The Teaching Mission

Teaching Mission Lessons from Around the US
FROM PAST ISSUES OF SPIRIT QUEST
Including Ham, Tarkas, Bakim, Will, Ambrose, Rayson, Andrew, Welmek, Olfana, Mantouba, Alfonso, El Tanere, Veronica, Tomas, Daniel, Rantarason, Aaron, Aflana, Lantarnek, Rayson, Elyon and others.

Humankind asks if there is another world like earth and other human beings living there. You, who are readers of our textbook, the Urantia Papers, do understand that there are indeed trillions of other worlds inhabited like Urantia, however most humans are unaware of this fact.

As the system circuits are reinstated, your isolation comes to an end, which is unsettling to those whose world view has developed in isolated conditions. Although our understanding is limited, I can say that your planet will experience human contact sometime in the future, which would precipitate fear and incredulity among human were they unprepared.

All of the surrounding sun systems harboring human intelligence also have been in relative isolation, though their strong leadership has prevented full scale rebellion, and thus they have received teachers regularly and have responded to the system authorities. Your isolation is largely resulting from ignorance and fear; both have forced archaic reason upon this struggling sphere.

Your great religions almost invariably hold thought within certain boundaries and likewise does your science. Your institutions entrench old views and hold an unreasoning attitude toward enlightenment and truth. Great cataclysmic change precipitates reorganization and rethinking of old "truths.

Really is your earth yet only starting an age of upheaval that is sure to change thinking throughout subsequent ages. Interest in the probability of other human worlds is a sort of preparation for this rethinking, where old borders collapse and new and higher cultural, religious, and scientific awareness can infuse its potentiality quietly, even unconsciously, throughout the whole world.

Religion is the first to exhibit change and motivated awareness expansion. As Hindus, Moslems, and Christians each struggle for advancing political authority, our revelation shall shine unto all comers, and those who come shall eventually lead this world forward in all areas of thought."

No longer is the prize won upon this earth. There exists nothing here to fight over once your understanding has advanced. Only is the advancement of the heavenly reign important and only as men freely choose to give up earthly power will it increasingly be spread abroad in the land, the world Urantia.

Someday, nations will no longer make war against nation, nor religion against religion, for the great brotherhood of man will have dawned and the overarching understanding bridge worlds, tying humans together with humans in the goal of understanding each another.

Understanding is inseparable from the goal of love, of human love or divine love. Human understanding spreads with the intention of eventual love. When, for example, you intend to love another, you must learn to understand him, but if you remain dedicated to your intention, this understanding is sure to become realized. When Jesus said, 'Love your enemies," he intended active love, active intention which leads through understanding to its ultimate goal. Destroying enemies, then, is a spiritual battle rather than material and mortal. Our ultimate goal for Urantia includes that your bloody inhuman contests shall cease and be no more.

Work is then required for the Kingdom now and always. Living a life of ease and ignorance is not a sign of God's favor. God requires effort from his children to love each other and, through vigorous and sustained rigors of human existence is your intention tested.

If you intend entrance into God's house, then must you actively offer entrance always to those less deserving. If you expect God's mercy upon your life, show abundant mercy within your life. Love is never passive or neglectful of its purpose; neither can you rest passively and be neglectful of life's purpose for you. Find your destiny in this world by actively being true to your intentions, the intention of love."

The Father has heard your cries of suffering. As a result, Michael and the mission are here, as they are on all the worlds of the rebellion, to correct the problems wrought by this rebellion.

You must remember that on normal worlds progress has been quite uniform. It has been guided by the Princes, Material Sons and Daughters, and other powerful and benevolent spiritual beings. But with the quarantine on Urantia, you find a world that has grown up in a great imbalance.

The more, so-called progressive civilized races have turned upon native cultures who are not on the same level of advancement, and exploited them very cruelly and oppressively because of the imbalance. Whereas if all the people and races of Urantia had remained part of the Father's plan, there would be much more uniformity and cooperation.

It is when people in the throes of Lucifer-like thinking are able to achieve power over others and continue to fight for their own material gain and profit that you find the great injustices that occur.

So this time of correction, hopefully, will bring your people to a uniformity of vision. Obviously, this will take some time and it does not change the great suffering that has been wrought on the so-called less advanced cultures .... The truth is that some of the so-called uncivilized, unadvanced, or savage cultures have had a great deal more spiritual essence than even their conquerors. This has been rarely appreciated. Much destruction, death and suffering have been inflicted in the name of progress, and even in the name of the churches.

But these are things of the past; they cannot be changed. We can do much changing of the present and the future by working together now. It is time to quit reciting the follies of man and begin to change civilization as we know it for the better by spiritualizing the thinking of the people, putting God in their lives.

There are so many beautiful and inspiring works being written and produced. I would suggest that you begin to devote time reading and learning and expanding your spiritual knowledge. So many people unconsciously spend a great deal of time in mindless entertainment that really contributes little to your growth. There are many other choices that could be made that would give you greater enjoyment and joy in life.

You will find in coming years that your people will truly grow and mature. They will become saturated with the so-called entertainment that you now have and will begin to disdain the violence and conflict that is so present in all of your books and films and programs of various kinds.

At present, the thinking is that there is no story without conflict. And yet, as you develop a higher level of consciousness, you will begin to substitute conflict for growth, and you will find truly fascinating stories of growth ... spiritual development. Just as many of you find so much fascination with conflict, so even the face of your entertainment and interests will be changing in the years ahead. Always from your free-will choice based on your expansion of consciousness.

In your troubled world, with its hustle and bustle and overdependence on technology, it is so easy for the mind to become numbed, the spirit to become buried beneath the pressures and mundane experiences of day-to-day life. I sense from time to time that when we speak of lessons and assignments, that you view them as if they were yet another obligation you are being asked to fulfill.

My children, on the contrary, we give you these assignments as gifts, hoping to lead your spirits into more freedom, to unfetter you from your cares, to have you realize that there is great, great joy in attuning yourselves more fully to the spirit of the Father. He would not have you come with a sense of "should" or "ought" or "must" obligation, but rather come to his tenderness, to his goodness, to his immense love because it will bring you great joy to do so.

This is a broad question, and I can only answer in broad terms. Adversity requires reaction. This reaction builds strength and stamina in character. Each person experiences adversity for this purpose.

If life were easy and blissful, decisions would not be forced to be made. These essential decisions must be made in order for there to be soul strengthening.

In the parable of the sower, we see that some seeds sprout readily and grow tall quickly, soon to be withered in the sun, not having the requisite strength, fortitude to withstand vicissitude.

Each person is like a plant. The good gardener, the Thought Adjuster, who directs the tilling of your soil, the fertilization of your roots, the rain to fall, the wind to blow, and the sun to shine. All this is done through the actions of angels and others.

He sees to it that his beloved child receives what is needful for the best growth of his soul. Adversity, even calamity, can be part of the nurturing process. The blessing of these seeming calamities can only be seen through hindsight and are not apparent to the growing seed-child.

The good parent insures proper medicine for any illness, proper exercise and play to maintain robust health. Each child requires differing remedies and different exercise. By exercise, I am referring to robust life activities, mental and physical.

In order to meet the challenges of life, each person must have experienced a certain hardship factor, and the knowing that past hardships have been overcome strengthens the mind-soul for future hardship or conflict, which must also be grappled with.

This 'I can do' attitude is important, and cannot develop without having done. Therefore, adversity, small and great, befalls us all, and must be overcome and grappled with individually in order to build a strong and reliable soul.

Obviously, the energies that are being generated for a group of individuals, if only one person prays, is going to be limited compared to a group of people praying for another group. There is, as we have discussed, a geometric relationship in regards to the number of individuals who make a petition relative to the number of individuals the petition is being made for. We can amplify this energy, and we have been commissioned to accelerate, to an extent, the time that it takes for the recipient to become aware of the prayer, the energy, that has been sent their way.

