Many times Jesus declared those who have seen him have seen the Father.[1] This is certainly profound, but is it relevant to us? Jesus ascended from our planet two thousand years ago; it would seem this declaration is not pertinent. However, there is more to reality than physical eyes can perceive.
Literally and figuratively, spiritually and personally, the Father and the Sons are one. It is a fact: He who has seen a Creator Son has seen the Father.[2]
See?
When we think about “see,” the first idea that comes to mind is examining something using our eyes. Every waking moment we see. Every visual input we have is received when we see something.
Seeing: we examine the above photograph and then think about it. We see the white truck and compare its size with our home; this gives an idea how big our home is. Finally the trees are several times taller yet. In the foreground our cat is surveying the whole scene. Having made these observations, we can contemplate what they mean.
Our eyes are vital to understanding the world around us.
Experience
Our dictionary has several meanings for the word see;[3] three of the first four are: get a clear mental impression of, learn or discover, and to have personal knowledge of. None of these rely on visual input. These involve experience, thinking and wisdom; they involve gaining an understanding of something.
We have access to a full presentation of the life and teachings of Jesus in The Urantia Book. Using this reference we can obtain a deeper comprehension of Jesus. We can SEE Jesus; therefore we can SEE our Father.
See!
Jesus well knew that God can be known only by the realities of experience; never can he be understood by the mere teaching of the mind…. You can know God, not by understanding what Jesus said, but by knowing what Jesus was. Jesus was a revelation of God.[4]
Gaining a satisfactory understanding of our book is challenging. One reason is because we approach studying The Urantia Book while carrying preconceived notions about what certain words mean. Sometimes the authors of this revelation need to use words in a different way so they can introduce enlarged and partly spiritual concepts to us material minded mortals; personality and character fall into this category.
Character is used with the customary meaning: distinguishing attributes of an object or an individual, for example.
Personality is an entirely different situation; it is used over 1,000 times in the book but what does it mean? They tell us it would be presumptuous to attempt the definition of personality….[1] ( ! )
Their concept of personality involves concepts partly beyond material reality; it is complex, understanding it will take some effort. To fully understand their use of personality we must first disregard any non-Urantia Book definition.
Characteristics
We discuss characteristics of personality itself, not features of individual personalities. For a detailed investigation into levels of personality see Paper 112 section 1 “Personality and Reality” starting on 1226.5.
At the beginning of Paper 112, “Personality Survival,” some characteristics of personality are given;[2] following is part of this list; their use of personality is complex, its definition cannot be squeezed into a few simple words.
First and foremost it is a gift from the Father. God alone bestows personality and this is separate from the Thought Adjuster.
It may be given to anything having a mind or a spirit.
Personality is creative or cocreative; our moral choices today create our eternal reality.
Since we have it, we can use our mind to manipulate our environment; this goes beyond making simple tools.
It can be used to identify a particular living energy system since each personality is unique. This identity holds constant as we pass from our material mechanism (physical body) to our morontia form, beyond into the spiritual region, into Paradise, and beyond.
In the presence of change this does not change.
Personality can give a gift to God: a free will determination to do God’s will.
Each personality is unique in all creation.
It reacts to other personalities.
Depending on its choices it achieves eternal life with identity in the soul.
Fine Tuning our Understanding
Because of our personality, each of us is a spiritual being. God who is spirit gave us our personality; our unity of selfhood and self-consciousness of personality are supermaterial.[3] The reason personality is so difficult to comprehend is because it is non-physical while our consciousness is rooted in materialism.
Personality is that feature of an individual which we know, and which enables us to identify such a being at some future time…. Personality is that part of any individual which enables us to recognize and positively identify that person as the one we have previously known….[4]
When we die, we prefer to call this graduating from our material reality into a more spiritual region, our personality is disrupted because, even though it is not wholly material, our personality depends on our physical body to function.[5] Our personality is preserved for us; ready when repersonalize on a world on high, ready for our eternal adventure.
After graduation, when we become conscious on the mansion world, our personality will recognize other personalities we have known; we will remember them based on their unique personality. Into eternity.
We generally think of ourselves as living entirely in a material body. Everything we see, touch and are aware of is made up of matter; however there is a vital part of our being we generally ignore: our mind. We observe, analyze, correlate, and propose solutions to problems entirely within our mind.
