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What is spiritual brotherhood?

234 posts · 7 participants · started Jun 18, 2015, 9:25 PM

VernParticipant
Jul 3, 2015, 3:47 AM

Bradly wrote: Vern – nothing is unforgiveable….surely I misunderstand your claim above?

Perhaps you are misunderstanding the context Bradly, I was using the term with regard to lack of unity between believers.

If you believe in the Father that means your neighbour, who also believes, is your brother and disunity between you is “inexcusable.”

A search in The Urantia Book for the word “unforgivable” yields zero results yet a search for the word “forgiveness” yields 47 results.

The word I was referring to was “inexcusable.”

Think on this, the only instance mentioned, where behaviour is deserving of censure or condemnation, considered too bad to be justified or tolerated.

…Always we may have diversity of intellectual comprehension and interpretation, even varying degrees of socialization, but lack of spiritual brotherhood is both inexcusable and reprehensible. ^[Paper ^{170:5.20. page 1866.3]}
VernParticipant
Jul 3, 2015, 4:19 AM

MidiChlorian wrote: I hold no vengeance against the ones who have inflicted pain and suffering…

Midi, I am touched by your story and let me say how good it is the you are sharing once again in this Forum, refreshing to see you speaking as you do, without fear or favour. That you have come to a place where you are able to be forgiving to persons who have lacked love and understanding towards you, says much of your personal journey of growth.

I am glad you are reconciled with your daughter who was unjustly kept from you. May the balm of healing love, wisely administered, sooth former hurt.

Regarding patience and long suffering in the face of injustice, Jesus has provided the following words of great comfort:

“Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.” ^[Paper ^{140:5.20, page 1575:5]}

Progress is always the triumphant reward resulting from persecution. In adversity true character is revealed, to the man or woman who walks with God, they do not walk alone. Take comfort my friend.

So often persecution does follow peace. But young people and brave adults never shun difficulty or danger. “Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for his friends.” And a fatherly love can freely do all these things — things which brotherly love can hardly encompass. And progress has always been the final harvest of persecution. ^[Paper ^{140:5.21, page 1575:6]}

Walk on with God my brother.
VernParticipant
Jul 3, 2015, 9:16 AM
Moving right along with further enquiry into; what is spiritual brotherhood?

From the 22 instances resulting from the search for “spiritual brotherhood” in The Urantia Book, the 3rd comes from “Religion and the Religionist” and speaks of the kingdom of heaven as consisting of members of this spiritual brotherhood.

The kingdom of heaven is neither a social nor economic order; it is an exclusively spiritual brotherhood of God-knowing individuals. True, such a brotherhood is in itself a new and amazing social phenomenon attended by astounding political and economic repercussions. ^[Paper^{99:3.2, page 1088.3]}

In other parts of The Urantia Book we are told of great and significant leaps of progress just ahead, this reference to a new and amazing social phenomenon to come, is very encouraging.

The religionist is not unsympathetic with social suffering, not unmindful of civil injustice, not insulated from economic thinking, neither insensible to political tyranny. Religion influences social reconstruction directly because it spiritualizes and idealizes the individual citizen. Indirectly, cultural civilization is influenced by the attitude of these individual religionists as they become active and influential members of various social, moral, economic, and political groups. ^[Paper^{99:3.3, page 1088:4]}

The spiritual brotherhood thus comprised of iealized, motivated, individual citizens who become active and influential members of their group—particular sphere of influence—are bound to infuse their fellows with the benign virus of love.

The attainment of a high cultural civilization demands, first, the ideal type of citizen and, then, ideal and adequate social mechanisms wherewith such a citizenry may control the economic and political institutions of such an advanced human society. ^[Paper^{99:3.4, page 1088:5]}

As the citizen so the society. If the family is good, the society is likewise, good. The home is evolutionary humanity’s greatest achievement and civilization’s only hope of survival.

…If the families are good, the society is likewise good.… ^[Paper ^{84:7.1, page 939:4]}

…the home — man’s supreme evolutionary acquirement and civilization’s only hope of survival. ^[Paper ^{84:8.6, page 943:1)}
BradlyParticipant
Jul 3, 2015, 3:11 PM
Vern wrote:

If you believe in the Father that means your neighbour, who also believes, is your brother and disunity between you is “inexcusable.” A search in The Urantia Book for the word “unforgivable” yields zero results yet a search for the word “forgiveness” yields 47 results. The word I was referring to was “inexcusable.”

Thanks for the clarification. I agree such deportment is inexcusable. Indeed, as ambassadors of God’s kingdom AND the spiritual brotherhood, believers should also seek harmony and avoid acrimony with all God’s children.

I appreciate those quotes you provided Vern which describe the effects that eventuate from the cause of spiritual unity and the progress of each believer in the spirit. This result is, fundamentally, that profound shift in perspective, purpose, priority, and effort by being born in the spirit, the resulting love response which arises within, and the results derived by cooperative and harmonious efforts by this ever enlarging brotherhood.

