Spiritual Advice and Guidance Blog: Urantia Book

Q: If a person suffers from severe mental illness which caused them to commit wrongful acts while in a state of "mania" is there any chance for redemption? Does the ancient belief that the mentally ill are possessed by evil spirits have any credibility? What can a severely mentally ill person do, if they feel that are somehow being influenced by something they cannot control?

A: Thank you for writing to us here at Truthbook.com, a website dedicated to the teachings of The Urantia Book

Since your question is primarily concerning a person who suffers from mental illness, I must first advise you that the person in question (whether it is you, or someone else) should see a medical professional as soon as possible for diagnosis and treatment. We are not equipped to lend medical advice...

No matter what our transgressions, there is always a chance for redemption, which can be synonymous with "salvation," as in this passage about Jesus' love towards sinners; and not only redemption, but "eternal rehabilitation." This Urantia Book quote is about the cross of Jesus, and its significance to sinners.

(188:5.2) "The cross forever shows that the attitude of Jesus toward sinners was neither condemnation nor condonation, but rather eternal and loving salvation. Jesus is truly a savior in the sense that his life and death do win men over to goodness and righteous survival. Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart. Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. Jesus' death on the cross exemplifies a love which is sufficiently strong and divine to forgive sin and swallow up all evil-doing. Jesus disclosed to this world a higher quality of righteousness than justiceâ€”mere technical right and wrong. Divine love does not merely forgive wrongs; it absorbs and actually destroys them. The forgiveness of love utterly transcends the forgiveness of mercy. Mercy sets the guilt of evil-doing to one side; but love destroys forever the sin and all weakness resulting therefrom. Jesus brought a new method of living to Urantia. He taught us not to resist evil but to find through him a goodness which effectually destroys evil. The forgiveness of Jesus is not condonation; it is salvation from condemnation. Salvation does not slight wrongs; it makes them right. True love does not compromise nor condone hate; it destroys it. The love of Jesus is never satisfied with mere forgiveness. The Master's love implies rehabilitation, eternal survival. It is altogether proper to speak of salvation as redemption if you mean this eternal rehabilitation."

God's forgiveness is also forthcoming for our sinful acts:

(146:2.4) "...The Father in heaven has forgiven you even before you have thought to ask him..."

As for the second part of your question: There was a time on our planet when this belief that evil spirits could possess the minds of men did have some credibility...even in Jesus' time, there were rebel midwayers still roaming the earth - remnants of the Lucifer rebellion who were able to influence the minds of men - but since the day of Pentecost, over 2000 years ago, when the Spirit of Truth that Jesus promised was poured out upon all flesh, no evil spirit has had the power to affect the minds of mankind.

(77:7.8) "The entire group of rebel midwayers is at present held prisoner by order of the Most Highs of Edentia. No more do they roam this world on mischief bent. Regardless of the presence of the Thought Adjusters, the pouring out of the Spirit of Truth upon all flesh forever made it impossible for disloyal spirits of any sort or description ever again to invade even the most feeble of human minds. Since the day of Pentecost there never again can be such a thing as demoniacal possession."

As for the third part of your question: All of us sometimes have the feeling that we are influenced by factors out of our control, and yet, this does not necessarily denote mental illness; however, if a person is convinced that they are "severely mentally ill" it is of great importance that they go to see a medical professional as soon as possible...

And at any time, any person who feels ill - mentally or physically - can turn to prayer as a supplemental means of feeling better:

(91:6.2) "Prayer is not a technique for curing real and organic diseases, but it has contributed enormously to the enjoyment of abundant health and to the cure of numerous mental, emotional, and nervous ailments."

Thanks again for writing to us. Please click on the links provided to open the text and best wishes.

Labels: mental health, possession, prayer, redemption, salvation, The Urantia Book

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Monday, September 14, 2009

I am facing lots of problems. I need someone who can hear me.

Q: At this phase of life I am facing lots of problems. I need someone who can hear me.

A: Thanks for writing to us here at Truthbook.com.

I am sorry to hear that you are facing so many troubles right now. I think that all of us go through times where it seems that nothing is going right, and we just feel overwhelmed with it all.

And of course, one of the most valuable things to have in this life is someone who will be on our side, who will be with us no matter what, who believes in us, and most of all - someone who will LISTEN to us and actually HEAR what we are saying. The human heart longs for expression.

