Here’s a thought: as the Urantia book is an epochal revelation, right up there with Jesus and the others, possibly its students can’t qualify for Agondonter status??
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Agondonters
420 posts · 13 participants · started Mar 23, 2017, 2:39 PM
Thanks so much Midi…exactly the quote I was remembering!!
(1289.3) 117:6.10 All true love is from God, and man receives the divine affection as he himself bestows this love upon his fellows. Love is dynamic. It can never be captured; it is alive, free, thrilling, and always moving. Man can never take the love of the Father and imprison it within his heart. The Father’s love can become real to mortal man only by passing through that man’s personality as he in turn bestows this love upon his fellows. The great circuit of love is from the Father, through sons to brothers, and hence to the Supreme. The love of the Father appears in the mortal personality by the ministry of the indwelling Adjuster. Such a God-knowing son reveals this love to his universe brethren, and this fraternal affection is the essence of the love of the Supreme.
Gene – I’m sure I see the tongue in your cheek….but the first quote I posted indicates otherwise. We still have no on-planet, visible leadership or example and languish in true isolation. Besides, I haven’t met anyone who is a reader of the UB who first discovered God or faith by such studies. And I would assert that believing the UB requires a tremendous faith regardless of its presence on our world.
Someday however, leadership on our world will be re-established as we continue to progress to L&L. So, I do agree that there may come a time in the future mortal epochal progress that such standing and status may change….I do not know…but that is one of the points of speculation I originally inquired about to be sure.
To be clear though, finaliter status is plenty good for me. Just getting to the heavenly shore is plenty of reward for my faith. Someone said that Agondonter sounded more like work and responsibility than reward….hahaha….a good one that. Of course, God never gives more to be done than that which can be done….with God all things are doable that should be done.
Yes Bonita, each pint or quart has an ocean of love available to fill it and overflow it….based on our own capacity to receive, return, and give to others….that was my point too….as 3:4.6 above says: “…quantity of such an experience is strictly limited by the human capacity for spiritual receptivity and by the associated capacity to love the Father in return.”
Back to some of my questions regarding faith and the power of love as a form of its expression and experience and its power to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit and soul growth. I’ve been considering for some time now that a person’s love of others is indeed a form of faith and it is inherently transformative and is so regardless of one’s beliefs, knowledge, or their lack or their inaccuracies. So I ask again, is the reception and giving of Divine love one form of faith….or must declaration and understanding and knowledge of God required – is love an expression of faith? Can one give self forgetting love and be connected to God’s circuit of love and not have faith?
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
- Bradly wrote: Can one give self forgetting love and be connected to God’s circuit of love and not have faith?
It’s not possible to love others without loving God first. It’s from the Fatherhood of God that we get the brotherhood of man. First you dedicate yourself to the Father of the universe and to doing his will, then you dedicate your will to doing his will in order to serve the universe family, in which we are all faith-sons.
16:9.8 Unselfish social consciousness must be, at bottom, a religious consciousness; that is, if it is objective; otherwise it is a purely subjective philosophic abstraction and therefore devoid of love. Only a God-knowing individual can love another person as he loves himself.
5:4.3 God is not only the determiner of destiny; he is man’s eternal destination. All nonreligious human activities seek to bend the universe to the distorting service of self; the truly religious individual seeks to identify the self with the universe and then to dedicate the activities of this unified self to the service of the universe family of fellow beings, human and superhuman.
