An address given by the Christ messenger Zodiac through the deep trance mediumship of Miss Winifred Moyes,
at the Zodiac Circle, 15 Nightingale Square, London, SW12, on Sunday, 3rd October, 1926.
"Most loving Father, we bring tonight our gifts of love; we bring that which we failed to make as beautiful as we desired, we bring our frail faith, we bring our doubts and misgivings, and we lay them all at Thy Feet certain that Thou wilt restore them to us, charged with power...
"O Christ, make it possible that those who wish to live the Christ-life may be conscious of Thy presence; cast aside the barriers which would come in between, and let them be linked up - their spirit with the great Spirit force which is all around; so that harmony may dwell within, so that confidence may take the place of fear, so that understanding may sweep aside the suggestions of the shadows; and they once more standing firm on that plateau of peace which Thou hast provided, may cast on others that peace which comes only when affinity with Thee is realised.
"Father, grant that joy may be all around; grant that tonight we may part knowing that Thou hast been with us; and that as we take up the daily task so the remembrance of that joy will remain, radiating the future, closing in the past, and making the present so well worth living that we, as Thy disciples, may demonstrate the Truth to others...
"Father, for all Thy gracious gifts we thank Thee... Amen...
"...My little children, there is Love in this room tonight in a way you cannot grasp. Those tokens of love so beautiful to you - so expressive of sweetness, of fragrance, of pure emotion - those roses have been brought into these conditions to lend their share to all that wonderful power of Love which has been gifted to us this night, because God is our Father...
"Children, sometimes it seems to you that the instrument I use is sore beset by enemies of many kinds. Tonight, I give a brief word of explanation. It must be so, and again I say, it must be so. Yet, in these words lie a mighty hope, lies something so expressive of the journey in front, that you and she no more will wonder why...
"Over the past, dear children, there have been certain souls who chose the difficult path long before the physical condition could be entered upon. It was for a purpose, for God's purpose - the demonstration of the power of love, of the unlimited scope of Spirit in the earth life, even amongst those who, so it would seem, are bound and blind.
"And so, dear children, in the world today - aye, in all days - there have been some who have attached to themselves that which you name the troubles of life. Yet, I send you back to the ancient record, and there I show you for your comfort that God, being our Father, not only knows how to protect, but knows how to bring to the one who carries the cross the crown which shall wipe out the past...
"There is much in the life of the instrument I use which is hidden from all in her vibrations - but open to God and open to us. Therefore, seeing all things, no condemnation rises in my mind, for though the sadness is for a purpose, yet very soon the purpose will be found to have been worked out and then the joy which shall resist all attack shall come and take possession. Children, those few words had to be said, and although it may seem to the child I use that I have over-emphasised the point, yet again I say these words had to be said because much lies in front.
"And now, dear children, conserving the strength of the instrument so far as is possible, I pass on to the subject of our discussion tonight; and this subject is one of intense hope, is one so charged with the Love of God, that ere we part the consciousness shall come to you, and all the many whom I have gathered in, of the wonderful Mind of God, of His unlimited thoughts for His children, of His generosity, of those marvellous provisions which have been made to meet every attack and each incident of every stage of life.
"Tonight then, I would speak on this: 'The Wages of Sin is Death'. And you see why I reassured you as to the note of hope, as to the message I am charged to deliver.
"That word 'sin', as you know so well, is used because it only represents to the human mind those things which over the ages have been associated with it. Yet, once more I underline that 'sin', representing condemnation or contempt, that that word has no life or place - that it cannot be found once you are free from physical conditions.
"Weakness, lack of development - these terms are far more suitable, as you are becoming aware; but I want to show the Christ view of that phrase - the Christ view, dear children, which is Love, which is overwhelming, compassionate understanding.
"Children, even those bound by the body are conscious that the word 'death' is a very misleading term. It is used freely on all sides. In regard to Nature, even the dullest acknowledges that 'death' very often expresses Life. So I want you to come with me in thought while I try to explain what that word will represent when you are in those conditions where reality is all around.
"You see, dear children, that with the flowers and the trees, a renewal of life is forever taking place. The leaves fall and die, likewise the flowers, so you say. But you know that the plant itself is untouched by the shedding of this or the casting off of that. It fulfils its vocation. As the tender green buds appear, so, to the thinker, God is demonstrated - albeit in miniature - but God is demonstrated in the miracle of Spring. And then as the growth advances the flowers - those little messengers of Beauty and of Love - they come to distract your thoughts from the mundane side of physical life.