Material mind is the arena in which human personalities live, are self-conscious, make decisions, choose God or forsake him, eternalize or destroy themselves.[1]
There are important considerations when we attempt to understand what is going on inside our mind. While we cannot fully comprehend its inner workings, we can at least learn to direct our own mind into more beneficial pathways. The goal of our thoughts should be to find our God fragment within.
Surveying the Field
Our mind is the thinking, perceiving, and feeling mechanism of the human organism. The total conscious and unconscious experience. The intelligence associated with the emotional life reaching upward through worship and wisdom to the spirit level.[2]
In our mind we are relatively free; we can direct our thoughts in any direction, pursue them wherever they may go. It is in our mind that our free will is strongest. This can be a good thing if we use wisdom when directing our minds, otherwise there may be unhappy consequences.
Within our mind, consciousness is free of material restraints; there are no material objects, no innate guideposts. As we see below, there are subtle leadings that could lead us into greater spiritual awareness; we need to recognize them and choose to do God’s will in all things.
Difficulties
Too often, all too often, you mar your minds by insincerity and sear them with unrighteousness; you subject them to animal fear and distort them by useless anxiety.[3]
Citizens in a materialistic society such as ours become particularly susceptible to mind difficulties when they recognize no spiritual guidance, nothing to give direction to their thoughts except materialism, which is basically greed. Having a mind without recognizing an inner moral direction is like being alone in a trackless desert with evening coming on. The current rash of mass shootings in our nation is a glaring symptom of our lack of moral guidance.
Mortal mind can actually be twisted, distorted, and rendered evil and ugly by the sinful machinations of a perverse and self-seeking human will. Likewise can this mind be made noble, beautiful, true, and good—actually great—in accordance with the spirit-illuminated will of a God-knowing human being.[4]
We make decisions based on our personality, background, and desires. If our will is self-seeking there will be insurmountable difficulties; if we have a moral compass we will have a clear path through whatever difficulties we encounter. Citizens in a secular society have little or no inner guidance; their unfocused minds wander into unhealthy regions while minds focused on finding and knowing God will surely attain Paradise and stand in the presence of our Heavenly Father.
Mind is the cosmic instrument on which the human will can play the discords of destruction, or upon which this same human will can bring forth the exquisite melodies of God identification and consequent eternal survival.[5]
The human will acting in the mind is where we rise or fail.
Our Spirit Guide
Perhaps the greatest truth revealed in The Urantia Bookis that every thinking human being has within them a fragment of God, our indwelling Thought Adjuster. This truth is briefly mentioned in the Bible but it is rarely emphasized in Christianity. Knowing God is intimately linked to each of us gives new meaning to the value of every mortal.
Though the work of Adjusters is spiritual in nature, they must, perforce, do all their work upon an intellectual foundation. Mind is the human soil from which the spirit Monitor must evolve the morontia soul with the co-operation of the indwelt personality[6].
The Thought Adjuster arrives when the child first makes a moral decision, usually about five or six years of age; at this point the soul is born. Our spirit of God within never coerces; it only offers suggestions. To grow spiritually we must learn to follow these suggestions, which are subtle. Someone mired in materialism will have difficulty recognizing them while someone dedicated to choosing God’s Will has a better opportunity to make a moral choice; in their mind they KNOW and decide accordingly. Those between these extremes must learn to seek and recognize the gentle spiritual guidance everyone receives.
Our mind can assist us in our growth if we are sincere. Much more important is cooperating with our personal Thought Adjuster which will stimulate and inspire your mind to control itself and activate the body if you will release it from the fetters of fear and thus enable your spiritual nature to begin your deliverance from the evils of inaction by the power-presence of living faith.[7]
We naturally fear the unknown but there is within us a source of spiritual power; removing the chains of fear by trusting in God’s love and guidance is vital to our spiritual growth. We can reach spiritual insight because our mind is not entirely material. There is a spirit nucleus in the mind of man—the Adjuster of the divine presence.[8]
Moral Choices = Soul Growth
The process of physical evolution has provided a material mechanism: our body. Heavenly Father has given us an indwelling spark of spiritual guidance, our Thought Adjuster. In addition, we have also been given a mind, the decision-making arena where we define or destroy our eternal nature. Mind is a vital aspect of our being that is frequently under appreciated. We contemplate frivolous things when we should be training our mind to make God-seeking decisions. We choose in our mind what we become in eternity.
