Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book: December 2008

Q: My best friend's son was born blind. Is there anyway I can learn to heal so that maybe I can help others to believe?

A: In a more perfect world we would each be born healthy and with five good senses fully functioning. But the world is not perfect. Your desire to be of help to others is compassionate but it would be well to examine your reason for wanting to be a healer. Consider that one of the decisions Jesus made before he entered into his public ministry was that he would not employ any superhuman powers.((136:8.1)

Although miracles occurred during his ministry they were not pursued purposefully, with rare exceptions. Jesus counseled many times about the futility of employing "signs and wonders" to entice people into the Kingdom. You may remember that, many times, even those who received healing from Jesus refused to follow after him, and many times, did not even thank him. Healing is not a reliable way of bringing others to God.

Sometimes we can heal ourselves of psychosomatic infirmities and sometimes we can appear to heal others by engaging them to heal themselves, but most displays of healing are fraudulent. It's not one of the "powers" humans use to better their lives. Rather than wishing to heal your friend's child of blindness your influence might be more valuable by compassionately enriching this child's life.

Labels: blindness, healing, Jesus, signs and wonders

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Is Our Family Pre-Determined?

Q: Are the parents you receive on Earth pre-planned according to some kind of guideplan? Some children grow up under very spiritually dry environments e.g. the son and daughter of Anthony Lavey, compared to the children of Martin Luther King, Jr.

A: As far as we know from the teachings of The Urantia Book, the only pre-planning of parents that has transpired over the million year course of human history was the selection of Jesus' earth parents -- the three most promising sets of parents were identified and Joseph and Mary were chosen from among them to provide the incarnation of the Creator Son the best opportunity for fulfilling his pre-ordained mission. Normal human beings don't have pre-ordained missions that require fulfilling.

The purpose of the mansion worlds is to provide the remedial environment for whatever is lacking in this material life. People brought up in non-spiritual environments, such as in the Satanic church, can still develop spiritualized thinking -- they still have guardian angels, the ministry of the Spirit of Truth, Thought Adjusters -- just as those raised under the best of conditions can disavow the spiritual reality of life. Environment has a strong impact but it can be overcome through choice.

At conception our personality, the potential for the person we're to become, most likely gravitates toward parents who might provide the kind of environment suitable for our development. But, through the vicissitudes of life, there's no insurance that life will unfold as might have been projected. So, in answer to this question, it would appear that basically no, parents are not pre-ordained; it's the luck of the draw and we learn to make the best of the circumstances into which we're born.

Labels: Anthony Lavey, choice, Jesus, Jr, Mansion Worlds, Martin Luther King, parenting, personality, The Urantia Book

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Patience and Impatience

Q: The Urantia Book gives specific examples of the dangers of being impatient. Where does the line go between being inactive or impatient?

A: That is a good question, and thanks for writing...

As you observed, The Urantia Book does give several examples of the dangers of impatience. I will list them here, for the benefit of other readers:

Impatience is a spirit poison; anger is like a stone hurled into a hornet's nest. 48:7.10

Most of the liberties which Lucifer sought he already had; others he was to receive in the future. All these precious endowments were lost by giving way to impatience and yielding to a desire to possess what one craves now and to possess it in defiance of all obligation to respect the rights and liberties of all other beings composing the universe of universes. Ethical obligations are innate, divine, and universal. 54:4.4

The "golden age" is a myth, but Eden was a fact, and the Garden civilization was actually overthrown. Adam and Eve carried on in the Garden for one hundred and seventeen years when, through the impatience of Eve and the errors of judgment of Adam, they presumed to turn aside from the ordained way, speedily bringing disaster upon themselves and ruinous retardation upon the developmental progression of all Urantia. 74:8.14

Probably no Material Sons of Nebadon were ever faced with such a difficult and seemingly hopeless task as confronted Adam and Eve in the sorry plight of Urantia. But they would have sometime met with success had they been more farseeing and patient. Both of them, especially Eve, were altogether too impatient; they were not willing to settle down to the long, long endurance test. They wanted to see some immediate results, and they did, but the results thus secured proved most disastrous both to themselves and to their world. 75:1.6

Serapatatia [associate chairman of the Edenic commission on tribal relations] was entirely loyal to the plan of building up a strong reserve of the violet race before attempting the world-wide upstepping of the confused peoples of Urantia. But this would require hundreds of years to consummate, and he was impatient; he wanted to see some immediate resultsâ€”something in his own lifetime. He made it clear to Eve that Adam was oftentimes discouraged by the little that had been accomplished toward uplifting the world. 75:3.6

One day when Ganid asked Jesus why he had not devoted himself to the work of a public teacher, he said: "My son, everything must await the coming of its time. You are born into the world, but no amount of anxiety and no manifestation of impatience will help you to grow up. You must, in all such matters, wait upon time. Time alone will ripen the green fruit upon the tree. Season follows season and sundown follows sunrise only with the passing of time. 130:5.3

It is easy to see that most of these references have to do with either the default of Adam and Eve or with the Lucifer Rebellion. Both of these vital missions of spiritual truth to our planet were irreparably harmed because of the impatience of those who wanted results, and they wanted them NOW.

