2000-03-17-Love Is An Attitude, An Intention of Service

Session

Opening

Ham (Bill/Isaac): Greetings, my children. This is Ham. I am here with you this evening on invitation of Daniel and Andronason to share in the teacher exchange that we will be facilitating more and more as time goes on. Of course it is a special delight for me to see you as a unified group this evening with your sisters from the Southland now present in your midst. (Editor: Two members of the Woods Cross group were present.)

Have no concerns that the membership of the teaching mission is in decline for the fluctuations in participation are characteristic of all human groups, and indeed were a source of both joy and anxiety for Michael's original apostles.

Lesson

Love

I wish to speak this evening once again about LOVE. As you mature in your spiritual progression, as you move from mortal understanding to morontial mota and gain greater insights, you are also learning that the word love denotes an ever-greater and expanding reality approaching cosmic manifestation. Indeed there are many who are beginning to understand that love is more a matter of the will than it is a matter of feelings. It is possible for you to choose to love. Your mortal flesh follows suit with feelings that you would normally attribute as affection.

Love is an attitude, an intention of service toward your brothers and sisters. Love is the desire to do good to others, and when it is wholly sincere, it will result in actions. You see, if love was based upon feelings it would be limited only to those you feel comfortable with and who you approve of. When our Master entreated us to love our enemies, he totally transcended the realm of feeling in terms of a door of entrance. If you are commanded to love your enemies and love were based upon your feelings, this would be totally absurd and impossible. We are enjoined to love our enemies. Therefor logically and truly this love is not ultimately or initially a matter of warm, fuzzy feelings. To love our enemies is to be God-like and to recognize that the status of "enemy" is in a large part a perceptive category. The reality of that other person is, in almost all cases, really as another son or daughter of God.

If your enemy should be not of normal mind then this is of a different situation, and in that case these words do not apply. The matter of discernment as to where another person whom you term "enemy" is in fact a faith son or daughter is not something that you can easily decide. Therefor we recommend that you take the default position that this is so-that your enemy is, in fact, a brother or sister of the same Parents and worthy of love, as you are kin. When you attempt to love an enemy, think to yourself, what good could I desire for this other person? What could I pray for, wish for, and even possibly help effect that would be in the best interest of this, my enemy? To love another is a matter of intention, a matter of attitude.

Love takes no count of worthiness before the bar of judgmental human nature. Love is patient and kind. It is not paranoid. It does not imagine evil about other people, but always expects the best. And as Paul so beautifully stated, love never fails. Love is the [attitude] of God. It is the essence of God's nature. It was out of God's loving heart that he decided to create the worlds of time and space-because he desired to share his nature, his existence, his joy, with other personalities. Love begets love. It creates new opportunities. Love rejoices in diversity and in the expansion of reality. Love is never self-centered, never scraping, stingy, rude or abrupt. Love expands to embrace all others. Therefor love is the greatest thing, the greatest reality in the universe. Knowledge is constantly expanding, and that which is superceded falls away like scaffolding. Our expectations for the future are imperfect, and will be fulfilled in ways greater than we can imagine, but love remains the staple, the foundation, the quest and the eternal prize.

I have completed my comments, and I appreciate the opportunity to once again address you, my dear students and my dear friends. One moment please.

Daniel (Bob S): I am Daniel, your teacher, guide, and friend, and elder brother. My children, your attendance tonight is most rewarding to those of us gathered here to meet with you. The efforts you make to gather at these weekly sessions (demonstrates) a faith, a courage, an openness which belies the normal weaknesses of human mortality. I regret I feel unable to convey to you through the words of your language the importance to which your elder brothers and sisters attach to your gatherings. For now you must take my word for it, but I trust by now my word has some importance in your lives, and until I find a better way to describe it, I trust this will suffice.

This evening there are gathered on our side the usual numbers, large numbers of beings. There is however one additional being here tonight, who will now take the floor. One moment please.

Guardian Angels

Rudicia (Bill): Greetings, my name is Rudicia. I am a Destiny Guardian Seraphim, one of your sisters who rejoices to provide you with ministry, with comfort, with opportunity, with love. While your world has recognized us in its cultures and has given us a measure of honor, few are those who understand or know that one of our purposes is to keep you awake so that you don't fall asleep and miss your life, (Laughter.) as the poster so aptly states. No, we are not sadistic-

Virginia: I knew you were going to say that word. (Laughter.)

Rudicia (Bill): It is not a pleasure for us to inflict circumstances, except that we take the long view that if you benefit from them and make the right decisions, they are good medicine.