The best way that I can make you somewhat conscious of how this works is if you have ever been thinking of a solution to a problem, or if you've ever had an idea pop into your mind that has proved beneficial. These types of experiences, at time, are actual prayers being answered ..... This is the way in which prayer works many times. It is as though the individual "wakes up" to a certain situation and realizes what the solution is.

Simply put, prayer is talking to Michael, the Father, or whomever you are directing your petition toward. You are asking that someone, or a group of people, be helped in a certain manner. There is nothing mystical or magical about this process.

The more specific your request, the more focused your thought and feeling in regards to prayer, the more efficiently we can help in the response time and recognition of your petition. But always remember, we cannot control the will of the creature. If the individual refuses help for ego reasons, there is really not a great deal, at least during the life in the flesh, that we or anyone else can do.

I do indeed wish to teach you to be daring, to dare all for the Father and Michael, to dare to be everything that you are made to be, daring to draw upon everything that you have been given and to become as fully yourself while yet on this, your planet of origin, that you can.

Be patient with yourselves and let this process develop naturally in the organic style of unfoldment that you have learned to conceptually associate with this mission. What we know, and you are learning, is that none of our methods, left to themselves, are best. We are learning, as you are on your level, to collaborate, to experiment, to put together the best we can have to offer in order to be the most effective.

You must understand that this is still a deeply experimental time in this mission. You are all test pilots with us, and exhibit great daring in your willingness to collaborate with us in this process of discovering the best ways to run this mission.

All of your efforts are what will, in the end, bring us the success that we have sworn to achieve for our dearest Sovereign. For this mission, when we have more fully learned what we are about, will transform this entire world into a place of unprecedented truth, beauty and goodness, and you will all have been gardeners with us in the creation of this new Eden, this new and special world of light and life. But remember, too, that it is Michael's world. It will be special beyond the ordinary.

The goal of stillness seeking is different (from meditation). I request not the seeking of blissful ease experience, but rather the supreme exercise of true faith, the true faith of the child reaching out with courage toward the Father, and the reciprocal downward reaching of the Father toward His child. This is the sublime experience in life, and much guidance, inspiration, foresight and spiritual insight may be thus obtained as the reward of the sincere faith-seeking child.

I do not enjoin you to covet this practice for long periods of time. However, frequent repetition of this stillness, prayerful attitude, is very helpful and enlightening, and I would suggest that we should attempt to seek the stillness everyday for a few minutes. It is, or can be, the most fruitful experience of our 24-hour day.

It is often the practice of men to be so busy with their day-to-day thinking activity so as to simply forget the higher realms of thinking, reacting, feeling, experiencing, which are possible by the simple practice of:

This is the most difficult aspect of this practice, and sometimes requires a considerable amount of practice in order to have the ability to sustain mental stillness for a time length. This, however, should be practiced with diligence, and reward will follow.

I say to you with surety that this simple practice will surely help to increase the mental peace and well-being, the emotional happiness and feeling of well-being, and also the physical health and well-being, for this process of allowing the contact of the Thought Adjuster through the superconsciousness is, in itself, a very healing process.

The great spiritual power inherent in the presence of the Thought Adjuster (the indwelling spirit of God) is never, ever realized in mortal consciousness. You can expand this consciousness of God awareness by diligent practice, conscious thought, consciously centering the thought process on Him, and also on Christ Michael. But the full consciousness of such extremely powerful spiritual beings cannot be realized during the physical life. So powerful is He, that for even a momentary full consciousness, that is, His being filling your consciousness completely, which is not to say complete consciousness of Him, but complete consciousness possible of Him, would result in translation. That is also the Deity embrace.

His supreme desire, of course, is to reach you more fully day by day, to impart his guidance, some of His awareness and His teaching directly to your mind. What a change of life results from the sincere effort to listen and to receive Him, His guidance, His instruction, and His presence. What a supreme experience! What a supreme delight! What a supreme advancement in your own personal spiritual development.

Question: In the stillness, do we lose consciousness of our thoughts, and is there always some part of you that is still conscious of not thinking?

Consciousness is not lost. No. It is, in fact, intensified, and awareness is intensified in the inner realm of being. This is not a dream-like state at all, but rather a state of an intensified awareness and concentration.

On focusing on God and God-consciousness. This God-consciousness awareness will increase in the proportion that you gain stillness awareness.

The human is blessed-cursed with ego. Ego, in and of itself is not good or bad. Unfortunately, it is mostly in control in individuals at this time on Urantia.

Ego can unbalance mind. Mind is a bestowal of Divine Mother, and is spiritual, progressive, growth-oriented, God-advancing in nature. Adjutant Mind Spirits are at work, as well as the Mother Spirit. But human ego can interfere, and should not be confused with mind properties, the sanity, spiritually sane properties, that each one of you has.

Ego can be identified as self-aggrandizement, self-involvement, over-self-analysis. When your self becomes more important than the spiritual goals, concepts you know to be true, or when your self becomes the center of the universe instead of God, or when your self becomes more important than your fellows, resulting in hurtful behavior to others, this is ego.

We cannot be perfect here, brothers and sisters, so do not make another ego error of self-punishment for past and present mistakes. We are all learning together. We are becoming together. We are going through a process together. This is what ascension, evolution, experiential beings do. Just be aware of the difference, so one may achieve balance.

Action must follow faith for the spirit to grow. By taking action one's faith is fortified. Have you not seen this? Has not your willingness to step out in faith been rewarded? It always is thus. Faith without action is like a vine that is dying from lack of water. Action is the water that brings new strength and new growth.

Understanding grows when minds are sympathetic. There may not be complete understanding, but harmonious relationships are certainly attainable. Sympathetic, mutual and non-judgmental attitudes are essential in this love growth. The strength of man is logic, and the logical thought pattern is somewhat inimical to the strength of woman, which is intuition. She, in many ways, finds it easier to follow God, for His communication is often in that intuitive realm. This is a great and noble strength which should be respected in this world, although it is largely unrecognized.

These two complementary, yet different, mindsets are wonderfully expressive in union of the Father and His creation. In union, there is tremendous and entire nobility of expression between both men and women together. This union is sublime, and stronger and more beautiful than either one separate. It is meant to be so.

What does the commitment of faith mean for you? Ponder this. Faith rings like a silent bell in our heart. It resonates with the vibrations of the Father's love. Faith is never an unconscious effort. It requires conscious attention to the perception of all you understand, coupled with your trust that the design of events is woven with a greater beauty than our earthly perceptions can comprehend.

Faith efforts are those which bear your creator's mark. They are the motivation of the Thought Adjuster, coupled with your free will heart's desire. How often do you truly reach out to the experiences of life with this "hallmark of the Father" as your guiding light? Realize that such efforts ennoble your character greatly. This lesson is complete.

Know that there is a time for all things, and all things have their place in the scheme of eternity. The material demands on your mortal self are as real at this point as the spiritual lure of these communications. Do that which is yours to do and think not that you are neglecting that which you know.

"We are here to lighten your burdens and to inspire your ministry -- not to cause conflict of loyalty. Go forth upon your material experience and call upon us when you have the opportunity. We know your heart. We know your willingness to serve. Think you that these material experiences are not part of your service? They are. I tell you truly, all that you encounter is part of your learning experience which enhance your value in the Correcting Time -- even if they distract you for a time, or cause you conflict or suffering.

"All works together for eternal value, and if your focus is upon the Father, none can cause you conflict for long. Truth always surfaces and beauty always brings out the best and eternal value is always found amongst the goodness value of each experience. Go forth joyfully and with patience. Know that you are not alone. We are here to offer inspiration in all tasks."

