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Posts
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This sums it up for me.
196:2.11 Jesus offered no rules for social advancement; his was a religious mission, and religion is an exclusively individual experience. The ultimate goal of society’s most advanced achievement can never hope to transcend Jesus’ brotherhood of men based on the recognition of the fatherhood of God. The ideal of all social attainment can be realized only in the coming of this divine kingdom.A few words about modern Christianity:195:10.21 The hope of modern Christianity is that it should cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization while it humbly bows itself before the cross it so valiantly extols, there to learn anew from Jesus of Nazareth the greatest truths mortal man can ever hear — the living gospel of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man..196:1.5 It should not be the aim of kingdom believers literally to imitate the outward life of Jesus in the flesh but rather to share his faith; to trust God as he trusted God and to believe in men as he believed in men. Jesus never argued about either the fatherhood of God or the brotherhood of men; he was a living illustration of the one and a profound demonstration of the other.Regarding the life Jesus lived for the spiritual inspiration of every human and superhuman that has lived, now exists or may yet live. . .120:2.7[Part IV]“7. In all that you may perform on the world of your bestowal, bear constantly in mind that you are living a life for the instruction and edification of all your universe. You are bestowing this life of mortal incarnation upon Urantia, but you are to live such a life for the spiritual inspiration of every human and superhuman intelligence that has lived, now exists, or may yet live on every inhabited world which has formed, now forms, or may yet form a part of the vast galaxy of your administrative domain. Your earth life in the likeness of mortal flesh shall not be so lived as to constitute an example for the mortals of Urantia in the days of your earthly sojourn nor for any subsequent generation of human beings on Urantia or on any other world. Rather shall your life in the flesh on Urantia be the inspiration for all lives upon all Nebadon worlds throughout all generations in the ages to come... . . not to set an example for all other human beings to copy.129:4.7 And this was his true and supreme purpose. He did not come down to live on Urantia as the perfect and detailed example for any child or adult, any man or woman, in that age or any other. True it is, indeed, that in his full, rich, beautiful, and noble life we may all find much that is exquisitely exemplary, divinely inspiring, but this is because he lived a true and genuinely human life. Jesus did not live his life on earth in order to set an example for all other human beings to copy. He lived this life in the flesh by the same mercy ministry that you all may live your lives on earth; and as he lived his mortal life in his day and as he was, so did he thereby set the example for all of us thus to live our lives in our day and as we are. You may not aspire to live his life, but you can resolve to live your lives even as, and by the same means that, he lived his. Jesus may not be the technical and detailed example for all the mortals of all ages on all the realms of this local universe, but he is everlastingly the inspiration and guide of all Paradise pilgrims from the worlds of initial ascension up through a universe of universes and on through Havona to Paradise. Jesus is the new and living way from man to God, from the partial to the perfect, from the earthly to the heavenly, from time to eternity..140:10.3 It was not apparent to the apostles that their Master was engaged in living a life of spiritual inspiration for every person of every age on every world of a far-flung universe. Notwithstanding what Jesus told them from time to time, the apostles did not grasp the idea that he was doing a work on this world but for all other worlds in his vast creation. Jesus lived his earth life on Urantia, not to set a personal example of mortal living for the men and women of this world, but rather to create a high spiritual and inspirational ideal for all mortal beings on all worlds..141:7.7 The Master was teaching these apostles the essentials of truth for an entire age on earth. They often listened to his teachings when in reality what he said was intended for the inspiration and edification of other worlds. He exemplified a new and original plan of life. From the human standpoint he was indeed a Jew, but he lived his life for all the world as a mortal of the realm.Did you ever wonder what is meant by *an entire age on earth*?. . . what is meant by *an entire age on earth*? (141:7.7 )
The final planetary age is the age of light and life. (49:5.27) The first planetary age was the pre-Planetary Prince age. (45:4.3) (64:0.2) Right now we are in the postbestowal Son age on Urantia. (45:4.20) (55:0.1 ) “[G]reat teachers of other and subsequent ages undoubtedly will follow the present age” (45:4.21) on Urantia. Our postbestowal Son is our one and only Creator Son, Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus was teaching the apostles the essentials of truth for an entire age on earth.
