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Our Failure

Section 2. “The Religion of Jesus” in the last of the Urantia Papers, includes the following lament by our midwayer brothers:
“… and it is indeed a pity that his followers failed to create a unified religion …”

As a single parent of two for 14yrs. and as a reader/believer since ’80, I was poignantly aware of this failure and its continuation
within the readership of the FER, wherein we find:
“The child should be introduced to worship in nature’s outdoors and later accompany his parents to
public houses of religious assembly…” (167:6:6)

With a keen awareness of the litany of errors (and their historical consequences) made by the early followers of Jesus
since Pentecost, it’s hardly surprising that reader/believers of the FER have so far been unwilling or unable to address this
failure to create a "unified religion", even though the Papers clearly support such a possible venture.

Thus I share the midwayers’ lament; and, I know that I’m not alone among the readership in this concern to which I devote
a great deal of consideration, given the magnitude of its potential benefits.

Consideration may lead to decisions which require actions to manifest. There's plenty to consider; and, much can be found
in the FER specific to this potential “unified religion”. Who will act with loving wisdom in vital service-response to such a daunting challenge?

This post is the first of a series and constitutes an invitation to further collaborative consideration of the values to be realized
and the difficulties to be overcome through collective action designed to effect the development of a social organization, or church,
reflective of the “living temple of sonship erecting to the glory and honor of the wisdom and love of the eternal Father of spirits.”
(157:4:7)

At some future date the fruit of these considerations (and those of other venues) will be transferred to a mybb forum @ AMODEUS.NET
where those committed to such a vision will together evolve the purpose, principles, participants, org. concepts, constitution, and
practices of the non-profit Agape Michael Organization, Inc. (AMO=I love) to facilitate the manifestation and spread of a "unified religion".

“The church, as a social outgrowth of the kingdom, would have been wholly natural and even desirable. The evil of the church
was not its existence, but rather that it almost completely supplanted the Jesus concept of the kingdom.” (170:5:7)

Until later - many blessings,
Michael Melody

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Hi Michael,

I share your feelings on this issue completely brother.

I think this post would be right a home in the thread I have going in the Open Forum about public dissemination.

I do not think that those in the UB readership community (FER) have as yet failed to produce a unified religion as you say. I think those who have read and understand these teachings have agreed with and adopted the teachings of Jesus gladly and as we have been re-presented with them.

So there goes the individual, but it looks like you are referring to "us" as a social group, coming together to form a unified social group. Where do you propose we "have" this unified religious group at? On the internet?

So the problem, related to your thoughts, is that there simply isn't enough of us yet. And those of us who are, are scattered all over such that there aren't enough persons in a given geographical area to come together to form a church, or other organization...to share these teachings socially.

So to me, this speaks directly back to my thoughts that ...we need more folks in the club. And that can happen by letting many more people (the public), know that the UB exists.


Thanks UV,

Peace and service,

Vann[/i]

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Greetings Vann and friends,

I haven’t exhaustively followed the ongoing thread re: public dissemination, but I’ve read enough to make some comments vis a vis its relation to directionizing the evolution of a “unified religion”.

Arc and Iris quoted the President’s Triennial Report (1955-1957) in which Dr.Sadler made some very wise statements regarding ministry. Everyone involved in the serious consideration the evolution of a religious institution inspired by the FER will sooner or later come to realize that it’s must not be about the book. Responsibility for dissemination of the FER will continue to be best engaged institutionally by organizations specifically dedicated to that purpose and individually as one is led by spirit. Let me add that I do strongly support dissemination of the teachings.

Nearly six years ago I withdrew from a fairly well-conceived and sincere effort which had begun to make considerable progress. Why? Because the directors of that effort decided to impose a primary group purpose which was worded as worldwide dissemination of the teachings of the FER. The only primary purpose which I can support will be that of spreading the gospel of and about Jesus. One of the main focuses of this thread will be to consider just what is the “original gospel”.

Members of this envisioned grassroots organization will develop worship services and ministries primarily from affiliated and networked home-churches, involving families, friends, & neighbors - readers and non-readers alike. The parent non-profit will be tasked with supporting these eventually widespread socio-religious ministries. Although theologically and structurally inspired by the FER, mandatory Book for AMO would be fatally flawed from the start.

That’s my comment for now; more later, and thanks for your interest.
His Peace be with you,
Michael Melody

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The Original Gospel of the Kingdom

Dear friends,

I beg your forgiveness for the length of this post; take your time & please forgive O:)

Soon after Pentecost, early “Christian” leaders stumbled into an unwitting distortion of the gospel message
which had been taught and approved by the Master for public dissemination.