This evolutionary result is well described in the Paper on the planetary mortal epochs. What amazes me is how rapidly social and scientific progress has come since the Spirit of Truth was given to our world and the resulting flood of Thought Adjusters which coincided with this gift. Usually a world has the Prince and staff, the Material Son and Daughter, and a Teacher Son ON-PLANET for hundreds of thousands of years to educate and demonstrate and provide celestial leadership prior to and during all such scientific and social development, as well as their able ministry in serving the circle progress of the individual, while our world has blossomed in significant ways in the past 2000 years of being blessed by the Son’s gift.

The challenges remain the same of course – material mind, selfishness, fear, primitivisms, etc. And it is by the method of one mind at a time that positive and progressive change is realized. Our world seems to be following this pattern in its own unique way but is doing so with what might be described as Plan B!

The Dali Lama has described this process as attaining “critical mass” – spiritual critical mass. He says that the world changes more slowly based on the number of citizens in the spiritual brotherhood being lower proportionately than those fear based souls; but that as the brotherhood grows relative to the total population that a certain, progressive shift can be recognized; and further, that there is a tipping point coming where the brotherhood gains power, momentum, and influence in multiple ways that will provide great acceleration to the spiritualization of the whole world. This proposition seems to be supported by the quotes you posted Vern.

I am hopeful that we witness many elements of evidence today that support the notion that the brotherhood expands in size, experience, capabilities, and wisdom….all grounded in love and fellowship as the family we truly are.

103:5.6 (1134.4) The attempt to secure equal good for the self and for the greatest number of other selves presents a problem which cannot always be satisfactorily resolved in a time-space frame. Given an eternal life, such antagonisms can be worked out, but in one short human life they are incapable of solution. Jesus referred to such a paradox when he said: “Whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for the sake of the kingdom, shall find it.”

103:5.7 (1134.5) The pursuit of the ideal — the striving to be Godlike — is a continuous effort before death and after. The life after death is no different in the essentials than the mortal existence. Everything we do in this life which is good contributes directly to the enhancement of the future life. Real religion does not foster moral indolence and spiritual laziness by encouraging the vain hope of having all the virtues of a noble character bestowed upon one as a result of passing through the portals of natural death. True religion does not belittle man’s efforts to progress during the mortal lease on life. Every mortal gain is a direct contribution to the enrichment of the first stages of the immortal survival experience.

103:9.5 (1141.3) Although religious experience is a purely spiritual subjective phenomenon, such an experience embraces a positive and living faith attitude toward the highest realms of universe objective reality. The ideal of religious philosophy is such a faith-trust as would lead man unqualifiedly to depend upon the absolute love of the infinite Father of the universe of universes. Such a genuine religious experience far transcends the philosophic objectification of idealistic desire; it actually takes salvation for granted and concerns itself only with learning and doing the will of the Father in Paradise. The earmarks of such a religion are: faith in a supreme Deity, hope of eternal survival, and love, especially of one’s fellows.

Thanks Vern!!

"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."
MaraParticipant
Jul 3, 2015, 6:15 PM
I think our unseen friends are smiling upon our heartfelt conversation. Thanks all for being here and present in this study and to all others of you who are following along with us.

Bradly wrote: . . . as ambassadors of God’s kingdom AND the spiritual brotherhood, believers should also seek harmony and avoid acrimony with all God’s children.

Even so, we can have honest disagreements. I propose that most disagreements are differences in viewpoint or outlook. These are differences in interpretations. There are many, many variables and factors in the life of an individual that impinge upon and contribute to one’s viewpoints. Fortunately, people can and do change their mind about things. It can happen suddenly. After all, the mind is the gateway to the spiritual nature. But the slothful animal mind can be very wicked in its machinations, plots, plans and one’s actions are demonstrations all sorts of horrors perpetrated upon other people. The human intellect can conjure up many justifications for behavior. Some people have zero insight into their behavior. I think they are called sociopaths.

( 100:4:2 ) [. . .] 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.

It is by the eyes of the mind that really discerns God and the divine nature.

( 101:1:3 ) 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 reason ourselves into the recognition of brotherhood.

( 16:9:14 ) You become conscious of man as your creature brother because you are already conscious of God as your Creator Father. Fatherhood is the relationship out of which we reason ourselves into the recognition of brotherhood. And Fatherhood becomes, or may become, a universe reality to all moral creatures because the Father has himself bestowed personality upon all such beings and has encircuited them within the grasp of the universal personality circuit.

I think I posted some of these references previously, but they are worth repeating.
VernParticipant
Jul 4, 2015, 12:49 PM

Mara wrote: You become conscious of man as your creature brother because you are already conscious of God as your Creator Father.

Spiritual brotherhood is predicated on this truth—consciousness of sonship with God and consequent augmented realisation of the familial relationship.
MaraParticipant
Jul 4, 2015, 6:08 PM

Vern wrote: Spiritual brotherhood is predicated on this truth—consciousness of sonship. . . .

Ah, sonship! I brought this up at study group this week to find out if other people felt they were sons of God. I find this very difficult to get. Intellectually, I do not have a problem with it, but I do not experience that I am son of God. And sonship is an essential part of the original gospel of the kingdom of God, the spiritual brotherhood. ( 194:0:4 ) I wondered out loud if my problem were related to gender and whether it is easier for men to see themselves as sons of God, as the men in the group did not express a problem seeing themselves as sons of God in spite of describing to us the horrible human fathers they had when they were kids. The gift of faith is a healing and powerful experience. It’s transformational and cleansing.

