EARNESTLY STRIVING FOR THE KINGDOM - A Reflection on “The Kingdom of God Suffers Violence”

The sentence, “Since the time of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force,” has long stirred debate among believers. Yet beneath the surface of the old language lies a message of profound spiritual urgency, one that speaks directly to our present human condition.

For me, and in harmony with the deeper insights of Creation, this passage is not a call to physical aggression. It is a wake-up call to inner intensity, a decisive resolve of the spirit.

From the moment John appeared, the Kingdom was no longer distant prophecy; it was near, pressing upon humanity. John announced Christ, who also declared that we must repent because the Kingdom is at hand. In other words, we must become accustomed to the Creation Laws of the Kingdom so that we may be worthy of it.

Anyone who resolves to be part of the Kingdom must immediately begin to practise obedience to these Laws continuously and relentlessly, with no retreat and no surrender, as one would in battle.

Whenever a human spirit embraces Truth, he often encounters a strong inner striving to remain on the right path along with equally strong resistance. Aspiration and opposition arise side by side. Thus the Kingdom and the longing for it “suffer violence,” not because God’s realm is weak, but because anything that stands for Light inevitably meets forces, both inner and outer, that resist ascent.

“The violent take it by force” refers not to cruelty but to those who rise with spiritual strength and break through the lethargy that has bound mankind since the Fall. It describes the pure, uplifting intensity of a determined will that refuses spiritual sleep.

Striving is woven into Creation itself. It is not strife born of hatred but a tension that keeps all things alert and alive. Nature bears witness. Mountains, forests, waters, every form of beauty emerges from forces that push, press, rise, and transform. Without this dynamic urge, the world would collapse into decay.

What many call cruelty in nature is often simply movement, preservation, and the pressure toward upward growth.

Human beings were meant to ennoble this instinct and spiritualise it through their higher will. Had mankind remained true, the inner “fighting instinct” would have become joyful striving, a mutual uplifting in which each soul’s movement strengthens another. Instead, humanity diverted the currents of spiritual power downward. The noble urgency that should have led to ascent has been misused for ambition, vanity, and empty pursuits. In place of spiritual strength, we cultivate weakness. In place of upward striving, we glorify comfort.

Today, when we hear that the Kingdom must be taken “by force,” it should awaken us not to earthly conflict but to the intense work of self-conquest that spiritual awakening requires.

It is a call to:

W. fight against our own complacency,

X. break through the fog of intellectual arrogance,

Y. reject the false softness that disguises weakness as love,

Z. and rouse the dormant spirit that was created to long for the Light.

Real spiritual life cannot be entered casually. The path demands alertness, resolve, and a willingness to struggle within oneself. Without this inner firmness, we sink. Creation does not reward passivity; it invigorates those who stand upright within it.

This is the “violence” that is spoken of: an inner resolve and clarity, an unyielding force of the spirit that holds fast to the Light in spite of all resistance.

The Kingdom is open, but it is entered by those who truly desire the Almighty, those who move forward with clarity, earnestness, and courage.

And in that sense, the words remain our guide:

Only the spiritually awake, the inwardly strong, and the joyfully striving take hold of the Kingdom.

Surrogacy: A Reflection on Life, Intention, and Blessing

Surrogate pregnancy is a place where the heart’s deepest yearning meets the miracle of life. It invites questions of ethics, law, and love. Beneath these, however, rests a simpler and more profound inquiry: what is the intention behind our actions? For in the eyes of the Creation Laws, it is intention rather than method alone that determines righteousness. Before the Creator’s laws of nature, the mechanism by which life arrives, whether through one’s own body, through the selfless gift of another, or through the aid of technology, is secondary to the sincerity, purity, and compassion that guide our choices.

Every birth, regardless of its circumstances, is a benevolently bestowed gift from above. It is immeasurably precious, never a commodity to be owned or measured, but a trust to be cherished. When childless hearts open themselves to receive life through surrogacy, can they be judged harshly? No. As with adoption, the blessing is magnified when a child is received not for personal gratification, but with love, hope, and the promise of nurturing that life into its fullest potential. In such cases, the act becomes a conduit of grace.