“But the greatest mistake was made in that, while the human Jesus was recognized as having a religion, the divine Jesus (Christ) almost overnight became a religion. Paul’s Christianity made sure of the adoration of the divine Christ, but it almost wholly lost sight of the struggling and valiant human Jesus of Galilee…” (196:2:4)

In their defense, it is further explained that the generally held strong faith in the Lord’s “immediate return to earth to consummate the heavenly kingdom” influenced early Christians and New Testament authors to neglect the portrayal of the “purely human experiences and attributes of the Master”.

This and other unfortunate blunders (i.e. the substitutionary atonement doctrine, the development of regressive and repressive institutional frameworks, and the later errors pertaining to inerrant papal and/or biblical authority) largely account for the fellowship-chasm dividing Christian believers from other religionists - including ourselves as students of the FER. It’s not a stretch to suggest that these errors have effectively overshadowed the progressive proclamation of the original gospel … (until when?).

This divergence is reiterated and somewhat simplified in (196:2:6), and for clarity I’ll reformat this paragraph’s expression as:

1). “Jesus founded the religion of personal experience in doing the will of God and serving the human brotherhood; (note: this is considered by many readers as the genuine gospel of Jesus)

2). Paul founded a religion in which the glorified Jesus became the object of worship and the brotherhood consisted of fellow believers in the divine Christ.” (note: this is considered by many readers as the gospel about Jesus)

Our midwayer friends follow this with a critical insight:

“In the bestowal of Jesus these two concepts were potential in his divine-human life, and it is indeed a pity that his followers failed to create a unified religion which might have given proper recognition to both the human and the divine natures of the Master as they were inseparably bound up in his earth life and so gloriously set forth in the original gospel of the kingdom.”

While appreciative of an underlying complexity of context, I believe we can safely infer that here in Paper 196 our invisible friends have roughly equated these “two concepts” with the dual (human and divine) natures of Jesus/Christ Michael. In support of this premise, there are many illuminating references and diverse ramifications.

This essay is written with the hope of nudging those so inclined to perhaps reconsider what is meant by “the original gospel of the kingdom.” This will also involve an appreciation for the dimensional subtleties of the terms “kingdom of God” and “spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom”.

The UPapers present volumes of material on the gospel of the kingdom, and I propose a starting focus on Paper 157, where all of these ideas are dramatically presented as consisting in the “spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom” and its outward or temporal manifestation.

Paper 157 marks the beginning of transitional events in our Lord’s bestowal life leading into its fourth and final epoch which was, “characterized by his acknowledgment of divinity” (157:6:3). The preceding phase stretched from the baptism by John to Peter’s confession, during which “his immediate followers knew him as the Son of Man”.

Prior to this time, Jesus had deliberately refrained from explicitly revealing his divine nature and personal relationship to the kingdom. While experienced readers of the FER are well-appraised of Jesus’ sublime humility and freedom from self-importance, I surmise that such a revelation prior to these momentous occasions (Peter’s confession and the transfiguration) would have been of limited value (perhaps detrimental?) for both the apostles and the public dissemination of the gospel of Jesus. (“The laws of revelation hamper us greatly by their proscription of the impartation of unearned or premature knowledge.” – 101:4)

But now we discover that a progressive shift is taking place in the work of the kingdom – one in which a new and expanded gospel development will be publically presented which includes the truth about the Master’s personal status in our Father’s kingdom.

How would the Master initiate this final phase of his bestowal? He did so by asking this simple question of his apostles: “But who do you say that I am?” (157:3:3)

“Jesus had spent long months in training these apostles as to the nature and character of the kingdom of heaven, and he well knew the time had come when he must begin to teach them more about his own nature and his personal relationship to the kingdom.”

Peter responded: “You are the Deliverer, the Son of the living God.”, and it is highly significant to note that the Master himself did not impart this knowledge, for he said, “This has been revealed to you by my Father.” and “The hour has come when you should know the truth about me. But for the time being I charge you that you should tell this to no man.”

