2000-04-16-Viewpoints, Dedication, Sincerity

Session

Opening

Elyon (Jonathan TR): Greetings to you, Elyon here, as always happy to be in your presence. It's a joy to witness your souls radiate. I would begin today by addressing a point on dedication.

Lesson

Dedication

Dedication is an arena wherein all your decisions are made. To be dedicated does not preclude change, even the change that follows abandoning one choice for a new and perhaps loftier pursuit. Dedication does not preclude transition; for instance, one may take on a career at a young age and remain dedicated through decades and reach retirement only to notice that all workers, even managers and supervisors, have all come and gone, that the company has even changed products. Nonetheless, the worker was dedicated throughout. I have mentioned years past that faith has two levels, one is the adventurous faith of a swimmer who pushes from the dock and swims in faith, and the other who clings tight, trusting all in the stability of that dock to support one while in the water. Dedication can be flexible; it is not desertion to change course when growth is the result.

You are coming upon the anniversary, the celebration, of Michael's transition from Earth back into his local universe rulership. The cross is an example of transition, an intersection where one must choose. Jesus sought deeply the Father's will prior to his transition back into the morontia realm. Though he longed to remain on Earth and finish what appeared to be a much-undone business, he did not lose his faith; he did not falter in his dedication. He applied his faith and his dedication to the important decision of that hour. He faced that decision fearlessly, and in his soul and in communication with his Father he realized the best course was to leave his life and take it up again as the Sovereign Son of Nebadon.

It is a ritual of mankind to erect a monument dedicated to a noteworthy individual, and these dedications stand unchanged as signposts of valor from times gone by. Dedication, to a spiritually evolving individual, is one of constant change, is one that looks forward to the great actions of spiritual accomplishments in the future as well as marking those milestones of advancement and enlightenment from years gone by. Dedication, to the spirit being, is much like momentum in the physical realm; it keeps you going.

There are many with me today, and I will allow time for their addresses to you.

Sincerity

Tomas (Gerdean): Thank you, my comrade, and greetings to you, my friends in the flesh. We delight to be in your presence to share your exaltation in the presence of Michael. Your dedication to him is going to result in a reflection of your sincerity. I enjoyed very much your discourse this day; your sincere probing and sharing of beliefs and philosophies which give testimony to your standing. It takes dedication and sincerity to reveal your thoughts and feelings, your opinions and beliefs, in this arena even among your kindred spirits. But it is such fodder for the teacher when you so willingly reveal yourself, as it is fodder also for your indwelling God fragment, who will arrange for you to reflect upon what you voiced, so that in communion with him you may better understand your own faith. Let me help you, reveal to you, a thought about sincerity.

Your were astute, my daughter, when you divulged that sincerity is a quality which would be a continual development on through your ascent to Paradise. I have spoken in the past about sincerity and find it is a misunderstood quality among humanity. I have said in teaching sessions before, without intending to confuse my hearers, that one may be sincerely evil, sincerely greedy, sincerely selfish, as well as being sincerely devoted to high ideals, even to God Himself. So, you are right that sincerity is a quality that is poorly understood. The child in each of you yearns for sincerity. Those of you who stand not upon the rock of your own foundation of faith will be swayed by the skillful manipulation of your being by those who are sincerely desirous of luring you away from the path of the Father. The legacy of Lucifer has long applied the skill of sincerity to thwart Michael's mission. Even now we live with the shadows of that unreality in our work with you mortals.

So it is wise of you to ponder the word "sincerity" and the quality of sincerity, for it is far more than your understood definition. Sincerity is a quality that goes far beyond words; words are merely tools. You need to reflect upon what the sincerity of the speaker is orienting your toward. What do they want from you or for you that they should be so sincere? Please understand I am not asking you to develop suspicion or distrust, but to understand the sincerity quality so that you know in many cases what it is not.

In stillness you find the closest parallel to sincerity, for it is the state of being that allows you to be the most real that you can be. It is a quality of spirit such that your mental interpretation is irrelevant. Immediately you begin to apply your mortal and intellectual definition of sincerity you enter into relative imperfection, and this is a side effect of ascension. It would be absurd of me to suggest that you not be sincere or not attempt to be sincere, for this is one of the ways you further your reality. But sincerity comes from far beyond the heart. It is the product of the soul, that which has been born of the spirit and become realized within. Perhaps only those with ears to hear are able to discern the pure fidelity of the quality of sincerity which is the birthright and the destiny of you each.