"And, my little ones, there are few so bound by the body, who, when holding beauty in their hands - when the sweetness of the flowers rises and for the moment blots out the discord of daily life - there are few, who, in that second, is not a better man or a better woman for the experience.
"So, the life goes on, and presently the blossoms, having played their part, they wither and pass away. Ah, but where? True it is that that which represents the shell lies there for destruction, but the beauty, the essence, the fragrance - oh, my children, can you even, out of the greater consciousness within, say when or where that has flown? The greatest minds of the age are forced to pause, for the knowledge of the world avails them nothing... Beauty which once lived, can never die; the sweetness which once roused the best in a man, ah, that lives on for ever.
"So, my children, even in this you see how false a word is that of 'death'; you see that what it expresses is merely a changing state - something perhaps beyond your ken; but I say there is no one who can pronounce the sentence of death on something which gladdened another.
"Yes, dear children, all around you see changing life. The new becomes old and the old, in time, is discarded for something new; and this brings me back to that which, to some, sounds a hard sentence indeed: 'The wages of sin is death'.
"My little ones, draw out from within that wisdom which is your own, gifted to you by the Lord God of all, aye, bestowed in love upon each of His little children, so that the way might be lightened, so that the darkness might be defied. And then, holding in your mind that which I have described, go back over the story of the evolving soul of man, and there you will find that no tangle presents itself, all is clear, all is so exactly as one could imagine that the Father-Heart and the Mother-Heart of God would have brought into being.
"You see, dear children, that in time long past, you and I were pure and holy and strong and courageous, but disobedience did its terrible work. That will, gifted to us by God, was used not in the God-way, but alas, in man's way. We drifted hither and thither, and, like a boat without a rudder, so many times we were driven on the rocks, and had it not been for the messengers of God, lo, there we must have lain, for we were powerless to help ourselves.
"Little ones, each time we turned from God and listened to the adverse forces, so a death took place. Yes, something which was glorious, something which was God-like, had become that degree less holy, less pure. And so the journey went on and on, and the time came when it seemed to those who stood around, that these deaths had been so numerous, had followed in such quick succession, that the Divine within was almost dead itself.
"But that was not the Father's will, nay, it was impossible to take place. Life bestowed by all-Life, lives on and knows not death in the form which man has graded that word. Annihilation is a spiritual impossibility for any form of Life, whatever it may be, however limited, however crude - Life is indestructible because it is part of All-Life.
"But to bring you back. You see, dear children, today we are changed, yet that which is within is unchangeable. We are changed in the sense that we are not as we were. That purity, that holiness, that beauty, has become marred; we have deprived ourselves of much we once possessed.
"But oh, let not your hearts be sad. You see, dear children, that though the wages of sin is death, the reward for struggle is unlimited Life. And here we get the mighty compensating laws of God, for, my little ones, goodness and sweetness has so much more power than hatred and weakness. Those thoughts of yours - in the desire to serve, in the wish to help - you are creating Life, a Life which is not limited, a life which shall change and change again as you progress.
"And the change, dear children, is as this: Each sorrow borne with courage or with as much courage as you can find, each temptation grappled with or if not grappled with not allowed to sweep you away from Christ, each hard day lived through, each sorrowful thought despatched, each misgiving triumphed over by faith - ah, in all this there is imperishable Life, and, touched by the power of the Holy Spirit, it shall, in time, add just that extra particle of effort which was essential to bring you back to your high estate...
"Yes, dear children, the wage of sin, of weakness, means that for the time being the strength within is a little less strong, the Christ within is a little more bound. A death of hope has taken place - ah, many deaths of faith, of courage - have blocked the way in front; many deaths of determination have given the shadows an extra advantage.
"But that is only one side of the shield. You and I, dear children, because we wish to rise, because we always hope to do better, we are drawing to us not only a mighty power to create, but a defence for the days to come. And so to all I speak with a deep understanding. When things go wrong, when the enemies seem over-pressing, say not to yourselves: 'A failure I was and a failure I am' - but take heart, let not fear beset your path, wait for the crisis to pass, and remember this:
"That many a storm have you braved before, many a battle has been fought, and lo, each time you thought the foe would prove too strong, you thought the elements were too great; but God spoke in the storm and in the heights of the battle: 'Peace, be still'. And anon, that which so oppressed rolled back, and you, in your glad freedom, looked up into the eyes of Christ and claimed Him once more as your Saviour.
