Wed, May 08, 2013
Graham: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life
By
Billy Graham
Dear Rev. Graham: We went to church on Easter, and the Bible reading included Pilate's question to Jesus, asking what truth is, but it sounded to me like Jesus didn't give him an answer. Was Jesus still searching for the truth, just like Pilate was? — M.J.
Rev. Graham: No, Jesus wasn't searching for the truth — and neither was Pilate, the Roman governor. In fact, Pilate apparently didn't even wait for an answer, but cynically turned his back on Jesus and went out to speak to the crowds (see John 18:38).
But Jesus didn't claim to have searched for the truth about God. Instead, he made a claim that was far more startling: He actually claimed to be the truth, sent from heaven to reveal God's truth to us. He boldly declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
Here is an event from Jesus' life that the world knows only from sparse Biblical accounts such as this one. Even in scant form, the story is full enough for Dr Graham to have gleaned the highest truth from it.
Have you ever wanted more of the story?
The Urantia Book contains the same story, except that in The Urantia Book, we get such rich detail - more of the conversation and more important insight into the personalities of both Pilate and Jesus.
See "The Private Examination By Pilate" HERE. The title of the paper is "The Trial Before Pilate," and contains the whole story of those dark hours preceding the Master's death.
Any person who wants to know more about Jesus will be intrigued and inspired when they read this account, and realize that it is an accurate account of that day given to us by spiritual beings who were actually there, and who recorded events as they happened.
This should not be surprising, that there is a chronicle preserved in the universe to immortalize the amazing life of Jesus of Nazareth. Before Jesus came here, he reigned as a Creator Paradise Son of God. His title was "Michael." His appearance on our world was known to the entire universe, and all celestial eyes were on this planet during those times. In that light, it is reasonable to entertain the possibility that these accounts are true, and gifted to us as part of The Urantia Book for the purpose of re-discovering the events of the life and teachings of Jesus as they really occurred. Our world is ready, and our world needs to see Jesus as he was.
The entire Life and Teachings of Jesus can be found HERE
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Fri, May 03, 2013
Following Jesus Means Loving All Kinds of People
By
Rev. Dr. Martha R. Jacobs
Is someone a "bad person" or one who did "something bad" when a person does something that we think of as unthinkable?
This question has been on my mind since before the Boston Marathon
bombing. One Sunday in March, when I was doing the Youth Sunday message,
I commented that we have to love each other as God has commanded us to.
One of the young people asked whether she had to love someone who did
something really terrible. As hard as it was to accept, I had to say,
"Yes, according to Jesus you must love that person."
I remembered that exchange several Friday evenings ago, and realized
that I had to really think about what I had said in light of what
happened during the Marathon and the ensuing days and nights of fear and
uncertainty that followed. Do I really believe what I said -- that I
need to love a person despite what they do? Did I practice what I preach
when watching the events unfold that Friday night, as I joined more
than 42 million people, watching and hoping for the capture of this
young man who, along with his brother, had chosen to do something truly
heinous? Did I love another as God loves all of us?
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
It is easy to say that we admire Jesus, that we believe in Jesus, and that we agree with his teachings about love, tolerance, forgiveness and non-violence...but when push comes to shove, many of us find ourselves standing aloof and letting the "wisdom of the world" influence us. That wisdom preaches "an eye for an eye," and that forgiveness equals weakness...
Here's are some quotes from
The Urantia Book that might help all of us stay on the Master's path - or not - it's all up to the individual, after all.
196:1.3 To “follow Jesus” means to personally share his religious faith and to enter into the spirit of the Master’s life of
unselfish
service for man. One of the most important things in human living is to
find out what Jesus believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for
the achievement of his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge,
that which is of greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus
and how he lived it.
195:9.6 Primitive man lived a life of
superstitious bondage to religious fear. Modern, civilized men dread the
thought of falling under the dominance of strong religious convictions.
Thinking man has always feared to be held by a
religion.
When a strong and moving religion threatens to dominate him, he
invariably tries to rationalize, traditionalize, and institutionalize
it, thereby hoping to gain control of it. By such procedure, even a
revealed religion becomes man-made and man-dominated. Modern men and
women of intelligence evade the religion of Jesus because of their fears
of what it will do to them—and with them. And all
such fears are well founded. The religion of Jesus does, indeed,
dominate and transform its believers, demanding that men dedicate their
lives to seeking for a knowledge of the will of the Father in heaven and
requiring that the energies of living be consecrated to the
unselfish service of the
brotherhood of man.
