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MICHAEL:  Yes, my daughter.  There is no necessary [[qualitative]] [[difference]].  There is no direct correlation between spirit and--shall we say--some [[relatively]] reoccurring event as in every religious establishment on [[earth]], no correlation because these [[events]] can be attended almost devoid of spiritual sharing.  They can be social requirements of the folks around one who demand these outward observances be made, so they can be made begrudgingly and with much inner cynicism and fraudulent [[emotion]], and so forth.  Whereas two friends getting together in the holidays after perhaps years of not seeing each other, just that kind of thing is really a holy day for them.  

MICHAEL:  Yes, my daughter.  There is no necessary [[qualitative]] [[difference]].  There is no direct correlation between spirit and--shall we say--some [[relatively]] reoccurring event as in every religious establishment on [[earth]], no correlation because these [[events]] can be attended almost devoid of spiritual sharing.  They can be social requirements of the folks around one who demand these outward observances be made, so they can be made begrudgingly and with much inner cynicism and fraudulent [[emotion]], and so forth.  Whereas two friends getting together in the holidays after perhaps years of not seeing each other, just that kind of thing is really a holy day for them.  

===='''''Inner Life'''''====  

===='''''[[Inner Life]]'''''====  

From our viewpoint, religion is exclusively the [[relationship]] of an [[individual]] [[personality]] to [[God]].  This is the sum total of [[religion]].  What you call your religions, your religious [[Groups|groupings]], are the socialization, the [[sharing]] of that [[relationship]].  So there has to be this something inside, this [[inner life]], this inner relationship with [[God]], which [[Mother Spirit]] and I spoke about the last few times.  As you say, when people with this inner sense of spirit get together, then that is the quality, the qualitative difference that may or may not coincide with so-called religious festivities.  If you will, that’s the religion within the festivities, and what these festivities hopefully help to bring about.  

From our viewpoint, religion is exclusively the [[relationship]] of an [[individual]] [[personality]] to [[God]].  This is the sum total of [[religion]].  What you call your religions, your religious [[Groups|groupings]], are the socialization, the [[sharing]] of that [[relationship]].  So there has to be this something inside, this [[inner life]], this inner relationship with [[God]], which [[Mother Spirit]] and I spoke about the last few times.  As you say, when people with this inner sense of spirit get together, then that is the quality, the qualitative difference that may or may not coincide with so-called religious festivities.  If you will, that’s the religion within the festivities, and what these festivities hopefully help to bring about.  

   

   

   

   

Student:  Pretty much so.  I can see how there is a strong tendency to nail it all down--so to speak--and make it all just so, and get people to respond in a certain way.  But it would be nice to allow people to be free--to choose to come and go in whatever they believe; it would really make a [[difference]].  

Student:  Pretty much so.  I can see how there is a strong tendency to nail it all down--so to speak--and make it all just so, and get people to respond in a certain way.  But it would be nice to allow people to be free--to choose to come and go in whatever they believe; it would really make a [[difference]].  

   

   

MICHAEL:  Well, once you socialize your religious [[feelings]], there is some deliberate planning involved in getting together.  Since you are in such a mobile [[society]] these days, it means you are scattered around so much more now than in the past.  But by the same token, you can utilize all your modern modes of transportation and [[communication]] to get together.   

MICHAEL:  Strictly for myself, back then, the ability to have others within me--within my [[consciousness]]--was, like your own, an ability I had to [[grow]].  But I can say that after my [[baptism]] and regaining my self-awareness as a [[Creator Son]], as Michael, that was my great thrill and [[joy]] from that [[moment]] on--to totally [[encompass]] folks, whether they were aware of this or not.  I think any of you who read the story of my life, either in various versions of the [[Christian bible]] or the [[Urantia book]], were [[immediately]] struck with the [[fact]] that while some could recognize to a large degree the kind of person I was--the [[spiritual]] [[dimension]] I had, there were others who were quite blind to it.  For those who were very much afraid of this [[spirituality]], who were immediately put off by me for what threat I posed to their [[social]] or [[political]] [[status]], there was the supreme [[irony]] of their having spent their whole lives preparing for the coming of their notion of the [[Messiah]], yet they could not recognize him when he stood before them.  It was with this supreme irony that I fulfilled [[prophesies]].

