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But it appears only once in the Gospel record. From Matthew 10: 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
But notice the distortion. In the quotes from TUB we are told to freely give the “truth of heaven” and “the good things of the kingdom”. How they misinterpreted that to mean healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead and casting out devils I find hard to understand. No wonder the Church is so mixed up. The “truth of heaven” doesn’t mean setting up institutions for the physical body or ordaining priests with special powers over the non-existent devil. How sad that so many years have been spent “giving freely” but completely missing the point. And in the mean time creating a horrible guilt tension in believers who don’t want to cast out demons or cleanse lepers. Terrible.
Hello Rick and All….regarding the “consequences” you asked about Rick – well, there is no physical punishment and progress is not attained by such, so my guess is my own worst fear – humiliation and shame will come…to be relieved of course but also used to move forward in greater faith and vigor. But, there is always the consequence of retardation in that progress by habitual bad choice, perhaps even a blindness or unwillingness imbedded in the ascender on the mansion worlds? I think I’ll be needing an extended period in the hands of the reversionists personally – hahaha! Oh dear, so much to be faced by me…errors, disobedience, failures, weakness, cowardice, self indulgence……..think I’ll quit there.
I think the consequences have more to do with the problem of refusal to face one’s own failures. As Jesus said, “How prone is man, when he is confronted with the failures of his own making, to put the blame upon others, oftentimes upon those who least deserve it!” (176:3.9) Unwillingness to accept responsibility for our own failure results in repeating that failure over and over again in a downward spiral. We can’t continue to procrastinate or say, “The devil made me do it,” without suffering the consequences.
Time is the one talent we are given to use for soul growth. If we do not use time for soul growth we stagnate and suffer the repercussions of that decision. To bury the talent is equivalent to procrastination, ignoring time, pretending it doesn’t exist or blaming others for its loss. It’s a method of growth avoidance which has no place in the next life. So those who desire the morontia life must face failures and utilize all the talents (time) given to them to feed the soul. And the morontia life begins here, on earth, with the birth of the soul (48:6.2).
48:5.8 The mansonia life early teaches the young morontia pupils that postponement is in no sense avoidance. After the life in the flesh, time is no longer available as a technique of dodging situations or of circumventing disagreeable obligations.
Good point Bonita! Wonder who stuck that in? That’s a heavy load for a disciple.
Yeah, I think I get your point Brad. The lamentations of wrong doing are a terrible thing to experience or witness (poor angels). But survival awaits the penitent??
Richard E Warren
Welcome to The OPAD Online Study Session
Today’s Presentation
Paper 176 – TUESDAY EVENING ON MOUNT OLIVET
4. The Return of Michael
Of all the Master’s teachings no one phase has been so misunderstood as his promise sometime to come back in person to this world. It is not strange that Michael should be interested in sometime returning to the planet whereon he experienced his seventh and last bestowal, as a mortal of the realm. It is only natural to believe that Jesus of Nazareth, now sovereign ruler of a vast universe, would be interested in coming back, not only once but even many times, to the world whereon he lived such a unique life and finally won for himself the Father’s unlimited bestowal of universe power and authority. Urantia will eternally be one of the seven nativity spheres of Michael in the winning of universe sovereignty.
(1918.5)176:4.2 Jesus did, on numerous occasions and to many individuals, declare his intention of returning to this world. As his followers awakened to the fact that their Master was not going to function as a temporal deliverer, and as they listened to his predictions of the overthrow of Jerusalem and the downfall of the Jewish nation, they most naturally began to associate his promised return with these catastrophic events. But when the Roman armies leveled the walls of Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and dispersed the Judean Jews, and still the Master did not reveal himself in power and glory, his followers began the formulation of that belief which eventually associated the second coming of Christ with the end of the age, even with the end of the world.
(1918.6)176:4.3 Jesus promised to do two things after he had ascended to the Father, and after all power in heaven and on earth had been placed in his hands. He promised, first, to send into the world, and in his stead, another teacher, the Spirit of Truth; and this he did on the day of Pentecost. Second, he most certainly promised his followers that he would sometime personally return to this world. But he did not say how, where, or when he would revisit this planet of his bestowal experience in the flesh. On one occasion he intimated that, whereas the eye of flesh had beheld him when he lived here in the flesh, on his return (at least on one of his possible visits) he would be discerned only by the eye of spiritual faith.
(1919.1)176:4.4 Many of us are inclined to believe that Jesus will return to Urantia many times during the ages to come. We do not have his specific promise to make these plural visits, but it seems most probable that he who carries among his universe titles that of Planetary Prince of Urantia will many times visit the world whose conquest conferred such a unique title upon him.