I’m not sure you and I share the same definition of the word faith, based on what you write here:
Bradly wrote: So I ask again, is the reception and giving of Divine love one form of faith….or must declaration and understanding and knowledge of God required – is love an expression of faith?Faith does not require understanding and knowledge. I think that faith is what happens when you lack understanding and knowledge. Understanding and knowledge has to do with facts, whereas faith has to do with truth. Truth is a relationship, an unseen, living relationship between all things and all persons material and supermaterial. None of us are capable of understanding the supermaterial level, therefore we live in faith, or living faith. I think it’s important to remember that faith is a gift. We don’t come by faith all on our own. We only have faith because God gives it to us. Faith involves prayer and worship, some connection to the living vine.103:5.9 It lifts man out of himself and beyond himself when he once fully realizes that there lives and strives within him something which is eternal and divine. And so it is that a living faith in the superhuman origin of our ideals validates our belief that we are the sons of God and makes real our altruistic convictions, the feelings of the brotherhood of man.Likewise, beliefs rise to the level of faith only when they spiritualize the believer. What does that mean? It means that the believer has discovered, recognized and interpreted the belief’s value within the soul. It means that it has risen from the level of the material human mind to the level of reality recognition, a recognition of a connection to spirit, the living vine.Although we cannot fully understand the supermaterial level of reality and all its relations, we can certainly discover, recognize and interpret it with the help of our souls and the spirit influences put there to assist us. It’s called spiritual insight. Faith-sons recognize this reality and live with the certainty that it is real without any proof other than what they experience within their souls. Faith-sons, once they discover and recognize this relationship, maintain a strong hold on it through living prayer and devout worship. They stay connected to the living vine of truth and everything they produce in their daily lives result from that. Their faith is a gift that comes from the relationship to the living vine.99:5.6 Any religious belief which is effective in spiritualizing the believer is certain to have powerful repercussions in the social life of such a religionist. Religious experience unfailingly yields the “fruits of the spirit” in the daily life of the spirit-led mortal.101:8.1 Belief has attained the level of faith when it motivates life and shapes the mode of living. The acceptance of a teaching as true is not faith; that is mere belief. Neither is certainty nor conviction faith. A state of mind attains to faith levels only when it actually dominates the mode of living. Faith is a living attribute of genuine personal religious experience. One believes truth, admires beauty, and reverences goodness, but does not worship them; such an attitude of saving faith is centered on God alone, who is all of these personified and infinitely more.
Without this connection there can be no loving service. There might be human-based affection and a desire to please, but it’s not spiritual fruit with eternal survivability. It’s social fruit that is sustainable only within a certain time frame. Social fruit is pleasant and nice, but it lacks the spiritual drawing power of spiritual fruit. Spiritual fruit can only come from doing God’s will. It is true that some people do God’s will without being conscious of it. It is possible and probable.107:04 Every mortal who is consciously or unconsciously following the leading of his indwelling Adjuster is living in accordance with the will of God.34:5.4 When mind is thus endowed with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, it possesses the capacity for (consciously or unconsciously) choosing the spiritual presence of the Universal Father – the Thought Adjuster.So, I guess are you asking if people might have faith in God the Father without realizing that they actually have such a thing. My guess is that it can happen but it’s unlikely to last long without growth. Spiritual growth will eventually reveal the Source, the living vine. Perhaps that’s when some people have their Damascus Road Moment and become God-conscious (born again) . . . I don’t know. But since faith is a gift, I suppose people can have it in their souls but not be progressed enough to recognize it with their material mind. They may still suffer from dual allegiance: denying God with their material minds, while at the same time their souls are doing everything possible to nurture a relationship between the material mind and God.The soul will attempt to grow in and of itself, but it will starve to death without moral input from the material mind. The soul has two parents, material and spiritual, and I’m certain that it will use all the resources possible to compel the human mind to stay connected to the vine, consciously or unconsciously, until it grows to such a size that soul-consciousness is possible. (A naturally occurring soul-consciousness comes from slow growth and no Damascus Road Moment is necessary.) Sooner or later, I would think, there has to be a birth of God-consciousness and sonship awareness, or at least a willingness to admit to perfection hunger on some level.150:9.2 The transformations of grace are wrought in response to the living faith of those who are the beneficiaries.Well . . . as usual I talk too much. Hopefully I haven’t talked in circles and confused the issue even more. - Gene wrote: Here’s a thought: as the Urantia book is an epochal revelation, right up there with Jesus and the others, possibly its students can’t qualify for Agondonter status??
Oh no! The Urantia Book is a book filled with ideas, concepts, pathways to truth . . . but it is not living truth. The authors tell us that they rely on unseen supramaterial indwelling spirits to assist us in discovery, recognition and interpretation of their words. Without a connection to those spirit influences the book is no better than a dictionary. Faith is definitely required in order to gain any benefit from TUB other than intellectual knowledge of facts. We’re even asked to have faith in its supermaterial origin and its divine purpose to enlighten. How many doubt it?? Almost everyone without faith.
Agondonters must have super-faith — faith stronger than those on “normal” planets who rely on visible deity to interact with and fortify their faith in an unseen God.