It is a fine line that has to be drawn between taking action, and displaying impatience. In the case of these high spirit beings, upon whom so much depended, that line was crossed, to the detriment of the whole planet - even the whole of our planetary system. In our daily lives, we will likely not have those kinds of dire consequences to face if we jump the gun in our efforts to see results, but still, impatience can harm us, and mar our future lives.

We are creatures of time - and time is a vital element in the unfolding of our lives. As Jesus says, "...everything must await the coming of its time." One of the challenges that we face is this idea of allowing our lives to unfold - of cherishing the present time and living in the now, which is all we can experience of eternity. We can envision the future, we can work for it, but the most important work we can do is to live right here, right now, doing the next best thing. In this way, we create a future that is good. We can certainly make things happen by precipitous action, but is it the right thing to do? Unfortunately, as in the case of Adam and Eve, the consequences of actions are not felt or realized until after the actions are taken. So, it would seem that thoughtful deliberation and prayer must be employed before we decide to "make it so." Sometimes, the future that we envision, a future that could be forced by our action, might not be the future that is the best one for us, and then we must suffer because of our impatience. If we "wait upon time," we might even gain even more than we thought possible.

I think that one of the best things we can do in this regard is to follow the example of Jesus, who spent quiet times of meditation and prayerful receptivity. He was fond of communing with the Father in this way, and as we know, his life unfolded according to God's will always. Many times he said: "My hour has not yet come," while awaiting the right time to begin his ministry to the world. One has to wonder what might have happened if he had decided on his own to begin his public work before the time was right...

In my opinion, impatience seems to have its roots in pride - a childish pride that demands a result that, while it may be a good thing, could prove disastrous when not allowed to flower on its own, with the patience and endurance of time. Again, Jesus says it all: "Time alone will ripen the green fruit upon the tree." That idea of an end result may be good, but it is unripe until the passage of time allows it to ripen. Unripe fruit can be very bitter...

I think that when we sincerely determine to live our lives in the eternal "now," that we are prompted, or otherwise receive some inner wisdom to act when necessary. With prayer and sincerity, following the example of the Master, we can act with assurance when the time is right. With practice, and by experiencing the fruits of our actions, we may eventually learn to toe that line between right action and impatience. This is a benefit of growing older, I have found - although I still suffer from impatient action, much to my own dismay. Youth is notoriously impetuous, and many times acts on impulse or out of impatience and inexperience. The wisdom of age shows us the value of being still and waiting upon time, and even the young can learn this lesson.

Thanks again for this great question!

Labels: activity, Adam and Eve, impatience, Jesus, Lucifer, patience

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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Is Mating a Divine Instinct?

Q: I was wondering. Is there some kind of spiritual aura that attract two of the opposite sex together? Many, if not all humans have this drive to find that special one, who God destined them to find and live with. Is that a divine human instinct?

A: I am enclosing a link which will take you to a section of The Urantia Book titled: The Mating Instinct.

Among other things, this section explains that this powerful instinct is an "innate propensity."

I believe that what adds an element of "the divine" to it is the quality of selfless love and devotion. These excellent qualities of love ennoble the simply primal sex urges to the highest possible outcomes - marriage, home and family.

Does God ordain a "special one" for each of us? I am sure that when we do find a person with whom we can share our lives, when such a relationship becomes infused with devoted love, understanding and tolerance, then we certainly can imagine that it is "destined," which further increases our desire to do all we can to make it the best relationship possible. This addition of "the divine" encourages us to develop persistence, tolerance, trust and purpose, especially when times are hard. We ennoble such relationship by marriage, and we create special rituals to mark such a relationship with religious meaning. This helps to further raise the mating instinct to those high levels of divine meaning and value that make life so very worthwhile, and which help to soften the rigors of living. All relationships are an end unto themselves, and this wonderful relationship of man and woman united in marriage remains one of the most precious, and the most sought-after.

When two people of like spiritual leanings find each other in mutual attraction, it certainly can lend a "spiritual aura" to that relationship. And, when God is added as a "third" in any relationship, it certainly will raise that relationship's potential to one of eternal value.