Again, the next day, after the apostles unanimously have reaffirmed Peter’s declaration, Jesus said: “You are my chosen ambassadors, but I know that in the circumstances, you could not entertain this belief as a result of mere human knowledge. This is a revelation of the spirit of my Father to your inmost souls.” (157:4:5)

Jesus then spoke some crucial truths specific to our understanding of the positive development and composition of a “united religion” – “spiritual brotherhood”:

“And when, therefore, you make this confession by the insight of the spirit of my Father which dwells within you, I am led to declare that upon this foundation will I build the brotherhood of the kingdom of heaven. Upon this rock of spiritual reality will I build the living temple of spiritual fellowship in the eternal realities of my Father’s kingdom.”

The Master makes literally clear that upon this “foundation”, this “rock of spiritual reality” - the sincere and spirit-led confession of faith/belief in his combined human and divine nature - he would build the “brotherhood of the kingdom”.

Jesus continued by charging the apostles with definite responsibilities regarding the outward manifestation of this spiritual brotherhood, this “unified religion” wherein there is balanced and proper recognition of his combined nature:

“And while my Father’s spirit shall ever be the divine guide and mentor of all who enter the bonds of this spirit fellowship, to you and your successors I now deliver the keys of the outward kingdom – the authority over things temporal – the social and economic features of this association of men and women as fellows of the kingdom.”

Our midwayer friends must surely hope that these teachings take strong root in our consciousness because they follow with this comment of their own:

“And ever since that day this same Jesus has been building that living temple upon that same eternal foundation of his divine sonship (as revealed by our Thought Adjusters), and those who thereby become self-conscious sons of God are the human stones which constitute this living temple of sonship erecting to the glory and honor of the wisdom and love of the eternal Father of spirits.” (157:4:7)

We can perceive that the “gospel of Jesus” (faith-entrance into the kingdom of our loving Father-God/joyful, fruit-bearing service to the brotherhood of man), while sufficient for salvation, was then being extended to include doctrine about Jesus. Believers with and in Jesus are here defined as the “human stones” of a “living temple of sonship” - a newly developing subset of the totality of the children of our Father.

In the next section – (157:5) The New Concept, this expanded concept of the gospel is further clarified:

“The new and vital feature of Peter’s confession was the clear-cut recognition that Jesus was the Son of God, of his unquestioned divinity.”

“In the second confession more emphasis was placed upon the combined nature, the supernal fact that he was the Son of Man and the Son of God, and it was upon this great truth of the union of the human nature with the divine nature that Jesus declared he would build the kingdom of heaven.”

And again, “For three years Jesus had been proclaiming that he was the “Son of Man”… “He now disclosed that he was the Son of God, and upon the concept of the combined nature of the Son of Man and the Son of God, he determined to build the kingdom of heaven.”

Although this expanded gospel of and about Jesus was not publicly disseminated before the transfiguration, the fact that it was subsequently approved for preaching can be found in (161:2) – Further Discussions with Rodan: “The Divine Nature of Jesus” where we find:

“Since Nathaniel and Thomas had so full approved Rodan’s views of the gospel of the kingdom, there remained only one more point to consider, the teaching dealing with the divine nature of Jesus, a doctrine only so recently publically announced.”

See also Jesus’ own public pronouncements - At the Feast of Tabernacles: “The Dangers of the Visit to Jerusalem” (162:1) – wherein:

“…on several occasions he taught in Solomon’s Porch and elsewhere in the temple courts. These teachings were really the official or formal announcement of the divinity of Jesus to the Jewish people and to the whole world.”

That the Master taught and encouraged faith/belief both with and in him is yet again dramatically revealed in (168:0) – The Resurrection of Lazarus – when he tells Martha:

“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live. In truth, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never really die.”

Obviously, there’s a profusion of references specific to the gospel of Jesus as well as a treasure of edifying accolades about our Creator Son throughout all parts of the FER. The point I would like to make is that both concepts must be given balanced and proper recognition in any effort to evolve a truly “unified religion”.

Not only is this view of the original gospel “proper”, it is also undeniably practical and absolutely necessary for the reconciliation of present day Christianity with the teachings of the FER. Let’s face it, after 2000 years Christians will NEVER give up the adoration and glorification of the divine Christ, our Master Creator Son (nor should we!).

I plan to follow this post with a good look at Paper 170 – The Kingdom of Heaven, as we will find a gold mine there before we take into consideration some quotes related to the adoration of Christ and then perhaps discuss just what the revelators counsel regarding the values and dangers of socio-religious institutions.

Still there???
Until later,
May God’s presence and His Peace comfort and bless you,
Michael Melody

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Good morning, Michael.