52:5.8 The postbestowal Son age may extend from ten thousand to a hundred thousand years. There is no arbitrary time allotted to any of these dispensational eras. This is a time of great ethical and spiritual progress. Under the spiritual influence of these ages, human character undergoes tremendous transformations and experiences phenomenal development. It becomes possible to put the golden rule into practical operation. The teachings of Jesus are really applicable to a mortal world which has had the preliminary training of the prebestowal Sons with their dispensations of character ennoblement and culture augmentation.Machiventa Melchizedek was the only Son whose mission didn’t go haywire prior to our bestowal Son. But I digress. I bring forward the planetary ages of earth, as the backdrop of this topic – the kingdom of heaven – and to point out that we are in the early period of this age, an age which is out of the normal order of progressing worlds we are told. (52:2.1) (49:5.24) (51:5.4) (51:6.2) (51:7.2)52:6.1 The bestowal Son is the Prince of Peace. He arrives with the message, “Peace on earth and good will among men.” On normal worlds this is a dispensation of world-wide peace; the nations no more learn war. But such salutary influences did not attend the coming of your bestowal Son, Christ Michael. Urantia is not proceeding in the normal order. Your world is out of step in the planetary procession. Your Master, when on earth, warned his disciples that his advent would not bring the usual reign of peace on Urantia. He distinctly told them that there would be “wars and rumors of wars,” and that nation would rise against nation. At another time he said, “Think not that I have come to bring peace upon earth.”.52:5.1 When a certain standard of intellectual and spiritual development is attained on an inhabited world, a Paradise bestowal Son always arrives. On normal worlds he does not appear in the flesh until the races have ascended to the highest levels of intellectual development and ethical attainment. But on Urantia the bestowal Son, even your own Creator Son, appeared at the close of the Adamic dispensation, but that is not the usual order of events on the worlds of space..52:6.8 If you could be transplanted from your backward and confused world to some normal planet now in the postbestowal Son age, you would think you had been translated to the heaven of your traditions. You would hardly believe that you were observing the normal evolutionary workings of a mortal sphere of human habitation. These worlds are in the spiritual circuits of their realm, and they enjoy all the advantages of the universe broadcasts and the reflectivity services of the superuniverse.Jesus was living a life designed to instruct and inspire the manifold creatures of a far-flung universe. (136:6.3)170:2.1 The Master made it clear that the kingdom of heaven must begin with, and be centered in, the dual concept of the truth of the fatherhood of God and the correlated fact of the brotherhood of man. The acceptance of such a teaching, Jesus declared, would liberate man from the age-long bondage of animal fear and at the same time enrich human living with the following endowments of the new life of spiritual liberty:Here is the last sentence in the UB – the greatest truths mortal man can ever hear:195:10.21 The hope of modern Christianity is that it should cease to sponsor the social systems and industrial policies of Western civilization while it humbly bows itself before the cross it so valiantly extols, there to learn anew from Jesus of Nazareth the greatest truths mortal man can ever hear — the living gospel of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.The early communities of *believers*did show forth brotherly love and good will, but not from the recognition of the brotherhood of mortal man, but rather “. . . a fellowship of believers in Jesus, not a fellowship of brothers in the family Kingdom of the Father in heaven.” They missed the message that God is the Father of all men and women. Maybe they preferred to be an in-group- a chosen group – an us v. them sort of group – those who are with us versus those who are not.
