[tmtranscripts] Ham on Free Will

[David Schlundt]

10-5-2003

Ham: Greetings, children, I am Ham and I am happy that you have come 
this evening. Tonight, let us discuss understanding, free will, and 
appreciating this gift. My friends, each human being is blessed with 
free will within limits. And, as your spirituality, your morontia soul, 
grows so does your freedom.

The immature human has freedom within a very limited sphere and with 
your growing maturity your freedom begins to enlarge. Then, as you 
advance in the universe during your morontia life, your freedom enlarges 
still more. It is a seeming paradox to the immature soul who may see the 
following of God's will as a narrowing of freedom. Actually, the reverse 
is true. Opening up to God's will enlarges your sphere of action and 
choice. And the more one concedes to doing the Father's will, the more 
freedom one experiences. Great is the realm of choice given to one 
following the Father's will.

The Father constantly seeks to expand your freedom, to give more to 
those who already follow his will in freedom. The universe is created in 
order to give as much freedom to each level of being as possible. The 
more you value increases in the universe, the freer you become.

The Father desires that you should love him. But, if that love were not 
given freely would not that love be of lesser value? Love freely given 
and freely received is of ever increasing value. The more you value 
someone, the more you love them, and the more you love them, the more 
you value them. The Father's love is ever expanding. It is not something 
that remains on a static level. Rather, his love is ever expanding as 
your ability to receive it expands.

The more your soul expands in receiving his love, the more love you are 
able to bestow on others and on him. And these things are precious to 
God. The highest thing you can give God is your love and your love of 
others as well. Both of these gifts are a great treasure and this 
precious treasure is ever expanding. Love is not confined. Love is ever 
flowing, giving and receiving, never static. It is not imprisoned, it is 
free.

Likewise, your spiritual progress is one of increasingly throwing off 
the old shackles, the old traditions and thought processes, the old 
cultural and religious imprisonments of faith. Spiritual growth involves 
expansion and change. The old can no longer contain your spirit, for you 
have expanded beyond its confines and now operate on a higher and freer 
level of life experience.

You are all having varying experiences, but all of you are experiencing 
a new freedom, a new way of seeing yourselves and of experiencing your 
lives. There is nothing so exhilarating, so exciting, so freeing as 
living in the spirit. Freedom of your will is expanded as you consecrate 
this will to the Father. The Father so values you soul that he confers 
upon you as much freedom as you can handle.

A life of faith is a life of change and experiencing change very often 
creates fear and fear is a pulling back from freedom. Fear creates the 
desire for the safety of the old. But a life of faith requires that you 
continually strike out into the new and use the great freedom the Father 
bestows. The Father's plan requires this striking out for to follow him 
means also to leave behind that which was and its safety and to strike 
out into what is new and unknown where there can be fear.

My friends, courage lies very much with your willingness to be led into 
the new and to be excited by the freedom and the challenges which come 
with it. Many human beings come up to the edge of spiritual adventure 
and then pull back in fear because the old way of being, the old way of 
seeing yourself, has safety.

But my friends, the Father's freedom awaits and all things become new 
and this is the great adventure of living. Can you leave behind the old 
and embrace the new? Can you allow yourselves to grow, to expand, and to 
be exhilarated by the unknown? Can you cast off in your little boat of 
faith out on to the high seas of spiritual adventure? Of course you can.

Embrace your new found freedom. Embrace the adventures that lie before 
you. Have complete faith that the Father himself will guide your 
footsteps and whisper in your ear, this is the way. Don't pull back and 
cheat yourselves of this great adventure. It awaits each one of you.

Are there questions at this time?

Q: Am I correct in understanding that it is the Father's will that we 
are free to choose. In some situations, is there a single option of 
choice that is the Father's will and in other situations the Father's 
will is that we choose from among several acceptable options? Are you 
also saying that the more we progress in our spiritual growth, the more 
we are allowed to choose from among different paths or options? Are 
these the time we are allowed to be creative?

Ham: First, there is one great decision to be made, the decision to know 
God and to become increasingly like him. This is the decision to follow 
the Father's will. This decision then allows within it many decisions 
and you are free to make these choices and to follow what may seem to be 
many paths but which are really only one path. Yes, freedom is the 
freedom to be creative. True freedom is that true creativity, that 
original thinking, and individual expression of God. You are the only 
one who holds your potential and that potential is only released in 
freedom. It is very saddening for us to observe many a great potential 
be squashed by religious or cultural restraint or convention. The law of 
Moses prohibiting the creation of graven images, or idols, stifled 
artistic creation over centuries upon centuries. This is unfortunate and 
very sad for there were many artistic geniuses who were held within the 
confines of their religion and culture and prohibited from 
self-expression. The Master said, you will know the truth and it will 
make you free. The truth is the Father's love for who you are and his 
love for your great potential in expression. In the Father's Kingdom 
there is freedom. In the Kingdoms of the world, unfortunately, there is 
not. Is this helping?