Ideally, you would be able to find a friend or family member who you would trust with your innermost thought and feelings; maybe that is part of your dilemma these days; maybe you feel misunderstood. Maybe your problems are just so severe, you have a hard time even putting them into words?

When we are having trouble finding what we need most - when our deepest expressions go unheard - when the company of our fellows is just not enough - the teachings of The Urantia Book help us to bridge the gap.

It might comfort you to know that Jesus himself experienced the very human feelings that you expressed in your note. He was in the middle of terrible trouble; he had no one who really understood him, no one to talk to; he felt alone; he suffered, in a very human way, all of these difficulties.

I would like to share a short story from the Life and Teachings of Jesus; this is the scene of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, just before his arrest:

(182:3.9) Jesus' heart was being crushed; he truly loved his brethren. He was isolated from his family in the flesh; one of his chosen associates was betraying him. His father Joseph's people had rejected him and thereby sealed their doom as a people with a special mission on earth. His soul was tortured by baffled love and rejected mercy. It was just one of those awful human moments when everything seems to bear down with crushing cruelty and terrible agony.

Jesus' humanity was not insensible to this situation of private loneliness, public shame, and the appearance of the failure of his cause. All these sentiments bore down on him with indescribable heaviness. In this great sorrow his mind went back to the days of his childhood in Nazareth and to his early work in Galilee. At the time of this great trial there came up in his mind many of those pleasant scenes of his earthly ministry. And it was from these old memories of Nazareth, Capernaum, Mount Hermon, and of the sunrise and sunset on the shimmering Sea of Galilee, that he soothed himself as he made his human heart strong and ready...

This was how Jesus managed to rise above one the most terrible times anyone could experience, and maybe in it, you'll find a way to help yourself, too, in the short-term. Even the memory of something as ordinary as a beautiful sunset was enough to lift the spirits of the Master. Abandon your cares for a moment; look for some beauty in your life; think on happier times for awhile.

Jesus always practiced communion with God as a way to find all the answers to the problems of life that he encountered; and there were many. He would often go apart by himself and talk to God in prayer. Here is one way for you to begin to solve your problems in the long-term. It is what Jesus taught:

(146:2.4) 3. By opening the human end of the channel of the God-man communication, mortals make immediately available the ever-flowing stream of divine ministry to the creatures of the worlds. When man hears God's spirit speak within the human heart, inherent in such an experience is the fact that God simultaneously hears that man's prayer.

You can read Jesus' entire discourse about prayer HERE

So, even if you lack a human source of the "listening ear," you can still do as Jesus did, and turn to your Father in Heaven. You can be of good cheer, for you are never alone in this life, as you carry God within your mind, so he is always as close as a thought, a longing, a prayer...with continued practice, you'll become more and more able to find him, and he will become your closest confidante. God wants to be your all, and he will eventually supply all that you need to overcome your problems, when you turn to him with an open heart. He knows you better than you know yourself...

Thanks again for writing to us. I hope that you begin feeling better very soon.

Labels: beauty, God within, happiness, Jesus, listening, prayer, problems

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Without associating with any religious sect can a soul which is knowledgeable in science and history make it to the higher realms?

Q: Without associating with any religious sect can a soul which is knowledgeable in science and history make it to the higher realms? Can relatives here on earth pray for a sleeping survivor to move him straight to the mansions?

A: Just as God is no respecter of persons, neither is God respecter of earthly religions -- there's none that's "better" in God's eyes than another. Whichever religious sect is most meaningful to you, or none at all, should be perfectly fine.

I presume by "soul" you're meaning "person" -- the soul is the transportation vehicle to the mansion worlds for the personality and life experiences of the person who has died and has no relationship to science or history, which are mindal activities. What's important to make it "to the higher realms" is spiritual development through spirit-led decisions as a mortal. The faintest flicker of faith is all that's really required for a soul to reach those higher realms after death.

And yes, certainly the relatives or acquaintances or even complete strangers can pray for those who've departed. It won't move them along any faster, for again since God is no respecter of persons... either those who are prayed after or those who are not. It's the decision of the angels how rapidly one is moved from the sleeping survivor condition to incarnation on mansion world number one -- the length of time between death and resurrection is of no real consequence. Sleeping survivors are generally resurrected as a group at the end of an age, or at a dispensational roll-call, such as occurred following the resurrection of Jesus from the tomb. He took a great many souls to heaven all at once.

May I 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 the marvelous Urantia 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.

Best wishes, and thank you for your question. I hope that the reply has been meaningful.

