2005-05-15-Belief, Faith, & Persistence

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Topic: Belief, Faith, & Persistence

Group: 11:11 Progress Group

Facilitators

Teacher: The Beloved One

TR: Unknown

Session

Lesson 1

The Beloved One: "Today let us examine the vast difference between these two most important subjects, and the great significance of this. Belief is often a ‘head service,’ likewise with vast differences. With a belief system you are never totally sure, because it is only belief. For instance, in your olden records many things are written which were only beliefs of the writers of those days. These beliefs were then accepted as gospel truth coming from an angry and jealous God, and today such is still accepted as the word of God.

"Deeper thinking men and women are beginning to realize that this is not portraying an unconditionally loving Creator, Who created humankind in His image. It is a great travesty to become so bound up in literal interpretation of these records wherefrom many erroneous, fundamentalist belief systems have sprung, with people daring to conclude that they are the only ones who are right.

"Let me assure you that although some are becoming restless, because their souls are waking up to the fact that some things don’t tally up, because of the intolerance and rampant racism that still abounds on the planet. They rightfully, and justly, begin to feel restless, and start thinking for themselves how, over the years, things might have been taken out of context to suit the wiles of power-hungry man, who in the olden days re-wrote the history books to suit their intents and purposes to keep the masses under control.

"Belief was disconnected from the heart so they could whitewash everything in the name of God, Who really had nothing to do with their nefarious scheming. Even the simple fact of evolution became strictly creation, and different factions have sprung up as the true history of the beginning of the world became distorted, and as those early writings were destroyed. Once creationists and evolutionists come closer together, then science and religion can make great strides in the examination of facts.

"Faith is an entirely different matter, as faith has heart involvement, which belief does not. Belief reasons, faith knows. Belief has numerous tenets and laws, which need to be painstakingly adhered to under the threat of hell and damnation. Faith liberates a mortal, who then knows that it will become immortal at the dissolution of the flesh. All fear of dying has left such a one, because he or she totally trusts in the loving over-care of an unconditionally loving Creator. Life becomes increasingly more joyous; as the old ways are slowly left behind and as everything is honestly examined by the light of trust and faith.

"Each day, lived in faith brings a greater trust that everything is in divine order. Such a one also understands that the free will Gift, with which one has been gifted, is then wholeheartedly given back to God, and such a one then tries sincerely to do the will of God, which is to live by the golden rule that is stated in every so-called holy book on the planet—to treat each other with dignity and respect as you, yourself would like to be treated.

"It is a realization in heart, mind and soul, that you all are connected as siblings under God, and that all souls are created with equal potential of development. To merely get stuck in a fundamentalist belief system, and to never move beyond into faith and acceptance of each other, does stunt the growth of the soul, immensely so, and it is a great detriment in the life following this, when one learns the truth about oneself, and then has to learn to forgive oneself for one’s ignorance and stubborn refusal to see the true Light of God, which is surrounding you, and indwelling you, even now.

"Wake up to the fact that God lives in everything in His omnipotence and omniscience, and that he is intimately connected to your heart, mind and soul. Give God a chance, so your belief may turn into faith, and so true soul peace may reign in your hearts and minds to ripple out into your environments and throughout your precious planet.

Lesson 2

Beloved One Urantia, May 23, 2005. A Teacher named "The Beloved One." Subject: "A Lesson On Persistence." Contributing Receiver.

The Beloved One: "Persistence will bring to completion any job you willingly take upon yourself. Let everything you do be for the highest good, for yourself, and for everyone around you. In this manner, when looking back over your life as your years advance, you shall attain a great measure of satisfaction about a life well lived.

"It is My desire to convey to you in these short lessons such guidelines as will help you achieve this. It is only by the carrying out of daily duties well done that you will achieve a durability; a steadfastness in your character, an indefinable but very present sturdiness, the building of a strong character one can depend upon in hours of crisis and necessity.

"God’s kingdom has a great need of such sturdy workers; those quiet ones, who do not broadcast their good works, but keep to their innermost selves what it is that they must do to advance themselves, to become steadfast believers, thereby also building their trust and their faith.

"Those ones shall build themselves ‘wings of eagles, as they forge their flight to heaven with these faith and trust wings’, to lift themselves high above the humdrum of life. Never mind how sordid may be their surroundings, through persistence in coming within to Me for their daily nourishment, they will learn over time that I am the antidote to depression, and to low self-esteem. I am always ready to hear them out, even as they learn to acquire that measure of Stillness to listen to Me. And so, everything that holds them to the earth plane with all its worries falls away, and so they will then truly feel My loving concern for them. They will feel enlivened to go forth and face the world with a renewed vigor and strength.

"This road is not for the weak, or the ones who easily give up. No, at times this great price of inner peace is, and with great difficulty, to be wrest from the deepest of the deep of existence. To some, born with a fortuitous, greater concentration and focusing ability, this may be easier to achieve. But for those with a more mercurial mind—those who are inclined to hop, skip and jump from one subject to another—this trait of persistence is harder to achieve, and therefore more needful of being exercised.

"You, yourself, know very well, how difficult this road has been for you, to be able to sit still for long enough, and to not have a shopping list of to-do-things in your head. And so, very gradually, you are learning to leave your own thoughts on the ‘backburner’. This has not been an easy chore, but look at the rewards you are reaping even now, rather then having to wait until the next level of existence, at the dissolution of mortal flesh, as, sooner or later, everyone shall learn to converse with their inner Guide with improved consciousness.

"There is great merit in making up your mind to develop persistence and dedication in daily seeking Me in your Stillness. It is the regularity of your turning up for your daily appointment, which finds Me more readily available to you. You know that I am there waiting for you, but you honor Me greatly by waiting for Me. It shows Me that you really think that I am worth it. And why should I not be worth it? I Am, because I Am your Partner, your co-Creator in our life eternal, and the sooner you get to know Me better and trust Me more, the sooner we can begin to, with your greater conscious awareness of Me, start molding you into the priceless being we, together, are to become.

"There will be no replication of us anywhere in the whole wide creation, which was formed, is being formed now, and will be formed in all of the eternal future ages. This is the promise I am holding out to you, that at any time you show a greater readiness therefore, we shall be on our way to become more then you would ever have believed to be possible."