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<p><font size="+1">How about a memorable quote to start with?</font></p>
<p>"<font face="Arial" size="2"><font size="+1">To those certain of our
Father’s loving mercy, there is no task too great or problem too
difficult to overcome with his help".</font></font><br>
</p>
<p><font size="+1"><br>
November 28, 2004</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Greetings, children, I am Ham and I am happy to
be with you this evening once more. Tonight let us continue our
discussion of spiritual progress and increasing love. As you grow in
the spirit, truly your spiritual presence becomes more real, more
evident. The morontia soul grows and becomes evident to others who
perceive through their souls the presence of yours as your soul
perceives the presence of other souls, indeed, as you perceive my
presence without the benefit of a material body. The fact in your
experience of knowing me as distinct from any living human becomes a
permanent part of your agondonter status and evolving character. As
your souls shine forth from your bodies, more and more you will attract
light and love from the souls of others. This knowing is beyond simply
rational thought. It is the knowing of experience, not simply the
knowing of the mental process. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">The fact of spiritual experience forever separates
those truth seeking adventurers from those who seek simply mental
certainty. For true religion encompasses total experience and is not
simply a rational formula. Rather, the thrill of discovering truth,
beauty and goodness for yourselves becomes the greatest spiritual
value. This experience cannot be transferred. Each human must embark on
his own spiritual quest. Each person must discover for himself those
spiritual values and moral certainties born of true spiritual
experience. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Society may be stabilized by religious systems, but
the individual must discover spirit individually in order to make
spiritual progress. Society then can only move forward in the spirit by
the movement of each individual religionist finding his own way amid
the murky, moral milieu of the modern age. Each generation must
rediscover the life of Jesus and must cultivate the seeds planted by
his life anew. Restating the gospel is important, but each individual
must rediscover his matchless life for himself or herself. You cannot
remain trapped in the interpretations of the past. Rather, you must
fearlessly examine the meaning and the purpose contained within the
Master’s words and deeds every generation. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">The values contained within those seeds must be
allowed to bloom and to make fruit in the soil of the present day. In
this you will find the wisdom of the ages and moral certainty and
comfort amid the chaos and moral murkiness which confronts every
generation. The seeds of the gospel have sprouted many times and each
time civilization has benefitted and morality has moved forward. Though
the humanly preserved record is scanty, faulty, and lacking in many
respects – the seeds are nonetheless available there for an even
greater flowering of true Christianity that will move your spiritual
concepts forward as you bequeath this world to generations of the
future. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Religionists must constantly keep contact with the
living spirit, for the spirit is your only true guidance. Religion,
without spirit – that is religion of the mind – is dead. It holds no
promise for the future and cannot meaningfully contribute in the
present. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">You my children have been given much and so from you
much is required. You will certainly make your way in the spirit and
this making of the way will be of great help to others who come after
you. You have each dared to find the Master for yourselves. You have
each dared to open your hearts to his spirit and his presence. You are
living proof that spiritual advancement brings with it an ever
increasing ability to feel the presence of God and to feel this
presence at all times. Feeling God’s presence is experiential knowing.
It is the peace that passes understanding and this my children is what
you are beginning to experience now. Let this peace be a source of
strength, comfort, and let your words and actions reflect the peace and
comfort you experience thereby giving peace and comfort to others as
well. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">To those certain of our Father’s loving mercy, there
is no task too great or problem too difficult to overcome with his
help. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1"> </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Could you elaborate more on what you meant by
religion of the mind? It seems to me that it can come in many forms,
from the fear-based fundamentalism, to rule-based moralities, to the
Urantia book readers who believe the words but have a hard time taking
the leap of faith into real spiritual experience. Can you help me
understand that better?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes my son. The religion of the mind does not
escape the realm of philosophy. It may be rational and comprehensive
but it cannot find true morality for often such systems replace what is
moral with simply what is ethical. The Sanhedren criticized Christ for
healing on the Sabbath day thereby elevating a system of religious
rules over human need. Thus the religion of the mind could not escape
from rational logic into higher spiritual truths. So in that sense, one
can live one’s life completely within the confines of religion and its
rules without penetrating the morality behind the rules. You have the
freedom to break rules and thus to lay hold of higher morality. When
religion interferes with that freedom, religion itself becomes immoral.