THE ROLE AND ATTITUDE FOR RECEIVING AND TRANSMITTING
OREN - a personal teacher in Texas

Thank you for your willingness to submit your will to God. We, of course, are doing our very best to assist and lead in whatever way we can.

We are completely limited in some ways, not so much in others. That is why your help is so important. By humbling yourself ... your desires, personal wants, etc. ... you open space for God's plan to work through you. It is very difficult at times, especially given the tools (or lack of) you have had to work with on this planet. However, you know what is needed and how to proceed through love and non-ego involvement. Through love (T/R's name), through love.

Leave yourself and your personal (human) opinions out of your interactions; they will always cloud rather than liberate. If you do, indeed, want to be of assistance, it does take discipline and 'self' loss; there can be no other way.

This does not mean you cannot or will not have opinions, only that you realize you need not express them so openly and strongly. Keep much to yourself and watch a situation or person evolve -- only interject when necessary, and only if you truly feel it will be helpful and positive in its content.

Yes, questions are an excellent tool, and you can practice asking questions. Think of ways to introduce an idea through a non-threatening process ... plus allowing another to do their own problem-solving. Stop and listen (as you have so often said yourself). You see, many have the ability but fail to use it, or else they are not dedicated to God's will.

You have chosen to declare yourself for God, and you cannot continue to put (T/R's name) and her opinions first. It is something everyone surely learns in their universe career, and yet most wait for some time or until after physical death to understand.

Platitudes abound on your planet -- good intention is mouthed while self-serving ends are practiced. Our goal is to change the balance of the scale -- to help man sincerely work for and build love and right intentions for his brother/sister. The planet is slow to move from awareness to practice. That is why it is essential that you practice what you believe.

It does take effort. You must change a lifetime of old thinking and start afresh. Yes, continue to wash away and throw away ... whenever necessary. Acknowledge 'bad thinking' and mistakes -- they are inevitable and to be expected -- but they cannot be continued if progress is to be made.

Excuses are, after all, still excuses, and the very word indicates awareness of your 'wrong' position and, if not carefully monitored, adherence and a holding-on to these actions.

Thank you for your willingness to look at your position and ask for help. And, most of all, thank you for loving God as we so love Him, and being our loving sister in service to Michael and his most glorious plan. We sing your praises because that is God's way -- He sees love and good in your very being -- in him you grow as He, in you, evolves.

"It is truly a conundrum and a puzzle ... and yet the very fact creates the unending circle without which we would not be. You are all in the circle, your position is key as is everyone's -- and each soul you touch, each mind you awaken (or even nudge) helps us all move a tiny bit further along our glorious path.

We are so happy, my dear. Do not fear, the hand of God is on you, as on all your fellow mortals .... some merely sense it more than others. Another mystery that keeps us always wondering, and our existence ever alive and fresh! We love you .... Oren."

Even heaven, or the mansion worlds, are fraught with difficulties. You can easily lighten the burdens of today by considering that the journey toward the infinite center is only just beginning, that though your decisions are important and affect your life here and in the hereafter, that these decisions are ultimately made smaller as you ascend spiritually.

By this, I mean that your decisions concerning life's myriad problems ultimately are smoothed out by your greater decisions concerning God. And even though your many decisions can cause fluctuations in your lives, can cause changes in your position, can cause seemingly major life alterations, still the over-arching decision of seeking God wholeheartedly throughout will ultimately guide your lives.

You see, even in the next life state you are required to live. You must work, you must learn, you must socially interact. All the tendencies which you have begun upon Urantia carry over into your next life and still the overriding desire of finding God increasingly remains the molding decision in your life.

In many respects, this life is not very different from the morontia life. Consequences of decisions still follow patterns, social interaction still remains a priority, learning better ways of living still occupy your lives, and the tender, fleeting and beautiful moments of true, deep love remain with you.

Surely, you must begin to see that your lives, even here on this lowly world, continue on into other better spheres of living, and this can ease the weight of life. Realize that you needn't cram an eternity of living into this short mortal existence. You are free to live your moments here to their fullest, knowing that ambition, desire, even love will ever be more fully experienced and expressed in the worlds to come.

Fear not that time can run out on you, or that you may miss something vital, that you may overlook something of eternal import, for you have stretching before you the road to infinity. Certainly you may enjoy this existence while you have it without the stress of worrying about something which may prevent you from truly living."

QUESTION: I'm having trouble understanding what I perceive to be contradictory emphasis in books like "Keys to the Scripture" and "A Course in Miracles" with books like the Urantia Book. On the one hand, Christian Science and ACIM seem to emphasize to me a very high level of understanding of a spiritual world, and seem to denounce the reality of a materialistic world. Yet books like Kryon's book and the UB seem to indulge in endless speculation about energy forces and material forces. The involvement that (name) has with the healing energies, including her involvement with the flower essences and the gemelixers, imply these are crucial to your background in spiritual evolution and her understanding of healing. Can you clarify some of this for me?

OLFANA (after gaining approval to use symbolism in her explanation): "If you place a rock in water, is it not true that your perception of the rock can change when you view it looking downward into the water? And then shift, and perceive the rock from, let us say, the side of a container that holds this rock and water. Also, if you placed your face in the water, would you again see the rock from a slightly changed perspective?

(Answer is affirmative) Then please hold this image in your mind as we proceed to discuss concepts of the body. The physical, bio-chemical mechanism, or instrument, you are housed in is now, indeed, like the rock of material substance. Yet your perception of this body you inhabit can change depending on your perspective. Sometimes you feel you are the rock in the water. Yet this is only one perspective. When you look from outside the cylinder through the water, does not the rock appear magnified, greater than its original image?

Your consciousness is not only connected to this physical being. Much of your perceptions of your consciousness as limited to this body is illusory, just as the rock appearing magnified is an illusion of light waves affected by the water. Lessons learned from the perspective of being in the body are a necessary part of your experience in this lifetime. However, you are, indeed, so much more than what the body appears to limit you to, that teachings such as the Course or the doctrines of Christian Science, encourage you to expand your perceptions past these body limitations.

The true essence of the rock is not modified by these perceptual changes caused by different viewpoints of it. Just so, your body is not limited by body perceptions. Higher truths surrounding the complete make-up of your being are not fully understood or widely taught on your planet. I might say, you have seen the rock from many different angles in this cylinder of water. But, thus far, you have not reached in and pulled out the rock in order to gaze upon it alone.

The water surrounding this rock is representative of the many illusions or beliefs that exist in your philosophical doctrines. ACIM encourages you, as does the work of Mary Baker Eddy, to see that these illusions can be penetrated and, through inspiration, a clearer perspective-perception of the true entity that you are, can be discovered.

However, doctrinaire interpretations that the body has no existence on the physical plane are also incorrectly stated-perceived. You cannot deny that one is seeing an aspect of the rock, even when viewed through water. Just so, seeing the body as a physical entity has some accuracy. Adjustments to the vibrational manifestation of your entity can indeed take place. And physical imbalances do occur. These teachings of such matters as flower essences, energy transmissions and adjustments are appropriate to one level of perception of your being. You are not removed from the water yet!

Therefore, within the boundaries of this perception, the body needs to be dealt with. Indeed, the time comes when you are truly released from any limiting perceptions of your being as connected to a physical manifestation. But, it is the ideal which is striven for in ACIM or the Christian Science teachings. Those who can release themselves from illusions of body boundaries can indeed create new perceptions of themselves -- healed perceptions of themselves. But most mortals need to begin their comprehension of themselves at a level much more connected to the physical world. In the Course, Jesus says: "If taking a pill allows you to feel less anxious then, by all means, take the pill." There is much truth in this teaching.