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Fri, April 26, 2013
Being Christian Means Risking Following Jesus, Pope Teaches
By
DAVID UEBBING
VATICAN CITY — Lukewarm Christians try to build a Church that conforms
to their own common sense and see too much risk in following Jesus, Pope
Francis said.
“They are Christians of good sense only: They keep their distance.
Christians, so to speak, who are ‘satellites,’ that have a Church small
in size. To quote the words of Jesus in Revelation, (they are) ‘lukewarm
Christians,’” the Pope said at the April 20 morning Mass in the chapel
of St. Martha’s residence.
“They walk only in the presence of common sense. ... This is a temptation (to use) just worldly prudence,” he added.
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
This article brought to mind a very pointed admonition from the revelators that can make all of us feel a bit challenged, when we really think about it. Remember this passage from
The Urantia Book?
195:9.6 Primitive man lived a life of
superstitious bondage to religious fear. Modern, civilized men dread the
thought of falling under the dominance of strong religious convictions.
Thinking man has always feared to be held by a
religion.
When a strong and moving religion threatens to dominate him, he
invariably tries to rationalize, traditionalize, and institutionalize
it, thereby hoping to gain control of it. By such procedure, even a
revealed religion becomes man-made and man-dominated. Modern men and
women of intelligence evade the religion of Jesus because of their fears
of what it will do to them—and with them. And all
such fears are well founded. The religion of Jesus does, indeed,
dominate and transform its believers, demanding that men dedicate their
lives to seeking for a knowledge of the will of the Father in heaven and
requiring that the energies of living be consecrated to the
unselfish service of the
brotherhood of man.
195:9.7 Selfish men and women simply
will not pay such a price for even the greatest spiritual treasure ever
offered mortal man. Only when man has become sufficiently disillusioned
by the sorrowful
disappointments
attendant upon the foolish and deceptive pursuits of selfishness, and
subsequent to the discovery of the barrenness of formalized
religion, will he be disposed to turn wholeheartedly to the
gospel of the kingdom, the religion of Jesus of Nazareth.
I call this a powerful mandate...
To read the whole section, called "Christianity's Problem,"please click
HERE
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Fri, February 15, 2013
Spiritual But Not Religious: Misunderstood and Here to Stay
By
Philip Goldberg
A great deal has been written about that ever-expanding group of
Americans who check "none" when asked about their religious
affiliations. The segment of nones who call themselves "spiritual but
not religious" (SBNR)
now constitute at least 20 percent of the population, and 30 percent of
those under 30 years of age. I have interviewed hundreds of this
important cohort for my books, and I find that the media commentary
about them is riddled by misconceptions.
SBNRs who devote time to their spirituality are basically mystics --
pragmatic, in-the-world mystics who probe the great mysteries from the
inside out and try to live up to their spiritual standards. A 2009 Pew
survey found that spiritual experiences, defined as a "moment of sudden
religious insight or awakening," occur much more frequently now than
they did in 1962, 1976 or 1994, when similar studies were done. That
tracks with the rise of the SBNR phenomenon, and indeed the report said
that "these kinds of experiences are particularly common among the
'religious unaffiliated.'"
SBNRs are as diverse and complex as any other spiritual cohort. They
are here to stay, and their numbers will surely grow as pluralism
evolves and access to the world's wisdom becomes even easier. It could
be the most important religious development of our time, so let's make
sure we understand it.
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
Could it be that the "nones" are those who are discovering the joy and intimacy of personal spiritual experience? Could it be that they are discovering that their experiences transcend the "dry sands" of traditional religious thought?
I agree with this author that this phenomenon is a VERY important religious development, and not at all a black-and-white issue, easily explained away. Perhaps when the churches are more accepting of personal spiritual experience, and the authority of God within each individual, and less concerned with making their congregants toe theologic lines, they may find that the flocks might return - if for no other reason than that the social aspects of religion are so satisfying.
103:5.12 The security of a religious group
depends on spiritual
unity, not
on theological uniformity. A religious group should be able to enjoy the
liberty of freethinking without having to become "freethinkers." There
is great hope for any church that worships the living God, validates the
brotherhood of man, and dares to remove all creedal pressure from its members.