( 154:6:8 ) Jesus fully understood how difficult it is for men to break with their past. He knew how human beings are swayed by the preacher’s eloquence, and how the conscience responds to emotional appeal as the mind does to logic and reason, but he also knew how far more difficult it is to persuade men to disown the past.

A new day dawns every single day.
AnonymousInactive
Jul 4, 2015, 8:39 PM

Mara wrote:

I wondered out loud if my problem were related to gender and whether it is easier for men to see themselves as sons of God, as the men in the group did not express a problem seeing themselves as sons of God in spite of describing to us the horrible human fathers they had when they were kids.

Gender should not be an issue, where even women and children can experience “sonship” with God, where a Son is closely related to Mother, so is a daughter closely related to Father. It would not be that difficult to think, from your comment above where “the men in the group” may have expressed their relationship with their human fathers as “horrible” but, in that same sense, it might also be said about some woman and their human mothers.

(88.5) 7:6.7 Between the Original Mother Son and these hosts of Paradise Sons scattered throughout all creation, there is a direct and exclusive channel of communication, a channel whose function is inherent in the quality of spiritual kinship which unites them in bonds of near-absolute spiritual association. This intersonship circuit is entirely different from the universal circuit of spirit gravity, which also centers in the person of the Second Source and Center. All Sons of God who take origin in the persons of the Paradise Deities are in direct and constant communication with the Eternal Mother Son. And such communication is instantaneous; it is independent of time though sometimes conditioned by space.

Therefore, it can be said that the same Father Daughter relationship can be noted, however the initial association of Mother-Son is dominant because of the Mother factor and, is related more to the Third Source and Center as the material womb of the universe which is activated by the child as is the purpose for the Mother to exist, regardless of gender. The Mother-Father aspect of the universe is related to male-female chromosomes as XY-XX, which may be considered as androgenous, where in essence “andro-” indicates male and “-gen” is a combining form with “-ous” the ‘“possessing, full of” a given quality’, therefore even when the UB uses “sonship” which is a combined word referenced as son-ship, where “ship” can be considered a vessel, like womb, and/or “-ship” — “quality, condition; act, power, skill; office, position; relation between,” either way an offspring of the Father-Mother but, in keeping with the trinity, Son is used with Father but combined through the feminine “Spirit”.

When Vern used “the consciousness of sonship”, it is in reference to all of God’s children, as referenced below:

(1931.4) 178:1.13 When a kingdom believer is called upon to serve the civil government, let him render such service as a temporal citizen of such a government, albeit such a believer should display in his civil service all of the ordinary traits of citizenship as these have been enhanced by the spiritual enlightenment of the ennobling association of the mind of mortal man with the indwelling spirit of the eternal God. If the unbeliever can qualify as a superior civil servant, you should seriously question whether the roots of truth in your heart have not died from the lack of the living waters of combined spiritual communion and social service. The consciousness of sonship with God should quicken the entire life service of every man, woman, and child who has become the possessor of such a mighty stimulus to all the inherent powers of a human personality

The passage above indicates “inherent powers of a human personality”, where the UB has indicated “personality” as non-gender, therefore it can also be assumed that “sonship” is also non-gender.

However, there are certain differences between male and female, other than physical, where in Philo’s explanation of the creation of Eve from Adam, in Genesis, he indicates that Eve, had received more of a “sense-perception” than was left to Adam, which might indicate that women have a more defined sensory perception (mother instinct) than men, and women would seem to have a more defined “intersonship circuit” with each other, than do men, whereby men are less linked “spiritually” and need to use more of their minds in order to be more conscious of sonship. One might say that females are closer to their fathers then are men.
MaraParticipant
Jul 5, 2015, 3:14 PM

MidiChlorian wrote: The passage above indicates “inherent powers of a human personality”, where the UB has indicated “personality” as non-gender, therefore it can also be assumed that “sonship” is also non-gender.

You make a good point. Adjusters are genderless too. At study group someone suggested the obvious fact that I am a child of God and I felt greatly satisfied!. I truly do see myself as a child of God, and I can unabashedly proclaim this truth. Perhaps for me in some distant future when I become more spiritually grown up, I can claim to be a son of God in the true sense of it, as a child who has experienced a small step in the ascension plan prepared for us lowly mortals. In the meantime I’m not going to fret about it. I bring up sonship, as the truth of sonship is part and parcel of the original gospel of the kingdom of God, the spiritual brotherhood. There are three essentials to the spiritual brotherhood.

140:10:9 John asked Jesus, “Master, what is the kingdom of heaven?” And Jesus answered: “The kingdom of heaven consists in these three essentials: first, recognition of the fact of the sovereignty of God; second, belief in the truth of sonship with God; and third, faith in the effectiveness of the supreme human desire to do the will of God — to be like God. And this is the good news of the gospel: that by faith every mortal may have all these essentials of salvation.”

We are to proclaim the whole truth, not just part of it.