I was doing some random reading in TUB this morning and read the following - an instruction from Immanuel to Jesus prior to his incarnation on Urantia - and thought of your thread. It made me wonder whether it would add any value to your discussion, or, detract from it. It is my hope that it might add something positive to your overall objectives regarding a unified effort.

The quote is as follows:

p1330:1 120:3.6

Quote:
As you may see fit, you are to identify yourself with existing religious and spiritual movements as they may be found on Urantia but in every possible manner seek to avoid the formal establishment of an organized cult, a crystallized religion, or a segregated ethical grouping of mortal beings. Your life and teachings are to become the common heritage of all religions and all peoples.


All the best, Ray
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Hi UV,

Oh yes your points are all well taken and correct. What is needed is to see Jesus living again in today's and all of the future's spirit born and spirit led mortals.

Now there comes what I see as a curious misunderstanding where many people are want to say that what is needed is to live these truths and we have been been reprized of in the UB, rather than the book itself. Well yes but it is in the book that these teachings appear.

Saying one is the exact same thing as saying the other. In order to learn these new truths and the actual teachings of Jesus....the person doing the teaching....pretty much had to get it from reading the book.

No UB reading - little participation in the new teachings.


And you can have a person who know knows and lives and shows these truths to others....but this is intended to have the hearer or student ask where the teacher learned these marvelous things he or she is showing and living. So the teacher will gladly tell....they acquired them from The Urantia Book.

What a circular argument. In this situation and circumstance, you can't ....you don't....get one without the other.

It therefore makes no sense for anyone to say that it isn't the book that needs to be spread to the world. The book....the teachings inside the book....they are one and the same thing.

You learn, then you go out and do what you have learned.

UV my friend, you wouldn't be here at this website right now typing these words and saying these things if it were not for your possession and knowledge of the UB. Am I right?

Sincerely,

Vann

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Howdy Ray and friends,

This is good to bring wide perspectives to bear on such a difficult subject!

So, now that you've brought it up, what do YOU feel it's definitive of?

After a little thought, I had this humorous (to me) recollection of the myth I've heard so many times and which is often insisted upon by the Roman Catholics who still believe that THEY are the only true church established by Christ Himself. Everyone has of course heard that story where Jesus renamed Simon (Andrew's brother) to Peter (meaning "rock) and then said that upon "this rock" I will build MY CHURCH - Thus installing the first Pope at the head of his "bride", the church...Especially since reading the UPapers it's been a bit hard for me not to express at least some degree of derision when I hear that pronouncement. At least the awareness of that history provides a foretaste of just one of many challenging resistances to be resolved as Christianity emerges from its "cocoon".

From the detailed description of events in Paper 157, including the words of the Master, we know that this is far from the case.

But, lets look at (170:5) for just a glance, shall we?:

"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."

"Jesus foresaw that a social organization, or church, would follow the progress of the true spiritual kingdom, and that is why he never opposed the apostles' practicing the rite of John's baptism. He taught that the truth-loving soul, the one who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, for God, is admitted by faith to the spiritual kingdom; at the same time the apostles taught that such a believer is admitted to the social organization of disciples by the outward rite of baptism."


Perhaps we should distinguish between "a unified religion" of the spirit, and a "social organization, or church"?
Did I mention that Paper 170 was a gold mine?

May we go with God,
Michael Melody

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Hello again Vann,

As you say, I wouldn’t be typing these words “if it were not for your possession and knowledge of the UB.” The essential point that some are suggesting is that the greater value which I possess is my personal experience of sonship with our Father, and that is not dependent on my knowledge of the UB regardless of its value.

MANY of my family, friends, neighbors and casual acquaintances have neither the desire nor the capacity to even read the UPapers with any high degree of understanding. Nonetheless, based upon their sonship with God, they’re quite welcome to worship with me and to participate in a network of socio-religious support ministries…

I’ve always likened the idea of a “Urantia Book Church-group” to preaching to the choir. Perhaps a fine experience, but it’s sectarian - inherently exclusive of those less able or inclined to be readers - and we know how many there are of those, don’t we?
Whosoever will, let him come…

A Dios amigo,
Michael Melody

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Hi Michael,

Yes, it is a difficult subject but highly worthy of all efforts.