Labels: God, Mansion Worlds, prayer, religion, resurrection, soul, The Urantia Book

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They say If you make one step towards God, he takes 1000 toward you. I have taken all possible steps towards him but he never makes any step towards m

Q: They say If you make one step towards God, he takes 1000 toward you. I have taken all possible steps towards him but he never makes any step towards me. Why?

A: I wonder what kinds of steps towards God you have taken?

And then I wonder what kind of steps that you expect God to make towards you?

I wonder what your relationship is with God...do you have a relationship with him?

Since I don't know very much about you, I will answer your question with some solid teachings from The Urantia Book that may be of some help to you.

Most importantly, you should know that God dwells within you - in your mind. You can always find him there - he is there as your "pilot light" - the "lamp unto your feet." God is not an aloof Deity residing somewhere in Heaven, apart from his children. Even though he can be found in Paradise, he is also living your life with you at this very moment. Remember - God is a spirit, but he is also a personality. We can relate to him as a person - like the perfect father. No need for memorized prayers - just open your inmost heart to him, without any thought of reward or reply. Like any person, God responds to love and sincerity, and he will help you to connect to this Highest part of yourself, if that is your real desire.

God does hear us when we speak to him, and he does know when we are seeking him. I don't know why you have this sense that he has not made steps toward you...If you are not aware of the steps he is taking, maybe you are not looking in the right places...God's response to us is in the innermost reaches of our highest spiritual thinking, and may be more concerned with meeting your deepest needs and desires with values, not things. If you are looking in a material sense for evidence of God's steps in your direction, you may not ever see it without spiritual insight.

You might try some dedicated times of quiet mental reflection with just talking with God as your primary focus, and see if you get some kind of inspiration that way. But, before you start, find ten things to be grateful for, and thank God for your blessings. In these quiet times, ask God to help you recognize his answers to you. And then listen carefully...

Try to relax, and try to trust God more. Like any good father, he wants your trust and your faith - he wants you to love him like a happy child loves its faithful parent. Keep talking with God, and pay attention. You may be getting more evidence of his Presence than you expect...

I invite you to discover a new revelation of God, found in The Urantia Book. Please feel free to visit our page called "Finding God." Click there on any of the links to open up a whole new way to frame your approach to God.

Thanks for writing...

Labels: finding God, God, God within, God's voice, meditation, prayer, The Urantia Book

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Sunday, May 10, 2009

I have many questions about life, I need his guidance, I don't know what to do...

Q: I have many questions about life, I need his guidance, I don't know what to do...

A: You may not always feel his guidance, but never doubt or wonder about God's PRESENCE in your mind. He is as close as a thought, and he wants to help you. Quiet down your mind, and let yourself relax enough to hear that "still, small voice..." Return yourself to this present moment only, for that is where you'll find God - and think only about your breath for awhile. This will help you to remain in the minute. Relax.

(160:3.1)...meditation makes the contact of mind with spirit; relaxation determines the capacity for spiritual receptivity.

It is a challenge sometimes to really relax in body and mind, but every time you try, you'll get better at it. This will help you feel calmer, and will help you to be more open to what God has to say to you.

You are dearly loved by your heavenly Father. He knows what you are going through. You may not know what to do, but your Father does. Do your best to try some quiet times to practice relaxing, but even when you can't, you CAN turn your thoughts to God in any moment.

The answers to your questions will come...

Please write back if we can help with any questions about The Urantia Book. and in the meantime, I hope you'll take about three minutes, relax yourself, and have a look at one of our flash videos called "You'll Never Walk Alone."

Thanks for writing with your concerns...I hope this reply has been helpful

Labels: God, meditation, prayer, relaxation, The Urantia Book

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Why is life running so fast?

Q: Why is life running so fast? please can you tell something comforting?

A: Why is life running so fast? I'm sure it would be more comforting to us all if the pace of life slowed down. There have been periods of hundreds of thousands of years in human history where there was little if any personal, cultural, or societal change and today we experience more of those changes in just one year than most of humanity ever experienced in a lifetime.

