Early Ham lessons (April-May '91)

[CalvinMcke at aol.com]

Good Sunday morning all,

Here are the second entry of early Ham lessons. Again, the personal questions
and answers were deleted. 

With Love, 

Calvin


APRIL 4, 1991                     
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN - FREEDOM FROM MEANINGLESS TRADITION.

	The Kingdom of Heaven is not meat and drink. The Kingdom of Heaven is
spiritual. This is a fundamental, basic concept that is missed so often by the
churches of the world. When Jesus walked the earth His teachings were more
advanced than could be grasped at that time and even in this time. These
teachings are the fundamental building blocks which we will use to expand and
clarify for the enlightenment of mankind. 
	The light of the world. "While I am in the world I am the light of the
world," said Jesus. And now we have come to kindle this light once more, to
proclaim liberty. Liberty to spiritual captives. To bring the good news to
those who sit in darkness. A message of joy and hope is what we should offer.
Liberty - freedom from meaningless tradition, or outdated tradition, perhaps
would be more precise. 
	Tradition, you see, has an inertia of its own and comes down, is passed down,
through the ages from generation to generation--on and on, until the meaning
of these traditions is practically worthless in modern day. With such rapid
changes, these traditions become quickly outdated as you can witness in the
Muslim world. For example, the borrowing and lending of money with interest is
not allowed, yet the economic necessity for such procedures is overwhelming.
Therefore, the economy suffers and stagnates under the weight of a mores that
is no longer relevant in the modern world. 
	Long ago on your world there existed a tradition that a man should beat his
wife. This was not "could", it was a "should" beat his wife - as a regular
practice. Of course this tradition is in modern eyes,  a ridiculous thing and
abhorrent. Yet it was a tradition nonetheless and honored at the time. There
are many such examples. Therefore, it becomes of necessity to distinguish that
which is of a purely traditional and cultural nature and that which has
spiritual significance and meaning. 	The most significant tradition could be
found in the ‘sacrament,' which certainly can be practiced freely, the bread
and wine that Christ gave in the Last Supper. This is an example of a
meaningful tradition. He said, "Do this, do this in remembrance of me." It has
meaning. 
        The Kingdom of Heaven is like a  grinding stone grinding wheat. The
Kingdom of Heaven makes smooth, makes useable. The Kingdom of Heaven makes
smooth the coarseness of life. The Kingdom of Heaven gives meaning to
tradition. The Kingdom of Heaven gives light and hope and freedom to the soul.
It will sustain and nurture all aspects of life, and will remain itself intact
- as water remains water. 
	I see stone grinding, grinding wheat. This work is the work of the Kingdom of
Heaven. This preparation of that which was raw, which was wild, which was un-
usable - is ground by the Kingdom of Heaven and made useable, made nourishing,
made sustaining. The Kingdom of Heaven will transform that which is growing
wild into the bread of life for the service of mankind. Yes. 
	The Kingdom of Heaven is like the threshing floor. It works to separate the
wheat from the chaff. The Kingdom of Heaven is active. It is a living,
spiritual, active reality. These basic concepts are much spoken of in your
churches but not well understood. We hope that through many lessons such as
this, to clarify these ideas and strengthen your faith in them, for the basis
of our work has been laid long ago, and we need only to look at the gospel
with fresh eyes. 



APRIL 11, 1991     
THE THOUGHT VERSUS THE  EXPERIENCE  REALITY  OF  GOD

	There exists a difference between the idea or the thought of God on the one
hand and the experience - reality of Him on the other. Most people have the
idea of the Lord as a abstraction almost with very little interpersonal
communion or feeling development, soul development. It is the experiencing of
God which develops the soul. It is the mental capacity for understanding this
experience, humanizing this experience, and personalizing this experience
which causes those spiritual forces to mobilize and cause spiritual growth for
the individual. 
	There is no spiritual growth without thought, without the thinking,
reasoning, wise understanding of the spiritual experience. At first, this
experience is limited and fleeting, yet if it is pursued wisely, sagaciously,
this experience becomes, and makes the individual become, more and more real
as you realize your potential, spiritual growth. This active transfer of
purely spiritual, and with mental energies, cause the phenomenon of soul
growth. This soul becomes a morontia reality even while you are yet mortal