I’ve often daydreamed of sitting down with religious leaders from all of the world’s faiths and having what I can best describe as a spiritual picnic. We are at a large table and we cut cards to see which person of faith goes first. I imagine it is a TUB student who goes first and this student places something true, beautiful, and good on the table from TUB. Then the second person of faith places something from their faith on the table that mirrors, as best as possible, the TUB offering. And we circle the table until everyone has made their contribution. Finding themselves in voluntary agreement on the first offering, they begin again with another morsel of truth, beauty and goodness offered up for affirmation from another person of faith. I can’t help myself but at the end my daydream, I see the TUB offerings gaining universal acceptance from these leaders of faith – something to unify around, something that brothers and sisters can agree upon, without any guilt surrounding some supposed abondonment of the faith they brought to the table.

Is this a daydream in keeping with your thread subject?

All the best, Ray
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Hello again Ray and friends; how’re ya’ll?

Your daydream calls to my mind something along the order of the World Parliament of Religions or perhaps any number of ecumenical initiatives. Who knows Ray, it could be prophetic !

I assume that this potential “unified religion” which the followers of Jesus/Christ Michael of Nebadon failed to create/evolve would, if at some future time it were temporally corporate (i.e. formed into a unified body of individuals), employ avenues of ecumenical outreach. But, my sense is that the overarching primary purpose would consist in supporting the spread of the original gospel message by natural grassroots extension. I believe that these grassroots must be anchored or “based on the biologic, sociologic, and religious significance of the home.”

Being of a practical bent, after reducing ideas, ideals and underlying values to core purpose and principles (the source of vitality and the prism of its radiation), I see the necessity for hands-on construction of “skeletal structure around which grows the living and dynamic body of personal spiritual experience – true religion” (87:7)

These are not new ideas, and certainly not exclusive to me. This thread, like another 2 years ago, was initiated to mainly to test the waters and mayhap to enlist the souls of my like-minded brethren. The act is ours’, the consequences God’s, eh?

Let’s see how it goes, as we continue to follow His Spirit of Truth,
Michael Melody

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Hello Michael

Excellent quotation Ray (120:3.6)

Quote:
As you may see fit, you are to identify yourself with existing religious and spiritual movements as they may be found on Urantia but in every possible manner seek to avoid the formal establishment of an organized cult, a crystallized religion, or a segregated ethical grouping of mortal beings. Your life and teachings are to become the common heritage of all religions and all peoples.



If I read your essay correctly, Michael, (and I may not have), to be simplified, I felt you were saying that rather than forming another religious entity such as an organized religious, institutionalized "church", with leaders, directors and members, we need to focus on the fact that the unifying factor of the readers, believers and doers of the UPapers (FER) is the original gospel of Jesus, which is the kingdom of God within, a personal, experiential religion. Furthermore, this unifying gospel recognizes the divinity/humanity of Jesus, bringing about the reality of this kingdom as proclaimed by our very lives, not just our words, so as to make the kingdom an outward manifestation of the inward.

It has been such a pleasant experience to discover that there are no leaders, no organized institutions, no governing rules which try to be in control of the FER. Thant is one of my main attractions to the Papers.

The only unification of religion that can possibly happen without repetition of another formation of a "church" or religious body, is for the UPapers to remain an inward & personal recognition of the original and new gospel of Jesus; thereby, unifying the brotherhood of man in a common belief and enlightenment that the kingdom of God is indeed within.

Quote:
138:5.2 When they had refreshed themselves, Jesus took the twelve apart for a season to pray with them and to instruct them in the nature and work of the Holy Spirit, but again did they largely fail to comprehend the meaning of those wonderful truths which he endeavored to teach them. One would grasp one point and one would comprehend another, but none of them could encompass the whole of his teaching. Always would they make the mistake of trying to fit Jesus' new gospel into their old forms of religious belief. They could not grasp the idea that Jesus had come to proclaim a new gospel of salvation and to establish a new way of finding God; they did not perceive that he was a new revelation of the Father in heaven.


So, please, let us not make the same mistakes over again. We can be far more unified in the spirit than we will ever be in this flesh.

I have seen too many groups and religious endeavors turn into cultish practices which eventually turn more people off than it attracts.

We need to leave well enough alone and let the UPapers blow with the wind (the Spirit) and fall where they may (within the hearts of each individual).

Thank you

KP

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Greetings KP and friends!

Notwithstanding Imanuel’s counsel and advice to our Paradise Creator Son (which was perfectly observed by the Master), I hadn’t thought it necessary to point out to TruthBook forum participants what the revelators explicitly teach regarding “The Nature of Cultism” (87:7). You may have read my initial salvos correctly; so, might I suggest reading what the revelators have advised US in these times?