Perhaps these extracts from The Urantia Book will provide some clarity:

Nature is a resultant of two cosmic factors: first, the immutability, perfection, and rectitude of Paradise Deity, and second, the experimental plans, executive blunders, insurrectionary errors, incompleteness of development, and imperfection of wisdom of creatures, from the highest to the lowest. Nature therefore carries a uniform, unchanging, majestic, and marvelous thread of perfection from the circle of eternity; but on each planet, and in each individual life, this nature is modified, qualified, and perchance marred by the acts, the mistakes, and the disloyalties of creatures; and therefore must nature ever be of a changing mood, whimsical withal, though stable underneath. (4:2.3)

Human life is an endless change unified by the stability of the unchanging personality. (112:5.20 )

When men pray for providential intervention in the circumstances of life, many times the answer to their prayer is their own changed attitudes toward life. (118:10.21)

Remember that the order of progressive evolution is subjected to sudden and unexpected periodical changes in both the material and the spiritual worlds. (170:4.4)

In terms of material and spiritual progress we have a long way to go in order to enter that more enlightened age that's destined to evolve. The accelerated pace of change that we're experiencing is an indication that that evolution is underway and even at this rapid rate our arrival at that state of relative peace and calm will be far into the distant future. As the quote above indicates, prayer is the best action for helping us accept the circumstances of life and for finding happiness during our fast-paced and tumultuous lives.

Finally, here is another reference that may be of help to you, as well as an inspiration for weathering these changes of modern life- Religion and Social Reconstruction.

Among other things in this section, we learn that "Mankind is on the march toward a new and unrevealed planetary destiny."

Thank you for the question...

Labels: change, life, personality, prayer, progress, The Urantia Book

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How can I improve my prayer life?

Q: I am a born again Christian and lately I can't pray, Every time I try to pray there are no words I can say and sometimes I feel so empty inside and I can't even understand what I am saying when I pray. How can I improve my prayer life?

A: When I read your question, this quote from The Urantia Book immediately came to mind:

(91:8.12) Words are irrelevant to prayer; they are merely the intellectual channel in which the river of spiritual supplication may chance to flow...God answers the soul's attitude, not the words.

If you want to improve your prayer life, try to just BE in the presence of God for a while without saying any memorized prayer words. Reach out to God with your inmost soul, and he'll surely help you to know what to do about your concern. Just doing that will possibly help you to feel better connected to God.

I think we all go through dry spells in our spiritual life - at least I do. It is uncomfortable to say the least, when we feel as though we are not able to talk to God as we once could; worse, that perhaps we are not being heard. We feel that emptiness so deeply. Refuse to yield to anxiety over this issue, but know that there is a light at the end of this tunnel that you are in...try to relax. God knows your desire.

Here are a couple of Urantia Book quotes to help you through this time in your life.

Jesus' Discourse on Prayer This link will inspire you to look at prayer as Jesus did.

And THIS is a link to a section of The Urantia Book which has always been of help to me with my prayer life. It deals with praying and the "alter ego," that part of us that comes into play when we "talk to ourselves..." Maybe it will be helpful to you right now.

In addition, you might go to our topical study on Prayer for more advice and inspiration from The Urantia Book.

Don't give up. I will agree with you right now in prayer that you'll turn the corner soon.

Thanks for this great question...

Labels: alter ego, God, Jesus, prayer, The Urantia Book

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Monday, October 06, 2008

How Can I Find God's Voice?

Q: How to find God's voice?

A: What I hear in your short sentence is a question regarding the voice of God, and how to hear that Voice within yourself.

Many of us have been instructed that God is within us, and The Urantia Book expands and enlarges this concept beautifully. We learn in its teachings that this spark of Divinity within is called the Thought Adjuster, and that it is an actual fragment of the Father himself:
__________
(148:6.10) ...the Father...speaks within the human heart as a still, small voice, saying, `This is the way; walk therein.' Do you not comprehend that God dwells within you, that he has become what you are that he may make you what he is!"
__________
Here is another quote regarding the voice of God-within:
__________
(110:7.9) While the voice of the Adjuster is ever within you, most of you will hear it seldom during a lifetime. Human beings below the third and second circles of attainment rarely hear the Adjuster's direct voice except in moments of supreme desire, in a supreme situation, and consequent upon a supreme decision.
__________
And this:
__________
(101:1.2) The Thought Adjuster has no special mechanism through which to gain self-expression; there is no mystic religious faculty for the reception or expression of religious emotions. These experiences are made available through the naturally ordained mechanism of mortal mind. And therein lies one explanation of the Adjuster's difficulty in engaging in direct communication with the material mind of its constant indwelling.