This is a great human battle that has been fought throughout human
history and will continue to be fought for some years to come. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Often when I try to penetrate to the morality
underneath the rules, I find that I do not end up in a position of
moral certainty. I often end up with questions and doubts. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Of course my son. The thrill of living the truly
religious life is not to be had in absolutes. You can only find truth
by going through the veil of uncertainty. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Ham, may I have a message please.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Of course my son, you are doing well. My son,
you are doing well. You are finding ever greater peace and spiritual
gladness in your heart despite the physical trauma and uncertainty of
the body you are experiencing. Your soul will continue to grow and
develop in spite of and even because of the difficulties and
uncertainty of your health. The pearl of great price is being purchased
in your life my son. Be ever willing to pay any price for the eternal
life to come is worth any pain, any suffering, and any price. The pain
of earthly existence lasts but a short time while the joys of eternal
life are forever. Seek ever after the joy of the spirit through love of
your fellows, your family, and your friends. The love of God, as it is
tasted in the material life, is but a faint portent of the love you
will experience in the worlds to come. Demonstrate your faith through
love. Reinforce your faith through love and give of your faith through
love. Love is the path of the Master. Follow him and all is well. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Ham, may I have a personal message this evening
please?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Of course my daughter, you are doing well. As
you make your way forward, you will find steps placed before you and as
you climb these steps you will find ever greater loving acceptance and
ever greater self-acceptance as well. My daughter, you are unique in
the universe. You are uniquely loved by God. You are a unique
expression of his love. So as you express your self in the world, you
are giving something uniquely valuable no one else can give. For each
of you, this is so. As you, my dear, grow in the spirit, you grow in
your value estimation of that spirit. You cannot do this without
growing in your value estimation of your self. Embrace this growing
awareness. Be unafraid of who you are and unafraid to give what you
have to offer. May our Father’s blessings continue to multiply in your
life my dear. Continue to accept those things the Father give you with
gratitude, humility, and faith. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes, my daughter, you are doing very well. You
are stepping up upon the steps the Master places before you with
courage and grace. Be of good cheer as you go about the tasks before
you. Have great faith and let your faith multiply as the evidence of
things unseen becomes clear. Let your faith be a light in the darkness
and let your faith be a comfort for those in distress. Lean ever upon
the Master’s arm as he leads you forward upon the path of his choosing.
Step-by-step you will arrive at your true destiny and thus be a
way-shower of sorts for others. Be at peace my daughter, you are doing
well. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Jarad?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: My son, you are doing well. You also have much
before you and must advance step-by-step through each successive level
of spiritual awareness. As your spiritual comfort grows, you will find
ever increasing realms of action as well. You artistic realm of action
continues to grow and expand. You will soon find new voices of
influence and new audiences of appreciation as you move forward in your
work. You have always been a student of human nature and a great lover
of people as they are. This is an immense gift and one filled with
great promise for future work and future influence. Be at peace my son,
you are doing very well.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Can I have a message please Ham?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Of course my son. You are doing well. As you
continue striving in the world, always remember the spiritual work must
come first for the spiritual work is the engine that will drive
everything else. Spiritual progress and advancement creates progress
and advancement in all other areas of life. Without the spirit, life
grinds to a halt even unknowingly. With the spirit, there is nothing
but progress even unto the very end of life and the very final moment.
Do not worry my son, for you have before you great adventures of the
soul. As the Master used to say, you will be none too ready when the
Father calls. Prepare in the spirit and all is well. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Yes Ham, I would like to have a message if
possible. I have noticed for the last month now that a lot of fear has
been coming, even in the little things, and I wonder if you could help
me deal with that.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes my son, of course. All human beings have
fear and a major fear is simply the fear of self-knowledge, the fear of
self-discovery. This fear is a great fraud for it is always baseless
and yet human beings torment themselves with the fear that if they
should tear away the veil of who they really are they would find
inadequacy. But the joy in the spirit comes through this
self-discovery, through the understanding that you are God’s beloved
son not his slave, not his servant, not someone unworthy of his love.
Discovering that you are worthy of God’s love comes through the
hardships and battles of life and out of the hard lessons of moral
decision making. Continue my son to accept who you are, to accept the
strengths as well as the weaknesses and to do this honestly without
turning from the truth of what you find and you will find the Master’s
yoke and his burden of truth is light and bearable while the burden of
denial is unbearable. Put everything on the table. Lay it all out
before God and you will find him saying, "come my son, let us reason
together. Though your sins may be as scarlet, they shall be white as
snow". You will be reborn into the life of the spirit, a life rich with
meaning, challenge, love, and spiritual comfort. Make your leap of
faith and you will have all else needful.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Do you have a message for me Ham?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes my daughter, you are doing very well.