After reading the above, perhaps several times, and savoring it deeply, would you agree or disagree with the Brilliant Evening Star who authored it? Depending on your answer, perhaps you might consider withholding final judgment pending further examination of the issue.

With friendship and respect,
Michael Melody

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The Value of Socio-Religious Community


By no means exhaustive, this thread has touched upon the revelators’ lament over the failure by followers of/believers in Jesus/Christ Michael to evolve a unified religion grounded in a balanced acceptance of the full gospel – his teachings and his human/divine bestowal life.

While the purely spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom certainly exists and will continue to grow and thrive, it is the outward or temporal reflection of that fellowship which has languished, being burdened by grievous conceptual and structural deficiencies. Recognizing that these deficiencies have unfortunately contributed to enormous cultural and social retardation and untold individual suffering, seekers of truth and righteousness may well be tempted to throw up their hands and decline the opportunity presented by the FER to evolve a new and enlightened socio-religious organization, “just as surely as the butterfly eventually emerges as the beautiful unfolding of its less attractive creature of metamorphic development.” (170:5)

There’s no mistaking that such an effort will require the free-will dedicated enlistment of souls, minds, and bodies of those will be called to such a difficult yet joyful service. We who sense the values to be manifested in the face of well-understood potential negatives realize that such a task will require an intensity bordering on heat. Those who can’t stand the heat will not enter the kitchen; so be it. (edit) - They are still welcome to celebrate the Remembrance Supper when the table has been set. - Someday, it will be accomplished by the grace of God and intelligent hard work in lieu of partially informed hesitation and/or naive denial. All glory to God and Amen.

Now that I’ve got that mini-tirade off my chest, I’m back to happily WORKING on presentation of another installment of this fishing expedition! Any other fishers of men out there?

In good spirit,
Michael Melody

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{Kingdom of Heaven [Brotherhood of Man (Spiritual Brotherhood)~(Socio-Religious Community)]}

It may be generally accepted by students of the FER that the gospel of Jesus consists in the good news that, by faith, mortal man may personally experience sonship with our Universal Father and that a spiritually fruit-bearing, service-oriented life is the natural outgrowth of such a “born-again” salvation experience. Some readers object to, or at least minimize, any suggestion that the truth about Jesus/Christ Michael has a prominent or legitimate place in the original gospel message delivered by the Master.

It seems evident that it was the enthusiastically unbalanced emphasis on Jesus’ divinity which resulted in Christianity so largely becoming a religion “about” Jesus which has somewhat lost sight of Jesus’ “having” a religion. In Paper 196 the midwayers’ tell us the good news includes the “proper recognition” both of and about Jesus/Christ Michael as “so gloriously set forth in the original gospel of the kingdom." I’ve also offered a somewhat cursory rationale for this view using quotes from Papers 157, 161, 162, & 168.

Just for good measure I’ll add this pertinent quote from (164:5) –
“…Jesus, speaking to him, said: ‘Josiah, do you believe in the Son of God?’ And Josiah answered, ‘Tell me who he is that I may believe in him.’ And Jesus said: ‘You have both seen and heard him, and it is he who now speaks to you.’ And Josiah said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and falling down, he worshiped.” – Such explicit approval (see also (5:3) - “These Universe Sons receive, in the name of the Father, the adoration of worship…”) of belief IN the Lord can be found in many other places in the FER.

Moving ahead, I can still recall my experience (not unique, I suspect) of trying to grasp a deep understanding of Paper 170 the first time I read it. Therein is the kingdom idea explained as the prophets had presented it, as it has been understood and misunderstood through the Christian era, as Jesus’ 7 concepts, as the apostles regarded it, as a new dual-phased concept, in relation to righteousness, as five phases or epochs, with five cardinal features, and as latter-day ideas! Hmmm…??? In no way can this be treated exhaustively in one post, but…

To start with, the heading of this post symbolically represents the Kingdom of Heaven as the prophets presented, that is – “a present reality” which to my mind circumscribes the Universe of Universes centered in our Father. The Brotherhood of Man is represented as a subset comprised of the totality of mortal will-creatures. The Spiritual Brotherhood is a subset of humanity, consisting of born-again believers with and in Jesus/Christ Michael. The Socio-Religious Community is ideally the outward or social manifestation of the Spiritual Brotherhood. I must note recognition that expanded spiritual brotherhood and temporal communities exist beyond Urantia.