Difficult to imagine a visible deity to interact with. Earthlings would still be looking for some supernatural event, a miracle, before developing enough faith to allow interaction, no?
like so many people who soundly rejected Jesus.
i suppose that without defaults these visible deities would have been so deeply ingrained in the planet since primitive times that things would be quite different in regard to acceptance and interaction.
i suppose that without defaults these visible deities would have been so deeply ingrained in the planet since primitive times that things would be quite different in regard to acceptance and interaction.
So very true. But instead what’s ingrained is the legacy of rebellion. Lodged so deep that it’s as if it’s a part of our DNA. Treated like it’s normal, taken for granted and accepted.
i suppose that without defaults these visible deities would have been so deeply ingrained in the planet since primitive times that things would be quite different in regard to acceptance and interaction.
So very true. But instead what’s ingrained is the legacy of rebellion. Lodged so deep that it’s as if it’s a part of our DNA. Treated like it’s normal, taken for granted and accepted.
Me here: Yes, also true….it is part of our DNA and it is our “normal” so how can it not be accepted? What’s the contrast? How is anyone to know the difference? What’s Plan B? And how’s that working? Great issues to consider!
Let us remember that the Most Highs rule, even on worlds darkened and isolated by the “legacy of rebellion”. 4000 years ago our planetary rulers and ministers sent Machiventa to declare monotheism….and our world changed. 2600+/- years ago came a sudden emergence of religious acceleration through the teachings of Mel’s Missionaries and Big Mac’s teachings, so long before which infected whole populations and cultures to aspire to new perspective of reality. 2000 years ago came our universe’s Creator Son who began a spiritual and religious revolution and blessed us with the Son’s Spirit of Truth. Those ministries and seasons of progress propelled our world forward through the Mortal Epochs in spite of our “legacy” of ignorance, primitivism, rebellion, false liberty, darkness, and hundreds of thousands of years of such a “legacy”.
Now comes the 5th Epochal Revelation….2 failures and 2 success….and our world has The Record of fact, history, and the truth of our real legacy and destiny to come!!! What a fantastic story! What a comfort and inspiration! The “norm” is evolutionary and progressive. And Urantia enjoys this norm despite all prior failures, obstacles, and challenges. Of all the peoples of our world, UB students should be the most thrilled to serve such a destiny.
But now, I am most inspired by those faithful believers who live in love and faith and strive to serve their brethren only in response to the Spirit within. While our world is filled with those who love and those who live in faith and those who demonstrate the truth of the Spirit within and those for whom self forgetting service is their personal priority and all do so DESPITE all material and temporal reasons otherwise, this tadpole is humbled by the courage and brilliance of so many of our brethren on Urantia…today and in our history! The Bible gives us many stories to consider. Can’t wait to see the records of those who came before and after – the Great Agondonters of our world’s history!
Plan B appears to be working amazingly well, don’t you think? (“you” being us all) It makes me wonder what the yeast and mustard seed of the latest Epochal Revelation might deliver in the coming generations. I cannot exaggerate the wisdom and power and genius of those who rule and minister to our world…now the Shrine of Nebadon.
IMO it would be a grave error, especially now, to focus on the shadows of evil, those vestiges of our dark past, when WE have the proof of its illusory distraction of temporal effect and ultimate failure to provide more than a delay and detour for those who are truly in charge.
The most “cursed” are really the most “blessed”….and the last shall be first. What believer and student of the Revelation is not thrilled, awed, and inspired by our true “legacy”? Guess it depends on your perspective of reality.
= )
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
Bonita says above: So, I guess are you asking if people might have faith in God the Father without realizing that they actually have such a thing. My guess is that it can happen but it’s unlikely to last long without growth. Spiritual growth will eventually reveal the Source, the living vine. Perhaps that’s when some people have their Damascus Road Moment and become God-conscious (born again) . . . I don’t know. But since faith is a gift, I suppose people can have it in their souls but not be progressed enough to recognize it with their material mind. They may still suffer from dual allegiance: denying God with their material minds, while at the same time their souls are doing everything possible to nurture a relationship between the material mind and God.
BINGO!!!!!
Oh Bonita….thank you. And please never apologize for your determination to understand, share, and teach. I love you and your persistent and patient voice of scholarship and spiritual insight. You have been my most cherished mentor and fellow student these past years. I am sorry when I confound you by my inarticulations and confusions…and yet you persist to serve me and indulge me in my confusions and many inquiries. Thank you for such graciousness!