I am speaking tonight because one of your number has graduated from your so-called, "veil of tears", as you will either do in like pattern, or possibly in fusion transformation. We who remain unseen to you in this life will be your bosom companions and we will be visible after you leave this mortal estate. You will understand then how many times we whispered in your ears, gently nudged you in a direction, but never in violation of your free will, carried you through some raging waters, and prayed for you frequently. I speak today so that you will know or at least catch a glimpse of the love that showers down upon you through the many agencies of God's marvelous creation. We, your sisters, just a little above you, are part of those agencies. Have no concern for Rachel. (Editor: Rachel is the recently deceased member of the Woods Cross group.) Her ascension career had already begun in the flesh. She continues her morontia ascension. Great is the joy of one whose spiritual awareness is of the caliber of this, your sister, for the mansion worlds do not seem strange, but have the same flavor of "home" that Paradise has.

In conclusion I would say to try to practice the stillness while you are doing other things, so that your awareness may continually be lifted and heightened, that you may be always aware that you are not alone, that you are in the presence of great love. Thank you for your concentration, your respect and your cooperation.

Ken: Thank you. Rudicia (Bill): And now I return the meeting to teacher Daniel.

Daniel (Bob S): My friends, we trust these words from our sister, Rudicia, will find a home in your intellect and in your souls.

It is now time for questions and answers. If there are comments or questions we would deem it our responsibility and our great joy to blend our collective intellect to yours. (Laughter.) Are there questions, my friends?

Dialogue

Alene: I have just a comment. Thank you very much the piece of news about Rachel. I knew it already. Just to hear it was wonderful. Thank you.

Daniel (Bob S): We take great delight in when possible to provide you with support, and guidance. We cannot always so assist you in your intellectual and emotional times of stress. So when we can it is our great pleasure to be able to put arms around you, so to speak. Are there other questions or comments?

Mansion Worlds

Virginia: Ham, I really appreciate the words you gave concern love. And certainly intellectually it is easier to love your enemies and to wish them well and desire the very best for them. It was very nice to know you don't have to feel those affectional feelings, because that of course is a very difficult, emotional experience. When you are at the receiving end, you don't understand. I just really appreciated your comments on the whole lesson. I want to read it again, because I really believe that love is the answer, but to be able to express it is something else.

Ham (Bill): A word of caution, my dear. Yes, it's true. Love is not essentially a feeling, but eventually what the heart intends. And choosing good intentions for another will eventually lead through the process of forgiveness to the feelings (which) following suit. This may not occur completely in the mortal life, but eventually in the reconciliation and the rapport that develops on the Mansion Worlds and other morontia spheres love becomes fully unified in intention and in feeling. My emphasis however was to the essential and initial process, which begins with attitude and intention. As I said, thank you for your feedback that this was helpful for you. Also my dear, many, many people struggle ( perhaps I should say all struggle) at one time or another with this issue of loving one's enemies.

Virginia: Thank you again, Ham, and I really am looking forward to a full understanding of my sisters and brothers. Can't wait. (Laughter.)

Ham (Bill): Yes it is indeed one of the greatest experiences that occurs, especially to persons from retarded planets such as Urantia, when they experience the culture of the Morontia Worlds. If your planet were a normal world by now there would be much more of this occurring. However in groups such as this and other places, light and life is here. It is just not here on a planetary basis yet. Are there other comments on my lesson? I would be eager to interact.

Ken: Yes, Ham. I too enjoyed your lesson, and related it to a lesson your gave awhile back concerning the fact of going within and letting the Father guide you. And by doing so understanding this love and respecting your fellow man, and accepting him as your brother or sister, that eventually by doing so you can make changes in the material world. I believe that was your lesson. And I can see the tie in between the two this evening. I thank you.

Ham (Bill): You are most welcome, Ken. Actually, whether the lesson be attributed to me or Daniel or any of the rest of our teaching staff, is not terribly important. The truth of the lesson, however, is. And yes, we have been teaching these concepts to you since we began. You are rising imperceptibly, but still in reality, to higher and higher levels of comprehension, of experience, of soul growth.

Closing

Daniel (Bill): My friends, this is Daniel. Let us stand now and grasp each other's hands, and conclude our time together. We will remain with you while you socialize or share. Thank you for being flexible, and trying this new format. You see how the timing was most propitious. Oh yes, Abraham is present and desires to conclude our meeting with prayer.

Abraham (Bill): I am Abraham, your friend, your compatriot, your teacher, your admirer. Let us worship God.

Oh perfect shining Love, central in the universe and spread ever throughout, we your children worship you. We adore you. We are overwhelmed with your goodness and your mercy, with your joy and your heart of love. We thank you for personality existence, for the grandeur of choice, and the ability that we are given to co-create with you ourselves and other manifestations of that ever expanding love that reaches for perfection, the perfectedness of Supreme experience. I thank you for these, my friends, my brothers, my sisters who had the courage to share their hearts with you and believe the words that we have spoken. May they win the battle with self by surrendering to the power of love and in that victory share abundantly with everyone they meet. Michael, our creator brother, we follow your footsteps. We admire you beyond measure. We desire to be your hands and feet, your voices, your heart of love. May it be so. Amen.