Readily you have taken up the tasks the Master has laid before you. You
are demonstrating your faith to all who have eyes to see. Be at peace
as you make your way forward amid the uncertainties and difficulties of
life. Take no step backward, rather move forward in every area. Shake
the dust form your feet and allow the past to be past as you move from
the present into the future that God has prepared for you. Set down the
chains of guilt accepting what was done as done. Release all manner of
bondage allowing yourself the freedom of finding who you truly are as
you embrace step-by-step where you are going. Let your faith be a
source of light for all, but let others accept the light of your faith
in their own ways. Do not be concerned with the judgement of others.
You have and will have everything needful for this journey. Trust your
heart completely to the Master’s care giving his love to others as you
have been given his love for yourself. Trust in the Master’s guiding
hand. You are doing well. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: From Norbert: First: I would like to ask Ham for
a message for my friend Irene Bakker. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes, my daughter, all is well. Do not be afraid
to grow in the spirit beyond the place of your friends and family.
Place no restrictions on your journey or on your acceptance of the
light of the spirit. The lessons of the spirit are often hard for they
involve some sacrificing of the ego to be realized. Do not fear this
process for all who undertake the spiritual path must lay down their
lives in order to be reborn again. You will find that which you need at
every step. Be at peace my dear, you are doing just fine. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Second: After the murder of a Dutch writer by an
Islamic fundamentalist the country is in an identity crisis. Any words
of advice? </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes my son, this struggle between the law
abiding majority and the minority who wish to impose a different set of
laws upon the majority is painful in the extreme. You must not give in
to the temptation to return hatred for hatred but in loving your enemy
you are not required to submit to him. Your country, indeed all of
Euro-American civilization, must indeed take steps to responsibly
protect the majority from a determined, unscrupulous, and vicious
minority in your midst. You must not compromise the principles of
freedom of expression and you must allow the democratic process full
latitude to find recourse for this growing and dangerous problem. Trust
in your fellows to find the way. Insist on liberty at all costs. In
this way, you will find a way forward. Be of good cheer my friends.
Good people have fought for truth, liberty and justice throughout the
ages and so you must now do the same. Have peace in your hearts. Trust
in God and in your countrymen. All is well.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Marije would like a personal message.</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Of course my daughter. You are also doing very
well. Be not disturbed by the difficulties in finding the Master’s
will. The Master showed always great patience with those in confusion,
but he did not become confused himself. The Master’s truths are
sometimes harsh, for the Master’s truths never compromise with evil.
Sometimes, there simply is no middle way. Sometimes, truth must be
defended and this is a part of life. Be unafraid my daughter. You will
find at every difficult crossroad the Master’s voice saying, this is
the way. Trust in this and you will find ever greater measures of peace
and tranquility in your heart. Have courage my daughter, you are doing
just fine. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Do you have a personal message for Charlie B?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Yes my son, you are doing just fine. There is
peace on the surface but just below powerful currents are moving. Be
aware of this for you have some decisions to make that will change the
direction your life is taking. Small those these decisions may seem,
turn to the Master for guidance at each step. Demonstrate your faith
through these steps forward. Let others be comforted by your firm grasp
of truth, and your open expression of love. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Q: Do you have any feedback for me this week Ham?</font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Ham: Of course my son. Be at peace. You are doing
very well in all areas. You have before you a clear path and you are
walking with firm footsteps through each step. Allow the Master ever
greater contact in your soul by continually thinking of him and
experiencing his presence. Bring him into your decisions and let him
lead you as he would lead you forward. Do not worry as you make your
way through the moral uncertainties and difficult decisions ahead. Let
his arm be about your shoulder and his confident gaze point out your
destiny upon the horizon. Have peace my son, for you are doing very
well. Find ever greater comfort as your mind is spiritualized through
the working of the Master and God’s spirit within. You have all that is
needful for this journey. Rest in complete assurance, you will know the
way. It will be made plain to you. </font></p>
<p><font size="+1">Until next week, my love and prayers are with you
each. Farewell.</font> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
</font></div>
</div>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="80">--
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
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: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:David.Schlundt@Vanderbilt.edu">David.Schlundt@Vanderbilt.edu</a>
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
To science God is a possibility, to psychology
a desirability, to philosopy a probability, to
religion a certainty, an actuality of religious
experience
The Urantia Book, page 1125
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
</pre>
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