But yes, in my later years after I had achieved my own, shall we say, self-comprehension, when I became aware--much as you do in your own [[moments]] of [[enlightenment]], become aware of your true [[nature]] as a spiritual being; from that moment on fellow [[human being]]s do become more [[transparent]].  You are so much more capable of letting them in, and perceiving their spiritual nature as well.

Student:  So in that sense, your ability was greater in spite of their unwillingness, or maybe their unawareness of who and what you were.  Was their lack of spiritual [[maturity]] less of an impediment to you?

MICHAEL:  Yes, my daughter, just as it is with you.  Once you are aware of your own spiritual nature, you can more readily perceive this in others, and how they, as unique individuals, are [[manifesting]]--or crippled in manifesting--that hallmark of [[spirit]]--[[creativity]].  You are intuiting that the lack of inner spiritual development, which I could perceive directly, this lack of creativity was what handicapped them, and made them merely fearfully reactive.  If you will, they did not have the [[grace]] of humility to open themselves to something greater than themselves, which was right within them too--their own spiritual nature.  This rendered them incapable of recognizing mine--or each others’.  These are the poor-in-spirit individuals who live in [[Negativity|cynicism]] and see all [[humanity]] either as victors or victims, powerful users of others, or mere chumps to be used.  That is their only [[frame of reference]].

Yes, this was very clear to me.  Even at the end I would have acquiesced to some of their demands that I [[demonstrate]] my [[powers]] to them, had it not meant I would be impairing their own [[necessary]] inner growth, spiritually, to do so.  That was my limitation as their [[Creator]]-Father, and as yours.  There is no separation within me, my daughter, between what I cannot or will not do.  These are one in me.  And so I will not, I cannot acquiesce to something that will stunt your spiritual [[growth]].  It’s why [[Mother Spirit]] and I refuse to tell you what to do.  (much laughter)  This is for you to choose, and either enjoy or suffer the consequences.  There is God’s will here--always--to discover and to choose to follow, choose to enact yourself.

MICHAEL:  Thank you, my daughter.  It was exploring these real [[dimensions]] of being human that, like I said, have such a very special place in my own [[soul]].  My human life was just so precious to me, in spite of being threatened with what was quite common at that time, not only with [[death]], but with being [[torture]]d to death.  That was deemed the necessary [[terror]] with which to keep the people under control--to make death as [[Pain|long-suffering]] and agonizing as their cynical [[imaginations]] could come up with.  That’s been the [[Darkness|dark side]] of man’s [[creativity]].

In spite of all that I did my best as a human being to stay true to myself and just hang on to the very end.  But in doing so I [[discovered]] that will of my Father’s that [[transcends]] human suffering, even that which is deliberately inflicted one upon another.  It is not only that you will [[survive]] even this kind of death, but that right in it your Father does not separate Himself from you.  And even though your ability to [[experience]] this [[truth]] may also, humanly, come and go, the [[hope]] that meets that [[fear]] can abide in you, and you can know that triumph.  That final triumph will be standing on all the fear of all your years.  That hope is the everlasting light of spirit.  And you can see that [[light]] in this life.

[[Trust]] yourselves, my dear ones.  This [[hope]], this [[worship]], this [[thankfulness]] and appreciation of whatever comes; this is your truest link, your real [[connection]] with [[God]].  In this you are most like Him.  In this you can choose to join with Him to create and sustain life, first in yourself--between the two of you, and then with those others out there, those others who are also His gift to you.

 

So have a [[wondrous]] and joyful time.  Feel for this very [[essence]] of the holidays and what makes any day truly [[holy]].  And be in my [[peace]].  Good evening.

===Note: 56:06===

===Note: 56:06===