Thank you for writing to us with this great question.

Labels: God, instinct, love, marriage, mating, The Urantia Book

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What kind of attitude should we Urantians have regarding problems like pornography, alcohol and drugs?

Q: What kind of attitude should we Urantians have regarding problems like pornography, alcohol and drugs?

A: Jesus strove for a superb balance in his life. His first priority was to seek and find the Father's will, and to establish the kingdom on Earth. As his followers, that is also our mandate. Whatever may interfere with that high purpose should be discarded.

While I may have strong attitudes towards one or more of the things you mentioned, I cannot presume to say what your, or anyone else's attitude should be. It is the responsibility of each person to develop their conscience and their life according to what they consider to be important and of high value.

The Urantia Book gives us a very positive view of life. It has few "thou shall not" rules. Likewise, Jesus was very positive in his teachings:

Jesus had little to say about the social vices of his day; seldom did he make reference to moral delinquency. He was a positive teacher of true virtue. He studiously avoided the negative method of imparting instruction; he refused to advertise evil. He was not even a moral reformer. He well knew, and so taught his apostles, that the sensual urges of mankind are not suppressed by either religious rebuke or legal prohibitions. His few denunciations were largely directed against pride, cruelty, oppression, and hypocrisy. p1582:2 (140:8.21)

In the very first service that he conducted in the Nazareth synagogue, at age fifteen, he chose verses from Scripture. Among the other things he said, this passage pretty much says it all for me: He said:

"Seek good and not evil that you may live, and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you. Hate the evil and love the good...Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil and learn to do good..."
p1392:1 (126:4.3)

It is our job to discern what is evil and what is good. We have the perfect teacher in Jesus, and we have a perfect pilot in our minds - the Thought Adjuster. When we follow the leadings of our spiritual models, we will surely make the right decisions for ourselves.

Thank you for this important question.

Labels: alcohol, balance, drugs, evil, goodness, Jesus, pornography, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

What Did Eve Have To Do With The "Fall Of Man?"

Q: I recently read the papers concerning the default of Eve, and I am at a loss at how I am to interpret the situation. Was Eve supposed to eventually spread her genes like Adam did with the 1,682 superior women, or did she cheat on her husband?

A: Eve was, indeed, meant to share her genes with the evolving races; however, this process was not to be performed by her and Adam personally, but by their offspring.

You may remember this passage from The Urantia Book:

Usually the violet peoples do not begin to amalgamate with the planetary natives until their own group numbers over one million. But in the meantime the staff of the Planetary Prince proclaims that the children of the Gods have come down, as it were, to be one with the races of men; and the people eagerly look forward to the day when announcement will be made that those who have qualified as belonging to the superior racial strains may proceed to the Garden of Eden and be there chosen by the sons and daughters of Adam as the evolutionary fathers and mothers of the new and blended order of mankind.

On normal worlds the Planetary Adam and Eve never mate with the evolutionary races. This work of biologic betterment is a function of the Adamic progeny. But these Adamites do not go out among the races; the prince's staff bring to the Garden of Eden the superior men and women for voluntary mating with the Adamic offspring. And on most worlds it is considered the highest honor to be selected as a candidate for mating with the sons and daughters of the garden.
p585:6 (51:5.2)

So, the plan was that Adam and Eve would produce one million offspring, after which these offspring would then mate with the superior indigenous races of earth. The purpose of all this was to upstep and improve the racial stocks of earth, and to improve the races in all ways by this infusion of the blood of the Violet race

But, as you will remember, our planet was still suffering the effects of the Lucifer Rebellion, and was in isolation - cut off from the celestial broadcasts, and from all other spiritual circuits that are enjoyed by normal planets. Even though they had been warned, Adam and Eve were not fully prepared for the isolation they would feel, and they were not accustomed to the slowness of the realization of their mission. After about 100 years on Earth, they became discouraged.

Through the underhanded plans of Prince Caligastia, the disgraced leader of the rebellion on Urantia, Eve was tempted to make a shortcut in the mission. She was influenced to mate with Cano, the leader of the Nodites, in order to provide a leader from Violet stock to help the advancing races in the short term. This was not a case of her "cheating" on Adam. She was not doing this out of an adulterous motive. She really thought that what she was doing was a good thing, and a way to jump-start the mission. But her transgression had terrible repercussions, as the entire mission of Adam and Eve was then in default, and we eventually lost our Material Son and Daughter, when they should have been here still. It was one more instance when Urantia was dealt a hard blow in its upward advancement, and it is one more reason that we find ourselves in such sad shape here on this dark planet.