The divine spirit makes contact with mortal man, not by feelings or emotions, but in the realm of the highest and most spiritualized thinking. It is your thoughts, not your feelings, that lead you Godward. The divine nature may be perceived only with the eyes of the mind. But the mind that really discerns God, hears the indwelling Adjuster, is the pure mind. "Without holiness no man may see the Lord." All such inner and spiritual communion is termed spiritual insight. Such religious experiences result from the impress made upon the mind of man by the combined operations of the Adjuster and the Spirit of Truth as they function amid and upon the ideas, ideals, insights, and spirit strivings of the evolving sons of God.
_________
We see by these quotes that the best way to find this voice within is through our highest thinking, as that is where the combined Spirit of God (the Thought Adjuster) and the Spirit of Truth (Jesus) work together for our highest good.

Even though it may seem difficult from the above quotes to actually experience the hearing of God's voice, we are not left only with difficulty. A very practical way that The Urantia Book helps us to find and hear the Divine voice, is through the prayerful practice of conversing with our "alter ego." Consider this quote:
__________
(91:3.7) Enlightened prayer must recognize not only an external and personal God but also an internal and impersonal Divinity, the indwelling Adjuster. It is altogether fitting that man, when he prays, should strive to grasp the concept of the Universal Father on Paradise; but the more effective technique for most practical purposes will be to revert to the concept of a near-by alter ego, just as the primitive mind was wont to do, and then to recognize that the idea of this alter ego has evolved from a mere fiction to the truth of God's indwelling mortal man in the factual presence of the Adjuster so that man can talk face to face, as it were, with a real and genuine and divine alter ego that indwells him and is the very presence and essence of the living God, the Universal Father.
____________

Basically, we can "talk to ourselves," a practice that we all naturally learn to do as children, when we have inner conversations with an imaginary companion. As we grow, and as we desire closer communication with God, we may ennoble that concept to become the reality of a conversation with God-within.

Please click here for the entire section on Prayer and the Alter-Ego.

Labels: alter ego, God, God within, God's voice, prayer, The Urantia Book, Thought Adjuster

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Saturday, March 08, 2008

Hold Me Jesus

Video of Rich Mullins singing "Hold Me Jesus." This prayerful plea to the Prince of Peace will inspire and comfort.

Labels: Jesus, peace, prayer, Rich Mullins, video

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Saturday, January 19, 2008

Calling Out Your Name

Calling Out Your Name by Rich Mullins

Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer
The whisper of a prayer
And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames

Chorus:
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith that can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring
Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains

Repeat chorus

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope
The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain

Repeat Chorus

And I know this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
I feel thunder in the sky
I see the sky about to rain
And with the prairies I am calling out Your name

Labels: God, majesty, nature, prayer, Rich Mullins, video

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Prayer

The Prayer by Charlotte Church and Josh Groban

Labels: God, prayer, video

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Friday, December 14, 2007

The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is a prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr on July 1, 1943. Early in World War II, the prayer was printed on cards and distributed to the troops by the U.S.O.
Music by Enya (May It Be).

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Labels: Enya, Jesus, peace, prayer, serenity, video

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Saturday, February 03, 2007

Difficult Forgiveness

Q: My father was a violent, abusive man, in every way possible and imaginable. He is 81 now, and while not physically violent anymore (although the threat is always there), he is still horribly verbally abusive. Not all the time, just most of the time. The damage done to me in childhood has been a central theme of my entire adult life. I have been in and out of therapy to try and sort it all out. I am just plain tired of giving so much of my energy to this man. I am not even angry anymore. I just want to move on. There are still things that therapy can and will help with, but it's not addressing the spiritual aspects.

I am truly torn about forgiving him. I have tried and even succeeded about some of the lesser evils, but it's not enough. But the big stuff is much harder. I love him, and I want to hurt him too; I want him to feel as badly as I do for what he did to me. I used to want to make peace between us, but it just isn't possible as he refuses to accept any responsibility. He claims nothing ever happened. So whatever peace is made will be one-sided, but that's what I want most anyway -- I want to find a way to put this to rest in my own heart and get on with my life before it's all used up.

The bible preaches forgiveness, I know that. And I know that it's for my own peace. But I just cannot let it go no matter how hard I try. Maybe I don't know how.
What does the UB have to say about such things?

A: The Urantia Book does have a lot to say about forgiveness but most of it relates to us asking for God's forgiveness. Here are 4 quotes though that come closest to addressing the problem you've described. The first quote, although talking about sin in a more cosmic sense, does present the attitude of the sinner which parallels what you've said about your father.