Let us consider a few billion trillion mortals in the universes of time. In the early, primitive and barbaric epochs and on those worlds cursed/blessed by rebellion/isolation….there is love. I am minded to recall the cave man in full fury, savage and ignorant, standing before the mouth of the cave holding his precious, family facing down a ferocious threat…to those he LOVED. No TA, no SOT, no example, no nothing. I have witnessed little children (my own in peace and comfort but many in catastrophe and suffering including starvation, deprivation, starvation even) share, give comfort, serve, and sacrifice in selfless and self forgetting love and service to others, even to their own detriment and temporal threat. What the heck is THAT???!!!
And there are those who very reasonably reject the evolutionary religions and priests who defile truth, beauty, and goodness and their gods and methods and demands, but who do not reject LOVE. These ones represent every Mortal Epoch and yet RESPOND to the Holy Spirit with and without TA and/or the Spirit of Truth. These are blind to fact and knowledge but exhibit loyalty, sacrifice, generosity, and great personal sacrifice.
LOVE. What is the relationship of such “unreasonable” self forgetting love to faith?
I would propose that love is God’s secret sauce that infects, potentially any mind on any world in any generation of any Mortal Epoch. From every Andon and Fonta on every world through every generation, regardless of any and all other factors and influences and evolutionary progressions. Love is its own power and cause and effect.
How, I wonder does this relate to “faith”?
Thanks again for all you do. = )
100:4.5 (1098.2) In the mind’s eye conjure up a picture of one of your primitive ancestors of cave-dwelling times — a short, misshapen, filthy, snarling hulk of a man standing, legs spread, club upraised, breathing hate and animosity as he looks fiercely just ahead. Such a picture hardly depicts the divine dignity of man. But allow us to enlarge the picture. In front of this animated human crouches a saber-toothed tiger. Behind him, a woman and two children. Immediately you recognize that such a picture stands for the beginnings of much that is fine and noble in the human race, but the man is the same in both pictures. Only, in the second sketch you are favored with a widened horizon. You therein discern the motivation of this evolving mortal. His attitude becomes praiseworthy because you understand him. If you could only fathom the motives of your associates, how much better you would understand them. If you could only know your fellows, you would eventually fall in love with them.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
How many options are there for changing our DNA?
How do you let God know you believe? Is it the words that come out of our mouths? Does belief impact DNA?
What about our free will choice? Is that how rebellious type stuff got into our DNA eons ago? Is this how we rearrange the double helix?
im not convinced it’s a genetic thing
- Bradly wrote: I have witnessed little children (my own in peace and comfort but many in catastrophe and suffering including starvation, deprivation, starvation even) share, give comfort, serve, and sacrifice in selfless and self forgetting love and service to others, even to their own detriment and temporal threat. What the heck is THAT???!!!
Hey Bradley, thanks for the kudos. But you know I love talking about this stuff so I have to thank you for giving me the opportunity to blather on. Your question above requires an essay, but the simple answer begins with personality, a gift directly from God . . . I’ll elaborate later, if you want. But first, I want to address this:
Bradly wrote: LOVE. What is the relationship of such “unreasonable” self forgetting love to faith?As simply as I can explain: Faith is a gift . . . love is the result of accepting the gift. Should I write an essay on that too? You know I certainly can and will, but I’m a little embarrassed by the way I hog the boards sometimes, so let me know if you want it.
- Gene wrote: How many options are there for changing our DNA?
Hey! are you serious? . . . scientists are busy trying to do that in the lab every single day. That’s not the issue here. Yeah, sure medicine can alter genes to affect the body, but it’s the mind and soul that is the real source of change, not the body. So fahgettabout DNA unless you want to talk eugenics.
Gene wrote: How do you let God know you believe? . . . . Does belief impact DNA?God already knows if you believe, what you believe and what you don’t believe. Belief is not the issue here either. And no, belief does not impact DNA. Belief impacts the mind. I have an essay on the difference between belief and faith if you want that.
