lord’s Prayer is remarkable; to the point that when you recite the prayer in the future it will never be the same for you. It will have much, much more meaning, you’ll say it slower, it will actually touch your heart instead of just going through the motions, as I know I was prone to do in the past. I highly suggest getting a copy for yourself)
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