If one wants to strike belief IN the Lord from the Spiritual Brotherhood, many descriptions of the gospel in the FER will support that view. I’ve posted examples which I believe show this to be less than the complete doctrine of the gospel which was proclaimed during the last stage of the Lord’s bestowal. Perhaps the difference lies in two perspectives which might be denominated as exterior/interior – one represents a view of the temple erected to our unseen Father, the other represents a view from within the temple.

“Do not undertake to show men the beauties of the temple (the combined natures of Jesus/Christ Michael) until you have first taken them into the temple. Introduce men to God and as the sons of God before you discourse on the doctrines of the Fatherhood of God and the sonship of men.”(141:6) (paren. & u mine)

Focusing in on the socio-religious community, we find(170:5) -

“The ideas and ideals of Jesus, embodied in the teaching of the gospel of the kingdom, nearly failed of realization as his followers progressively distorted his pronouncements.”

“...(acceptance) of the doctrines of Paul, … led increasingly to the general belief that Jesus was the Redeemer of the children of the church, the new and institutional successor of the earlier concept of the purely spiritual brotherhood of the kingdom.”

“The church, as a social outgrowth of the kingdom, would have been wholly natural and even desirable. The evil of the church was not its existence, but rather that it almost completely supplanted the Jesus concept of the kingdom. Paul’s institutionalized church became a virtual substitute for the kingdom of heaven which Jesus had proclaimed.”

“The church was an inevitable and useful social result of Jesus’ life and teachings; the tragedy consisted in the fact that this social reaction to the teachings of the kingdom so fully displaced the spiritual concept of the kingdom as Jesus taught and lived it.”

“And thus it becomes apparent that membership in the church does not necessarily mean fellowship in the kingdom; one is spiritual, the other mainly social.”

Of sectarianism we read:

“This pitiful subdivision of Christian believers results from failure to discern in the Master’s manifold teachings the divine oneness of his matchless life. But someday the true believers in Jesus will not be thus spiritually divided in their attitude before unbelievers.” (underlines mine)

At the end of Paper 170 we read:

“…this church is only the larval stage of the thwarted spiritual kingdom…the cocoon in which the kingdom of Jesus’ concept now slumbers. The kingdom of the divine brotherhood is still alive and will eventually come forth from this long submergence, just as surely as the butterfly eventually emerges as the beautiful unfolding of its less attractive creature of metamorphic development.”

Let me pause here before seeking more counsel from the FER regarding socio-religious institutions, or cults if you will.

“Some day a reformation in the Christian church may strike deep enough to get back to the unadulterated religious teachings of Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” (196:2)

May we all know the Peace of our Lord,
Michael Melody

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THE ADORATION OF CHRIST

Howdy friends - lend me your ear :roll:

I’ve presented my view (based on evidence provided by the authors of the FER) that the original gospel of the kingdom is fully understood in a wholehearted, balanced and proper recognition of the humanly religious life of Jesus combined with the fact of his divine personal relationship to our Father’s kingdom.

In fulfilling their commission, the revelators have presented humanity with important and heretofore unknown facts regarding Christ Michael of Nebadon. Some of these facts focus on the divine origin and majestic functions of the Creator Sons, while others directly concern each of our personal, individual relationships with our 400 billion+ (that’s what revealed in 57:2, Mr. Hawkings!) year old “sibling”.

Certain of these illuminating references appear to give lie to the argument that the adoration of Christ is inappropriate, that our brothers and sisters who offer up the adoration of worship to Christ have been misled into error. Strange as it seems, some readers of the FER discourage or even go so far as to abhor such practices and view themselves as being more enlightened! It appears they don't know what they're missing...

This issue is of crucial importance for any consideration of the evolution of a unified religion of spiritual brotherhood and socio-religious community on this planet. Despite its handicaps, the Christian religion “has indeed done a great service for this world”(195:10), and although a revival of its primitive doctrines is futile, if Jesus/Christ Michael is denied due recognition then the potential success of a unified religion inspired by the FER in reconciling with this greatest of the evolutionary religions will be critically undermined. If the “new leaders” which religion needs (195:9) fail to appreciate the spiritual value and practical necessity of embracing the adoration of Jesus/Christ Michael, unified religion will never be evolved.

The remainder of this post will simply recall some factually edifying quotes specific to our Universe Sovereign, Michael of Nebadon,
from Parts I, II, & III. Those with ears to hear, let them hear it ...

