Changes

===Lesson===

===Lesson===

Today I would like to discuss belief and faith as has been presented, again, in Matthew’s prayer. We perceive the gift of faith in your soul self as that light which illuminates the darkness, directly tied in with your essential reality, your spirit reality, that which carries you above and beyond what you are mortally capable of.

Today I would like to discuss [[belief]] and [[faith]] as has been presented, again, in Matthew’s prayer. We perceive the gift of faith in your [[soul]] self as that light which illuminates the darkness, directly tied in with your essential reality, your [[spirit]] reality, that which carries you above and beyond what you are mortally capable of.

Beliefs are often the gridwork or the scaffolding upon which your faith may soar. The belief is the song with words, and there is no greater passion in humanity than the sharing of beliefs with those who share the same beliefs, or fighting for the right to maintain sovereignty in and through the belief you hold over the beliefs of others.

Beliefs are often the gridwork or the scaffolding upon which your faith may soar. The belief is the song with words, and there is no greater passion in humanity than the sharing of beliefs with those who share the same beliefs, or fighting for the right to maintain sovereignty in and through the belief you hold over the beliefs of others.

Before we convened today, you were engaged in discussions of politics, and politics itself is a representation of belief – belief of the party platform and of the proponents of these platforms, these beliefs; each individual has a following of loyal patrons who believe in them, based on that which they have in common.

Before we convened today, you were engaged in discussions of [[politics]], and politics itself is a representation of belief – belief of the party platform and of the proponents of these platforms, these beliefs; each individual has a following of loyal patrons who believe in them, based on that which they have in common.

It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and you can understand this in your configuration for you have similar tastes and similar representations of domestic bliss and material reality which compliment each other sufficiently that you are able to direct attention to your communal beliefs, based on your culture, how you live. In this way you uphold each other, and you reinforce each other’s belief in who they are and what they are doing / in who you are and what you are doing.

It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and you can understand this in your configuration for you have similar tastes and similar representations of domestic bliss and material reality which compliment each other sufficiently that you are able to direct attention to your communal beliefs, based on your culture, how you live. In this way you uphold each other, and you reinforce each other’s belief in who they are and what they are doing / in who you are and what you are doing.

By the same token, you have among you friends, admirers, associates and affiliates, representatives of values, philosophies and tenets that you have been touched by - philosophically or spiritually or artistically. And this, too, warrants your admiration and attention. You subscribe to certain magazines because they attract you. You admire certain leaders for their messages are songs of sagacity. In this way leadership is made possible. There are those who are held up to the public eye, who withstand or overcome the common criticisms, and shine their light sufficiently that they become icons, then, of that which the populace yearns for and seeks to see realized in its midst, and so you have heroes, and spokesmen.

By the same token, you have among you friends, admirers, associates and affiliates, representatives of values, philosophies and tenets that you have been touched by - philosophically or spiritually or artistically. And this, too, warrants your admiration and attention. You subscribe to certain magazines because they attract you. You admire certain leaders for their messages are songs of sagacity. In this way leadership is made possible. There are those who are held up to the public eye, who withstand or overcome the common criticisms, and shine their light sufficiently that they become icons, then, of that which the populace yearns for and seeks to see realized in its midst, and so you have heroes, and spokesmen.

Spokesmen such as you admire most are those who, like you, are born of the flesh. Of course, this is an essential reason you admire Jesus so much, because you know he experienced the same mortal hardships and frailties you do, and he mastered these problems and reached heights of greatness, even as a humble mortal man. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi. These were such men. Bill Kelly was such a man in your culture.

Spokesmen such as you admire most are those who, like you, are born of the flesh. Of course, this is an essential reason you admire Jesus so much, because you know he experienced the same mortal hardships and frailties you do, and he mastered these problems and reached heights of greatness, even as a humble mortal man. [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]], [[Mahatma Ghandi]]. These were such men. Bill Kelly was such a man in your culture.

The greatness of all these people lies in the fact that they believe in something greater than themselves. Whether it was a political ideology or a spiritual ideology, it was something that appealed to the soul-self of others. To believe in someone is more than flattery; it is a consecration of purpose, shared, and it carries great energy.

The greatness of all these people lies in the fact that they believe in something greater than themselves. Whether it was a political ideology or a spiritual ideology, it was something that appealed to the soul-self of others. To believe in someone is more than flattery; it is a consecration of purpose, shared, and it carries great energy.

