2007-01-29-Encouraging Courage, Spiritual Reading
Marin #118
Contents
• 1 Heading
o 1.1 Topic: Encouraging Courage, Spiritual Reading
o 1.2 Group: Marin TeaM
• 2 Facilitators
o 2.1 Teacher: Michael
o 2.2 TR: JL
• 3 Session
o 3.1 Opening
o 3.2 Lesson
o 3.3 Dialogue
o 3.4 Closing
Topic: Encouraging Courage, Spiritual Reading
Group: Marin TeaM
Facilitators
Teacher: Michael
TR: JL
Session
Opening
Dear Michael and Mother Spirit, We thank you for your lesson on the distinction between self-power and other-power, for it illuminates the spiritual dimension of our own personalities and creativity, and at the same time reminds us that the whole spiritual community is so near to us it can be addressed directly with our very next prayer or thoughts of worship. So we thank you for these wonderful, gentle reminders, this continuing illumination that helps us realize what we actuality are. Amen.
MICHAEL: Good evening, this is Michael. I get to say again: My, what a group; and again, How many years of devotion this group represents. Congratulations, my dear children, you’ve had the courage to exercise your faith, to hang yourselves out there on hope and wonder, and now you’ve experienced the proof deep within yourselves of the reality of spirit. You’ve come to feel the personal beings whose spirits you can now perceive, and can credit how all spirit is personal, and all personal beings have spirit.
Lesson
Recognizing this endowment within yourselves, realizing how you can recognize Mother Spirit’s and my presence within you–because you are innately spiritual yourselves, you can come to recognize this in your fellows. Totally independently of whether they can realize this themselves, you can. You can meet them and relate with them, beaming this essential human dignity to them, honoring them, realizing them, meeting the question in their eyes, sometimes a fear for their own existence. You can meet this with the affirmation of spirit, the assurance that they too, like yourselves, absolutely are. They are God’s creation and they bear the hallmark, if you will, the signature of his hand.
And this recognition, my children, is the only thing missing on your world, the only thing missing that keeps you from realizing an era of Light and Life, for this is what that era represents to you now: all else would follow. Imagine human beings going through their days with this total recognition and acknowledgment of each others’ profound and unfathomable reality. It would kind-of slow things down, wouldn’t it? (much laughter)
Think of needing to create the time to acknowledge everyone you meet, and how that would profoundly change just about every society on earth above the most primitive, whose people, ironically enough, often had this recognition of each other. But then, of course, they were plagued with a thousand animism’s and lived in absolute slavery to traditions and taboos. So there is no going back; there never has been. Time doesn’t flow that way. You are where you are, and so much of your free will depends upon the moment to moment recognition and acceptance we’ve been teaching in our lessons.
This is something you can begin now. This is the treasure that awaits you when you take the time and energy—if you will, the pure effort, to grant others this dignity of free will. It comes from being secure in yourself, recognizing and enjoying deeply your own self-power, your own spirit, your own creativity. This is where the long-hoped-for generosity—person to person—comes from. This is feeling you are overflowing, so grateful for the fountain of life within yourself you just bubble over and can’t help but share it with others. It gives you the ability to recognize them, and it gives you the ability to recognize us, your spiritual family.
As Mother Spirit said, there is no final demarcation between inside and outside. You yourselves are part of the spiritual family of God. You are spiritual beings whose very essence—your personality—is yet far, far beyond your own ability to comprehend. But with your spirit you can feel our presence. You can talk to us. You can address and feel the presence of God within you. You can formulate your prayers and ask for help. And the answer can be in your very next thought. It gives Mother Spirit and I such great pleasure, my children, that you here have known these moments. This is the inner proof I spoke of. This is the human experience for which there is no substitute. This is what your Urantia book calls being faith-sons of the living God, able to enjoy already in your still human lives, the reality of soul—the Morontia level of existence—the combination of your irreplaceable human experience seen through the eyes of spirit.