Mortal mind is a temporary intellect system loaned to human beings for use during a material lifetime, and as they use this mind, they are either accepting or rejecting the potential of eternal existence. Mind is about all you have of universe reality that is subject to your will….[9]
Our deepest desires are what drive us into oblivion or into an eternal life of growth and service. Our present situation is not nearly as important as our goal, which should direct our actions as we seek eternal value.
Our Thought Adjuster makes gentle suggestions and we choose in our mind how to respond. We seek the presence of God within now while in eternity we find Him in person on Paradise; this is the great adventure of our existence. Our starting point is as a material being while our goal is a perfect eternal being: a Finaliter. We get there by choosing at each decision point to do God’s Will.
Jesus taught the appeal to the emotions as the technique of arresting and focusing the intellectual attention.[10] I am developing a process that encourages this called “spiritual focusing.” I do not fully understand the process but it involves a technique to identify and encourage the growth of spiritual emotions.
Eternity
The goal of our thoughts must be to find our personal God fragment within. Our Heavenly Father is loving and merciful. The scope of His mercy was illustrated when Jesus was hanging on the cross and declared, speaking about those who had put him there, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” If such an act can be forgiven, our own mundane sins will surely be forgiven if we ask. Knowing our sins have been forgiven, we can concentrate on preparing our mind for the journey Godward.
We experience stress over momentary events in our mortal existence, but in the span of eternity these may be as important as a specific grain of sand on the beach; our material mechanism is transitory. But we, using our free will choices, can affirmatively choose an existence into eternity. This choice is made in our mind and mobilized by our actions selecting God’s will as our eternal guide.
Mind is soul soil. Is yours nourished and ready for the journey into an eternal existence?
[1] 1216.4; this refers to the one column edition of The Urantia Book as page.paragraph. All references are to The Urantia Book.
Our society appears to be permeated with hate. Symptoms of this are everywhere, for example this is the third year in a row that the US has had over 600 mass shootings. These acts of violence arise partly because of powerful negative emotions: hatred of anyone who has a different skin color, a different sexual orientation, or perhaps even a different political party. These feelings have always been with us but they seem stronger than before and they are acted on more frequently.
Such hatred arises in our inner life where we are in the process of defining who we are and who we want to become. This is where we choose to do God’s will or choose something lesser. Will we follow God’s plan for our lives, or will we wander without inner guidance? Each of us needs God’s leadership in our lives.
Since this inner life of man is truly creative, there rests upon each person the responsibility of choosing as to whether this creativity shall be spontaneous and wholly haphazard or controlled, directed, and constructive. How can a creative imagination produce worthy children when the stage whereon it functions is already preoccupied by prejudice, hate, fears, resentments, revenge, and bigotries?[1]
When our inner thoughts are tainted by hateful emotions it becomes difficult to function in society. Such dark emotions make spiritual progress impossible; those possessing such minds are a menace to society.
We should share our inner life with God, our creator Father;[6] {God Within} doing so would enable us to overcome our baser emotions and become more spiritual, thereby becoming better individuals and better citizens. When our mind is in turmoil we are moving farther away from God, we become susceptible to hateful thoughts and actions.
We examine two broad categories of hate and discuss their source.
Tribal Hate
From the earliest times our ancestors formed clans and tribes, those within the group were generally trusted and those outside were generally feared and hated. Such feelings have been with us so long they are probably in our DNA. This fear and hate makes the group stronger;[7] at the dawn of history these feelings were important to the survival of our ancestors but they are not healthy in our “modern” society. Our way of life can endure only when the brotherhood of all peoples is fully realized.
When such social groups formed personal conflicts were diminished and there was peace within the group; this was an important step toward civilization, but it came at the cost of friction between groups.[8]
Such feelings of hatred for outsiders, which can be called tribal hate, are now widespread in society. Individuals who feel they are part of some particular group, such as white Anglo-Saxon males, may feel hatred for those who are different in some superficial characteristic, perhaps skin color. We need to realize each individual is a unique child of God; within their mind there is no skin color, but such mental activity will be affected by negative reactions they encounter. Hatred based on some individual characteristic is tribal hate, based on a perceived difference.