"So, my children, when next you hear those words: 'The wages of sin is death', interpose at once that: 'The reward for struggle is Life'. Let not the world's point of view fill your hearts with misgiving. Again and again, I have told you that in God's sight it is the struggle, yes, the struggle which counts. And when those sore beset, after grappling with their foes have been worsted in the fight, when such as these touch despair, then, directed by the Holy One, I say to them: Look up - your God is greater than man knows. The struggle was fierce and the end was failure, so you think, but harvested for you is that struggle, is that withstanding, and you need only retrace your steps for that last tussle in order to win.
"My children, harm of so grievous a nature has been done that no words can express it, by the harshness of the edicts on this and on that. Again and again, man turns from the Love-side of His God and presents to others that of the disciplinarian, that of the judge, that of the condemner - so strong in His power, so immune from temptation, that He is incapable of entering into the weakness of His children.
"Yes, all this must be readjusted before God's will on earth can be done. To you and to everyone I speak: I beg that they may do their part. When that sentence of condemnation is quoted against this one or that, throw out that which counter-balances, that which, in many cases, is a 'denial direct'. For only by Love can the children of the earth be won, only by Love. Threats and punishments, they but cause the individual to pause, and through the added force of that condemnation, very often the opposing forces work out their dreadful purpose. But Love is stronger than hate; right is so infinitely stronger than wrong; and the time is coming when the weakest and the frailest will be won back, because they will find themselves powerless to resist the cords of Love...
"And there, dear children, again you have unlimited hope, for think you to yourselves like this: Death, as regards annihilation, cannot take place. Nature 'dies'; all the many creations pass on from one stage to another; all those feelings and emotions which are within the human mind, they change and change again. Love, being Life, calls into life that which we once possessed.
"So you see, dear children, that within the heart and mind of man, you are not trying to thrust something which was never there before. His purity, his noble aspirations - these, through temptation, have changed and changed again; they died in one form but lived in another.
"The beauty which controls the minds of the majority in the physical world is but a distortion of that finer, sweeter beauty which is of the Spirit. That emotion which mankind calls love, ah, many deaths have taken place in regard to this - it has changed and changed again, but remember that within the individual there was the Love which is of God, within the individual there was the glory of the Spirit, within the individual was that loveliness of holiness, of purity, and of truth...
"You are only reversing the changes; you are only causing the death of selfishness so that it may be restored to love for others; you are only causing the death of that most insidious desire for temporal power, so that the one concerned may have it within his capacity to use his spiritual power for his own advancement and the progress of others...
"This is Truth, and this is the meaning of that 'death' which Christ Himself sought to portray; but His listeners, so bound by the earth view, so spiritually ignorant and yet so confident of the knowledge which they had - these attached to the word 'death' that annihilation which is entirely opposed to the law of Life...
"My little ones, many of you have had your weary days; there have been many in the past who felt the burden of physical life too heavy, too unendurable to be borne, and they - so distressed over that which they named life, and understanding not that which is called death - they thought within themselves: 'Oh, to return to that nothingness from which I came!'
"But, dear children, that 'nothingness' has never been, for you were 'Life', being of the One Great Life. You have passed through so many changing stages of Life that the word has lost its meaning; yet in the Sacred Record, laid down for all to read, you have that statement that from God you came... You came from All-Life, passing on through lesser stages of Life and still lesser, until that which you regard as the lowest was reached, when lo, because you were of God, the journey of retracement was commenced. All-Love, throwing out Love over that speck of Himself, by the force of that attraction which no one can withstand, slowly but surely draws man back to Himself...
"So, my little ones, when next you hear another long for that state of quiescence, of not being, of 'nothingness' because the weariness of physical life has proved too strong, remind them that it is only lack of Life which tortures them; that within, there is part of the great Life which sees and understands and agonises under its bondage.
"But the time is coming when, by those very pangs, a little more Life will be added; and then sorrow will take wing. For as consciousness comes, as vitality returns, as a little more freedom is gained, so the individual emerges out of his captivity and tastes that sweetness, that fullness which was his own, and which God intends shall be his own again...