After this I will move ahead to examine explicit counsel the revelators provide regarding the positive values and challenging negatives which would require integration in the new socio-religious institution they intimate must evolve. Later, I would like to explore with my friends how this counsel might be practically utilized in the group-conscious evolution of a new grassroots-spread, home-based “cult” of spiritual brotherhood in the kingdom.


[FOREWARD – VIII. GOD THE SEVENFOLD] -
“(The) experiential discovery-career of the realization of God begins with the recognition of the divinity of the Creator Son…”
“The Creator Sons … provide the mechanism whereby the mortal becomes immortal and the finite attains the embrace of the infinite.”

[2:0] - “…the most enlightening and spiritually edifying of all revelations of the divine nature is to be found in the comprehension of the religious life of Jesus of Nazareth, both before and after his attainment of full consciousness of divinity.”

[5:3:6] – “The Creator or Sovereign Sons who preside over the destinies of the local universes stand in the place of both the Universal Father and the Eternal Son of Paradise. These Universe Sons receive, in the name of the Father, the adoration of worship and give ear to the pleas of their petitioning subjects throughout their respective creations. To the children of a local universe a Michael Son is, to all practical intents and purposes, God. He is the local universe personification of the Universal Father and the Eternal Son.”

[7:2:4] – “... In the local universes ... we observe the Eternal Son personally present in the persons of the Paradise Sons.”

[7:4:5] – “The Bestowal Plan… This is the proposal of the Eternal Son and consists of his bestowal of the Sons of God upon the evolutionary creations, there to personalize and factualize, to incarnate and make real, the love of the Father and the mercy of the Son to the creatures of all universes.”

[7:5:4] – “…the Eternal Son did come to mortal man on Urantia when the divine personality of his Son, Michael of Nebadon, incarnated in the human nature of Jesus of Nazareth.”

[7:7:4] – “The Father comes down to you as a personality only through the divine Sons of the Eternal Son.”

[21:5] – "The sevenfold bestowal Sons “…are supreme universe sovereigns; no longer do they rule as vicegerents of the Father but in their own right and name as "King of Kings and Lord of Lords."”

[32:3] – “The surest safeguard for the creature throughout the long struggle to attain the Father, during this time when inherent conditions make such attainment impossible, is tenaciously to hold on to the truth-fact of the Father's presence in his Sons. 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.”

[33:1] – “…he not only personifies the Eternal Son but also fully represents and actually embodies the personality presence of the Universal Father to and in this local universe. He even represents the Father-Son. These relationships constitute a Creator Son the most powerful, versatile, and influential of all divine beings who are capable of direct administration of evolutionary universes and of personality contact with immature creature beings.”

[33:1] – “…this Universe Son is also the personification of the Universal Father to the universe of Nebadon. Creator Sons are personality centers for the spiritual forces of the Paradise Father-Son. Creator Sons are the final power-personality focalizations of the mighty time-space attributes of God the Sevenfold. “

[33:1] – “To our universe and all its inhabited worlds the Sovereign Son is, to all practical intents and purposes, God. He personifies all of the Paradise Deities which evolving mortals can discerningly comprehend.”

[33:1] – “In the person of the Creator Son we have a ruler and divine parent who is just as mighty, efficient, and beneficent as would be the Universal Father and the Eternal Son if both were present on Salvington and engaged in the administration of the affairs of the universe of Nebadon.”

[33:2] – “…when the Creative Mother Spirit, the local universe representation of the Infinite Spirit, subordinated herself to Christ Michael upon the return from his final bestowal on Urantia, the Master Son thereby acquired jurisdiction over "all power in heaven and on earth."”

[119.8] – “ Urantia is the sentimental shrine of all Nebadon, the chief of ten million inhabited worlds, the mortal home of Christ Michael, sovereign of all Nebadon, a Melchizedek minister to the realms, a system savior, an Adamic redeemer, a seraphic fellow, an associate of ascending spirits, a morontia progressor, a Son of Man in the likeness of mortal flesh, and the Planetary Prince of Urantia. And your record tells the truth when it says that this same Jesus has promised some time to return to the world of his terminal bestowal, the World of the Cross.”

[120:0] – “His power is unlimited since it is derived from experienced association with the Paradise Deities; his authority is unquestioned inasmuch as it was acquired through actual experience in the likeness of universe creatures; his sovereignty is supreme since it embodies at one and the same time the sevenfold viewpoint of Paradise Deity with the creature viewpoint of time and space.”

Praise Him in this place; just do it :!:
And thanks for lending your ear,
Michael Melody :wink:

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