Q: Yes, and I will read it over and think about it too. I think it will 
help a great deal.

Ham: Religion as you have know it has been a great stifling force of 
human creativity. But, the Master's life and teachings are changing this 
and his words continue to free the spiritual captives, even to this day. 
Be free, be yourself. This was his message. Reflect God in your own way 
rather than conforming and to a set of societal or religious 
proscriptions. And, even further, break out of the old shackles you have 
put on yourself, who you see yourself to be and embrace the greater 
vision of how God sees you.

Q: I know that you have addressed this many times, but since this lesson 
is about this in particular. Does one actively seek to do God's will and 
thus desire or gain freedom or is one better off to relax into have this 
freedom or choice of God's will open on you somehow? That is about the 
best I can do with it.

Ham: Yes my daughter, there is time for both things. In each life, there 
are periods. Sometimes it is best to relax, as you say, to wait upon the 
Father's call so to speak. It is hard for the Father to call you if you 
are too busy to hear him and many people rush from one thing to the next 
with no period of reflection. It is best to have these things alternate. 
The Master used this pattern with the apostles, a period of activity, 
then a period of rest and reflection. Both are needed for a balanced 
life and both are needed to carry out the Father's bidding. Is this helping?

Q: Yes, I can't hear it enough.

Q: Yes Ham, I would like to know if you have a message for me?

Ham: Certainly my son. You do very well and are making very good 
progress in your life. You have a great deal of love within you and you 
area always willing to bestow this love very freely. This is a great 
gift. Do not become discouraged, for your faith is very strong. You have 
more faith than you think you do and you may draw upon this faith 
freely. Your way will have many twists and turns, but your consecration 
to the Father's will and to knowing God is very strong and it will carry 
you through all the little ups and downs of life ahead. It is always 
true to the God knowing, Kingdom believer what does it matter if the 
things of this world should fall. The spirit always beckons forward and 
the way is made in all circumstances. Have peace and joy and laughter.

Q: May I ask for a message for Jim, please.

Ham: Certainly. My son, you do well. Think about this lesson and the 
many shackles you have removed and the many shackles you still wear. 
Give yourself permission to evaluate these things. Think about what 
freedom is and where it is found and be at peace. All is well.

Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?

Ham: Yes, my daughter, you are breaking out of your old fear traps, the 
traps you set for yourself to keep you from shining too brightly or 
going too far, the old traps of feeling unworthy and so making changes 
difficult. But, now, my daughter, you are going through some change and 
leaving behind these old patterns that no longer serve you, that you now 
see have not served you. Go forth with courage and tenacity making bold 
strides rather than tentative ones. The Master will be with you at every 
step.

Q: Jarad?

Ham: Of course, my son. You are likewise going through some change. You 
are beginning to be able to see yourself through the Master's eyes and 
so you are coming to value yourself and to understand yourself. You are 
growing in balance, in faith, and in judgement, and in perspective. Be 
at ease as you go forward in the new life. Have peace in your heart. 
Open increasingly to love. Allow the way to be shown. Don't be in a 
hurry to force anything, but be at ease.

Q: Do you have anything for PZ?

Ham: Certainly. Be at ease for you are growing in faith and trust in 
God. Allow the difficulties of life to help you move forward in faith. 
The way will be shown toward greater love, greater acceptance, and 
greater joy as you go. Have no fear, you do very well.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Charlie B?

Ham: Certainly, my son. You do very well. Your path continues to be 
difficult and so it should be. Difficulties only spur on the 
God-knowing, Kingdom-believer. And so it is. Be unafraid for all the 
experiences the Father has for you will be valuable. Have faith and 
confidence. That is all.

Q: Do you have any feedback for me this week Ham?

Ham: Yes my son. You are doing very well. The way of the spirit 
continues to open and you continue to follow, little by little, day by 
day. Have complete peace in your heart for you are doing very well in 
all things. Continue to expand your love of others. Have peace as you 
move forward.

Are there any further questions at this time? Very well then, my 
friends, you do well. Have peace as you move forth, have courage as you 
test your wings, have trust in the Father completely and rest in 
complete assurance that your lives increasingly reflect the Father's love.


-- 
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David G. Schlundt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Vanderbilt University
301 Wilson Hall
Nashville, TN  37203

Phone: (615)322-7800
Fax: (615) 343-8449
Email: David.Schlundt at Vanderbilt.edu
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Beauty is that which attracts the soul,
and that which loves to give and not
to receive

Kahlil Gibran
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