And when sin has so many times been chosen and so often been repeated, it may become habitual. Habitual sinners can easily become iniquitous, become wholehearted rebels against the universe and all of its divine realities. While all manner of sins may be forgiven, we doubt whether the established iniquiter would ever sincerely experience sorrow for his misdeeds or accept forgiveness for his sins. (67:1.6)
The second quote indicates that the idea of confession and forgiveness germinated in primitive religious concepts and rituals. If you're looking for something akin to "closure" you're bound to be disappointed -- there is no such condition. In true forgiveness, you give up the attachment, that link you've formed with the one you're forgiving such that it no longer exerts control over your thoughts and emotions even though the wrong remains real.

The idea of confession and forgiveness early appeared in primitive religion. Men would ask forgiveness at a public meeting for sins they intended to commit the following week. Confession was merely a rite of remission, also a public notification of defilement, a ritual of crying "unclean, unclean!" Then followed all the ritualistic schemes of purification. All ancient peoples practiced these meaningless ceremonies. Many apparently hygienic customs of the early tribes were largely ceremonial. (89:2.5)

The next quote indicates that in God's eyes your father is as worthy of love as you are. In the last sentence it suggests that your prayer may be most effective if it focuses on your own self-control.

In all your praying be fair; do not expect God to show partiality, to love you more than his other children, your friends, neighbors, even enemies. But the prayer of the natural or evolved religions is not at first ethical, as it is in the later revealed religions. All praying, whether individual or communal, may be either egoistic or altruistic. That is, the prayer may be centered upon the self or upon others. When the prayer seeks nothing for the one who prays nor anything for his fellows, then such attitudes of the soul tend to the levels of true worship. Egoistic prayers involve confessions and petitions and often consist in requests for material favors. Prayer is somewhat more ethical when it deals with forgiveness and seeks wisdom for enhanced self-control. (92:4.3)

This last quote is a partial synopsis of the core values of Jesus' teachings. It suggests that if you could love your father as Jesus loved, the forgiveness you seek would dispel the influence the sins of your father exert upon you and you would in effect be rehabilitated. Jesus is our model; we should seek to be more like him.

The cross forever shows that the attitude of Jesus toward sinners was neither condemnation nor condonation, but rather eternal and loving salvation. Jesus is truly a savior in the sense that his life and death do win men over to goodness and righteous survival. Jesus loves men so much that his love awakens the response of love in the human heart. Love is truly contagious and eternally creative. Jesus' death on the cross exemplifies a love which is sufficiently strong and divine to forgive sin and swallow up all evil-doing. Jesus disclosed to this world a higher quality of righteousness than justice--mere technical right and wrong. Divine love does not merely forgive wrongs; it absorbs and actually destroys them. The forgiveness of love utterly transcends the forgiveness of mercy. Mercy sets the guilt of evil-doing to one side; but love destroys forever the sin and all weakness resulting therefrom. Jesus brought a new method of living to Urantia. He taught us not to resist evil but to find through him a goodness which effectually destroys evil. The forgiveness of Jesus is not condonation; it is salvation from condemnation. Salvation does not slight wrongs; it makes them right. True love does not compromise nor condone hate; it destroys it. The love of Jesus is never satisfied with mere forgiveness. The Master's love implies rehabilitation, eternal survival. It is altogether proper to speak of salvation as redemption if you mean this eternal rehabilitation. (188:5.2)

The citations at the end of the quotes will take you to the context of the quote.
A full and thorough examination of the life and teachings of Jesus can and does provide the best therapy for the heart, mind, and soul that we can experience here on earth. You can love your father, but you may not like him. You may forgive him but that does not absolve him of the pain he's caused you except that now your mind will no longer be compelled to dwell upon it.

Thank you for your question and may God bless you.

Larry Watkins
Truthbook.com

Labels: abuse, forgiveness, Jesus, love, prayer, The Urantia Book, violence

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Wednesday, February 22, 2006

How do I hear the Voice from God?

Q: How do I hear the Voice from God?

A: The Urantia Book tells us that even Jesus wasn't always certain he heard God so don't be discouraged if you don't think you're hearing God. There's a part of God in you that's with you always - whether you're aware of God's presence or not God is there with you, but you'll feel closest to God when you pray, worship, or meditate, so if you'd like to have a closer relationship with God then devote quiet time to these practices.

Labels: God, Jesus, meditation, prayer, worship

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Thursday, January 19, 2006

What does The Urantia Book say about pyschic abilities?

Q: What does The Urantia Book say about pyschic abilities?