What wonderful, glorious moments these are. What a joy and delight we can share together. I feel some questions bubbling up, so I’ll keep my lesson a little short this evening. For I really do delight in our conversations together, and I know you, and those who will come to read these words, do understand how rare this has been in the history of Urantia. We do thank you for your appreciation of the Teaching Mission and all our sons and daughters—human and otherwise—so engaged. So bring your questions and comments forward. Let’s have a look at them. (there followed another long pause, as if no one wanted to disturb Michael’s presence)
Dialogue
Student: I have a question, Michael, about remote viewing? If someone is experiencing remote viewing, is there any real influence they could have if they were seeing some political leaders, or is it just that we can simply send them love? We could send these political men love to help them make the right decisions.
MICHAEL: Yes, my daughter, I understand your question. To address the second part first, this is not only possible, it is essential that those of you who have a inner perception of your spiritual powers and strengths do send this love to all realms of humanity, and those most desperately in need of love are your political leaders. You have saying, It’s very lonely at the top. We can only ask you to exercise your imaginations to the fullest to wonder what it is to be the president of a country. This is very difficult because every nation-state that exists has endless layers of secrecy deemed necessary by every single one, without exception. So it’s quite a challenge for you to know what’s really happening, know where the levers and the fulcrums are to distinguish tactics from strategies.
Yet as a member of a relatively democratic country, this is your responsibility as a citizen.
But as a spiritual son or daughter of our Father, beam as much love as you can to their essential human nature, because every human being needs to see himself or herself as sane and doing the right thing—however twisted their morality might be from a more objective viewpoint. Recall our lesson on how those in the inner circles of power need to see themselves and each other as essentially rational, regardless of how history may judge them later.
As to your ability to view these councils of power from afar, I would suggest you treat this like any other experiment in which you have a genuine desire to know the truth. In other words, subject it to the same scrutiny, the same checks that you would anything else. You’ve had some wonderful training clear from grade school and high school on how to experiment and then test your results. So cultivate your self-honesty to want to know the genuine answer as to whether this is real or not. Does that answer your question?
Student: Thank you, it’s very insightful. I find I shy away from the political arena. I get a little too reactive and feeling helpless. I mean I don’t know what to do as a citizen. But as a spiritual being I feel I can be more helpful sending love to those who used to irritate me so—in the administration. I mean I understand their addiction to greed and power just like anyone addicted to anything. So it’s helped me immensely to have compassion and pray for them. Thank you again. Michael.
MICHAEL: You’re very welcome, my daughter. This is why I suggested you send your love and strength directly to their human hearts, for so many of these so-called rulers have the proverbial tiger by the tail, and from a human standpoint, find themselves in a position which by its very nature no one could have anticipated. So just do your best to help them stay as fully human and compassionate, in touch with their fellows, as you can help them be. And be in my peace.
(There followed a very long, several minute pause, so Michael added,) You notice what a marvelous stillness you can all generate together? (mutual agreement expressed)
Student: Good evening, Michael, I want to ask you a question about our little group that meets here and enjoys your presence. Do you have any thoughts about how we can organically grow what we’re doing here?–any suggestions or framework for approaching that kind of connection to the surrounding community?
MICHAEL: Yes, my son, this points right back at your own creative abilities to explore these avenues. I hope you don’t think I’m dodging your question, but how you relate to the community around you is so dependent upon your own imagination tapping into what you feel are your own strengths and interests–what other parts of your community, what other organizations you feel a brotherhood or common bond with. Might these be businesses, or educational institutions, or recreational groups, for as you know, you are surrounded by hundreds of different ways in which people are getting together—socially, economically, educationally.
As you apply yourself to any of these, you immediately get some feedback as to whether or not they are interested. As you talked about earlier this evening, how do you approach different folks? Those of you familiar with the Urantia book have often followed Mother Spirit’s and my advise on how to introduce it by first being open to a person’s interests in determining what part might appeal to them. For I must admit the book was deliberately written with a kind of shotgun approach (laughter) to cover broad areas of human interests, be they theology, or psychology, philosophy, history, geology, natural science, cosmology, and so forth; then crowning these with a narrative of my life among you, wrapping up all the foregoing.