Surrogacy, like adoption or natural birth, carries its own complexities. Questions naturally arise. What rights belong to the child? How should the surrogate’s dignity and agency be upheld? Where do legal authority and moral responsibility meet? These concerns are significant and deserve thoughtful reflection, open dialogue, and carefully structured safeguards that honour each party involved. Yet even as we contend with laws, contracts, and societal expectations, the ultimate measure of right and wrong lies not in human codification but in the intention that animates the heart. Actions rooted in love, compassion, honesty, and reverence for life remain sacred, while actions driven by selfishness, coercion, or exploitation fall short of the divine purpose.

Seen in this light, every child born through surrogacy is a blessing and a living sign of love that extends beyond biological connection. When approached with integrity, humility, and reverence, the process teaches profound truths. It affirms that family is not confined to blood, that motherhood and fatherhood are defined as much by care and intention as by genetics, and that human life in all its forms possesses an intrinsic sanctity. To welcome a child through surrogacy, adoption, or natural birth is to accept a sacred responsibility. It is a call to protect, nurture, and honour the life entrusted to us, while remaining mindful of the heart from which our actions arise.

Even the concerns often raised about surrogacy, such as the risk of exploitation, the complexity of rights, or the possibility of misunderstanding, find their resolution in this central truth. It is the purity of intention that defines the moral worth of an action. When choices are guided by prayer, love, wisdom, and humility, the laws of the Lord view them as blessed. Where selfishness or cruelty intrude, those same laws discern error. Morality and ethics are not mere rules to follow, but reflections of the heart’s orientation, tested within the workings of creation itself.

In this sense, surrogacy is more than a medical or legal arrangement. It becomes a reflection on life, love, and human responsibility. Every birth is a gift, a renewed mercy, a visible expression of divine generosity. To participate in this gift consciously, with reverence and care, is to walk in harmony with the Creator’s will. It is to understand that while human laws offer guidance, it is our innermost intention that carries the greatest weight before the laws of creation.

Ultimately, surrogacy, like all birth, points us toward the sacredness of life. It calls us to act with love, to discern with wisdom, and to receive with gratitude. Every child, however conceived, arrives not merely as flesh and blood but as a living miracle, a blessing from above, placed into human hands capable of honour, responsibility, and selfless care.

IS FREE WILL A BURDEN OR A GIFT?

 

At first glance, the earthman’s path appears disproportionately difficult. Each day he awakens to the challenge of navigating his free will amid confusion, suffering, and the weight of earthly circumstances. Higher spiritual beings, by contrast, seem to have an easier journey: they exist in radiance, already attuned to the Will of the Light, free from the persistent inner struggle that characterises human experience. It is natural, then, to wonder: why should the developing human spirit bear a heavier burden than those who are already fully formed?

The answer lies in recognising the profound purpose of the earthman’s unique position within creation. What feels burdensome is, in truth, the very means by which the human spirit acquires full consciousness and maturity.

In the higher realms, Primordial beings do not wrestle with free will as earthmen do. Harmony with the Holy Will is inherent to their nature. Earthmen, however, stand at a decisive crossroads: not yet perfected, but endowed with the extraordinary privilege of becoming so through their own willing and striving.

Here, in these lower planes far  from the Direct Radiations of the Most High, free will becomes possible and with it the capacity to learn, to recognise truth, and to choose. Through this very struggle, the earthman gradually develops the inner strength required to become a consciously aware spirit fit for eternal life in the Light. What higher beings possess by nature, the earthman must acquire through experience and it is precisely this earned maturity that gives depth, firmness, and permanence to his being.

Yet the earthman is not left unaided in this demanding journey. Creation surrounds him with countless supports, gently guiding him toward ascent. Life’s experiences, joyful or painful, subtle or profound awaken recognition. The generative power animating creation stirs longing and fuels transformation. The ever-present power of love strengthens the earnest seeker and helps him shed entrenched weaknesses. The intuition offers quiet but unmistakable guidance, while the conscience warns him when he strays. These are not mere abstractions, but gifts deliberately placed along the path so that no earthman walks alone.

Ultimately, the earthman is not disadvantaged but divinely favoured. His freedom to choose grants him the rare opportunity to become a mature, self-conscious spirit through his own conviction and awakening. Within this freedom lies both the weight of responsibility and the splendour of grace; the chance to rise, through one’s own decisions, into eternal life in the Light.