It encourages you to see that leaving behind your illusions of the body is a process that builds toward a final moment of clarity. Just as one realizes that by shifting positions and observing the rock, that these changing perceptions of the rock in the water are more a result of the water than the rock.

That moment of clarity liberates you to reach in and remove the rock from the water, to see it free of the substance which clouded your true perception of it. Just so, your release from illusions surrounding the body will come at the point you choose to remove your perceptions of your being from the body which seems to contain it.

We hope our attempt to elucidate your concerns regarding these issues have been helpful. We thank you for your patient attention."

From a broad perspective, I would say that it is quite difficult to live on a planet which has had so much turmoil and should, in all rightness, have progressed much further. It is rather a mixed blessing, as we have said before. From our perspective, which I realize can never be yours, we see so much opportunity here for service, literally everywhere that you turn. We have learned that through service, through the giving of live, there is much joy to be reaped. So, the more you give, the more received, and therefore we want to continue working in this beautiful and brilliant spiritual light and hope that, in my case, you can reflect just a part of it.

But it is not possible for you to have experienced these magnificent feelings of joy because your whole brief life here has been in the darkness and you have seen many problems and hardships. You have never experienced the great potential where you will ultimately be. It is extremely difficult to visualize for you. But I will say there is a special blessing waiting for each and every one of you. For you are what have been called by some agondonters, or people who are able to believe, to reach a level of faith in the Father and in the power of goodness, love and truth, even though you have been surrounded by such turmoil and the strong teachings that it is good to be competitive, suspicious and physically strong, or even violent. These teachings have carried you through much misfortune and misery.

As you know, the teachings themselves must be changed. In many ways, Urantia must start at the very basic foundation. That is, within the individual, within the family, for from the family can emanate great values that are being sorely missed at this time. indeed, the breakdown of parenting has actually grown, as have so many problems from crime, disease and hatred.

There is a unifying influence on our side which we hope will eventually be accepted by you as a strong and powerful oneness. We do represent the one God, the First Source and Center, and so our influences should all be in unison or a oneness with that. And yet we understand your curiosity. You want to know our individual names. You have correctly ascertained that we each have our own personalities. You know that crossing to this side is simply a step to another dimension and level of progress. We, of course, have different personalities as you do.

The ultimate communications that you can make is with your indwelling Thought Adjuster. The indwelling spirit essence that is, in fact, you. One day you will experience that oneness, so your efforts on Urantia must develop into a oneness as well. This seems like such a vast distance to that place from where you are, but I tell you that it will come, and it will come with deliberate speed.

That oneness could be likened to a beautiful patterned rug that you are weaving of many colors, and you are each threads interweaving that beautiful tapestry, making something quite beautiful by working together and creating something of great strength and foundation. A foundation that all of you can stand on, once your rug is completed. And, perhaps, fly away to one of the mansion worlds.

Truth is such a noble word, almost sacred. Often we hear an expression such as 'It's the God's truth that such and such occurred.'

How do we know "the truth" is indeed of God? We know this by an interconnection between our minds and our hearts.

Another expression we say is: 'This rings true in my heart.' Indeed, it is as if the silent bell within our hearts reverberates when we experience truthfulness. Let yourselves trust in your capacity to know truth from this mind-heart connection.

Many times those greatest truths are not substantiated by what we call 'the facts.' Instead, the substantiation for our beliefin a truth comes from the integrity with which we are drawn to accept it by our minds and hearts joined. Questions of the truthfulness of a concept need to be individualized -- connected to the unique personality which conceives it. The truthfulness of a concept is best determined not by the human mind alone.

But when I speak of the heart connection, I speak of the Thought Adjuster, the input, the clarity, the wisdom of God operating with your mind to understand the truth. Therefore, rest your faith in the truthfulness of a concept on this strong foundation of God's guidance.

Facts can be deceiving. Your perceptions can be so clouded because of the animal nature that remains within you, the delusions of the ego, which draws you, pulls you away from truth. Deception from the ego will cause you to say: 'My heart tells me this, but my mind cannot accept it.' When you find yourself in such a quandary, turn back to quiet contemplation. Recognize that you are not ready to decipher truthfulness at that time. Any time the conflicts exists between the heart and your mind, that is the telling point that you need to turn your attention inward to the quiet contemplation of guidance from God.

If you trust this process of seeking the truth with the mind and the heart joined, you will be in safe hands. You will be led by God to the understanding that your particular soul on its particular, unique path travels toward. Imagine, then, this image. See yourself as reaching out to grasp the hand of God -- the Father, the Mother, the Protector, the Guide. Say: 'Lead me to truth, I beseech you.' You can always trust that your supplication, your prayer, for this assistance will be heard.

Enlightenment empowers individuals and communities to learn that helping each other through love of service increases the happiness and the wealth of all concerned. Individuals one day will learn the truth, that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

As humankind understands the wealth contained within a drop of water, and wonder at God's gifts so liberally bestowed, then shall fear of each other begin to subside, and the fear that drives resource accumulation will make way for love.

When men fear other men, are they driven to accumulate wealth as safety. Aristocracy and nobility of but recent times and your industrial barons of today generally are the most fearful people on earth.

When love drives men, they will be understood for their unique contribution to mankind. Future 'nobility' will be the true fruit of an advancing society. They will be men and women who dedicate their lives to the furthering of their unique gifts, be it administrative, managerial, craft, art or science.

Each human being will know that when one truly dedicates one's life to the furthering of some good, surely will it come to pass. Each human being has endowed especially and particularly to him a gift that is his to cultivate.
Once you understand that the task before you is to cultivate the garden of your soul, then you shall surely understand that the gift of your fruits is for all."

You are most familiar with faith in the heavenly Father as the foundation of religion. I ask you to expand your thoughts on faith beyond this sense. While it is not mandatory that you have faith in many things that you see in your world ... it is not a prerequisite for anything ... nonetheless, when you exhibit and show faith in your brothers and sisters and in your ability to make positive, spiritual changes in this world, when you show this faith and act upon it, you will be blessed, rewarded, and you are truly on the path of the Father's light.

We have talked about the uselessness of reciting the many problems of your world. This is a quagmire from which many cannot escape, somewhat exasperated by what they see each day in the media as they record the horrible, miserable circumstances all around you. It is difficult without engaging in the daily stillness to overcome your feelings of hopelessness, skepticism, and cynicism at the things around you.

But I will remind you that the Father has utmost faith in each of you, knowing the inherent goodness of each of his creations. This is a fact that you sometimes forget. Christ Michael always exhibited a great deal of faith in his brothers and sisters he met and administered to on this sphere. Would you not want to share this faith? Would you not want to develop this feeling of faith in your brothers and sisters?

There is this kernel of goodness inside each. As you move forward in your development, I think you each are beginning to perceive this goodness, this innate spark of the Father, and taking a more tolerant view of some of the wrong things that you see your brothers and sisters doing each day. Do you have faith that the Correcting Time will be successful? Do you have faith that your small group will grow in strength and purpose and be able to make a positive contribution? Do you have faith in all your brothers and sisters, that they will rediscover this goodness inside and begin to develop their spirituality?

I would encourage you to discard these feelings of skepticism, doubt, and cynicism and begin to show faith in yourselves. In this faith will come a strength of purpose, a higher level of trust and love and joy. It is truly a building block upon which great things can be accomplished.

I would encourage you to read and study, selecting these things that ring true to you. And do not worry about errors or misconceptions. They are mostly unimportant unless they lead you away from the Father. There is error in all things. We do not concentrate on these things, but rather the truth that can be gleaned therein.

There is so much coming forth, more will be coming forth in the years ahead. You should select disciplines and philosophies that are appealing to you. Explore them, build your talents, and your expertise in these areas so that you may discuss them fully and intelligently.