We are born with a certain set of physical genes to work with in the physical world. The spiritual world requires a different set of spiritual “genes” . . . the ones gifted by God. If genes are the pattern for the physical body, then personality is the pattern for selfhood. We can use physical genes to organize and coordinate our sense of self, or we can use God’s gift of personality to organize and coordinate our sense of self. God has also gifted us with mind. A low material level mind to help the physical self, and a higher spiritual level mind to help the spiritual self, and fortunately for us, they overlap. We get to pick. We can pick DNA, a gift from your earth mother and father, or God’s gifts. Choice, choice and more choice.
Gene wrote: Is it the words that come out of our mouths?
Words are important, but when it comes to God, it’s all about your thoughts and your attitude. I’m sure you know that quote which says thoughts move you Godward. I’m sure you also know the quote that states God doesn’t listen to the words of prayer but to the attitude of the praying mind. And everyone knows that Jesus explained how words out of the mouth can be more defiling than what goes in the mouth. He told us great men subdue their tongues and also quoted scripture saying, “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” I wrote an essay on The Word. It took me months. I could share some of that too if you want.
Gene wrote: What about our free will choice? Is that how rebellious type stuff got into our DNA eons ago? Is this how we rearrange the double helix?The Rebellion is not literally in our DNA. What are talking about; you’re kidding right? That’s the argument at the root of the Original Sin Doctrine, which we all know is poppycock. Saying the Rebellion is in our DNA is meant figuratively. It’s the memory of it that has imbedded itself in our collective psyche as part of our global culture. It will never leave because it really happened. It’s honest-to-goodness reality we have to deal with. It’s the misunderstanding, misinformation and mythologizing about the Rebellion that is responsible for scrambling the collective psyche. TUB is here to help unscramble it. It’s mind stuff, not DNA stuff.
Gene wrote: . . . . im not convinced it’s a genetic thingYou got that right!
All Bonita essays are welcome
How many options are there for changing our DNA? How do you let God know you believe? Is it the words that come out of our mouths? Does belief impact DNA? What about our free will choice? Is that how rebellious type stuff got into our DNA eons ago? Is this how we rearrange the double helix? im not convinced it’s a genetic thing.
Gene…my apologies….I was assuming that nod/Am was speaking metaphorically about our social/cultural makeup (DNA) and not human genetics when I repeated the term. I didn’t mean to mislead or misuse the term…but it was very imprecise to make such an assumption and to use the phrase….my bad.
While the default of Adam and Eve left our world with less of their genetics than intended and normal on successful missions, and their failure did have something to do with the earlier rebellion, they did not rebel in their failure and no aspect of rebellion became any form of additive to the human gene pool…didn’t happen.
So, your conclusion is correct….it is certainly not a genetic thing….it’s a personal choice thing!!
Bonita – I would feast at any banquet you might serve up!! The topic is certainly appropriate to this discussion but feel free to begin a new subject if you wish….whenever you wish! = )
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
76:5.6 (852.5) The supermaterial government of Urantia, under the direction of the Melchizedeks, continued, but direct physical contact with the evolutionary races had been severed. From the distant days of the arrival of the corporeal staff of the Planetary Prince, down through the times of Van and Amadon to the arrival of Adam and Eve, physical representatives of the universe government had been stationed on the planet. But with the Adamic default this regime, extending over a period of more than four hundred and fifty thousand years, came to an end. In the spiritual spheres, angelic helpers continued to struggle in conjunction with the Thought Adjusters, both working heroically for the salvage of the individual; but no comprehensive plan for far-reaching world welfare was promulgated to the mortals of earth until the arrival of Machiventa Melchizedek, in the times of Abraham, who, with the power, patience, and authority of a Son of God, did lay the foundations for the further uplift and spiritual rehabilitation of unfortunate Urantia.
76:5.7 (853.1) Misfortune has not, however, been the sole lot of Urantia; this planet has also been the most fortunate in the local universe of Nebadon. Urantians should count it all gain if the blunders of their ancestors and the mistakes of their early world rulers so plunged the planet into such a hopeless state of confusion, all the more confounded by evil and sin, that this very background of darkness should so appeal to Michael of Nebadon that he selected this world as the arena wherein to reveal the loving personality of the Father in heaven. It is not that Urantia needed a Creator Son to set its tangled affairs in order; it is rather that the evil and sin on Urantia afforded the Creator Son a more striking background against which to reveal the matchless love, mercy, and patience of the Paradise Father.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
And I’ll apologize for not being bright enough to pick up a metaphor.
but sorting it out was a good exercise, regardless.