A: As with some other terms, the use of the word "psychic" in The Urantia Book requires the student of the text to keep the term in context with the topic the book is presenting. When we think of pyschic we usually think of a sense or ability outside of the normal ones or a mystical experience. The Urantia Book speaks of seven psychic circles of spiritual and mental development which don't readily relate to the concept we usually entertain for psychic ability.

I believe that science has proven that all normal minded humans naturally have psychic ability to some degree and that some people have psychic ability more fully developed than others do, just as some people are more musically inclined than others are. There are classes one can take to help develop psychic ability. Still, The Urantia Book warns against over emphasis of or involvement in mystical practices as they tend to lead one away from the path of true spiritual development.

I've extracted several paragraphs from the text that may help explain what The Urantia Book teaches about psychic abilities.

Paper 91 Section 2 Para 2 Page 995 Line 43 Para 8
Both prayer and magic arose as a result of man's adjustive reactions to Urantian environment. But aside from this generalized relationship, they have little in common. Prayer has always indicated positive action by the praying ego; it has been always psychic and sometimes spiritual. Magic has usually signified an attempt to manipulate reality without affecting the ego of the manipulator, the practitioner of magic. Despite their independent origins, magic and prayer often have been interrelated in their later stages of development. Magic has sometimes ascended by goal elevation from formulas through rituals and incantations to the threshold of true prayer. Prayer has sometimes become so materialistic that it has degenerated into a pseudomagical technique of avoiding the expenditure of that effort which is requisite for the solution of Urantian problems.

Paper 100 Section 4 Para 2 Page 1097 Line 36 Para 7
Religious perplexities are inevitable; there can be no growth without psychic conflict and spiritual agitation. The organization of a philosophic standard of living entails considerable commotion in the philosophic realms of the mind. Loyalties are not exercised in behalf of the great, the good, the true, and the noble without a struggle. Effort is attendant upon clarification of spiritual vision and enhancement of cosmic insight. And the human intellect protests against being weaned from subsisting upon the nonspiritual energies of temporal existence. The slothful animal mind rebels at the effort required to wrestle with cosmic problem solving.

Paper 100 Section 5 Para 4 Page 1099 Line 11 Para 2
Most of the spectacular phenomena associated with so called religious conversions are entirely psychologic in nature, but now and then there do occur experiences which are also spiritual in origin. When the mental mobilization is absolutely total on any level of the psychic upreach toward spirit attainment, when there exists perfection of the human motivation of loyalties to the divine idea, then there very often occurs a sudden down grasp of the indwelling spirit to synchronize with the concentrated and consecrated purpose of the superconscious mind of the believing mortal. And it is such experiences of unified intellectual and spiritual phenomena that constitute the conversion which consists in factors over and above purely psychologic involvement.

Paper 100 Section 5 Para 6 Page 1099 Line 25 Para 4
If one is disposed to recognize a theoretical subconscious mind as a practical working hypothesis in the otherwise unified intellectual life, then, to be consistent, one should postulate a similar and corresponding realm of ascending intellectual activity as the superconscious level, the zone of immediate contact with the indwelling spirit entity, the Thought Adjuster. The great danger in all these psychic speculations is that visions and other so called mystic experiences, along with extraordinary dreams, may be regarded as divine communications to the human mind. In times past, divine beings have revealed themselves to certain God knowing persons, not because of their mystic trances or morbid visions, but in spite of all these phenomena.

Paper 100 Section 5 Para 10 Page 1100 Line 4 Para 1
The more healthful attitude of spiritual meditation is to be found in reflective worship and in the prayer of thanksgiving. The direct communion with one's Thought Adjuster, such as occurred in the later years of Jesus' life in the flesh, should not be confused with these so called mystical experiences. The factors which contribute to the initiation of mystic communion are indicative of the danger of such psychic states. The mystic status is favored by such things as: physical fatigue, fasting, psychic dissociation, profound aesthetic experiences, vivid sex impulses, fear, anxiety, rage, and wild dancing. Much of the material arising as a result of such preliminary preparation has its origin in the subconscious mind.

Paper 110 Section 4 Para 3 Page 1207 Line 13 Para 3
Certain abrupt presentations of thoughts, conclusions, and other pictures of mind are sometimes the direct or indirect work of the Adjuster; but far more often they are the sudden emergence into consciousness of ideas which have been grouping themselves together in the submerged mental levels, natural and everyday occurrences of normal and ordinary psychic function inherent in the circuits of the evolving animal mind. (In contrast with these subconscious emanations, the revelations of the Adjuster appear through the realms of the superconscious.)