It is our fond hope that the whole field of alternative medicine will become part of an all-encompassing practice of medicine which greatly multiplies the limited and narrow abilities that your doctors now have through their techniques of surgery and drugs that mask symptoms. There is a great deal more to healing. So much more than we can communicate in these lessons. In coming years, in the immediate years ahead, you will find many exciting things coming from the fountain of you inspired humans. You have tuned in to celestial connections. We look forward to it with great anticipation."

You have only used a small percentage of your mind power, and this is only part of the picture. Beyond this, you have rather extraordinary powers within that have been so long dormant that they have been virtually lost, though not completely. Those powers are within each of you.

The rebellion was so detrimental from so many standpoints and contributed to the poisoning and pollution of your world, which also once held great healing properties. The overall design was that you coalesce with this beautiful world that had been seeded by the Life Carriers and had been developing as it should with refinements of your life forces from the infinitesimal to the greatest ocean. All of these things were in conjunction with the Father's divine plan.

Had it not been disrupted by rebellion you would find quite a different world today, almost beyond imagination. Your planetary prince would still be here and would have guided the destinies of this world in keeping with the Father's plan ... It was designed that the natural elements, with which you were so graciously endowed with by the Father ... the beautiful clear, crystal waters, would have a cleansing, healing power ... designed to nurture vast quantities of aqua life.

The sun, of course, had great healing ... lighting properties. The earth itself. Yet, over the years, through these grim problems, many of these things have been polluted, poisoned, and their healing properties have been greatly diluted. These are all the unfortunate legacy of your troubled history. But the Father has been stirred by this great suffering and your prayers answered. Michael has moved in to reclaim these lost worlds and you are now a part of the reclamation.

These powers can eventually be regained. Your own inner powers of telepathy, intuitive knowledge, even a degree of reflectivity, and the purity and power of the natural world around you. All of these things can be reclaimed as this world is cleansed and corrected."

We talked about making your life an artistic expression wherever you go -- in the words that you speak, in the bearing that you exhibit, in the ways that you look into the eyes and empathize and show feeling and concern for your friends.

I would encourage you to do this and more. Be particularly aware and intensify in your mind your daily experiences as if they were artistic expressions as well. And, in a sense, they are. I would encourage you to develop a heightened sense of awareness of all that you do. When you look upon a landscape bring to mind in an instant the beautiful colors and the feel and look of that scene.

"You can develop the power through control of your own energies to make this scene even more intense and even more beautiful. You can do this as well through the food that you eat by taking only a moment or less to register this food in your mind, the beauty, the taste, the nourishment.

In this way, you can intensify your experiences day by day. As you develop a more intensified impression of beauty, then you can continue to build and enhance this power day by day. This is true not only with your visualizations of people, places, and things around you, the taste of the food you eat, but you can develop a more gracious feeling of compassion and mercy and love that will sensitize your heart and bring you almost to the point of tearful joy -- feeling the Father's love each day.

Perhaps you would say: 'But what would I gain by becoming more tenderhearted, more sensitive? For is not the world full of terrible things from which I must protect myself?'

I say to you that these shields are not the protection that you seek. The shield is the Father's love. Do not try to protect yourself alone without help. Do not feel that you are swimming against the tide and have no help at all in a sinful world. Instead, know that there is help all around. You have unbelievable powers within you to feel and express yourselves and influence the people around you in quite profound ways by emanating the Father's love.

As you develop this, your brothers and sisters that you know within this group become helpmates as well. They energize you. You energize one another. And, of course, the Father. Go to the Father each day for your energizing worship and prayer which you have learned by experience will fully energize you and brighten your lives.

Do not live in despair; there is help all around, from within and without as you nurture one another, and from the heavenly Father. This is part of what I would call an artistic expression. It is what might be called a strong balance in your lives. I encourage you to continue this work.

I will be moving on to other groups with others of my artists but I will be visiting periodically to see how you are, and certain of my artisans will be visiting more frequently . They have developed some lasting relationships with members of your group. It has been my great pleasure working with you and I see tremendous potential for you all to move forward.

Much of your human existence is learning that your life is only a transition. 'Life is like a bridge to be crossed, one should not attempt to build his dwelling place here.'

"Therefore, very much of life consists in learning its basic dimension. You who exist during your first short transitional phase attempt to cling onto it with great tenacity, misunderstanding that life's initial purpose is only to prepare your budding soul for greater reality.

Men and women, realize that lifetime is short and that forgetfulness comes quickly. Your ancestors, like you, sought to change the world in such a way as to be remembered after passing, and now you understand that your understanding of them is practically non-existent. Generations pass, and few are remembered; still fewer as time goes on. History is forgetful and existence becomes lost and easily forgotten.

Searching for permanence is the urge of human existence. Permanence is not found in this life. There is nothing of permanent nature here. When humans learn that their lastingness is the result of transitions, they will cease to be enamored of their temporal reflection and happily trust that the transition is toward lasting value.

Life's sorrows are the non-acceptance of its changing nature, while life's joys are the intunement of the soul with change. Little does any man give except the imprint of his unique personality onto others. He who is wise uses his uniqueness, celebrates his differentness and exults in its changing nature.

Sorry is the man who has taken his first imprints and sought to build a home with it. Gone is the joy and freshness of life.

Wise is the human who looks upon his life as a series of imprints which have changed and continue to change throughout life on into life eternal. Look around you and you'll see that those who attempt to cease changing are those who increase their sorrows. Adapt then when you are the human who stops changing.

How do I adapt when the circumstances are unfair and my heart weeps and stutters? You are only here a little while. When you realize that adaptation isn't the end of all ideals, no, rather does adaptation serve to underline those ideals. You are never in danger of losing yourself, no, rather does your adaptation serve to impress your ideals on those who would never be touched by you otherwise."

Simply put, it lies in total faith and trust as you become attuned to this source within you, by consciously being aware of the presence of the Father Spirit. What you call intuition is in reality direction and guidance from your spirit and other entities available to you.

Be constantly in thought awareness of the Spirit presence and eventually it will become that the Spirit that produces mind thoughts are one with yours. This is the achievement of doing the Father's will. Stay in conscious awareness of the Father's presence within.

Follow-up question on whether it is valuable to sit and write words in trying to communicate with the teachers ....

Absolutely. Because by writing what you think, the connection is greater. It is two-fold. Speaking verbally is also helpful even in the quiet time. Talk to your teachers. There are really so many available. Trust and faith are necessary for this connection.

Another follow-up on whether you must have faith and trust that what we're receiving is, in fact, from a teacher ....

Affirmative. Then let the Spirit of Truth reveal the message for you individually. You will know. You will just know. That is the engagement of the Spirit of Truth.

May you fill your lives with joy and mirth
For life is good and full of worth.
Laugh out loud and be a comic.
Why be morose? Why be laconic?
Laughter indeed is quite a tonic.

Joyful hearts are always in good humor.
This is the real stuff, not just some rumor.
By now I think you know it's obvious
That I must find a rhyme for obvious.
Yet the word does not seem obvious.
Sometimes the best lessons are not so obvious.
You must look within, beneath the obvious.
That much is sure. It should be obvious.
No chance for failure to rhyme with obvious
For you may search the Father's great omnibus.
All-knowing book, far deeper than the obvious
And you find within his love for all-of-us.
And yet if you're stuck, can't reach beyond the obvious.
Your teachers are here. So go ahead and call-on-us.

The Correcting Time is as vast as you would imagine Christ's Second Coming, for it is the preparation of our world for this glorious reception. And so all phases of society must be affected, all of your institutions, for what is somewhat different is that it could be said to work from the inside out, from within the hearts and minds of individuals, flowing outward rather than working through the leadership that you have established in your institutions.