(195:5.12) As you view the world, remember that the black patches of evil which you see are shown against a white background of ultimate good. You do not view merely white patches of good which show up miserably against a black background of evil.
For people of faith, no matter what culture, no matter what religion, no matter what family tradition, life is amazingly purposeful, hopeful, positive and beautiful. Especially when it’s considered how God transforms disappointment and defeat into fulfilment and success through the experience of faithfulness. This may be the greatest “proof” that “all things work together for good to those who love God,”
It is now up to us, those who love God, at this Epochal point in the history of our world to make a beginning of putting things straight. To convert the combined mind of traditional negativism and hopelessness that’s deeply ingrained in the default attitude of a lot of people into the rebirth of focus on the true background of love and how the gift of faith can be given back to God to allow what is believed to impact what’s about to become very real in our world.
Enno
(195:5.12) As you view the world, remember that the black patches of evil which you see are shown against a white background of ultimate good. You do not view merely white patches of good which show up miserably against a black background of evil. For people of faith, no matter what culture, no matter what religion, no matter what family tradition, life is amazingly purposeful, hopeful, positive and beautiful. Especially when it’s considered how God transforms disappointment and defeat into fulfilment and success through the experience of faithfulness. This may be the greatest “proof” that “all things work together for good to those who love God,” It is now up to us, those who love God, at this Epochal point in the history of our world to make a beginning of putting things straight. To convert the combined mind of traditional negativism and hopelessness that’s deeply ingrained in the default attitude of a lot of people into the rebirth of focus on the true background of love and how the gift of faith can be given back to God to allow what is believed to impact what’s about to become very real in our world. Enno
be agondonter now
Well said Gene!! It really is not about “what” we are to “do”….but who we are to be. The expressions of our faith are to be very personal and daily as we walk by. The work at hand is at hand every day. It is the fruits of the spirit led life that sow the seeds of truth for the current and future generations. Our history is filled with so many valiant examples of those who carried the torch of love and truth and faith in their time and generation. We are their beneficiaries. Do we shine our own light? No matter how small or dim it may be, when joined together as the children of the kingdom of God then does the seed become the tree and then the forest spreading ever more seed in every generation to help the rulers of our little world to transform it through the Mortal Epochs. The only “what” needing our attention truly is growing the inner life and light and give that expression personally as we walk by….or so I understand.
While the following words and instructions of our Master Son were spoken to the apostles, these are most appropriate for all us tadpoles and agondonters-in-training:
178:1.14 (1931.5) You are not to be passive mystics or colorless ascetics; you should not become dreamers and drifters, supinely trusting in a fictitious Providence to provide even the necessities of life. You are indeed to be gentle in your dealings with erring mortals, patient in your intercourse with ignorant men, and forbearing under provocation; but you are also to be valiant in defense of righteousness, mighty in the promulgation of truth, and aggressive in the preaching of this gospel of the kingdom, even to the ends of the earth.
178:1.15 (1931.6) This gospel of the kingdom is a living truth. I have told you it is like the leaven in the dough, like the grain of mustard seed; and now I declare that it is like the seed of the living being, which, from generation to generation, while it remains the same living seed, unfailingly unfolds itself in new manifestations and grows acceptably in channels of new adaptation to the peculiar needs and conditions of each successive generation. The revelation I have made to you is a living revelation, and I desire that it shall bear appropriate fruits in each individual and in each generation in accordance with the laws of spiritual growth, increase, and adaptative development. From generation to generation this gospel must show increasing vitality and exhibit greater depth of spiritual power. It must not be permitted to become merely a sacred memory, a mere tradition about me and the times in which we now live.
178:1.17 (1932.2) Throughout the vicissitudes of life, remember always to love one another. Do not strive with men, even with unbelievers. Show mercy even to those who despitefully abuse you. Show yourselves to be loyal citizens, upright artisans, praiseworthy neighbors, devoted kinsmen, understanding parents, and sincere believers in the brotherhood of the Father’s kingdom. And my spirit shall be upon you, now and even to the end of the world.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
Remember that admonition *if you have faith, have it to yourself*? Based on my own experience of faith, faith is so deep and so profound and so all-encompassing and so certain that I cannot describe it. For me it’s too personal.