"Oh, my children, beware of the earth view, beware of those theories which have been born out of the materialism of the ages. For though the wage of weakness is death, yet the reward for struggle is Life eternal, is power, is wisdom, is a strength absolutely beyond your conception now. And out of your strength you shall give strength to those who are living under that which man names 'sin'; and lo, in turn, they will cast off their chains and claim that Life which has no end, renewing that Life and recharging themselves by their work of ministry amongst those others who are too weak to climb...
"And thus we go on. Each child helped over a rough piece of road, each sad thought distracted, each desire for the second-best frustrated, this is not only bringing to yourselves more Life, but you are creating Life in another. The triple gain once more demonstrated, because God's Love rules not only the strong but the weak; God's care is not only over the faithful but also over the faithless; God's truth is not only for the tried servant but for the one who has scarcely tried at all...
"Therefore, dear children, I leave you with this thought in your mind: That the reward for striving is Life, is the power to create; and because you wish to rise and because you loathe that weaker self, though it seems to you that you stumble and stumble again, yet, instructed by the Beloved, I tell you that it is upward and onward; and that which you could not complete yourself has been finished, has been rounded off by the One who loves you best.
"And now, my little ones, I will go. It is work tonight and God's blessing is all around... Love in your vibrations, Love outside those vibrations, and Love crowning the world, for God is Love and Life and Joy... And now I go..."
(Others then spoke...)
ST. JOHN...
"...My little children, it is John, once of Patmos; and he has been sent by the Tender Shepherd to give you that message of cheer and reassurance which His Love would convey... Tonight, all round me, is that which you name Glory but which we call Love; and because I was old in years and my body represented a weariness which you, little children, will never experience, so I would speak to you of that which I will name: 'The Great Surrender'...
"Ah, little ones, an old man was I, and in the silence of my isolation, very often thoughts which troubled me passed through my mind. I was old and very weary, and it seemed to me that the Christ I worshipped and adored had not found me worthy to die for His sake. I looked me around on my brethren, and I found many gaps, many whose sweet presence was gone for evermore... I was alone in my generation, and my God had not laid upon me the honour of martyrdom for His sake.
"My little children, think on this, for I would gather you into my confidence and into my heart. Age brings its burdens; both the bones and the muscles seem to say to us: 'I have had my day'. We look round on the young, and somehow the thought is forced upon us that we are as the lumber left upon the plain, useless, and if not unwanted, yet conscious that our place could be better filled by another...
"And in the silence I used to ponder within over the words of the Master I loved so well. I knew not what lay in front; I wondered whether this worn-out casket must be carried for ever and for ever; and if the angel messengers had not been close around, then sorrow would have filled my heart.
"Soon, how soon was I to understand. And tonight, little children, I tell you that as that tired body of mine sank into a state of unconsciousness, so the consciousness came, so the Life returned, and I saw the sacred words of the Master worked out in very truth.
"And so, my little children, I come to the great surrender, and when you are a little older, you will see it thus as well: The great surrender, little children, is the laying aside of the will, is the certainty that God's ways are sweeter and kinder and far more loving than we can understand... The great surrender must be made by all.
"When youth is our portion, then it is a struggle to lay down our desires, to lay down our hopes and ambitions. When middle-age claims us, so then it seems harder still - so much to do and the enemies close around; so much to provide for others, so little in our hands...
"We forget the loaves and fishes as we forget those other miracles of God's Love. And so, when age falls upon us, still the great surrender has to be made. Always before our eyes the invitation hangs as a warning, but we look beneath or we look beyond, for the will is still too strong to be laid aside...
"Ah, my little ones, can I not understand? I who failed in so many ways; I who forgot so much; can I not understand why those bound by the earth view, bound by their conditions, by their limitations as to sight and feeling - can I not understand why the great surrender is delayed and delayed?...
"But as an old Grandfather, I would give you that which I possess now myself. I would instruct you that once the great surrender has been made, we step into a Love so profound, so deep, so high, so broad, that we find that instead of surrender, lo, we have gathered to us treasure which no man can name. By giving up, we gain, by holding fast we lose, by petitioning for this so we miss the heart's and the spirit's desire...
"A great surrender has been made, yes, but not in the way we had in our minds; we have surrendered the great and clasped the less, we have surrendered our gain to hold on to our loss...