So in your stillness, ask yourself, What are my strengths? Who could I appeal to? Then step off. For from this point on, my son, I’m afraid it’s a matter of pure nerve. (much laughter—in agreement) I would be less than honest with you to fudge that point. How do you say it?—no guts: no glory! (more laughter) And in doing so, my son, you are asked to walk a bit in my steps.
Student: Yes.
MICHAEL: Let them be your own steps, for this is the best way you find out what they are, and who you are. So do go with my peace in your heart, and Mother Spirit’s laughing love in your soul. Do you care for any more extenuation?
Student: Is there anything you can add about the book I’m working on, that would also edify the folks here–the book about your faith and your teaching?
MICHAEL: You have my blessing! Just as Mother Spirit and I enjoy using all the various talents, and abilities, and backgrounds, and interests, and experiences of all of our transmitters, so you too, my son, have your own unique take–on me. As with all the others, it will be a combination of the both of us. Feel me in your heart, and just do your best to convey this rather ineffable experience of my presence. But you are a word-smith, and an artist in that. So again, you have my blessings. Go forward in my peace.
Student: Michael? I would like to ask you about how the threads of the Correcting Time are woven together on this planet. I’ve come to a realization over the last two years about the different personalities here, some who were born and raised here and have evolved to a very high state of being, such as one we know of as Emil—from the books Masters of the Far East; and then others such as Maitreya who’s been pointed out to be an extraterrestrial, or star-brother.
These beings are walking on this planet as teachers, preparing us for the changes to come, but up to this point, as far as I’m aware—those of us who have embraced the Urantia book revelation, the Teaching Mission, the Magisterial Mission, you and Mother Spirit—they have not come forward and made contact with our group. We seem to be evolving with the information we’ve received, yet these two different threads have not yet connected. Why have we remained apart? I feel we’re ready to share our information and knowledge with these other beings. So I just want to glean a better understanding of why there is still such a distance between us.
MICHAEL: Yes, my son, I wish to restate the affirmation that all the higher spirits, the extra-human spirits on and surrounding Urantia, are united–do know a unity that is far beyond human comprehension. We are all doing the best we can to effect a positive outcome for this planet; that is, doing our best to help you continue the evolution of all aspects of your race—all societies and cultures, their essential civilization. But you must understand, my son, this is a true adventure: you are truly free. Again, in ways beyond your comprehension, Mother Spirit and I, with all our experience of the histories of millions of planets at all stages of evolution, even we do not know how this will play out day to day. You must understand: we are riding with you! We are ourselves limited by our very nature, our God-given nature, to do more than we are.
This is the reality; this is the wonder; this is the glory of your freedom–more so than any human religion or system of belief has yet credited. Yet if you look around you will find it does explain the current situation. It is an essential part of why things are the way they are. Part of this freedom—as we’ve specified before—requires you to evaluate for yourselves both the existence and the nature of everything you encounter, both your own self-power within, and the whole spiritual community without; and every personality—human or extra-human–you may have heard or read about. Even Mother Spirit and I depend upon your own spiritual abilities to recognize our presence in your lives. There is no valid way you can abrogate this responsibility.
There are certain things I will not tell you, my son, because I cannot. I can only ask you to trust in my love, and in my wisdom. The darkness in which you find yourself from time to time is real. Keep striving for the illumination that is another gift of our Father’s, and lies within your own power to create or recognize. You can evaluate these things over time. But this is the essence of time; it is not some superfluous dimension (Michael chuckles); it too is required. Does this help you? (much laughter all around…)
Student: Well, I’m going to have to be honest with you: I’m going to have to read this one over. (…and more) My desire was fairly simple. I enjoyed reading about those brothers an sisters who are more advanced than I am—to learn from, so I was hoping to meet these beings. They possibly will be in my future… Maybe I am a little impatient, to bring it up here, but I couldn’t see any harm in it. But you have given me so much more to think about and ponder on, and I assure you I will. Thank you.
MICHAEL: You’re welcome, my son. Excuse me then, if I caught a hint of your wondering if I would say whether they were real or not, and this I cannot tell you.
Student: I’m sorry if I gave that impression. They are real in my constructs, in my reality at this time. That is why there is confusion as to why I’ve not been successful in making contact with them. But I do understand what you are saying, and I will continue to be open.