(1919.2)176:4.5 We most positively believe that Michael will again come in person to Urantia, but we have not the slightest idea as to when or in what manner he may choose to come. Will his second advent on earth be timed to occur in connection with the terminal judgment of this present age, either with or without the associated appearance of a Magisterial Son? Will he come in connection with the termination of some subsequent Urantian age? Will he come unannounced and as an isolated event? We do not know. Only one thing we are certain of, that is, when he does return, all the world will likely know about it, for he must come as the supreme ruler of a universe and not as the obscure babe of Bethlehem. But if every eye is to behold him, and if only spiritual eyes are to discern his presence, then must his advent be long deferred.
(1919.3)176:4.6 You would do well, therefore, to disassociate the Master’s personal return to earth from any and all set events or settled epochs. We are sure of only one thing: He has promised to come back. We have no idea as to when he will fulfill this promise or in what connection. As far as we know, he may appear on earth any day, and he may not come until age after age has passed and been duly adjudicated by his associated Sons of the Paradise corps.
(1919.4)176:4.7 The second advent of Michael on earth is an event of tremendous sentimental value to both midwayers and humans; but otherwise it is of no immediate moment to midwayers and of no more practical importance to human beings than the common event of natural death, which so suddenly precipitates mortal man into the immediate grasp of that succession of universe events which leads directly to the presence of this same Jesus, the sovereign ruler of our universe. The children of light are all destined to see him, and it is of no serious concern whether we go to him or whether he should chance first to come to us. Be you therefore ever ready to welcome him on earth as he stands ready to welcome you in heaven. We confidently look for his glorious appearing, even for repeated comings, but we are wholly ignorant as to how, when, or in what connection he is destined to appear.
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[Each OPAD presentation is copied from The Urantia Book published by Urantia Foundation. Questions and comments related to the Paper under discussion are welcome and encouraged. In-depth questions and related topics may be studied in branch threads in the OPAD, or other subforums, as you require. Thank you for studying with us.]
Richard E Warren
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Good Day Bonita, Brad, Gene, Carola, Fellow Students, Forum Friends, Members and Guests,
How surprised the world would be if it knew that Jesus will definitely return, AND that he may visit his 7th bestowal world more than twice?!
From today’s reading:
…Jesus of Nazareth, now sovereign ruler of a vast universe, would be interested in coming back, not only once but even many times, to the world whereon he lived such a unique life…. (1918.4) 176:4.1
O Urantia you are the fortunate one among ten million!
***
Today’s reading:
…He promised, first, to send into the world, and in his stead, another teacher, the Spirit of Truth; and this he did on the day of Pentecost…. (1918.6)176:4.3
For the full story on the day of Pentecost, see Paper 194 BESTOWAL OF THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH.
Second, he said he WILL return. The Midwayers speculate on how and when, they give us this much:
…if every eye is to behold him, and if only spiritual eyes are to discern his presence, then must his advent be long deferred…. (1919.2) 176:4.5
That could be a thousand or ten thousand years! And a Magisterial mission could intervene. The Midwayers allude to such a visit in today’s text:
…Will his second advent on earth be timed to occur in connection with the terminal judgment of this present age, either with or without the associated appearance of a Magisterial Son? (1919.2)176:4.5
See Paper 20 for more about these Magisterial (Avonal) bestowals.
…Magisterial Missions. A planetary visitation of this type usually occurs prior to the arrival of a bestowal Son. On such a mission an Avonal appears as an adult of the realm by a technique of incarnation not involving mortal birth. Subsequent to this first and usual magisterial visit, Avonals may repeatedly serve in a magisterial capacity on the same planet both before and after the appearance of the bestowal Son. On these additional magisterial missions an Avonal may or may not appear in material and visible form, but on none of them will he be born into the world as a helpless babe…. (225.5)20:2.6
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A beautiful thought on preparedness, to close this Paper:
…Be you therefore ever ready to welcome him on earth as he stands ready to welcome you in heaven…. (1919.4)176:4.7
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This is from the Gospel of John, chapter 14:
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
John confuses the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, with the Holy Ghost, also from chapter 14:
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.
Luke also records Jesus speaking of the bestowal of the Spirit of Truth. From chapter 24:
49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
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Second Coming of Christ, tympanum of the south-west portico of Moissac Abbey, France, ca. 1115-1135.
During this period in Byzantine art, Christ was depicted in various ways. Here in the apse vault, he is shown at the Second Coming as beardless and youthful; he straddles the universe while the four rivers of Paradise flow beneath his feet.***
That’s all of 176. Tomorrow’s reading is the introduction to Paper 177. After breakfast on his last Wednesday on Earth Jesus declares it to be a day of rest, and that he is going off in the hills alone. David Z wants to guard him, John Mark wants to join him.
Overview of Paper 176 – Tuesday Evening on Mount Olivet
1. The Destruction of Jerusalem
3. Later Discussion at the Camp
Listen to Paper 176: (click the speaker icon at the top of the page)
Thanks for reading. Members’ thoughts, reflections, insights, observations, comments, corrections and questions about today’s OPAD presentation are invited.
Much love, Rick/OPAD host.
Richard E Warren
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