Labels: magic, meditation, prayer, psychics, The Urantia Book

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Wednesday, January 18, 2006

How does a person forgive a mother's wrong?

Q: How does a person forgive a mother's wrong (adultery)?

A: Perhaps it isn't up to you so much to forgive as it is to learn to accept the weaknesses or wrongs of another. God forgives; we must learn to let go and to accept things as they are.

Here are several paragraphs from The Urantia Book that may be of help to you â€“ the links will take you into the text of the book.

God is inherently kind, naturally compassionate, and everlastingly merciful. And never is it necessary that any influence be brought to bear upon the Father to call forth his loving kindness. The creature's need is wholly sufficient to insure the full flow of the Father's tender mercies and his saving grace. Since God knows all about his children, it is easy for him to forgive. The better man understands his neighbor, the easier it will be to forgive him, even to love him. (2:4.2)

In all your praying be fair; do not expect God to show partiality, to love you more than his other children, your friends, neighbors, even enemies. But the prayer of the natural or evolved religions is not at first ethical, as it is in the later revealed religions. All praying, whether individual or communal, may be either egoistic or altruistic. That is, the prayer may be centered upon the self or upon others. When the prayer seeks nothing for the one who prays nor anything for his fellows, then such attitudes of the soul tend to the levels of true worship. Egoistic prayers involve confessions and petitions and often consist in requests for material favors. Prayer is somewhat more ethical when it deals with forgiveness and seeks wisdom for enhanced self control. (91:4.3)

A wise man is occupied with the search for truth, not in seeking for a mere living. To attain the perfection of Heaven is the goal of man. The superior man is given to self adjustment, and he is free from anxiety and fear. God is with you; have no doubt in your heart. Every good deed has its recompense. The superior man murmurs not against Heaven nor holds a grudge against men. What you do not like when done to yourself, do not to others. (131:9.4)

It has been said that if one TRULY repents, one will be forgiven. BUT, we often times make the same mistake, even though we know the things we do are wrong and ask forgiveness again. Are we forgiven as many times as needed? OR are we forgiven once. I cannot seem to reconcile that. How many chances do I have before I'm given up on?

Your concerns seem to be based upon your understanding of the judgmental and wrathful God portrayed in the Bible. Other religions see other facets of God and in The Urantia Book we learn of the God that Jesus came to disclose to the world, a loving heavenly Father.

We're not divine beings, we're human beings, the lowest rung on the ladder of free will creatures. As such, we're prone to learn by making mistakes - in fact, we're expected to make mistakes. And in making mistakes we're not condemned because of them - sin and error are simply part of the makeup of being human.

God forgives our errors and our sins as we acknowledge them and ask for forgiveness. God never gives up on you. Jesus mentions forgiving the wrongdoer seventy times and seven - not many of us would commit the same mistake that many times without acquiring the lesson behind it so you can expect that you have more chances than you will ever use up.

The real question you've asked though is how bad can you be yet still be assured of everlasting survival. The Urantia Book makes it clear that our eternal survival is assured so long as we have a flicker of faith, have some measure of desire to do God's will, and choose to survive of our own volition. Even very bad people here on earth can meet those requirements. Those choosing to live bad lives will have most unhappy life experiences here although ample opportunity is provided for making amends once we've passed beyond this life.

One other aspect of your question comes to mind: what you're seeing as mistakes may or may not actually be mistakes. Differing cultures around the world judge the same action in various ways so what may be perceived as a mistake in one could be perceived as perfectly natural in another. What you may want to do, rather than condemn yourself, is to attempt to see your actions from God's perspective before judging yourself.

Labels: adultery, forgiveness, God, Jesus, prayer, survival, The Urantia Book

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Saturday, October 22, 2005

Contacting God

Q: How do we make direct contact with the thought adjuster?

A: How do you contact God? Through prayer and through your inner life. How do you make direct contact with God? By soul-fusion with your adjuster. How do you do these things? You don't do them -- you live and experience and grow and eventually, far into the future, it happens but it's not a task to be performed. We're give this one opportunity to experience a material existence and the rest of eternity to experience a spirit existence. Enjoy being human, it won't happen again, and enjoy it to the fullest using the Golden Rule and the teachings of Jesus as your guide -- what can be better than this?

Labels: experience, God, Jesus, prayer, Thought Adjuster

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