Tenets for Living

I - The way of all peace is to scale the mountain of self. Loving others makes the climb down easier. We see all things darkly until love lights the lamp of the soul.
Your journey through life is largely one of self-discovery. Life is designed to test the very mettle of your soul. The largest obstacle is the Self, with all of its doubts, worries, and inhibitions. To truly be yourself, requires breaking through the limitations we have imposed upon ourselves. The best way of doing this is to focus energy outward, toward others. By getting out of yourself, you will indeed find yourself.

II - Whatever thou lovest, lovest thou.
Love is a force; it is the perfect emanation of good as defined by God. No love is ever lost. If you put love into the world, it is absorbed by someone, or something, that can use it. Love also has a way of coming back to you, although you may not see it. Love will always hit the mark; yet even though people can choose to ignore it, it always leaves an impression.
You can test this for yourself. Make a conscious effort to beam a shot of love to someone. Do they react? Does something change? Usually it will. Try it on strangers. Watch them closely. You can always love the spark of the Divine within a person, even though not liking their actions or personality.

III - Do not give unto God any human pettiness such as vengeance, wrath, or hate. Negativity is man's alone.
God is pure and constant in Their love. People are erratic and subject to petty behavior. Never ascribe to God such pettiness, for it is not in Their nature, only ours. Negativity abounds in the world. Did God create it? No. Man alone is responsible for it. Through free will choice, some people invert good to make a negative. This is one aspect of your perfection, to choose a path of Light or Darkness.

IV - Create your own heaven, not a hell. You are a creator made from God.
You are an actual part of God; you carry within your soul a spark of the Divine. This spark has marvelous abilities, largely untapped, and can perform miracles. The most pressing need in this world is to make it your heaven. Call upon the strength within. Allow this innate goodness and beauty to mold the world around you. Let your God-Center view life as a heaven. Control negativity. Do not allow it to control you.

V - Turn thy power outward, not inward, for therein shines the Light and the Way.
Call upon the spark of the Divine. Consider it as a veritable force at your disposal. Most of us have experienced turning the power outward. It could have been when "your heart went out to them" in their need. Or it occurs when loving someone, and often when loving your pets. You can actually feel an emanation leaving you. It is the very heart of God moving. Cultivate this power. Turn it outward. Help others.

VI - In faith be like the wind chimes, hold steady until faith, like the wind, moves you to joy.
Faith is a tool. When the world is darkest, and you struggle to survive, faith can get you over the worst. The best application of faith is to trust in your own strength and in your constant companion, God. Have enough faith to turn to God for help. And always know this: You are never asked to endure more than your soul can take. Every prayer is answered.  Prayer is talking to God.  Meditation is hearing God.  We say we never get any reciprocity from God, because we do not listen.

VII - Know that each life is a path winding towards perfection. It is the step after step that is hard, not the whole of the journey.
Life is a sojourn, usually endured alone, during which you perfect your soul for God. The result of all your suffering is to be content with yourself, knowing the true meaning of goodness. You will not rest until that day, by your own volition. Remember, simply survive each day and you will succeed. Learn from each step, better yourself on the next step, and you will find the lost perfection again.

VIII - Be simple. Allow no man to judge you, not even yourself, for you cannot judge God.
The soul cannot be judged by anyone but God. Let no person claim to have dominion over your spirit. We can judge the acts performed by man and be subjected to social law. However, none of us is qualified to judge the soul of another person.

IX - You are a light in a lonely, dark desert that enlightens many.
Let the innate beauty of your soul provide a beacon of Light for others in this world of Darkness. Show others how to live; be an example for them. Choose joy; show a zest for life; love others and make your own heaven. Light your lamp for them all to see. You will find it can change your path and hasten perfection.

X - Let no one convince you that you are less than a God. Do not let fear imprison your spiritual growth.
Reach outward and grasp God; then find Him within, and join them together. Forge the bond between your Creator and yourself. Live and actualize this bond. In so doing, your spirit will soar, fear will vanish, and life becomes a joyous path toward Home. Let Their love enter your spirit and magnify Their presence.

XI - Do not allow the unfounded belief in demons to block your communion with God.
Purge any notion of demons, sin, devils, or bogeymen. The only demons in this world are self-doubt, insecurity, and feeling unworthy of God. God is perfect love, and we are Their children. Therefore everyone is worthy of Their love, and ours. Certainly we have imperfections, but those will be dealt with in time. God does not withhold Their love until we attain perfection; if so, They would be waiting a very long time.
The concept of "sin" has a very tragic history. Novus does not believe in sin (or Karma) as touted by most religions. The fear of sin has caused centuries of grief and oppression for people. It is time to correct the definition. In fact, the original definition of sin was simply to "miss the mark."
We feel that "sin" can only be committed by someone against themselves, and occurs when they willfully, and with malice, endeavor to harm someone. Certainly the other person is harmed, which is bad, but their soul is not injured. Only the soul of the perpetrator carries any scar, and only God and that person can judge proper restitution. There is no damnation or everlasting hellfire. The soul itself will seek to rectify any injustice, with a loving God for guidance.
Unfortunately some churches claim that any deliberate turning away from God, however slight, is a "sin" and will jeopardize your soul. Never! That would imply God is so vindictive as to disallow normal human emotion such as anger, distress, and pain. The fundamental nature of God is love, which implies forgiveness. Can a moment of emotional passion be considered a sin by our Creator? Never, for we believe in an all loving God.

