Note: If desired, watch all of Acts 2 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts.

Today’s reading shares several tips about following guidance, including some of the blocks to guidance. I recommend taking notes as you read today. Write down each bit of clarity that comes to you regarding the tips and obstacles shared in NTI Acts, Chapter 2.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Recently, we have experienced trouble with posts not appearing on our website as scheduled. We know this affects those of you who use the website to access the tips before the Daily Update comes out.

In order to help you access the tip in a timely manner, I have started adding the link to the next day’s tip at the bottom of each tip. So, if the new day’s tip does not appear on the website, just open the previous day’s tip and click the link at the bottom of that tip. For example, you can open the tip for Day 107 and click the link at the bottom to go to the tip for Day 108.

Special note: The link will not work prior to 3:50am Eastern Time on the day the new tip is supposed to post.

Once the new day’s tip is open, you should be able to access the Thought of Awakening by clicking a link on the sidebar menu. (On a phone, the sidebar menu shows up at the bottom, underneath the tip.)

I hope this makes it easier for those of you who need to access the tip and Thought of Awakening before the Daily Update comes out in email.

Note:  Before reading today’s tip, read Acts 1:1-11 from the Bible or watch all of Acts 1 from the Visual Bible movie, Acts. (Here is a link to the Acts movie on YouTube.)

Yesterday’s reading described the awakening process from identification with the false self to the awake-realization of unity consciousness. It described the experience as a “merging” process.

Today’s reading points to the first step in the merging process, which is opening to guidance that seems to come from beyond yourself.

In the initial stage, guidance seems to come from beyond yourself, because you are identified with the false self. Guidance does not come from the false self. Resistance comes from the false self.

Let’s look again at what guidance is and what resistance is.

Resistance resists change. Specifically, it will cling to your identification with thought, body and personality as you.

Guidance is the highest vibrational choice available to you now. As you choose the highest vibration, you also rise in vibration. In that way, guidance is like a ladder, and by climbing that ladder you climb beyond identification with the false self to realization of unity consciousness (the I Am presence). That’s why the false self resists guidance, and that’s why guidance does not come from the false self.

Necessarily then, you must put your personal will aside and seek guidance that comes from beyond the personal self, which resists truth. Today’s reading teaches us how to do that.

Today’s reading makes another important point too. Many spiritual seekers become too attached to outer teachers and teachings. Although outer teachers and teachings can be helpful for a time, we all must become Self-reliant with our own inner spiritual wisdom. In fact, the mission of The Foundation for the Holy Spirit, which is Awakening Together’s parent organization, is:

To help individuals become Self-reliant with inner spiritual wisdom. We do this by providing resources and services beneficial to that mission.

Awakening Together is the primary resource through which this mission is accomplished. Gentle Healing is one means of accomplishing that mission. NTI is also a resource of The Foundation for the Holy Spirit.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

NTI John ends with a lovely description of the awakening process from identification with the false self to realization of unity consciousness. It describes the experience as a “merging” process. At first, we listen for guidance as if it is coming from outside of us. Then, we begin to recognize it is not coming from outside of us. Instead, it seems to move in us and through us naturally. Eventually we see ourselves as That, which we used to reach for or resist.

NTI John points out that until the merging process is complete, there will be resistance and doubt. There will also seem to be “tests,” which are situations when we are severely tempted to fall back on our old habits in order to feel safe. These “tests” do not come from truth. There aren’t any “tests” we have to pass to realize truth. The “tests” are times when the ego is screaming for us to turn away from truth. The “tests” come from our remaining resistance.

Today’s reading says:

But if you open to Me, even within your moments of doubt, the miracles that you experience will convince you that your faith is well placed, and you will continue to follow the guidance of the Light.

In other words, we are awakening to benevolence. By not returning to the ego during the “tests” of resistance, we discover the benevolence that is natural to truth, and we learn to trust it more. This positive reinforcement, which comes naturally when we do not return to our old habits, encourages us to let go of ego and merge with the light.

Note: The next tip will be available tomorrow morning after 3:50am ET at this link.

Yesterday’s reading ended with this:

You stand before two voices, both witnessing to you and both claiming to be the voice of truth. Each voice has something to say, but what they say is different. And you must make a choice. … Which voice will you believe? … Which voice will you listen to?

Today’s reading points out that until we resolve to live by the voice for truth, we live by the ego. The ego is the default voice in the world. As long as we believe that we serve our best interests by thinking through options and making decisions based on thinking, we live in accordance with ego.

Most people will read today’s reading, feel the desire to live by the voice for truth, and then follow the ego predominantly anyway.

Why?

Because of the value put on one’s thinking.

The reading points out that you will suffer because of the choice to live by ego. This is important to see. If we notice how much suffering our thinking causes us, we will begin to value it less. The less we value our thinking, the more likely we are to follow our heart and live by the voice for truth instead of the ego.

It is helpful to notice how you feel when thinking is spinning in the mind. Notice that thinking is the cause of suffering. Grow tired of thinking as your guide.

It’s important to remember that the voice for truth is intuition, and intuition guides in the moment. That means that as we resolve to live by the voice for truth instead of thinking, we need to become comfortable with not knowing and with waiting until intuition makes known whatever it is that we need to know.

Watch your thinking. When something is not yet known, but the mind is trying to figure it out, put the thinking aside. Be willing to abide in unknowing presence until it is time to know. Through this decision, you wait for intuition instead of running off with thinking.