Rejecting Truth
Another form of hatred is directed at an idea that supposedly threatens an individual’s way of life; this form is rejecting truth. The first time Jesus sent the apostles out on a preaching tour he told them before you establish the kingdom on earth, you will be hated by many peoples because of this gospel….[9] Religious leaders in Jerusalem hated the teachings of Jesus because they threatened the established religion as well as their own livelihood.
Jesuswas hated only by those who regarded him as the champion of that truth which was destined to overthrow the evil and error which they had determined to hold in their hearts at all cost.[10]
In today’s society there are cases of this variety of hate all over the world. For example both Islam and Christianity have radical elements promoting violence. The political arena also has pockets of hate based on ideological differences.
Those who are affected by rejecting truth are rejecting the truth of God and the light of heaven, they are aligning themselves on the side of error and darkness. There cannot be peace between light and darkness, between life and death, between truth and error.[11]
We must embrace the truth we have been given in The Urantia Book and share it with our brothers and sisters.
Counteracting Hate
Make not the mistake of trying to pluck a mote out of your brother’s eye when there is a beam in your own eye. Having first cast the beam out of your own eye, you can the better see to cast the mote out of your brother’s eye.[12]
Before dealing with other individuals we must first control our own mind. A turbulent mind cannot deal effectively with emotional situations. We begin this transformation by being totally sincere at all times, within ourself and with others. The next step is to recognize every thinking mortal has within them a spark of God and that we are all sisters and brothers. Finally there is a continual and wholehearted desire to do God’s will at all times. While doing this remember, doing our Father’s will is definitely NOT going to be the easy way! Jesus said Think not that I have come to bring peace but rather a soul struggle[13]. We should ask ourself if we have experienced a soul struggle, if not then perhaps we are not following God’s will for our lives.
When interacting with hatemongers never attempt to argue with them; they have a worldview that cannot easily be shaken. The best we can do is try to make peace in the moment and pray that when they reflect later, they will realize the error of their ways.
What does The Urantia Book have to say about this? If we are sincerely seeking to do God’s will we are safe. When the flood tides of human adversity, selfishness, cruelty, hate, malice, and jealousy beat about the mortal soul, you may rest in the assurance that there is one inner bastion, the citadel of the spirit, which is absolutely unassailable;…[14] If we are firm in our faith, we will be secure in our citadel of the spirit.
Hate can only be defeated by love. The love call of the spiritual kingdom should prove to be the effective destroyer of the hate urge of the unbelieving and war-minded citizens of the earthly kingdoms.
Hate can fester and become something terribly evil. We who seek to do God’s will are secure within ourselves and we have the citadel of the spirit. It is up to each one of us to fill this planet with love of truth and love of our Heavenly Father.
[1] 1220.8; all references are to the one column edition of The Urantia Book, in the format page.paragraph.
“We are spiritual beings having a physical experience;” says a bumper sticker in the Northern Sun catalog. While we can all become spiritual beings, some are more spiritual (such as the Dalai Lama) than others. Each of us has an eternal future of growth and service before us; the only catch is that we must select it, choose to follow the plan our Heavenly Father has prepared for us.
We have received thrilling truths from The Urantia Book; how can we share them with sisters and brothers in a way they will accept them and incorporate the teachings into their daily lives? How can we present these teachings in such a way our audience will eagerly seek spiritual guidance; so they will know each thinking mortal on Earth has within them a literal spark of God. We have Heavenly Father within seeking to guide us into a greater awareness of God.
In this posting we discuss the essential components of our message; what we are going to become and say in our efforts to help win this world for Michael, our creator father also known as Jesus.
Current Situation
Society on planet Earth is in turmoil because of failures and rebellion in our distant past; these are discussed in several places on this website. The vast majority of our problems arose from a rebellion far from Earth, the Lucifer rebellion. 500,000 years ago our planet had a ruler, a Planetary Prince named Caligastia, who joined the rebellion about 200,000 years ago. A bit less than 38,000 years ago our Adam and Eve arrived to uplift our ancestors. They did not join the rebellion but they did default on their mission. Many negative characteristics of modern society are a direct consequence of the rebellion. “Dark Forces Operating on Earth” discusses various non-physical entities operating on behalf of our fallen Planetary Prince.