So this growth from within will not be so evident for some time to come in institutions, which can readily hide their progress. But while the leadership may seek to resist and hide this progress it will surely overflow from the membership ranks, from those who are concerned, who are quite restless for something better, for new solutions. The realization that we must take responsibility for our lives, for turning them over to institutions has not worked.

We have turned over our parenting responsibilities too often to televisions and schools. We must embrace our own children and teach them and love them at the same time. Our institutions will continue to fail. There will continue to be turmoil. There will be economic failures. There will be mighty resistance to those who would change these institutions for they will feel threatened and they will struggle to maintain their wealth and power.

These are truly times of great conflict, growing conflict, but at the same time a joyous conflict as people begin to rise up in numbers, individually beginning to take responsibility for their lives and to cast their lives in a spiritual framework.

If you have ever known an astronomer, then you will know that their perspective on matters is different from people whose occupations are such that they do not contemplate celestial activity.

Perspective and a change in perspective comprises a large part of a spiritual path. It is easy to be caught up in your material daily perspectives. What we have attempted to do in this Teaching Mission is to provide each of you with a different perspective, an eternal perspective.

The value of this perspective and this long view, so to speak, is to minimize present problems, and to enable you to embrace a higher path which will lead to a fuller and more joyful daily existence.

In truth, if you believe that this life is all there is, it is understandable that you may be dismayed at the prospects. If, however, you can accept that this is but the beginning of a long, glorious adventure, then the adversities, problems and barriers that you encounter throughout this life are more easily seen as stepping stones and opportunities for growth. You will be less likely to be discouraged and more likely to be challenged by problems.

You will most likely, with a longer perspective, see the value in service to others ... in loving embrace of all you encounter, even those who are often adverse to your interests.

So, perspective is part and parcel of the education we offer you. If you can but see this life from a different angle then it is much easier to accept many of the other concepts that we have presented.

The celestial perspective changes as well, but from where we stand, it is easier for us to be able to assist you in the shift from seeing only the material. We hope to be able to assist in the process of seeing with spiritual eyes, so that the decisions you make as you cross opportunities can be imbued with the grace that such a perspective will give.

And in truth, you must assume that there will be no great signs or events other than your own enlightenment, for this world will not change because of events, it will change because one person plants a seed in another, who in turn, plants a seed in a third, and so on, until the crop has been planted, matures and then is harvested.

It does seem to be a stretch of the imagination for those in your position. However, from our perspective, it is the only way. This is not to say that great things may not happen, and indeed they are expected, however, the failing of those to occur should in no way diminish your interest in personal spiritual growth. For whether a materialization ever occurs in your presence should not impact your own strivings and enlightenment toward the Father.

Each day you must continue to watch for opportunities that may arise in your path. Each day you should wake up thanking the Father for another opportunity to go forth into the world. Each day you should be the best conduit for the Father's love that you can be.

God's love is amplified through our projection--our extension. This extension can be likened to what happens when we throw a pebble in a lake--the waves go outward, never ceasing until they meet the shore. Only with our extension of love, there is no shore to stop its ever widening projection. If mortal man could see with spiritual perspective, he would see how every gentle touch, every kindness extended to the brotherhood, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem on the surface, has an ongoing, never-ending effect on the total.

Go out today. Walk among your brothers and sisters. Extend this love. You can only keep it by giving it freely -- as it was freely given to you.

When one begins communion with the Father, through seeking the silence, there begins to be a connection made. Each time the silence is sought, the connection is made stronger. Utilizing a hit and miss attitude regarding one's silence practice, is not conducive to building that strong connection.

An analogy might be helpful. Picture, if you will, the gas tank of your car. If, each time you wanted to drive the vehicle, you simply put in a couple of cups of gas, just enough to get you where you wanted to go and no further, that would be all the distance you could expect from your vehicle. However, if you kept the tank more full, going further distances would always beavailable to you. You would not be scraping the bottom of the tank, so to speak.

A full tank is best, a half full tank is certainly better than an empty one. I know you all are striving to do the Father's will; recognize that it is the Father's will, that you seek communion with Him. He cannot work in you and through you, unless you strengthen this connection, to the most optimum benefit of you and the brotherhood. Try making that commitment for two weeks, then you be the judge of whether the benefits outweighed the inconvenience.

These episodes of revelation that were presented to John during his time of alienation from fellow believers were undertaken in order to compile information that would create a conceptual foundation for religious and theological development for centuries to come. They involved training your type of being in comprehension of the goings-on in heaven.

The information given was intended to sustain you for millennia. Our choice of John was due to the observance that he was capable of grasping the spiritual significance of statements and experiences that happened in his life.

What you have today, your Urantia Book, is the final outcome. It has now provided you with the structure of the universes that began to be told to John, even as it was first taught by your prince. Your record contains many metaphorical and allegorical pictures that have been interpreted over the ages such that a settled system of interpretation has developed, disallowing further wresting of truth from the passages. The beast has multiple meanings that are for you to interpret. Do not be concerned that this marking is a sign of defect. It is rather indicative of your natural state. It has been thought of as an impurity, a result of the age-long development in Christianity of the concept of human inferiority and the fear of evil's superiority.

You have only one responsibility to this phrase, (and the fragments of John's efforts to relate to you his experiences) and that is to interpret in your experience the messages that have value in your life. Be not concerned for the obscurity, for much of the obscurity has nothing to do with our disguising the message, but rather, is the result of ages of human preservation and manipulation.

Such love upon you, that God would indwell you and make you like Himself, one in intent and purpose to fulfill the calling of unfolding divinity in the vast realms of time and space within personalities cloaked in fallibility. You have the great opportunity of an age, to reveal God here.

Recognize the potential contained within you. Infinity is your possession. The Father has revealed Himself to all of you by placing Himself at your core. There is but the mere cycles of growth for this to be fully realized. Herein is your reservoir for giving love. Herein is your strength for service for service, for realizing joy, even in diversity, even in difficulty, even when confronted with diametrically opposing views.

Know that you are worthy of this gift. 'Why,' might you ask? Because the gift is already within you. There is nothing to earn, no credits to achieve. Before you were even aware, He was upon you. If there was ever anything to be thankful for, it is this spark. You are as close to God as any creature would hope to be, simply by the mere fact that He is closer to you than any could ever be.

Your planet is poised on the fulcrum of tremendous change; however, free will determines the direction of its potential. Division must be replaced by unity, for only together will planetary evolution actualize the supernal and resplendent purpose of the Supreme.

Toleration is a rudimentary step in the unfoldment of love; therefore, perfect this noble quality of mortality. Genuine tolerance always precedes the ability to love and originates in each heart until it becomes a natural essence that will evolve into social value.

If you truly endeavor to recognize the divinity in one another, you will realize the triviality of externality. The beautiful bond of kinship will actualize the reality of universal brotherhood, and you will deeply desire the spiritual growth of all your earthly siblings through love.

Criticism, derision, and violence are born in fear, yet your sincere realization of your divine eternity will set you free and enable you to cherish one another whenever His Will reigns unencumbered in your heart.

The genesis of light and life on every planet has its causality in the intelligent comprehension of divinity and the enduring vitality of love. The brilliant beacons of exalted ideals will one day illuminate your shadowy sphere with the exquisite radiance of enlightened transformation that will shine brightly in the completeness of His love."

Life is best understood when perceived as like a dance. Whether you two-step or waltz, or perform a pirouette, regardless of the complexity or intrigue of the movement, the process of learning, coordinating, and executing the moves remains quite similar. The skill received in the effort, irregardless of the action, is vital toward accomplishing any step desired.

Therefore, increase the degree of patience in your progress, the patience of action, which includes perseverance, the patience that is motivating and enduring, not the patience of lethargy, of unconcern, of "oh well". In every element that makes up your life you will find the same process occurring multi-dimensionally and cyclically.