193:0:4 “I admonish you ever to remember that your mission among men is to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom — the reality of the fatherhood of God and the truth of the sonship of man. Proclaim the whole truth of the good news, not just a part of the saving gospel. Your message is not changed by my resurrection experience. Sonship with God, by faith, is still the saving truth of the gospel of the kingdom. You are to go forth preaching the love of God and the service of man. That which the world needs most to know is: Men are the sons of God, and through faith they can actually realize, and daily experience, this ennobling truth. My bestowal should help all men to know that they are the children of God, but such knowledge will not suffice if they fail personally to faith-grasp the saving truth that they are the living spirit sons of the eternal Father. The gospel of the kingdom is concerned with the love of the Father and the service of his children on earth.”

Jesus said it is not enough to have knowledge that we are the children of God. If someone personally fails to faith-grasp “the saving truth that they are the living spirit sons of the eternal Father” then what? Maybe it means we mustn’t sit back on our laurels in this knowledge. That’s not good enough. Besides “being” something, we have to be “doing” something serviceful in the real world. At least that’s my take on it.
VernParticipant
Jul 6, 2015, 1:20 PM

Mara wrote: That which the world needs most to know is: Men are the sons of God, and through faith they can actually realize, and daily experience, this ennobling truth.

Hi Mara, thanks for sharing this profound statement.

You were saying you are wanting to feelingly experience the parent child relationship with the Father to a greater degree in your daily life.

Amen to that.

May faith continue to inform you of the presence of your closest and most intimate friend.

Of God, the most inescapable of all presences, the most real of all facts, the most living of all truths, the most loving of all friends, and the most divine of all values, we have the right to be the most certain of all universe experiences. ^[Paper ^{102:7.10, page 1127.4]}

In the final analysis this is the only thing that matters our personal inner connection with the Father.

The source of our capacity to love and be loved. The inspiration for self-improvemnt and foundation of our self-respect.

Spiritual living mightily increases true self-respect. But self-respect is not self-admiration. Self-respect is always co-ordinate with the love and service of one’s fellows. It is not possible to respect yourself more than you love your neighbor; the one is the measure of the capacity for the other. ^[Paper ^{156:5.14, page 1740:1]}

Once you accept sonship as real, spiritual transformation follows along the lines of personality unification, whereby nobility of character is the outcome of love and service of one’s fellows. Spirit born sons and daughters willingly share affection with each other, no compulsion or sense of duty required, love is freely given and unconditionally so.
MaraParticipant
Jul 7, 2015, 7:58 PM
The Master’s invisible spiritual brotherhood, Jesus’ ideal of the establishment of the fact of the kingdom of God in the hearts of men by the spirit’s domination and guidance of the individual believer, largely failed, because over time the Christian church became its substitute. The Master’s teaching regarding the fact of the kingdom, his early followers proceeded to set the kingdom off into the future. ( 170:5:14 ) Those who study the UB revelation know we are the pioneers, as Vern says, of the proclamation of the original gospel teachings of Jesus. I think we have to rediscover from the UB what he taught and how he taught it. He lived it. And to the extent we live it, we grow more fully and more assuredly in fellowship with other believers. Thank God for the Spirit of Truth who confirms truth where we find it, and there is much truth in the Bible. And there are many wonderful church and religious communities who reach out to do serviceful work for people and neighborhoods without bragging about it.

One notable thing Jesus did was to utilize the cream from the Old Testament to teach his pupils by showing them how, for example, the Hebrews evolved their concept of God and how Moses improved the olden commandments brought with them from Egypt. Nothing in them about brotherhood or about the fatherhood of God.

“1. You shall worship no other god, for the Lord is a jealous God.
“2. You shall not make molten gods.
“3. You shall not neglect to keep the feast of unleavened bread.
“4. Of all the males of men or cattle, the first-born are mine, says the Lord.
“5. Six days you may work, but on the seventh day you shall rest.
“6. You shall not fail to observe the feast of the first fruits and the feast of the ingathering at the end of the year.
“7. You shall not offer the blood of any sacrifice with leavened bread.
“8. The sacrifice of the feast of the Passover shall not be left until morning.
“9. The first of the first fruits of the ground you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God.
“10. You shall not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk.” ( 142:3:20 )

Mose’s new commandments. Nothing in there about the Fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man or sonship.

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain;

4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy

5. Honour thy father and thy mother

6. Thou shalt not kill

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery

8. Thou shalt not steal

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour

10. Thou shalt not covet

“Moses gave them the new ten commandments, which you will all allow are more worthy utterances to accompany the enlarging Yahweh concepts of Deity. And did you never take notice of these commandments as twice recorded in the Scriptures, that in the first case deliverance from Egypt is assigned as the reason for Sabbath keeping, while in a later record the advancing religious beliefs of our forefathers demanded that this be changed to the recognition of the fact of creation as the reason for Sabbath observance? ( 142:3:22 )
“And then will you remember that once again–in the greater spiritual enlightenment of Isaiah’s day–these ten negative commandments were changed into the great and positive law of love, the injunction to love God supremely and your neighbor as yourself. And it is this supreme law of love for God and for man that I also declare to you as constituting the whole duty of man.” ( 142:3:22 )

And people nowadays know about loving God supremely and to love your neighbor as yourself, but the idea of brotherhood got lost in translation to the concept known as the second coming when Christ returns and to establish the brotherhood, the kingdom.