Adam, when he discovered what Eve had done, sought out a mortal woman with whom he also mated, just so he would then share Eve's fate, and she would not be alone in disgrace. But this was far from simple infidelity between husband and wife - this default of Adam and Eve delivered a mortal wound to the success of the Adamic mission to our planet. Even though a portion of the genetic material of Adam and Eve was delivered to the planet, the mission fell far short of its original intent.

You can read the whole story HERE, through Urantia Book passages.

Labels: Adam and Eve, Caligastia, default, genetics, Lucifer Rebellion

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How Can I Share The Urantia Book? And What is "Satania?"

Q: How is one to proceed when trying to discuss Urantia with a Christian, and why, of all names, is our local system named Satania?

A: I think all devoted Urantia Book readers want to share our beloved revelation with others. Sometimes we're successful and sometimes we're not. I have been a reader/student for 25 years, and I still have spotty success, so first of all, don't be discouraged.

I have discovered that when trying to share any spiritual truth, it is important to understand where the other person is, spiritually speaking. Is s/he searching? Is s/he a truth-seeker? Or is s/he secure and content with the spirituality s/he already has? If it is the latter, you may have a more difficult time showing this person the truth that you have found. Many times, new spiritual truth is only perceived when a person is in some amount of spiritual turmoil, or is actively seeking a different way.

However you proceed, try to direct your conversation to the Spirit that indwells the mind of your friend. Follow the lead of Jesus, as in this passage from The Urantia Book:

Always the burden of his message was: the fact of the heavenly Father's love and the truth of his mercy, coupled with the good news that man is a faith-son of this same God of love. Jesus' usual technique of social contact was to draw people out and into talking with him by asking them questions. The interview would usually begin by his asking them questions and end by their asking him questions. He was equally adept in teaching by either asking or answering questions. As a rule, to those he taught the most, he said the least. Those who derived most benefit from his personal ministry were overburdened, anxious, and dejected mortals who gained much relief because of the opportunity to unburden their souls to a sympathetic and understanding listener, and he was all that and more. And when these maladjusted human beings had told Jesus about their troubles, always was he able to offer practical and immediately helpful suggestions looking toward the correction of their real difficulties, albeit he did not neglect to speak words of present comfort and immediate consolation. And invariably would he tell these distressed mortals about the love of God and impart the information, by various and sundry methods, that they were the children of this loving Father in heaven.
p1460:6 (132:4.2)

Everybody has problems and concerns - and everyone loves to talk about themselves. Learn, as Jesus demonstrated, how to ask questions that are meaningful, and then be a good listener. Practice the Golden Rule always in dealing with others. Really listen, and try to put yourself in their shoes, so you understand how they feel. Practice non-judgmental listening, and try to develop real compassion for those with whom you speak. You can then address the problems as Jesus did, with the Truth that you understand it to be. Always go into a conversation with prayer beforehand, asking for inspiration from your own indwelling Spirit; ask this good Spirit to speak for you if you get confused. Remember to put your small "self" aside...and then relax.

As for the second part of your question about the name of our local system: I will quote from an answer given to another reader's question about Lucifer in our FAQ section of Truthbook.com, which you can read HERE. This answer was written by one of our Truthbook team. The passage I want to share is this one:

"Because Lucifer was such a high spirit being, he delegated authority, as do all executives. In Lucifer's case, he delegated much of his authority on this planet to a very familiar figure: Satan. In fact, this system, of which our planet is a part, was given the name Satania, in honor of this selfsame Satan. This name was given before the rebellion, however, when Satan was still loyal to the Father. Thus, the name "Satania" has no sinister meaning, once this fact is understood."

It is unfortunate that the name "Satania" is still attached to our universe, but once you understand the circumstances, it becomes far less charged. You can share this with others by explaining the Lucifer Rebellion, and you'll find that the link I have given you above is a pretty comprehensive explanation. I find this story to be a really good one to share with Christians, as they are familiar with it; they know of Lucifer, and of course, Satan, but they are always amazed at the depth and the real facts of the story, as told to us in The Urantia Book. This story puts so many things into perspective, and sets the stage for explaining more about the true mission of Jesus of Nazareth.

Thank you very much for your questions, and I wish you all the best in your efforts to share The Urantia Book with your Christian friends. But more important than getting someone to read the book itself, is to share the amazing truths of the book; namely the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Also, do your best to actually LIVE the truths you have discovered, and as people see these truths demonstrated in your life, as they experience the fruits of the spirit in your dealings with them, they will inevitably be drawn to your spiritual fragrance.