You will see children, little children, easily attempt to manipulate you through their sincere childlike vantage point, and you who are adult children also do the same. You sincerely petition to the Father for that which you sincerely believe will benefit your path. In many ways and many times you draw to you through your creative energy that which you sought, in turn believing that your prayer has been answered when it is a simple matter of cause and effect that has brought about your will. Even so, sincerely you give thanks to the Father and His agents for those things which have brought you joy, just as children are brought delight when their wishes are made true.

Frolic in your understanding of sincerity and bask in the glow of the sincerity of your faith, for it is the most real thing you have. Thus, when you begin to live your faith, you bring a more divine quality of sincerity into being, thus refreshing the hungry souls of your peers for that bell toll of harmony which satisfies and harmonizes all the way to Paradise.

One additional remark for you as a community and it is from myself as a personality: I am enthralled and thrilled by the energies generated from your individual consecration, dedication, to the Father and doing His will. You have brought upon your community literal hosts of heavenly helpers. The airways, were I a traffic controller, would be more than a full time job.

Thank you, Elyon, for your gracious hospitality. I now allay my energy and delight in hearing from others.

Diversity

Corlatia (Jonathan): Greetings, this is Corlatia. I haven't visited with you for quite a while. There is much to keep an archangel busy at this time on Urantia. Your world is only beginning to come to know one another. It is yet early in its understanding of all the peoples that inhabit this world. But the change has been made, and this planet is becoming greatly interconnected and interdependent.

The great challenge for this age for all of humankind is to understand, to acknowledge, and to accept variety. You can trust the ministering spirits that govern this world to plant the seeds, and I ask you to be the cultivators. Some seeds are intended to be growing in planter boxes; others spread throughout fields, and even others will grow well off the limb of a great tree. The ecology of civilization is as intricate as the ecology of physical life. The archangels are ever concerned with the survival of the mortal races, of helping every individual progress in their ascent to the Father. Our effort is to find you where you are and deliver you in the direction where you are going.

Remain flexible and adaptable in your own lives, ever ready to adjust to the opportunities for service that will be before you each day. Realize that just as any earthly vocation can fulfill the will of the Father, any act of kindness is a service to another. There is no rank of value. You may save a soul, and you may clean a floor. They rank the same.

I will withdraw now, and I leave you with what assurances I may offer of your good progress and our faith in your service to this planet.

Teamwork

Helena (Ginnie): Good morning, this is Helena. As I listened to each personality's offering and understanding of this great work of ours, I can see that each of you is individually dedicated and committed to our Father's will, and that is a very pleasant and heartening experience.... As you each delve into the depths of your souls for strength and purpose, you expand your own personal pathways of growth and service. In your stillness you reinvigorate yourselves with the necessary purpose and energy to continue and to increase your abilities and your arena of action.

It is very tempting to become obsessed and immersed in your own viewpoint and to, as it were, wear blinders to other contributions and . ... Nowhere in the universe does one work totally alone. There is always consideration and thoughtful review of all possibilities and all viewpoints. It is a great test, indeed, for Urantians to develop this ability to gain strength and knowledge from allowing their minds and hearts to open to diverse pathways. Perhaps the greatest lesson this planet needs to learn is teamwork. Even on other levels of Urantia progress realizations are coming to the fore on how necessary cooperation and teamwork are in order to accomplish goals. Your planet has an excess of narrow, unyielding leaders who do not, and cannot, allow for input of any kind. It is a moment of great growth on this planet that you are beginning to understand how important teamwork is. It is perhaps the greatest lesson you will ever learn. Michael himself did not begin his ministry alone. His first task was to gather about him persons who could contribute something to the great task ahead. Michael understood the necessity of variety.

I am challenging you individually to practice on your own at first to be open to another's viewpoint. Try to understand that at that point in time this personality is speaking from the place that they know, the only place that they know.

I challenge you this week and in many weeks to come to make this a special practice. It does not have to be in regards to religion but any field, any opinion, to allow your mind and heart to open to receive the sincerity of one who speaks to you. One of your teachers has already commented to you that active ministry requires great listening. You cannot minister well unless you learn to listen, for this brings into your field other areas of thought, opinion, as your particular offering can become one of many.

You are gathered here today in these numbers and have shown dedication to our Father's will by connecting with each other. Keep that as a reminder of your connecting on a spirit plane, that we are all one with an infinite variety of truth.

Closing

It pleases me very much to visit you today, and I take my leave and wish you all great peace.