"And so tonight, because I was old and yet I was young, because I was bound and yet I was free, because I was weary and yet I was strong, so, little children, learn of me and take to heart the simple lesson I would teach: Make the great surrender, and in that surrender find not only Christ without but Christ within.
"Make the great surrender of the will which is of the body, and hold that wonderful tool of the will which is of the spirit. And then, out of your greater knowledge, out of the joy over your wonderful gain, pass on the message to others so that they may share in that which the Divine has bestowed on all - on all - but many have overlooked their great possession...
"And so, my little children, I would leave you... As I speak, the sense of age comes back. I feel I want my staff, and, again, I want to press my hand on the strong young shoulder of another. This, little ones, will show you how you too are influenced by the body and the physical conditions in which you live.
"When you are free, you will find that no staff was needed, that no strong arm to support you was required, for within was strength, was youth, was a power unequalled by anything your mind has ever conceived; for within you and within all creation there is that Life which knows no weariness, which, though changing, changeth never - God, Spirit, Love.
"And so, my little ones, I would bid you farewell; yet give a longed-for joy to an old man by making the great surrender, making the great surrender when you shall find that all will be well, for God gives and gives and gives. We only give but to take, but because the Almighty One is our Father, this is His will - we give but to take, but as we take so we can pass on to a weaker one still; yet, in the passing on we take again; and they, in taking, give, and, in giving, take once more...
"Farewell, little flock - and keep you close together in love, close together in work, close together in aspiration, for this is the will of God... And now, Farewell..."
(When all had spoken, Zodiac returned and continued...)
"...Well, my children, I am not going to stay for longer than a brief word or two, but before I close I wish to speak to the one you call Mr. Workman (The Rev. H.W. Workman). He asked whether in the past I had sent him a personal message through another... If he searches through his papers, I think he will find that it was not my name which was sent to him; it was the name of a brother, another worker, another missionary of the Most High.
"But tonight, responding to his thought, I send him a brief message: I say to him that in the long ago, in that time when he, amongst others, was waiting for the physical experience, I was there when he was shown the road in front. He asked: 'Shall I remain strong?' And the answer came that by holding on to Christ, weakness would be unknown. Tonight, I re-echo that assurance. I tell him that he is building, not for tomorrow, but he is building for that far future when understanding will be his own; when as a disciple of Christ he will stand before Love and receive that highest honour of all - the gift of service amongst man on earth...
"And I tell him this: A little while the clouds will prevail; for a little while the opposition will seem to him unbending; for a little while God's purpose will be hidden from him - but His Love never. Take it as a test, a test of endurance, a test that the vessel is suitable to pour out the healing Waters of Life... Yes, and what e'er betide him fear not; to hold fast to the consciousness of all-strength within, and to be certain that Wisdom will not fail to bestow upon him that wisdom of the Spirit which he so desires... God has blest him; God will bless him; and, in turn, with a glad heart he shall pass on that blessing to others. It is written.
"And now, my little ones, all so dear to me, so cherished, so understood, so longed for, ah, to you I speak in tones of indescribable hope and reassurance. I tell you, my children, that tonight there have been many deaths of weakness and many renewals of strength. I tell you that this evening, because God is so good and because you want to understand something of the Father-Mind, lo, you have been restoring to yourselves some of those many good gifts which you possessed in all their power in the past.
"Take this as an indication for the future, take this as your talisman when you seem to stumble. Remember that God's ways are not as man's ways; that God's Love is not as the limited love which has been your experience; that God's plans are for the raising up, for the centring in happiness of the ones He loves so well...
"And you, wishing to contact with Love, are drawing to yourselves from all directions, threads beautiful and strong; and these threads of Love shall weave for you a garment which you will never be asked to relinquish. For Love knows no death but only changing life, growing more beautiful and stronger still... As a garment, so you shall be wrapped in Love, for God has spoken.
"In the Name of the Father I bless you with courage; in the Name of Christ I bless you with healing; in the Name of the Holy Spirit I bless you with power... Take and hold your gifts and thank the Giver of all good things...
"Goodnight, my little ones; rest in peace."
Download Nine Volumes of Zodiac Messages (book-form PDFs)
Download nine printable PDF books of Zodiac Messages containing unaltered
chronologically-ordered scripts from the Zodiac Circle before the first public appearance
(New Revelation, 1923-1928)
Download an executable file of every Zodiac Message on this website to read on a computer
(ranging from 1923-1957)