194:4.6 Christ was about to become the creed of the rapidly forming church. Jesus lives; he died for men; he gave the spirit; he is coming again. Jesus filled all their thoughts and determined all their new concept of God and everything else. They were too much enthused over the new doctrine that “God is the Father of the Lord Jesus” to be concerned with the old message that “God is the loving Father of all men,” even of every single individual. True, a marvelous manifestation of brotherly love and unexampled good will did spring up in these early communities of believers. But it was a fellowship of believers in Jesus, not a fellowship of brothers in the family kingdom of the Father in heaven. Their good will arose from the love born of the concept of Jesus’ bestowal and not from the recognition of the brotherhood of mortal man. Nevertheless, they were filled with joy, and they lived such new and unique lives that all men were attracted to their teachings about Jesus. They made the great mistake of using the living and illustrative commentary on the gospel of the kingdom for that gospel, but even that represented the greatest religion mankind had ever known.But the good news of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven endured through the centuries in spite of various erroneous beliefs that became attached to the Jesus cult – he died for our sins, etc. Jesus warned the apostles not to formulate creeds and establish traditions as a way to control or guide believers. I think he knew they would be overawed by him and that they would inevitably put him center-front in the religion about him.
141:5.4 Many times during the training of the twelve Jesus reverted to this theme. Repeatedly he told them it was not his desire that those who believed in him should become dogmatized and standardized in accordance with the religious interpretations of even good men. Again and again he warned his apostles against the formulation of creeds and the establishment of traditions as a means of guiding and controlling believers in the gospel of the kingdom..140:8.29 The teaching of Jesus is a religion for everybody, not alone for weaklings and slaves. His religion never became crystallized (during his day) into creeds and theological laws; he left not a line of writing behind him. His life and teachings were bequeathed the universe as an inspirational and idealistic inheritance suitable for the spiritual guidance and moral instruction of all ages on all worlds. And even today, Jesus‘ teaching stands apart from all religions, as such, albeit it is the living hope of every one of them.I’ve been thinking about this: Why is it that after some 2,000 years, a mere blink of time in history since the bestowal of our Creator Son, did Urantia receive the 5th Epochal Revelation? They do tell us on page one. Beyond that, could it be that we people needed an emergency revelation to reinforce the kingdom of heaven encompassing the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man? Were we sliding down? Did our unseen friends on high get permissions for the papers, because we were doing very poorly, due to religious crystallization about the kingdom of heaven?I’ve been thinking about my question,
Why is it that after some 2,000 years, a mere blink of time in history since the bestowal of our Creator Son, did Urantia receive the 5th Epochal Revelation?
. . . and the relationship between this question and the kingdom of heaven. And I think I have an idea of an answer, as found in the 5th Epochal, as concerns *words* – both spoken words and written words. We cannot survive without words.
4:5.1 Religious tradition is the imperfectly preserved record of the experiences of the God-knowing men of past ages, but such records are untrustworthy as guides for religious living or as the source of true information about the Universal Father. Such ancient beliefs have been invariably altered by the fact that primitive man was a mythmaker..4:5.2 One of the greatest sources of confusion on Urantia concerning the nature of God grows out of the failure of your sacred books clearly to distinguish between the personalities of the Paradise Trinity and between Paradise Deity and the local universe creators and administrators. During the past dispensations of partial understanding, your priests and prophets failed clearly to differentiate between Planetary Princes, System Sovereigns, Constellation Fathers, Creator Sons, Superuniverse Rulers, the Supreme Being, and the Universal Father. Many of the messages of subordinate personalities, such as Life Carriers and various orders of angels, have been, in your records, presented as coming from God himself. Urantian religious thought still confuses the associate personalities of Deity with the Universal Father himself, so that all are included under one appellation.Jesus used *words* to convey the gospel of the kingdom of heaven (142:5.2), but while he “. . . scrupulously avoided leaving written records behind him, Andrew steadfastly refused to multiply copies of his written narrative.” “A similar attitude on the part of the other apostles of Jesus greatly delayed the writing of the Gospel.” (121:0.1) In part Jesus said, “‘The Scriptures contain much that is true, very much, but in the light of your present teaching, you know that these writings also contain much that is misrepresentative of the Father in heaven, the loving God I have come to reveal to all the worlds.'” (159:4.4) I think the evolution of Christianity is due to the worldwide influence of the Spirit of Truth, which Spirit ministers to all truth-seekers now and forever more.Funny you should bring this up Mara. I’m working on a new mini-book called The Word. Words are a fascinating topic, but I don’t think it has anything to do with the kingdom of heaven. Let’s start another topic because I find it fascinating too. There’s lots to say . . . lots of words to type, on that subject. I think you’re onto something.