Labels: Christian, fruits of the spirit, Jesus, Lucifer, sharing, spirituality, The Urantia Book

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Monday, December 08, 2008

As My Friend Lay Dying, I Felt Peace

Phil Smith describes sitting on the side of the road as his friend lay dying from the motor cycle accident. As he died, the teachings of the Urantia Book gave Phil peace and comfort about where his friend was going. Emotional, thoughtful, and moving story.

See also "After You Die"

Labels: death, life after death, peace, Phil Smith, The Urantia Book

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The Urantia Book and I.Q.

Q: How will The Urantia Book help me increase my intelligence in all I do, i.e my I.Q?

A: If IQ is a true measure of how well a person uses their mind, then studying The Urantia Book will definitely be beneficial and improve such a score because it requires conscious choosing to use mind in a meaningful manner. If it's not just an improvement in a test score that you're after, studying The Urantia Book will enhance your perceptions by giving you insight you would otherwise be missing into how the things of the world around you interrelate and how the unperceived spirit world pervades reality.

You may be in possession of a great mind -- but if all even a great mind is fed is trivial, the mind has very little to work with or to make associations with and life becomes mundane, flat and unrewarding. If your mind is fed the best in human concepts and food for the soul it will be given the nutrition necessary to make meaningful evaluations and insightful connections. Life will become vibrant and filled with enthusiasm.

You may possibly discover material that inspires you as much as The Urantia Book will, but you will not find material that will stimulate your mind in the multitude of ways it does. On a superficial level, just by being consciously aware as you study the book, your English will improve as will your vocabulary and sentence structure. Over time, the perceptions gained through your study infuse all you think and do -- the best in human knowledge is at your fingertips.

May I also recommend that if you're not already signed up that you consider subscribing to the Quote of the Day. It's a free service from our site that offers a daily quote from the incomparable teachings of this marvelous book with an audio clip and a beautiful and inspiring image, a great way to start one's day as well as to begin to understand the teachings of the book. To subscribe click on the Quote of the Day link on the left side of our home page and follow the instructions.

Labels: insight, IQ, mind, perception, The Urantia Book, vocabulary

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Sunday, December 07, 2008

I am so small, how can I ever be accepted in God's world?

Q: I am so small, how can I ever be accepted in God's world?

A: Thank you for this important question.

It is a good thing to have a sense of your own smallness in the larger scheme of things. In The Urantia Book, we learn that "The soil essential for religious growth presupposes ...a normal consciousness of smallness, humility." (read more about humility here">)

But humility is in no way self-abasement, and should not produce feelings of insignificance. Your smallness doesn't mean that you are not needed, or not valued in God's creation. Do you know that you are a completely unique personality? God knows you and loves you dearly, personally, and eternally.

From The Urantia Book: "The love of the Father absolutely individualizes each personality as a unique child of the Universal Father, a child without duplicate in infinity, a will creature irreplaceable in all eternity. ...The love of God ... unmistakably reveals the high value which the Universal Father has placed upon each and every one of his children from the highest creator personality of Paradise status to the lowest personality of will dignity ..." p138:4 (12:7.9)">

You are no smaller than any of God's other mortal children. In God's creation, you stand on an equal footing with everyone else, and you possess the same potentials for eternal life that all God's children enjoy. Knowing this should help you to gain a new self-respect, and to use your unique life to make a difference.

Again, from The Urantia Book: "The door of eternal life is wide open to all; "whosoever will may come"; there are no restrictions or qualifications save the faith of the one who comes. '

Your job is to make the best of whatever life has handed you - to become the best person that you can be - where you are and as you are. Faith in God, faith in your status as a beloved child of God, and service in the brotherhood of man will help you understand that you are a valuable part of God's world, which is also YOUR world, made for you, and for all of us. We all need God, and we all need each other. You are part of a grand family, and you belong, no matter how small you may sometimes feel. Accept your smallness, but also know that you are accepted by God, and needed in his creation; otherwise, you would not be here!

Jesus can offer you some great advice on the business of living HERE. His advice is always practical. Jesus was a truly humble man, and yet he is still the most influential religious person to ever have walked the earth.

Finally, I offer this wonderful quote for your consideration:

Do not allow the magnitude of the infinity, the immensity of the eternity, and the grandeur and glory of the matchless character of God to overawe, stagger, or discourage you; for the Father is not very far from any one of you; he dwells within you, and in him do we all literally move, actually live, and veritably have our being.
p139:1(12:7.12)">

Labels: brotherhhod of man, God, humility, Jesus, service, smallness, The Urantia Book