By far the most popular page on this website is “Urantia: Caligastia’s Prison World” which discusses since Caligastia is confined to this world until the rebellion is over, Earth is his prison world. We can either cooperate with Michael, or work with the prisoner, Caligastia, our fallen Planetary Prince. The conflict between those following Michael and those proclaiming false liberty, first announced by Lucifer, bleeds heavily into current events.
What This World Needs
The truth that everyone has a spark of God is mentioned briefly in the Bible,[1] but this is rarely mentioned in Christianity. There is hope this may be changing; in his speech at the first Sunday of advent this year, Pope Francis said we should be “always aware of the presence of God and to welcome Him in our daily lives.”[2] This thrilling news of God within should be a vital part of our message; God is within each thinking mortal, no exceptions. This spark of God is our Thought Adjuster. Our potentially eternal soul grows as a result of the freewill decisions we make under the guidance of this spark of God. As we make righteous choices in harmony with our Adjuster’s leadership, our soul becomes stronger.
This truth has broad implications for our lives. Since everyone equally has this indwelling God fragment, everyone has value and we all are equally sister and brother. When an individual is disadvantaged in any way, because of some superficial difference, God is being put down. We are all equally sons and daughters of God.[3] Our interpersonal relationships should be based upon this truth of universal brotherhood.
Our society is filled with anti-brotherhood sentiment such as mass shootings, anti-Semitism, anti-LGBTQ actions, and many other forms of hatred. Politicians amplify these hateful emotions so they can gain political power. News media are filled with stories of random violence. If our society is to survive, these feelings of hatred must be replaced with true emotions of brotherhood – love for each of our sisters and brothers. We recognize love as respect for the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of all humanity. When the universal brotherhood of all citizens of planet Earth is realized, there will truly be peace on Earth.
This troubled world desperately needs a broad recognition of the value of human beings. How can we as individuals become ready to begin sharing these truths to a broader audience?
Preparing Ourselves
The keys of the kingdom of heaven are: sincerity, more sincerity, and more sincerity.[4] Everyone has these keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. If we wish to grow spiritually we need to be sincere within ourself and with others. God wants to know if we can be trusted before giving us guidance into ways of service.
The last day of rest Jesus had on Earth was spent in the hills with John Mark. This youth followed Jesus and the apostles for most of their journeys. When he first went to hear Jesus Amos, a friend, went with him. Afterwards they returned home to Jerusalem and asked permission to follow Jesus. John Mark got permission from his parents but Amos did not.[5] Amos wanted to run away, Jesus said that would mean Amos could not be trusted to follow his duty. Such betrayal of trust is difficult to overcome. Later John Mark would write the gospel according to Mark. Jesus wants to know if we can be trusted.
Before we go out into the world proclaiming these truths we need to prepare ourselves; we have to be firm in our faith. We cannot be a reed shaken with the wind….[6]
Before presenting these truths we need a strong desire to comprehend them. There must be perfection hunger in man’s heart to insure capacity for comprehending the faith paths to supreme attainment.[7] A solid longing to improve spiritually is vital; otherwise our efforts will be weak.
This desire to improve has to be strong enough to overcome our physical and materialistic inertia. Our longing for spiritual growth has to be strong. The spiritual forward urge is the most powerful driving force present in this world; the truth-learning believer is the one progressive and aggressive soul on earth.[8] Only after internalizing these things, will we be fully ready to present such teachings to the world.
Going Forth With the Message
Jesus told us to go into all the world proclaiming this gospel to all nations, to every man, woman, and child.[9] The apostles concentrated their efforts in the Mediterranean Sea area; that is why today Christianity is mainly a Western religion.
Sharing of this gospel must go to all nations. All of humanity needs this message. The entire planet needs this message.
Our global society is destroying itself because of the message of fear promulgated by Caligastia and his followers. Our atmosphere of fear must be replaced by one of love and brotherhood.
The message of love, brotherhood, joy, and the presence of God within every thinking mortal must be given to all humanity.