( 170:5:14 ) [. . .] The church, just as soon as it was well established, began to teach that the kingdom was in reality to appear at the culmination of the Christian age, at the second coming of Christ.

So I am of the opinion that those who would teach the gospel according to Jesus must go back to his original gospel, including the concept and ideal of spiritual brotherhood, and that it is possible to do this work without even mentioning the various churches or the second coming of Jesus.

170:5:19 [#4]

Sooner or later another and greater John the Baptist is due to arise proclaiming “the kingdom of God is at hand” — meaning a return to the high spiritual concept of Jesus, who proclaimed that the kingdom is the will of his heavenly Father dominant and transcendent in the heart of the believer — and doing all this without in any way referring either to the visible church on earth or to the anticipated second coming of Christ. There must come a revival of the actual teachings of Jesus, such a restatement as will undo the work of his early followers who went about to create a sociophilosophical system of belief regarding the fact of Michael’s sojourn on earth. In a short time the teaching of this story about Jesus nearly supplanted the preaching of Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom. In this way a historical religion displaced that teaching in which Jesus had blended man’s highest moral ideas and spiritual ideals with man’s most sublime hope for the future — eternal life. And that was the gospel of the kingdom.
VernParticipant
Jul 7, 2015, 11:28 PM

Mara wrote: …those who would teach the gospel according to Jesus must go back to his original gospel, including the concept and ideal of spiritual brotherhood, and that it is possible to do this work without even mentioning the various churches or the second coming of Jesus.

Mara, I see you get it. Truly spoken. The Spirit of Truth gives each of us the capacity to live the truth in our own lives for the edification of our fellows. It’s not possible to light the path for another without lighting your own way. Seek he greater, and the lesser will be contained within. We have the instruction manual and the perfect guide, let’s move forward in unison.

Mara wrote: …such a restatement as will undo the work of his early followers who went about to create a sociophilosophical system of belief…

Living truth restated according to modern times with emphasis on the positive to replace the dead and uninspiring negative “fear” motivated dictates of control prefaced with “thou shalt not”…………Well, the time has come to boldly pronounce, that which…….. “shall be done in heaven and on earth.” The Father’s will……………………… that invokes the authority invested in all his children who have made the consecrated freewill choice………”not my will, but your will, be done.” When we seek God we seek everything, when we find God we find everything, for in him, we live, breathe and have our being. The truth shall set the spirit free to express its divine purpose. Thought Adjusters have flocked here for good reason to inhabit the minds of mortals of this benighted world, we are at the start of a magnificent and wonderfully unfolding adventure of planetary redemption.

Such is the compelling power of the spiritual brotherhood. The personality of God discovered through sincere investigative reasoned debate with fellow believers, as recorded in the discourse Rodan of Alexandria had with the apostles Nathaniel and Thomas, nearly 2021 years ago, even as Jesus was communing with the Father in the hills close by:

2. Since Jesus was equal with the Father, and since this Son had achieved the manifestation of personality to his earth children, such a phenomenon constituted proof of the fact, and demonstration of the possibility, of the possession of personality by all three of the Godheads and forever settled the question regarding the ability of God to communicate with man and the possibility of man’s communicating with God. ^[Paper ^{161:1.7, page 1784.4]}

Incidentally, if any of you are wanting ways to explain “The Trinity” to fellow believers and those curious to find out, the preceding paragraph in conjunction with the one above are excellent references.

The fatherhood of God is yet to be accepted as true, by a world held in the false grip of self-imposed blindness—by the mesmerising doctrine of materialism. Materialists in their ignorance, place forward every agrument of denial as a tangled web of sophistry whenever they meet a believer, even when knowing that their own Adjuster is confirming such belief within themselves if they are sincerely focussed on truth, in discomfort, such manifestations of faith generally stir up extreme emotional reactions which can be unsettling to the unbeliever. Calm inner peace of a believer mightily challenges the turbulent, doubting uncertainty of a materialist. However, it’s all bluff and bluster, for cleverness is no substitute for character. Sons and daughters of the Father, the “spiritual brotherhood,” though yet small in number, assured by faith and the certainty of focus on final destiny, are the agents of spiritual change. Brave souls who……..would teach the gospel according to Jesus…………. to be effective, each must bear abundant fruits-of-the-spirit.

My friends, there is still a long way to go, imperfect as we are, each dedicated believer is working as best they can to become a living example of truth, beauty and goodness. The inner light can only shine through when we cease to resist and wholeheartedly co-operate. It is hardly productive of spiritual unity when “believers” regress and cast barbs of suspicion and doubt at each other. Such behaviour makes a hypocrisy of every former statement of professed belief, it is not “spiritual brotherhood.”

The trust of believers in each other is precious and of great value, when believers gather they are amongst trusted friends and are respectful of the openness and sincerity of such child-like trust in a household of love where the prevailing attitude is the……… “desire to do good to others.” How inappropriate would it be to be cruel to a trusting soul in such a fraternity? Surely we are not those who “flatter with lips while the heart is given to double-dealing?”

…Of all the sorrows of a trusting man, none are so terrible as to be ‘wounded in the house of a trusted friend.’ ^[Paper^{149:6.12, page 1677:1]}

Mara, I am glad when you write:

Mara wrote: …it is possible to do this work without even mentioning the various churches or the second coming of Jesus.