A wise man is the one who realizes the patterns of lesson one and continues to apply them at lesson one hundred, learning.

We are looking forward to a time when vast changes which are beginning now will occur throughout the world, and though there are many differing understandings in the world concerning religion and the way of God, it is now of utmost importance to start or increase world wide dialogue among religious groups.

It is the fervent hope and belief of Machiventa that there will be an ending gradually of religious conflict and that religions need to work together for the common good of mankind. Widespread suspicion exists, especially between Muslims and Jews and Christians. This is a lack of recognition of the professed oneness of God shared between these religions.

Truly it is such that your world is still in transition into monotheism and the gods of your religions today are gods of peoples separate from each other. This is a sad thing to see, and a dangerous one. Even Christianity itself has become splintered so as to cause war or to justify wars.

The unification of the world's religions will lead to the unification of the world as a whole, as one people. This is the essential basis of the fifth epochal revelation. Its purpose and its goal. World peace cannot be achieved by the overthrow of religious faiths, by the conquering of one over another.

This will not help or change anything. Therefore, it is our understanding that a new religion of transcendent values shall be born. One that can unite all faiths under the banner of Michael. Christianity, as it is now, is incapable of this. It is the dying seed out of which a new faith will be born. Christianity, as you know it, will not endure. It has become too rigid and too identified with a people.

It is your profound responsibility to undertake the founding of this great faith. The concerns of your world are being undertaken by vast legions of celestial helpers. You will be aided in your tasks, and all tasks are contributing. All tasks grow out of this common goal. All tasks are aiding this common goal.

Each day when you awake, you are faced with many options. Most of you prepare for school or work or other activities which you habitually participate in, and these patterns that evolve become almost automatic at times. And so your day's time balance is often not necessarily prearranged, but the time is spoken for, and usually this is sufficient to give you the feeling of balance.

However, in other areas in your lives, especially in your discretionary time, where there are different choices of activities available to you, balance is more consciously sought. You like to have time for your families, your leisure, your hobbies, your spiritual seeking, your material maintenance, and a myriad of other possible activities. And so it is with this group, as we see a struggle for balance.

Initially, the group was extremely enthusiastic at the prospect of contact with celestial teachers, and that is understandable in light of the uniqueness of such an experience.

But after the initial excitement waned, the group began the process of the hard work involved with the lessons we suggested, the 1-2-3 exercise, the listening exercise, the attempts to do small kindnesses to those we met, the attempt to visualize all we saw and encountered as other children of God, the attempts at selfless service, and so on. And we went through a phase where everyone consciously made an effort to go about these activities in their daily lives, without changing their normal patterns, but instead imbuing them with a new consciousness which changed the manner in which activities were engaged in.

And so there was a desire for great things to happen, and this is a natural human interest, a desire to have Melchizedek schools constructed; built, staffed, and operational. The desire for great spiritual changes and material changes on this world and many other of our fondest dreams. And throughout this period, there was the emotional ups and downs of hopes and then hopes dashed and so we've struggled for balance throughout these periods as will always be the case throughout your lives and thereafter.

But part of this Mission and our lessons to you involve the ability to take what we've told you, to avoid being fanaticized by the prospects and to use this knowledge to transform yourselves so that you become purveyors of good cheer, so that you became better fathers, mothers, children, and every other activity that you're involved in, you'll become lighter and more attractive as you perform your duties.

You will also begin losing fear of so many possible negative things that could happen, because your faith has grown that in the end all will work for the best. Indeed, the most balanced of people are those that can ride the surface of the tempest and yet not be effected, that can have faith in the Father, and through that faith, can divest themselves of many of the unnecessary spiritual poisons that so many people carry with them.

This balance does not require discussions on a daily, weekly, or annual basis with celestial personalities. As we've said before, we're a minor part of this entire process. And yet it is thought that we can cause you to remember to consciously move yourselves to a more balanced position than when you began. And of course a large part of this balance is attained through the daily stillness practice that we have attempted to encourage you to participate in.

So as with any endeavor, it is a long road, a road where you take small steps, but eventually climb tall mountains. It is not something that you will see the results of overnight, but others see them in you.

And when you achieve the type of balance that we are speaking of, you will become more influential with those you know. You will become a role model for those who lie in fear, for they can see your good cheer and lightheartedness, in the face of adversity, and they will know that you have found something, something upon which you have built a foundation, something which you have grown in your soul, and can never be taken from you. And that is the kind of balance that each of you struggles with every day, and which we hope our lessons, our encouragement and our suggested routines have assisted you in developing.

All of us within this room, have our own individual understanding of what faith means to us, of where we fit in the Father's scheme of things. All of you process information in different ways. Some of you are more intellectual, or as my student prefers to think, left-brained, others of you are more emotionally inclined, and process more from the right hemisphere.

All of these individual ways of processing are valid, but we are coming into a new time, where we will begin more and more to function as integrated humans. By integrated, I mean that you will be processing information utilizing both hemispheres of your brain, in concert with your opening heart, and this indeed, will push you forward into this new time, as a new people.

You are beginning now, in this time, individually, as you begin to push yourselves to become more integrated. All of you will move along your individual paths as you will, and that is to be expected, and is as it should be.

There is no hurry when looking at the larger picture. There is only hurry when looking at the linear patterns in your life, and you are human, and at this point in your development tend to be more linear in your processing. But this too, is changing. The old world is indeed, beginning to pass away and the new world is becoming more and more within your range of consciousness.

Continue to open your hearts, my beloved students and see what is right before your eyes. The New Dawn is indeed, here. Many of you will experience larger and bigger openings within the coming months, perhaps at this conference you seek to host.

Continue on as you have, knowing that all of your lives you are held within the embrace of your parents, and all that you do, all that you dream, works toward the pattern of the Supreme.

We have and are continuing to form a network across your world. Each connection adds strength to the whole. If you could see from our perspective, you would see an umbrella of love and service covering your world with connecting lines. It is our job to infuse those connections with the energy needed for the work that must be done.

As more workers are added to the network, more energy is poured into the connections. Soon your entire world will be embraced in the arms of the Father's love.You all play a part in your own unique way. It matters not what method of service you choose. You are all on the path to reach the Father. Whatever method you choose to accomplish this service is entirely a personal choice.

One may appear to be super-charged with energy, and distribute love in a more energetic fashion; another may go about their day in a more quiet fashion, sharing with others their knowledge of their insights, or simply extending their love.

This will all come together and create the necessary umbrella of love covering your planet. There will be a great up-stepping of this spiritual message and its resulting influence throughout your world.

You will significantly contribute to this overall accomplishment. This will happen. There is no longer a reason for doubt. We know it is now secured. Your planet will come through, and join its rightful place within the universe.

There will come a day when all disease is wiped away. There will come a time when the people of your world will be one. This takes time. For you it may seem like a long time; to us it is but a brief period.

Do not be dismayed if you cannot see the fruits of your labor. There will come a time when you WILL see. For now, step out in faith, and know that you accomplish much.

You know, Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life," and he is, and you have each experienced the nourishment of taking him into your soul. Spirit hunger is no longer painful but rather the normal course of receiving his love and peace as well as your lessons for attaining his presence.

I will offer another element to this bread of which he spoke. Your growth is service. It is service to the Supreme; it is service to Michael. The entire realm of the finite is as rising dough, ever expanding, enlarging to become the finished reality it is intended to be by our God.

You are an element within this. If bread were to rise unevenly and remain dense in a particular area, the finished result would be less than perfect. Your soul expansion is necessary to lift the Supreme.

It is important to receive the yeasting of ministry provided to you from your indwelling spirit. It is important for you to receive the kneading provided by your life episodes. It is important for you to receive the resting time of stillness in order to cultivate the spirit within and actualize in your awareness His presence in order to be this presence as you live. It is important for you to be salted with sanity and sobriety to understand your limitations, to carefully guard from fanatical expression and over-rapid growth.