WHY DO INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS ARISE, WHO DO THEY TROUBLE MOST, AND HOW CAN WE BREAK FREE?

 

Intrusive thoughts are among the most unsettling experiences a person can have. They are unpleasant, unwanted ideas or images that push into the mind even when the thinker desires the very opposite. The harder one tries to resist them, the more insistently they seem to return, sometimes to the point of “drumming in one’s ears” and disturbing one’s peace. For many, this can become a source of real suffering, raising troubling questions: Why is this happening to me? Does this mean something is wrong with me inwardly? Am I, perhaps, secretly evil?

Let us be clear and reassuring: intrusive thoughts do not reveal the true nature of a person. In fact, the very distress they cause is evidence that the inner being is better, far better than the momentary thoughts passing through. A person who is troubled by such thoughts is simply thinking contrary to what they inwardly will. One’s genuine volition, what the spirit truly desires, always expresses itself in conduct, not in the fleeting images that brush across the surface of the mind. Most people, if they are honest, experience similar disturbances. And if all this sounds familiar, then, dear reader, you are by no means alone, and you need not be alarmed.

Why, then, do some people suffer more deeply from intrusive thoughts than others? Often it is because sensitive or conscientious individuals take their thoughts too seriously. They examine and re-examine them, brooding over their meaning. In doing so, they unintentionally give these thoughts strength and durability. Yet thoughts of this kind have very little power. When not fed by fear, worry, or constant attention, the forms produced by them quickly dissolve and scatter without causing harm.

Freedom begins not with fighting these thoughts, but with redirecting the attention. Instead of wrestling with the unwanted, turn deliberately toward what is pure, noble, and uplifting. You may wish to focus your mind on virtues such as truthfulness, dignity, diligence, chastity, loyalty, productivity, modesty, and grace; or on the sublime concepts of love, purity, and the immutable laws of the Almighty. A mind consciously directed upward cannot simultaneously sink into the mire of intrusive imaginings.

Above all, do not brood. Do not circle endlessly around what troubles you. Intrusive thoughts thrive on attention but starve when ignored. As you consistently withdraw your energy and turn your inner gaze toward higher things, these disturbances naturally lose their grip and fade away.

And when the pressure feels heavy, or the mind refuses to quiet itself, a short, sincere, fervent prayer can bring immediate relief. It reconnects you with your true inner core, where peace and clarity quietly abide.

Intrusive thoughts are not a verdict on your character; they are merely shadows passing across the mind. And at any moment, you can lift yourself toward the Heights, renew your course, and open yourself to the pure Power of God streaming through you, an ever-present strength that dissolves all shadows and restores the radiance of your spirit.

Footnote:

For some individuals, especially those living with conditions such as Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD), intrusive thoughts may present with far greater intensity and persistence. These can include dark, disturbing, or even “command-like” thoughts that feel utterly foreign to one’s true nature. It is important to emphasise that such thoughts still do not reflect the person’s inner essence; rather, they stem from a heightened sensitivity of the mind and a tendency toward repetitive thought-loops.

Alongside the spiritual steps outlined in this essay, professional support can be immensely helpful, particularly therapies that teach how to disengage from these cycles and reduce their emotional force. Both paths, spiritual strengthening and appropriate therapeutic guidance can work together to restore clarity, peace, and the upward striving of the spirit.

WHERE IS THE MIND LOCATED?

One might ask: is the mind located in the brain, in the heart, scattered throughout the body, or somewhere beyond the physical altogether? Quiet reflection, however, reveals that the mind cannot be confined to any single organ or even solely to the visible body. Instead, it encompasses the totality of conscious experience: a dynamic synthesis of intuition, intellect, bodily instincts, feelings, and imagination, spanning both the material and the spiritual. The mind cannot be pinned to one place; it moves where intuition meets intellect, and spirit meets flesh.

On one side lies intuition, the pure spiritual core of the mind, the very essence of man. It transcends space and time, perceiving truth without measurement, understanding without reasoning, and knowing without argument. Intuition is inviolate and cannot err; it is the first impression, the inner voice that immediately recognises reality. Its reach extends beyond intellect, feeling, and bodily instincts, connecting us to a dimension of knowing that is eternal and unbound by the limits of matter.