With a spirit of inclusiveness it’s possible to be generous as Jesus……….. “Let all who will, come.”

Only by welcoming a brother or sister lovingly and with trust, can any fruits of the spirit be forthcoming within a spiritual brotherhood.

Before I move on to further delving into this deep and meaningful topic, I wanted to share this teaching from Jesus on the practicalities of spiritual brotherhood:

“…….Even now you should begin to find deliverance from the bondage of fear and doubt as you enter upon the living of the new life of faith and hope. And when the feelings of service for your fellow men arise within your soul, do not stifle them; when the emotions of love for your neighbor well up within your heart, give expression to such urges of affection in intelligent ministry to the real needs of your fellows.” ^[Paper ^{157:2.2, page 1745.1]}

Be ever ready to be moved by spirit that resides within your mind and resonates within your heart……..it is the very expression of your soul.

Jesus further instructs:

“…Have faith in God; have faith in one another; and so shall you enter into the new service of the kingdom of heaven.…” ^([Paper ^{191:2.1, page 2040:2]}

As Jesus said, we should “fear not,” be exceedingly glad. Steadfast in faith that is devoid of fear.
VernParticipant
Jul 8, 2015, 6:11 AM
In getting to know more about how the “spiritual brotherhood” operates we are advised of the futility of appealing to the feelings or intellect of our fellows. Wisdom informs us only appeal to the spirit within, will produce significant results.

“…the appeal to human feelings is transitory and utterly disappointing; the exclusive appeal to the intellect of man is likewise empty and barren; it is only by making your appeal to the spirit which lives within the human mind that you can hope to achieve lasting success and accomplish those marvelous transformations of human character that are presently shown in the abundant yielding of the genuine fruits of the spirit in the daily lives of all who are thus delivered from the darkness of doubt by the birth of the spirit into the light of faith — the kingdom of heaven.” ^[Paper ^{152:6.3, page 1705:3]}

Faith sons and faith daughters are co-workers with the Though Adjusters in this enterprise. Most of our so called, “atheist” friends and family are really being coached from within by their own Thought Adjusters as we well know by now. If your words resonate with spiritual truth, are motivated by love, they are reinforced within the soul by their unique individual, loving Though Adjuster—the hearer, will hear with the ear of spirit, if the person is a sincere seeker of truth. People respond positively when they perceive a genuine personal interest in their welfare from another brother/sister. How much more productive, when a believer is able to win a new soul to membership of the spiritual brotherhood.
VernParticipant
Jul 8, 2015, 2:03 PM
Members of the spiritual brotherhood exhibit divine stability…..loyalty to the Father and to each other.

Consider this quote from the topic “Control and Overcontrol” which mentions spiritual brotherhood.

As man shakes off the shackles of fear, as he bridges continents and oceans with his machines, generations and centuries with his records, he must substitute for each transcended restraint a new and voluntarily assumed restraint in accordance with the moral dictates of expanding human wisdom. These self-imposed restraints are at once the most powerful and the most tenuous of all the factors of human civilization — concepts of justice and ideals of brotherhood. Man even qualifies himself for the restraining garments of mercy when he dares to love his fellow men, while he achieves the beginnings of spiritual brotherhood when he elects to mete out to them that treatment which he himself would be accorded, even that treatment which he conceives that God would accord them. ^[Paper^{118:8.10, page 1302.7]}

Application of the golden rule augmented by the teachings of Jesus is guaranteed to advance society along spiritual lines.

An automatic universe reaction is stable and, in some form, continuing in the cosmos. A personality who knows God and desires to do his will, who has spirit insight, is divinely stable and eternally existent. Man’s great universe adventure consists in the transit of his mortal mind from the stability of mechanical statics to the divinity of spiritual dynamics, and he achieves this transformation by the force and constancy of his own personality decisions, in each of life’s situations declaring, “It is my will that your will be done.” ^[Paper^{118:8.11, page 1303:1]}

Stable people are growing people. Individuals upon which others can depend.

The supreme purpose of life is to develop that most sable, dependable, achievement of self-respect—a majestic and well-balanced personality.

…The purpose of all education should be to foster and further the supreme purpose of life, the development of a majestic and well-balanced personality. ^[Paper ^{195:10.17, page 2086:3]}
MaraParticipant
Jul 8, 2015, 9:22 PM

Vern wrote: . . . he achieves the beginnings of spiritual brotherhood. . . .

The spiritual brotherhood of all mankind is an inevitability, no matter what are the blunders people make in the interim ages. I calculate we are, plus or minus, 80 generations out from the Master’s revelations.

( 143:1:4 ) […] “Truth is a liberating revelation, but love is the supreme relationship. And no matter what blunders your fellow men make in their world management of today, in an age to come the gospel which I declare to you will rule this very world. The ultimate goal of human progress is the reverent recognition of the fatherhood of God and the loving materialization of the brotherhood of man.”