You are each one with our infinite Father. Michael has provided all the ingredients in his realm for you to fulfill the commission of God to become perfect, for you to be able to rise to the occasion.

Be willing to undergo the challenges, the stretching, the poundings that both provide for your upliftment and for the elimination of stages of progress that you no longer need to contain within you. As in your baking processes you beat down your dough, your life episodes that are difficult are as important as is the rise.

When we have accomplished our task and settled these realms in light and life, we will be overjoyed in our accomplishment. The aroma of supremacy will be tantalizing to all who enter into our kitchen.

When our schooling is finished we will be able to serve our slice of light and life for all those who were not able to bake with us. Growth is always expansive and healthy when uniform on every level of your being.

The issue of self-discipline is one which many people struggle with in this life, on a planet especially such as this -- one so imbalanced and prone to misperceptions of healthy choices.

You can always benefit greatly from the "tried and true" path of looking inward for this Voice of God which continually reaches out toward you. You have so little encouragement, now, on this planet, to regard this Voice as the great guide which it is! It is as if those who chose this effort must do so by overcoming the prejudices which exist regarding this process. They are often discouraged from such an effort by statements such as: "All you will hear is what you want to hear." "You will only be talking to yourself." "You cannot find the Guidance of God within the small confines of your own mind."

This is most incorrect! I encourage you to trust greatly in the ability of the Thought Adjuster's guidance, the Voice of God within you, to ring clearly within your mind and heart -- if you will only come to this process with an open mind and a willingness to listen, a willingness to ponder what you sense. Consider it from many perspectives.

"Chew on it!," as it were. This is an expression I enjoy within your language. "Chew" on this guidance. Savor the flavor of this Truth! Does it not only nourish you, but appease your appetite for Truth?

Self-discipline also requires an abandonment of the ego's desire to be in charge. If you are led by this voice which rationalizes continually the noble effort you might otherwise choose, or the noble effort you might make, you are being drawn down by the ego!

It will continually attempt to convince you that such efforts, such choices, will not, indeed, reward you in any way, will go unappreciated .... perhaps will be a waste of your otherwise precious time. It will operate from the anxieties which you can be so prone to suffer from.

Self-discipline can be motivated by, instead, saying to yourself: "I will make this effort for God." "I will make this effort for the good of my soul." "I will make this effort for the common good of others." "I will make this effort as an example to others of my intention to sincerely serve. "

I am speaking here not only of issues of self-discipline that are those regarding one's use of one's time, or one's decisions which affect others. I am also speaking of those issues of self-discipline which involve the maintenance of one's bio-physical being, one's body, one's "Temple for the Soul."

I would encourage you to regard yourself in this manner. Your physical body is a shelter for your soul in this life. You can be encouraged in healthy habits regarding your body by, again, empowering yourself by such statements as:

"I will exercise my body in order to allow the beautiful Energy of God to flow through me with more ease and freedom."

"I will regard any chemical substance that I put into my body by high standards of health and discipline."

"I will not allow my body to become encumbered by choices which will only diminish my ability to use this body, this Gift from God in this world, which can, instead, serve the Father's Purpose."

I hope I have conveyed to you encouragement, and a strong sense of purpose, in the reasoning behind choices of self-discipline with this lesson. Thank you very much for your patient attention to my words.

One of the problems of this world today is the presumptuous opinion of many that they know the only path to the Father and that failure to follow their path will lead to damnation.

It is better to avoid such judgmental assertions, as they are not only mean spirited, fear based and likely incorrect, but they are also unlikely to convert anyone to your beliefs.

This is an important lesson for you as well because you believe that you have a better understanding of the cosmic scheme of things than most -- and you do. But if you really understand what we have been teaching you, you will exhibit tolerance, not judgmental condemnations.

You should be looking for the best in each person's beliefs so that you can emphasize those aspects of that belief system. We are not here to create barriers between people. There are enough barriers presently in existence to effectively keep people from sharing the Father's love. We seek to build bridges between people so that the love can be transmitted between you and those you meet.

The environment in which you live is one that daily changes not only climatically but also economically, politically, socially and spiritually. It is a part of your plight/job as a mortal to walk the path in faith and trust despite the environment, its good or its bad.

And those of you who continually nurture yourselves through the stillness and the desire to understand a greater purpose are those who are able to allow the environmental changes and fluxes to not destroy you but rather only add to the experience of a mortal life.

As teachers we cannot be specific and give pat answers. We cannot say you must do this or that for that is not the decree in a system of free agency. Our mission is to provide for you an understanding that there is far more to the environment than the material finite awareness.

Those who understand this dual nature and who incorporate as much as possible the divine aspect into their material life will find that there are serendipitous experiences and that the upholding of the universes is under the guiding hand of the First Source and Center.

If you could realize that any communication you could have with me or your teachers is actuated by your Indwelling Spirit. We cannot talk to you without the activation of the channel, so this in itself is proof positive that you can connect to that spirit.

We can vocalize and we can offer insight on the mental level, but the true heart growth, the true spiritual growth and experience come as you identify yourself and give yourself the time to understand and seek out that spirit within.

This is our desire. This is what we strive for in our connections with you as mortals, for you to desire and ask for spiritual upliftment and personal opportunities for accelerated avenues of service.

When you allow us this opportunity you will find that our boundaries of possibilities are increased. When you make it known on a conscious level, on a daily basis, that you accept your privileges and responsibilities as an apostle of Christ Jesus, then you, in essence, open up the gates for our influence to be an open manifestation in your outer life as well as your inner life.

We are also in desire of personal progress, experiential growth, a fuller understanding of the beautiful manifestation of God on all levels of existence. We do not look down to you, rather we look up with you to the First Source and together, we both walk together.

Then I will respond personally. What I do is I ask my peers to sit with me, to share with me that moment of frustration and growth. The strength and warmth of their support is invaluable and allows me the enforcement I require to again put my self in perspective.

I have great need and great love and great admiration for my fellow teachers in the mission for we are uniquely suited to helping one another with our various disappointments.

Often these disappointments which we experience, and I better not speak for Daniel or others but rather for myself, many of these disappointments which I experience are very much like yours in that I have such great faith in you and sometimes I am thwarted, let down, disappointed by my own expectations. It is a growth process, a refining process. That is my agenda, if you will.

You are entirely only a spiritual expression of the living God. His gift is the wonder of existence. Your gift is realizing the wonder of your existence. The Father acts in you and through you, gradually, perfecting you as is his plan and purpose for you.

Your free will gift consists in accepting your selves, your own individuality and precious uniqueness, which has no duplication, neither past nor future. When you accept your selves as you are in this moment, you have also accepted him as an integral part of your self. As you understand this in totality, you will see that there is only one will. Your will and the divine will are one. Then there are no more conflicts.

Joy, freedom, energy is in oneness, in completion, in accord with the universe and all created beings. This is, in fact, self-realization as well as the realization of heaven on earth. Most of you will have had glimpses of this nirvanic state. This wholeness and complete feeling of oneness.

English is a difficult language for this expression. There is no verb which is applicable for this soul motion, this becoming and being at once. For this is not a statically blissful state. This is a state of movement. Your words joy and bliss convey a temporary state which one enters and leaves. The true bliss of continual self-realization and the simultaneous understanding, which grows continually deeper, and higher and wider, of the divine being who dwells within is an action word. Words are limiting and are continually in need of advancing as the human cultural state advances and expands to include higher ideals and concepts. Your words will need to be similarly expanded.

The local universe language is adequate for conveying a number of subtle differences between spiritual states. Have patience with our groping to convey concepts which have outgrown your language. Also I am not yet allowed to use local universe terms.