MICHAEL: Well, that does warm my heart. That was the purpose of all this explanation. Thank you, my son. Be in my peace.
Student (#1 again): If I may? I’ve always been curious why our society’s schools don’t offer courses in courage. Lately I’ve been wondering how I might start one, or teach adults.
MICHAEL: Yes, my daughter, this would be welcome indeed. In one way you are still at a stage of simply requiring courage by setting up situations that call for it, and yet not, as you suggested, pointing right at it. But all societies from the most primitive to the most advanced have their competitive nature, readying the young men for warfare—the defense of the tribe or the nation/state; readying the young women for childbirth and family life, especially back in times when so many were lost in the process. The requirement has always been there, but rather unconsciously acknowledged.
So by all means, bring it into consciousness. Look right at it. Your Urantia book has that marvelous passage of the progressive uses of warfare, not to glory it, but just so you can understand what other kinds of more playful activities you can get into that fulfill the same functions. That would be a good place to review.
Student: Thank you. Page number? (laughter)
Student: Yes, Michael. I have no formal questions. I do agree with (Name) about desiring to speak with these beings I have read about in The Life and Teachings of the Masters of the Far East, because they have so much potential actualized. I feel that if humankind could see and experience what these beings do, and actualize ourselves, then a whole new existence would come about. This planet could go in a whole new direction, closer to our Father’s intention. But in my own present journey, I’m barely scratching the surface compared to what these people know in their day to day lives. I am trying to remain open to this—my own actualization, and trust the process.
MICHAEL: It seems to me, my son, you‘ve gathered quite a lot from them, and this is obviously very much their purpose. As to why they may be choosing to remain somewhat detached still, is of course totally up to them. But it does not hurt in any way for you to be open to their message. Simply address them in your mind, with your spirit, and see what answers you may get.
Student: You are also in these books as well. You give some great lessons and teachings—they’re so pure, so simple; as well as teachings from the Buddha. There are some great moments in there where you, as Jesus, and Buddha are arm in arm, just expressing love.
MICHAEL: Well, we have the same Father. We were both blessed with truly remarkable and wonderful Thought Adjusters. Of course our essential natures were so different in origin. But yes, I consider the great teachers of humankind in a way like our Father does, fully equal with all of you. Mother Spirit and I enjoy our Father’s spiritual nature, and we do not compare unique personalities any more than he does. We are blessed with seeing you–as we’ve tried to assure you–as being whole and complete, moment by moment, even as you are taking just your first few tentative steps towards perfection. So keep reading. I can tell you enjoy this pursuit of truth. And it has stood you well, my son. You’ve known an enjoyment that, unfortunately, so many of your brothers and sisters have yet to encounter.
Student: Like I said earlier in a lesson, there are lonely places when I have to eat the fruits of the spirit myself, so I prefer to share them with others. It does no good for these fruits to fall to the ground and just rot. Pursuing truth does feel good; living it feels even better…and sharing it. So thank you.
MICHAEL: You’re welcome, my son. You’re finding a convergence of all those factors. They are leading you to a unity that is truly transcendent. Be in my peace. (long pause)
Do you have any questions or comments, my daughter?
Student: No, Michael, I’m OK.
MICHAEL: My peace be upon you. Feel Mother Spirit’s love surrounding you, supporting you, teasing you a bit. She’s very good at that.
Student: Oh yes. I feel her tickling me inside sometimes. (laughter)
MICHAEL: She helps us all keep from taking ourselves too seriously. We are all in our Father’s hands, and we thank him for so often giving us right back to ourselves, giving us our freedom–even from him–that we may know him, rediscover him, again and again.
Closing
And so we find his hands on the ends of our own arms, to reach out and comfort our fellows. We have his ears to hear deeply the lonely plea of our fellows. We have his eyes to recognize, in each other, his presence. And so we are full with him, within and without. We thank you, Father, for the very unfathomable, incomprehensible reality that you surround us with. We pray you give us the heart for the adventure. And we delight that you conceived of it in the first place. Good evening, my children. Be in my peace.