On the other side lies the corporeal dimension: the body, its instincts, intellect, feelings, and imagination. Intellect, emerging from the brain, thinks, analyses, plans, and organises. It is bound to space and time, capable of remarkable feats, yet limited to what can be seen, measured, and remembered. Feeling does not arise from some mysterious spiritual source; it emanates from the physical body. The body generates instincts, which, when shaped and interpreted by the intellect, give rise to feeling. Only through the cooperation of feeling and intellect does imagination emerge, a picture-world created by these lower faculties, not from the heights of intuition. Imagination, though ethereal, lacks spiritual power. It influences only its creator and does not radiate outward. Intuition is different: it carries spiritual power within itself, creative, vital, and alive, sending forth energy that can inspire, influence, and move others.

From this perspective, the mind can be said to be woven throughout the body and reaching into the unseen realms, embedded in every organ, system, and sensory pathway. The body serves as a vessel through which spiritual intuition engages the material world. Perhaps the mind is not located at a single point at all, but exists as an integrated network, uniting the physical and the eternal.

Ultimately, the mind is found where spirit meets matter. It resides in the brain, the heart, the hands, and in the subtle currents of instinct and feeling. True clarity of mind emerges when intuition leads and intellect follows, when the spiritual spark within flows through the bodily vessel via the tools available to it. Perhaps, if we pause and reflect, we may begin to sense this interplay for ourselves. The mind can be seen as a bridge between mortal and eternal, the meeting place of knowing and doing, and the instrument through which life may be more fully understood. I invite each of us to explore its depths with patience and openness.

HOW DEEP IS THE MIND?

The mind is the most mysterious part of our existence; unseen, untouchable, yet  shaping every step we take. Though we often speak of the mind as one single entity, it expresses itself through two distinct channels: the intellect and the intuition. These two do not merely sit side by side; they represent the partnership between our earthly body and our eternal spirit. And until we understand the difference, we will continue to live far below our true potential.

Intellect is the voice of the frontal brain, the part of the body designed to think logically, analyse, plan, compare, and evaluate. It is deliberate, structured, and slow. It belongs to the physical body, the brain matter that functions like a powerful computer, able to process data and make sense of the material world. This intellect helps us build careers, solve problems, and organise life in a predictable way. But as powerful as it is, it is limited, because it can only work with what it can see, measure, and remember.

Intuition, however, comes from a deeper place. It is the whisper of the spirit within us, expressing itself through the small brain, the cerebellum which silently coordinates more than our movements. It processes impressions, patterns, signals, and guidance that do not come from the five senses. Intuition knows before intellect understands. It sees the whole picture at once rather than assembling the pieces. It is swifter, cleaner, and wiser. It is the voice that nudges, warns, inspires, or comforts, often without explanation.

Where intellect obeys logic, intuition obeys truth.

Where intellect argues, intuition unveils.

Where intellect looks outward, intuition looks inward.

Because our true core is spirit, intuition is the natural leader. When intuition leads and intellect follows, life flows with clarity and direction. But when intellect tries to take over, insisting on evidence for everything, drowning intuition with noise, our inner compass becomes confused. We overthink situations that intuition had already resolved. We analyse relationships intuition had already exposed. We cling to plans intuition had already warned us against. We become mentally busy but spiritually blind.

The two brains were never designed to compete. They were made to harmonise. Intuition gives the direction; intellect executes the plan. Intuition points to the path; intellect builds the steps. Intuition receives inspiration; intellect organises it into action. When this partnership is balanced, we do not merely think, we know. We do not merely work, we flow. We make decisions that feel right, not just appear right. We move through life with an inner confidence that does not come from facts but from alignment.

To access this harmony, we must learn to quiet the intellect long enough for intuition to speak. The spirit speaks softly; the brain speaks loudly. The spirit knows; the brain tries to figure out. When we slow down, breathe, listen, and honour the first gentle nudge that rises from within, we allow the deeper wisdom of our spirit to take its rightful place as guide. The intellect should serve intuition, not silence it.

In the end, the mind becomes whole only when the spiritual and the physical work as one. The intellect is the brilliant tool of the body, but intuition is the voice of the eternal. When we let the spiritual lead, our decisions carry a purity that intellect alone cannot produce. Our paths unfold with less struggle and more certainty. And life reveals itself not as a puzzle to be solved but as a journey to be understood.