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Fri, February 15, 2013
Celebrating Darwin: Religion And Science Are Closer Than You Think
By
Max Tegmark
"He looked really uneasy. I'd just finished giving my first lecture of
8.282, MIT's freshman astronomy course, but this one student stayed
behind in my classroom. He nervously explained that although he liked
the subject, he worried that my teaching conflicted with his religion. I
asked him what his religion was, and when I told him that it had
officially declared there to be no conflict with Big Bang cosmology,
something amazing happened: his anxiety just melted away right in front
of my eyes! Poof!
So is there a conflict between science and religion? The religious
organizations representing most Americans clearly don't think so.
Interestingly, the science organizations representing most American
scientists don't think so either: For example, the American Association
for the Advancement of Science states that science and religion "live together quite comfortably, including in the minds of many scientists."
This shows that the main divide in the U.S. origins debate isn't
between science and religion, but between a small fundamentalist
minority and mainstream religious communities who embrace science.
So why is this small fundamentalist minority so influential? How can
some politicians and school-board members get reelected even after
claiming that our 14 billion-year-old universe might be only about 6,000
years old? That's like claiming that 90-year-old aunt is only 20
minutes old. It's tantamount to claiming that if you watch this video
of a supernova explosion in the Centaurus A Galaxy about 10 million
light-years away, you're seeing something that never happened, because
light from the explosion needs 10 million years to reach Earth. Why
isn't making such claims political suicide?
Part of the explanation may be a striking gap between Americans'
personal beliefs and the official views of the faiths to which they
belong. ..."
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
It is good to read such a sane and hopeful essay on this seemingly age-old issue. As Urantia Book readers, we know that there really is no conflict between these two pillars of civilization. One informs the other, and both are compatible in the larger context.
We have a helpful topical study on this subject, which you might find useful...
Religions have long endured without philosophical support, but few
philosophies, as such, have long persisted without some identification
with
religion. Philosophy is to religion as conception is to action. But the
ideal human estate is that in which philosophy, religion, and science
are
welded into a meaningful unity by the conjoined action of wisdom, faith, and experience. ~
The Urantia Book, (98:2.12)
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Fri, February 01, 2013
Has Science Explained Religion?
By
Catherine Hochman
By contributing writer Catherine Hochman. Originally published in KidSpirit's Science and Spirit issue.
Maybe religion is the result of our neurons firing chemical signals
at one another. Maybe it is a mistake caused by natural selection. Or
maybe it is the by-product of society's effort to impose authority. On
the other hand, maybe not. Has science explained religion after all?
Emile Durkheim
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) looked at religion from a sociological
standpoint, i.e., through the interactions of social groups. ...
Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins (born 1941) is a biologist who, in his book The God Delusion
(2006), tries to explain religion in terms of Darwin's theory of
evolution. He concludes that religion was a mistake caused by natural
selection
Matthew Alper
Matthew Alper explains religion as being neurological. In his book The God Part of the Brain
(1996), he shows how genes influence our religious experiences. He also
gives accounts of many scientific studies which suggest that activities
such as meditation, yoga, or prayer evoke sensations, which, although
perceived as evidence of the divine or sacred, are actually the ways in
which our brain interprets neurochemical processes.
Although Durkheim, Dawkins, and Alper's explanations are all
incomplete, together, they only cover three perspectives of approaching
religion in its entirety. Finally, I ask: Will, or can, science ever
explain religion?
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
...and incidentally, the author was only 14 y/o when she penned this article...
So, CAN science explain religion? From The Urantia Book:
65:4.3 Many features of human life
afford abundant evidence that the phenomenon of mortal existence was
intelligently planned, that organic evolution is not a mere cosmic
accident. When a living cell is injured, it possesses the ability to
elaborate certain chemical substances which are empowered so to
stimulate and activate the neighboring normal cells that they
immediately begin the secretion of certain substances which facilitate
healing processes in the wound; and at the same time these normal and
uninjured cells begin to proliferate—they actually start to work
creating new cells to replace any fellow cells which may have been
destroyed by the accident.