There are great things done on the worlds of time and space because of mortal leadership. Leaders believe in something that their followers need, or think they need. Ultimately, all have faith that in the end their beliefs will be upheld as having eternal value, even though a temporary coup is acceptable in many cases.

There are great things done on the worlds of [[time]] and [[space]] because of mortal leadership. Leaders believe in something that their followers need, or think they need. Ultimately, all have faith that in the end their beliefs will be upheld as having eternal value, even though a temporary coup is acceptable in many cases.

To not believe in someone or something is poverty. To live without faith in something or someone is to live in a void.

To not believe in someone or something is poverty. To live without faith in something or someone is to live in a void.

Matthew: Anatolia is here.

Matthew: Anatolia is here.

ANATOLIA: Welcome, friends, and more importantly, welcome to what it is to be "in spirit" for as the former lesson had indicated, you are, as you will recall from the Urantia Book, in the unique position to be "believers without seeing" and then, oftentimes, seeing because of belief. One may call this delusion; others would call it presenting facts as you know them, because of your belief in what you are seeing. In other words, if you were to see an angel, it would be a presentation of that which you already believe. If you were to see something else, that is not of your understanding or belief system, does it mean that the latter does not exist or is a figment of your imagination?

ANATOLIA: Welcome, friends, and more importantly, welcome to what it is to be "in spirit" for as the former lesson had indicated, you are, as you will recall from the [[Urantia Book]], in the unique position to be "believers without seeing" and then, oftentimes, seeing because of belief. One may call this delusion; others would call it presenting facts as you know them, because of your belief in what you are seeing. In other words, if you were to see an [[angel]], it would be a presentation of that which you already believe. If you were to see something else, that is not of your understanding or belief system, does it mean that the latter does not exist or is a figment of your imagination?

What I am getting at is: the discussion of today is very important to your on-going growth and development, for you are living faith here and now. You are demonstrating what it is you believe in your everyday practice of performing that which you are about – both in terms of personality performance and your belief performance, for if it were just left to your personality, everyone would be as miserable or as delightful as their inner life allowed, but with adding the dimension of faith, you bring the dimension of other patterns of behavior into practice because you believe there is a higher truth which predates, predicts, or pre-empts your own behavior or tendency to behave in a different manner.

What I am getting at is: the discussion of today is very important to your on-going growth and development, for you are living faith here and now. You are demonstrating what it is you believe in your everyday practice of performing that which you are about – both in terms of [[personality]] performance and your belief performance, for if it were just left to your personality, everyone would be as miserable or as delightful as their[[ inner life]] allowed, but with adding the dimension of faith, you bring the dimension of other patterns of behavior into practice because you believe there is a higher [[truth]] which predates, predicts, or pre-empts your own behavior or tendency to behave in a different manner.

So, your experience in this world is as great or as little as your belief system will allow. If you believe faith can move mountains, you will literally be able to perform feats that otherwise have no reason for description, definition or understanding. If you believe that nothing is possible other than brute force and determination, you will, to a large extent, be pushing rocks uphill, much like the dung beetle, if you have seen that demonstrated. Talk about an exercise in frustration! To believe in nothing is to be pushing rocks uphill, to never be able to perform the mastery of getting the rock over the edge because it is sure to tumble back where it started, if not beyond.

So, your experience in this world is as great or as little as your belief system will allow. If you believe faith can move mountains, you will literally be able to perform feats that otherwise have no reason for description, definition or understanding. If you believe that nothing is possible other than brute force and determination, you will, to a large extent, be pushing rocks uphill, much like the dung beetle, if you have seen that demonstrated. Talk about an exercise in frustration! To believe in nothing is to be pushing rocks uphill, to never be able to perform the mastery of getting the rock over the edge because it is sure to tumble back where it started, if not beyond.

Lovely ones, what questions do you bring to the group? The lives you have lived this week have been abundantly filled with feelings and growth situations. Are there matters to bring to counsel? (long pause)

Lovely ones, what questions do you bring to the group? The lives you have lived this week have been abundantly filled with feelings and growth situations. Are there matters to bring to counsel? (long pause)

===Dialogue===

===Dialogue===

Elena: Well, I hate to be always the only one, or at least the first one, so I was trying to get an opening where somebody else would jump right out there, but nobody was really jumping.

Elena: Well, I hate to be always the only one, or at least the first one, so I was trying to get an opening where somebody else would jump right out there, but nobody was really jumping.