When I think of *belief* I think of this reference: “While the mind is not the seat of the spiritual nature, it is indeed the gateway thereto.” (155:6.13)
86:2.4 Man naturally tends to believe that which he deems best for him, that which is in his immediate or remote interest; self-interest largely obscures logic. The difference between the minds of savage and civilized men is more one of content than of nature, of degree rather than of quality..100:7.10 The Master was always generous. He never grew weary of saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Said he, “Freely you have received, freely give.” And yet, with all of his unbounded generosity, he was never wasteful or extravagant. He taught that you must believe to receive salvation. “For every one who seeks shall receive.”Seems to me people would start out (in some cases) thinking there is a possibility that God exists. I mean, don’t people think about it first? Don’t they have to believe God’s existence is possible? I didn’t grow up in a family that believed in God. Maybe my parents thought about God at sometime in their individual lives. I don’t know. Maybe they thought about God and concluded either 1) he might exist, or, 2) he didn’t exist. My home was hostile toward Jesus and anything churchy. But I wasn’t buying it. I never denied God’s existence.195:6.16 Freedom or initiative in any realm of existence is directly proportional to the degree of spiritual influence and cosmic-mind control; that is, in human experience, the degree of the actuality of doing “the Father’s will.” And so, when you once start out to find God, that is the conclusive proof that God has already found you.Certain events that happened in my life really impacted me and no doubt others are yet to come, such as death and translation. What I observe is how my perspective has changed over time. What I understand and believe today is superior to what I understood and believed in the past. I think I am better equipped today and this improvement is normal. The same is true for you too..196:3.26 The evolutionary mind is able to discover law, morals, and ethics; but the bestowed spirit, the indwelling Adjuster, reveals to the evolving human mind the lawgiver, the Father-source of all that is true, beautiful, and good; and such an illuminated man has a religion and is spiritually equipped to begin the long and adventurous search for God.I think we’re called faith-sons for a reason. (132:4.2)Wonderful Mara….thank you! And such great timing.
Just re-read Paper 107 – “The Origin and Nature of Thought Adjusters”. A must read in the discussion of Agondonters. Too much to post, every word describes these ministers, teachers, partners, pilots, and future fusion hopefuls!
Personality is a key element in this Paper as is volition in this potential destiny for us blessed mortals born in time and space. It appears we are the envy of the universes! (not really envy I don’t think…but you’ll know what I mean when you read the Paper)
Okay, can’t help myself:
107:0.1 (1176.1) ALTHOUGH the Universal Father is personally resident on Paradise, at the very center of the universes, he is also actually present on the worlds of space in the minds of his countless children of time, for he indwells them as the Mystery Monitors. The eternal Father is at one and the same time farthest removed from, and most intimately associated with, his planetary mortal sons.
107:0.2 (1176.2) The Adjusters are the actuality of the Father’s love incarnate in the souls of men; they are the veritable promise of man’s eternal career imprisoned within the mortal mind; they are the essence of man’s perfected finaliter personality, which he can foretaste in time as he progressively masters the divine technique of achieving the living of the Father’s will, step by step, through the ascension of universe upon universe until he actually attains the divine presence of his Paradise Father.107:0.3 (1176.3) God, having commanded man to be perfect, even as he is perfect, has descended as the Adjuster to become man’s experiential partner in the achievement of the supernal destiny which has been thus ordained. The fragment of God which indwells the mind of man is the absolute and unqualified assurance that man can find the Universal Father in association with this divine Adjuster, which came forth from God to find man and sonship him even in the days of the flesh.
107:0.4 (1176.4) Any mortal who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Universal Father, and he who is indwelt by a divine Adjuster is indwelt by the Paradise Father. Every mortal who is consciously or unconsciously following the leading of his indwelling Adjuster is living in accordance with the will of God. Consciousness of Adjuster presence is consciousness of God’s presence. Eternal fusion of the Adjuster with the evolutionary soul of man is the factual experience of eternal union with God as a universe associate of Deity.
107:0.5 (1176.5) It is the Adjuster who creates within man that unquenchable yearning and incessant longing to be like God, to attain Paradise, and there before the actual person of Deity to worship the infinite source of the divine gift. The Adjuster is the living presence which actually links the mortal son with his Paradise Father and draws him nearer and nearer to the Father. The Adjuster is our compensatory equalization of the enormous universe tension which is created by the distance of man’s removal from God and by the degree of his partiality in contrast with the universality of the eternal Father.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