I don’t think it has anything to do with the kingdom of heaven.
Not even in the respect that the big picture – the Word made flesh – revealing the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of man?
20:5.1 The Eternal Son is the eternal Word of God. The Eternal Son is the perfect expression of the “first” absolute and infinite thought of his eternal Father. When a personal duplication or divine extension of this Original Son starts on a bestowal mission of mortal incarnation, it becomes literally true that the divine “Word is made flesh,” and that the Word thus dwells among the lowly beings of animal origin..Anyhow, I’m still thinking about this.Let’s start another topic. . . .
Ok.
.Hmmmmmm. A big hint for the Word topic is progress. The watchword for the Universe of Universes is progress. Recall?
Yeah you are onto something good.
MK
Yeah, and Jesus’ watchword was “fear not” (100:7.15). So yeah, I’ve written about a lot of watchwords in my book, including the meaning of the word “watchword”. So let’s git ‘er started!
On the importance of the role of evolution: Jesus knew that there would be social repercussions to true religious living and individuals living a truly religious life would want to organize socially.
170:5.12 The Master fully realized that certain social results would appear in the world as a consequence of the spread of the gospel of the kingdom; but he intended that all such desirable social manifestations should appear as unconscious and inevitable outgrowths, or natural fruits, of this inner personal experience of individual believers, this purely spiritual fellowship and communion with the divine spirit which indwells and activates all such believers.
However, a social fellowship, or brotherhood, does not supplant a spiritual brotherhood. In fact, organized religion has effectively displaced the ideal of a spiritual brotherhood.
170:5.15 The early Christians (and all too many of the later ones) generally lost sight of the Father-and-son idea embodied in Jesus’ teaching of the kingdom, while they substituted therefor the well-organized social fellowship of the church. The church thus became in the main a social brotherhood which effectively displaced Jesus’ concept and ideal of a spiritual brotherhood.
The social brotherhood should naturally evolve from the spiritual brotherhood. Therefore, I believe the spiritual brotherhood is the primary focus, and this begins with the inner personal experience of individual faith-sons who share their renewed lives with others. It’s not just about sharing faith in a group setting; it’s about sharing one’s whole personality, a living faith, at all times and in all places with all people.
Here are a few references from the 4th Epochal on the kingdom of heaven, as I obtained them from this link Bible verses, to compare them in part with UB text and for our mutual edification.
Mark 4:30-33 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed (151:4.2), which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.
Matthew 13:33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.” (151:4.3)
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (166:3.7)
John 13:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” (185:3.3)
Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (165:4.5)
John 3:3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (103:2.1)
Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (140:3.11)
Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (136:2.4)
Luke 17:20-21 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.” (157:2.1)
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (140:5.5)
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (140:1.4)
Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (140:1.5)
It’s not just about sharing faith in a group setting; it’s about sharing one’s whole personality, a living faith, at all times and in all places with all people.
Sharing faith in a group setting is what first Century believers did do. We do the same thing today. It is natural to want to share faith with others. Jews who believed in the evolving gospel about Jesus of those times risked being excommunicated from synagogue, from their family and all other social relations, business relations and so on. They were shunned and reviled. Imagine the repercussions of being born again and joining with other believers and followers. They didn’t know they were growing a religious cult. (87:7.2)
87:7.6 Regardless of the drawbacks and handicaps, every new revelation of truth has given rise to a new cult, and even the restatement of the religion of Jesus must develop a new and appropriate symbolism. Modern man must find some adequate symbolism for his new and expanding ideas, ideals, and loyalties. This enhanced symbol must arise out of religious living, spiritual experience. And this higher symbolism of a higher civilization must be predicated on the concept of the Fatherhood of God and be pregnant with the mighty ideal of the brotherhood of man.. . . the gospel of the kingdom of heaven – the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
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