Jesus taught his apostles the essentials of truth for an entire age on earth. ( 141:7:7 ) Do you recall how long the post-bestowal Son age is meant to last? Ten thousand to one hundred thousand years! (52:5:8 ) He lived his life for us and for all worlds in his entire universe. ( 129:3:6 ) His gospel is the greatest religion the world has ever known. (194:4:6) When Michael arrived on Urantia, he came at the time ” . . . Urantia was experiencing such a revival of spiritual thinking and religious living as it had not known in all its previous post-Adamic history nor has experienced in any era since.” (121:1:1) What a remarkable statement! It was more favorable then, than any time since then. Wow! And our world is bathed in the Spirit of Truth.

Now we are almost 2 1/5 generations out from the comprehensive text of the Urantia revelations. This revelation is so huge, I think it impossible to comprehend in its fullness in one lifetime. It boggles my mind to think that some few people are looking for more. It will take 400 to 4000 generations (1 generation = 25 years] to get the world to see that the gospel of Jesus is the greatest religion the world has ever known.
VernParticipant
Jul 9, 2015, 4:54 AM

Mara wrote: This revelation is so huge, I think it impossible to comprehend in its fullness in one lifetime.

Yes, indeed Mara we are only scratching the surface of something infinitely deep and wondrous, a lifetime is so short when compared to the immense panorama of the evolutionary ages it’s taken to arrive at this moment. So far we’ve come, so far to go yet. Life is but a day’s work, do it well.

11. The weak indulge in resolutions, but the strong act. Life is but a day’s work — do it well. The act is ours; the consequences God’s. ^([Paper ^{48:7.13, page 556.13]}

We live in exciting times of transition. What a privilege to think we’re witness to the start of something BIG!! Active participants in its unfolding.

Self-importance, not work-importance, exhausts immature creatures; it is the self element that exhausts, not the effort to achieve. ^[Paper ^{48:6.37, page 555:5]}

Below for context is the full paragraph:

You will learn that you increase your burdens and decrease the likelihood of success by taking yourself too seriously. Nothing can take precedence over the work of your status sphere — this world or the next. Very important is the work of preparation for the next higher sphere, but nothing equals the importance of the work of the world in which you are actually living. But though the work is important, the self is not. When you feel important, you lose energy to the wear and tear of ego dignity so that there is little energy left to do the work. Self-importance, not work-importance, exhausts immature creatures; it is the self element that exhausts, not the effort to achieve. You can do important work if you do not become self-important; you can do several things as easily as one if you leave yourself out. Variety is restful; monotony is what wears and exhausts. Day after day is alike — just life or the alternative of death. ^[Paper ^{48:6.37, page 555:5]}

A person with merry heart is a delightful companion indeed, no wonder Jesus exhorted those around him to “be of good cheer.”

Each individual is unique and what a wonderful world it will be, when each learns the part that they play in this symphony of souls.

Most important to be steadfast, living truth of the person you are, a consecrated son/daughter of the Father energised by the prayer “it is my will that your will be done.”

Through worship—communion with the Father—we replenish our spirit energy batteries to do important work.

…spirit energy must be replenished just as certainly as physical energy. ^[Paper ^{44:5.8, page 505:5]}

Without spirit identification there is no survival, without spirit energy nothing of value is possible.

…human mind, personal mind, has no survival qualities apart from spirit identification. Mind is a divinity bestowal, but it is not immortal when it functions without spirit insight, and when it is devoid of the ability to worship and crave survival. ^[Paper ^{36:5.17, page 403.5]}

All spirit energy comes from the Father and the Paradise Trinity.

…the nature and source of the life-activation spark. We know that life flows from the Father through the Son and by the Spirit. It is more than possible that the Master Spirits are the sevenfold channel of the river of life which is poured out upon all creation. ^[Paper ^{36:6.7, page 404.5]}

Spirit energy activates persons.

…spirit energy is related to the Universal Father through the absolute personality of the Mother-Son… ^[Paper ^{105:3.4, page 1156.1]}

In the paper, “Lure of Maturity,” Rodan asks the apostles Thomas and Nathaniel, a question wondering where Jesus gets his energy. “Whence then comes the energy to do these great things?”

The effort toward maturity necessitates work, and work requires energy. Whence the power to accomplish all this? The physical things can be taken for granted, but the Master has well said, “Man cannot live by bread alone.” Granted the possession of a normal body and reasonably good health, we must next look for those lures which will act as a stimulus to call forth man’s slumbering spiritual forces. Jesus has taught us that God lives in man; then how can we induce man to release these soul-bound powers of divinity and infinity? How shall we induce men to let go of God that he may spring forth to the refreshment of our own souls while in transit outward and then to serve the purpose of enlightening, uplifting, and blessing countless other souls? How best can I awaken these latent powers for good which lie dormant in your souls? One thing I am sure of: Emotional excitement is not the ideal spiritual stimulus. Excitement does not augment energy; it rather exhausts the powers of both mind and body. Whence then comes the energy to do these great things? Look to your Master. Even now he is out in the hills taking in power while we are here giving out energy. The secret of all this problem is wrapped up in spiritual communion, in worship. From the human standpoint it is a question of combined meditation and relaxation. Meditation makes the contact of mind with spirit; relaxation determines the capacity for spiritual receptivity. And this interchange of strength for weakness, courage for fear, the will of God for the mind of self, constitutes worship. At least, that is the way the philosopher views it. ^[Paper ^{160:3.1, page 1777:2]}

How profound, through contact of mind with spirit we are energised, by active freewill consent, the will of God supplants the mind of self.