The profound truth is this: the mind rises to its highest power when the spirit speaks first!

IF GOD DOES NOT INTERVENE, WHY PRAY AND SEEK HIS GUIDANCE?

 

We live in times when tragedy and violence shake the foundations of our sense of security. The recent reports of the attack in Kwara, a state in Nigeria, where worshippers were harmed even as they came to serve the Almighty in a place of worship, prompt questions many of us quietly wrestle with: If the Almighty is all-powerful, why does He not intervene? If He does not interfere directly in the daily affairs of men, then why do we need Him at all? And finally, is there still a reason to pray?

These questions are not new. Humanity has long wrestled with the seeming silence of the Divine in the face of suffering. Wars, disasters, injustices, and personal misfortunes often lead us to cry out, “Where is justice? Where is God’s love?” It is easy to interpret God’s seeming silence as absence or indifference, yet this perspective reflects more on our limited view than on the reality of Divine Activity.

God’s Love and Justice extend far beyond what our eyes can see or our minds can grasp. Unlike human love, which is often conditional and bound by circumstance, Divine Love and Justice are inseparable, rigorous, yet compassionate. They concern themselves with the human spirit, not with the fleeting concerns of our earthly life. The suffering, pain, and misfortune we witness are often the visible ripples of vast, intricate laws that govern existence, laws we perceive only in part.

To truly understand, we must free ourselves from the habit of measuring by earthly standards. God’s Justice and Love are aimed at the spirit, not material things. The world around us, its wealth, its possessions, its apparent successes and failures holds no power apart from the spirit that shapes it. In this light, our earthly troubles are not evidence of neglect from above, but part of a far greater, perfectly balanced order, in which every spirit is nurtured, tested, and guided toward growth.

One of these fundamental principles is the Law of Reciprocal Action, the universal law of cause and effect. Simply put: what a man sows, he shall reap. Every action, thought, and intention sets threads into motion that ripple throughout the universe. These threads bind us to the consequences of our choices, not arbitrarily, not by chance, but as a natural unfolding of the Laws embedded in Creation. This perspective explains why bad things sometimes happen to ostensibly good people: life on earth is but a temporary stage. The true, real life takes place in the spiritual realm, which knows neither time nor space, and therefore no separation. The effects of past actions, reciprocal consequences, return to their origin according to the Eternal Law. Nothing is lost; everything is bound to come.

Our physical bodies play no part in this spiritual reckoning; they are instruments, chosen or provided according to Cosmic Laws. The current earth-life is brief in the context of our eternal existence. The suffering of the “good” is often a consequence of prior actions, yet even here, hope exist. Through the power of good volition, the conscious striving for goodness and integrity we form a protective circle around ourselves, capable of mitigating or even neutralising the evil effects that may descend upon us. This protective power is strengthened by silence, reflection, and prayer.

From this view, God does not need to intervene in every earthly event, because the system He has established functions with perfect precision. Wars, misfortunes, and tragedies are not signs of Divine neglect; they are the inevitable outcomes of free will, past actions, and universal laws. Humanity’s task is not to demand that God act according to our limited expectations, but to align ourselves with the principles of Creation through conscious, virtuous action.

Prayer, then, is not an appeal for divine interference in our narrow desires. It is a tool for tuning our spirit to the higher laws, for harmonising our inner being with the order of the universe. Through focused intention, reflection, and a steadfast volition for good, prayer strengthens our spiritual covering, enhancing our capacity to radiate positive influence into the world. Even when destructive forces seem to threaten us, they interact only with our spiritual state. A refined, conscious spirit nurtured by prayer and good action cannot be wholly harmed by these currents.

The call is clear: we are invited not to passively wait for intervention, but to participate actively in life’s unfolding, with awareness, responsibility, and faith. God’s justice and love operate continuously and unwaveringly. Our duty is to harmonise our actions with these eternal principles, to sow wisely, and to seek alignment with the Divine through prayer and conscious intention.

Every moment presents a choice: to despair, or to act consciously, sow wisely, and pray with intent to be empowered to do good. The Creator has set the laws of life in motion; it is for us to cooperate with them with courage, clarity, and devotion. Prayer is the instrument that refines our spirit, guides our actions, and draws us closer to the eternal harmony underpinning all existence.