XII - The body is a living temple unto God, wherein we worship the spark of the Divine.
God created us, and the mechanism to live in this world, a body. The glorious part is that within the body lies a part of Them, which is called the soul. This spark of the Divine is worthy of all the respect given to God the Father and Mother.

XIII - God does not create the adversities in life. By your own choice they exist to aid in your perfection.
Does God send damnation and pain to you? Never. Do you send such things to yourself? Yes. And the reason is to provide obstacles which aid in perfecting your soul. People having many trials in life are perfecting faster, by their own choice, where others may want to take it slower. The end result is the same. We will all arrive at a point of self contentment. And remain with God in our home called the Other Side.
 
XIV - Karma is nothing more than honing the wheel of evolvement. It is not retribution, but merely a balancing of experiences.
Karma is simply the balancing of experiences. If you were poor, you may want to try rich. If ugly, try beauty. If crippled, be an athlete. Every person will choose the required balance of experiences. There is no such thing as "bad Karma" inflicted upon someone for their misdeeds. The only judgment comes from yourself and God. And only you two can balance any inequities.

XV - God allows each person the opportunity for perfection, whether you need one life or a hundred lives to reach your level of perfection.
The primary goal of living is to perfect your soul. It is the single most important job we do. Does it make any sense to give it just one try, pass or fail, for all eternity? No, not if you accept a loving God. Indeed, most "mysteries" of religion will disappear when reincarnation is added to the mix. And that is precisely why the early church fathers banned over references to reincarnation; it would erode their power (Council of Nicaea, 325 ce; Second Council of Constantinople, 553 ce).
Novus Spiritus believes that God is all loving. To be consistent with this love, we must have a means to correct our errors. For the path to God is harsh and varied, and we will stumble along the way. An all loving God will account for such weakness and assist in making us whole.
God does not condemn babies and aborigines to hell because they were not "saved" before dying. Every person will have many opportunities to live upon this world. Each life brings you closer to perfection, and eventually, no further lives will be needed. The true concept of being "saved," is to reach that level of perfection ordained for you, by yourself, with God's guidance.

XVI - Devote your life, your soul, your very existence to the service of God. For only there will you find meaning in life.
Do you need a meaning in life? Most people have a vague notion of needing to serve, but how can we accomplish this? Some folks sublimate this urge by working to achieve business success, yet may find it too is empty. Others seek fulfillment in political power or money. All of these are secondary to the reason for living. Indeed, a simple formula for success is to live for God, love others, and be a beacon of hope to the world. Therein lies achievement.

XVII - War is profane, defense is compulsory.
An act of war is wrong, for overt killing defiles the temple of God. However, when attacked, it is compulsory to defend that temple. Never be afraid to strike back when your life, your way of life, or your loved ones are threatened.

XVIII - Death is the act of returning Home, it should be done with grace and dignity. You may preserve that dignity by refusing prolonged use of artificial life support systems. Let God's will be done.
Death is the reward of living. You have spent your time in the physical world, with its negativity, heaviness, and loneliness. Now comes the good part: You can return home to the true existence, and be welcomed back into the direct and ever present grace of God. Never fear dying. Even if you feel damnation awaits you, it does not. The grace of God will counsel and heal you. Then, when appropriate, you will face another life to balance the soul.  Avoid prolonged use of artificial life support systems. It is big money, big business to keep people lingering.  We do not have to do that.  Allow the spirit to leave when the body is spent. Death is never an accident.  “People do not die of illness.  They die of loneliness, boredom, and non-nurturing”, Ada Coil (Sylvia’s grandmother).
What is the meaning of life?  Do good, love and help as many people as you can, shut up (no whining) and go Home.

XIX - We believe in a Mother God, Who is the co-creator to our all-loving Father God.
We believe in a Mother God, Who is the co-creator to our all-loving Father God.

XX - We believe that Our Lord was crucified but did not die on the cross and went on to live out His life in France with his mother and Mary Magdalene, his wife.
We believe that Our Lord was crucified but did not die on the cross and went on to live out His life in France with his mother and Mary Magdalene, his wife.

XXI - We, the Gnostics, kept this knowledge hidden that Christ's lineage exists even today and the truth, long-buried is open to research.
We, the Gnostics, kept this knowledge hidden that Christ's lineage exists even today and the truth, long-buried is open to research.

XXII – We absolutely reject the Book of Revelation and the Apocalypse.
We absolutely reject the Book of Revelation and the Apocalypse.

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