This sheds a light on that oft-repeated statement regarding access to the mind of Jesus.

…the everlasting truth: If your own mind does not serve you well, you can exchange it for the mind of Jesus of Nazareth, who always serves you well. ^([Paper ^{48:6.26, page 553:7]}

Pray to be granted the privilege to serve selflessly. In the fullness of time, may the Father provide the energy to do his bidding as we maintain a cheerful disposition within our spiritual brotherhood of ascending souls.
VernParticipant
Jul 9, 2015, 1:50 PM
Tolerance and kindness are the characteristics of spiritual brotherhood. Attitudes of spiritual pride derived from inflexible tradition need to be moderated by the warmth of interfaith initiatives based on fellow feeling—brotherhood.

The teachings and practices of Jesus regarding tolerance and kindness ran counter to the long-standing attitude of the Jews toward other peoples whom they considered heathen. For generations the Jews had nourished an attitude toward the outside world which made it impossible for them to accept the Master’s teachings about the spiritual brotherhood of man. They were unwilling to share Yahweh on equal terms with the gentiles and were likewise unwilling to accept as the Son of God one who taught such new and strange doctrines. ^[Paper ^{121:7.2, page 1339:7]}

Sharing is Godlike, hopefully that lesson can be learned in a world that has become so interconnected and interdependent. Where ethics begins to be applied in dealings with others. What affects one, affects all, when humanity is considered as one big family.

The doing of the will of God is nothing more or less than an exhibition of creature willingness to share the inner life with God — with the very God who has made such a creature life of inner meaning-value possible. Sharing is Godlike — divine. God shares all with the Eternal Son and the Infinite Spirit, while they, in turn, share all things with the divine Sons and spirit Daughters of the universes. ^[Paper ^{111:5.1, page 1221:2]}
MaraParticipant
Jul 9, 2015, 7:03 PM

Vern wrote: . . . we are only scratching the surface of something infinitely deep and wondrous. . . .

I’ve spent decades studying other themes in the book – other fascinating information on numerous topics in the book. I have taken for granted the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. I even take the bestowal of Michael for granted. And maybe that is why for me the study of spiritual brotherhood has been such a revelation to me. We talked about it in study group last night. The continued use of the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is so very olden to me. (Jesus used other phrases to describe the relationship of believers too.) At study group a woman suggested it is a club and price of entrance, faith, a gift to us from God himself.

137:8:17 “John came preaching repentance to prepare you for the kingdom; now have I come proclaiming faith, the gift of God, as the price of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. If you would but believe that my Father loves you with an infinite love, then you are in the kingdom of God.”

Then you are in the club.
VernParticipant
Jul 10, 2015, 2:43 AM

Mara wrote:The continued use of the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” is so very olden to me. (Jesus used other phrases to describe the relationship of believers too.)

Mara, in this investigation into the meaning of spiritual brotherhood we have already discovered it is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven, a term well known by every Christian believer. By the middle of this century, there will be three billion Christians in the world. The appeal is to them in particular, that we swell the number to ensure the “kingdom believers” are embraced within this reborn spiritual brotherhood.

With good reason the Angels of the Churches have the first turn in Seraphic Planetary Government administration as the initial hundred years of this revelation are considered. To conserve the values that are worth using as foundations for the renewal of Jesus’ gospel. We need to establish a vocabulary of new and resonant symbology to serve well into the future.

I suggest, the topic of “saving souls” be a valid one to consider as an in-depth study.
VernParticipant
Jul 10, 2015, 2:58 PM
After two thousand years of deliberation, many are still wondering what to do with Jesus?

Well the time to make an informed choice is now.

…to discuss the momentous question: “What shall we do with Jesus?” They talked and debated until after midnight, but they could not find any common ground for agreement. Aside from a few persons who inclined to the belief that Jesus might be the Messiah, at least a holy man, or perhaps a prophet, the meeting was divided into four nearly equal groups who held, respectively, the following views of Jesus:

1. That he was a deluded and harmless religious fanatic.

2. That he was a dangerous and designing agitator who might stir up rebellion.

3. That he was in league with devils, that he might even be a prince of devils.

4. That he was beside himself, that he was mad, mentally unbalanced.

There was much talk about Jesus’ preaching doctrines which were upsetting for the common people; his enemies maintained that his teachings were impractical, that everything would go to pieces if everybody made an honest effort to live in accordance with his ideas. And the men of many subsequent generations have said the same things. Many intelligent and well-meaning men, even in the more enlightened age of these revelations, maintain that modern civilization could not have been built upon the teachings of Jesus — and they are partially right. But all such doubters forget that a much better civilization could have been built upon his teachings, and sometime will be. This world has never seriously tried to carry out the teachings of Jesus on a large scale, notwithstanding that halfhearted attempts have often been made to follow the doctrines of so-called Christianity. ^[Paper^{154:4.6, page 1720:3]}

Time to decide, time for the doubters to be openly challenged by the courageous lives of their fellows who walk with the Father—certitude of believers comprising the spiritual brotherhood, those with a farseeing vison of a much better civilization built upon Jesus’ teachings. This definitely will be.

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