12:9.3 Mathematics, material
science, is
indispensable to the intelligent discussion of the material aspects of
the universe, but such knowledge is not necessarily a part of the higher
realization of truth or of the personal appreciation of spiritual
realities. Not only in the realms of life but even in the world of
physical
energy, the sum of two or more things is very often something more than, or something different from, the predictable additive consequences of such unions. The entire
science of
mathematics, the whole domain of philosophy, the highest physics or
chemistry, could not predict or know that the union of two gaseous
hydrogen atoms with one gaseous oxygen atom would result in a new and
qualitatively superadditive substance—liquid water. The understanding
knowledge of this one physiochemical phenomenon should have prevented
the development of materialistic philosophy and mechanistic
cosmology.
2:6.1 In the physical
universe
we may see the divine beauty, in the intellectual world we may discern
eternal truth, but the goodness of God is found only in the spiritual
world of personal religious experience. In its true essence,
religion
is a faith-trust in the goodness of God. God could be great and
absolute, somehow even intelligent and personal, in philosophy, but in
religion God must also be moral; he must be good. Man might fear a great
God, but he trusts and loves only a good God. This goodness of God is a
part of the
personality of God, and its full
revelation appears only in the personal religious experience of the believing sons of God.
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Fri, January 11, 2013
If you want to see God, look to Jesus
By
Rev. Mark E. Becker
It
is the Season of Epiphany, beginning with the story of the Magi on Jan.
6, and continuing through the Transfiguration of Our Lord on Feb. 10.
The liturgical, or historic, expressions of the Christian faith focus on
the stories that make God “manifest” in Jesus. A simpler way to say
that is to say, “if you want to see God, look at Jesus.”
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
...this minister has made a beautiful case for the statement: "He who has seen me has seen the Father," which was said by Jesus on numerous occasions.
There's a really good reason that the revelators of The Urantia Book tell us:
196:1.3 One of the
most important things in human living is to find out what Jesus
believed, to discover his ideals, and to strive for the achievement of
his exalted life purpose. Of all human knowledge, that which is of
greatest value is to know the religious life of Jesus and how he lived it.
Please see
THIS LINK to find the complete Life and Teachings of Jesus in
The Urantia Book
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Fri, January 11, 2013
Muslims Who Follow Jesus
By
Carl Medearis
I've lived with and near Muslims since 1983. If you ask any Muslim,
"Do you believe in Jesus?" 100 percent will say yes. Some will quickly
qualify that "yes" with something like, "We believe in all the
prophets." And others will note some of Jesus' great attributes found
in the Quran -- he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, worked
miracles, called the Word of God and other impressive things. I have
found many who will speak in hushed tones out of their great respect of
this prophet and messiah -- Jesus Christ.
Some Muslims will even say they "follow Jesus." They follow his way,
or his teachings or his path. There are ample scriptures in the Quran
about "the straight path" and if followed carefully it's notable that
they often refer to the way of Jesus of Nazareth.
One such Muslim is my friend Mo Sabri. Mo is a Pakistani-American
who studies pre-medicine at university in Tennessee. He's written and
performed the following song clearly entitled "I Believe in Jesus."
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further. You can also see the video (fun, hip-hop, inspiring!)
The revelation of The Urantia Book does not favor one religion over another...devotion to God and love of the Master can be practiced from many religious platforms. What is needed is a unity of vision - of ideals. This article reminds me of something that Jesus said about unity vs uniformity:
141:5.1
One of the most eventful of all the evening conferences at Amathus,
was the session having to do with the discussion of spiritual unity.
James
Zebedee had asked,
“Master, how shall we learn to see alike and thereby enjoy
more harmony among ourselves?” When Jesus heard this
question, he was stirred within his spirit, so much so that he replied:
“James,
James, when did I teach you that you should all see alike? I have come
into the world to proclaim spiritual liberty to the end that mortals
may be empowered to live individual lives of originality and freedom
before God. I do not desire that social harmony and fraternal peace
shall be purchased by the sacrifice of free personality
and spiritual originality. What I require of you, my apostles,
is spirit unity—and
that you can experience in the joy of your united dedication to the
wholehearted doing of the will of my Father in heaven. You do not have
to see alike or feel alike or even think alike in order spiritually to be
alike. Spiritual unity is
derived from the consciousness that each of you is indwelt, and
increasingly dominated, by the spirit gift of the heavenly Father. Your
apostolic harmony must grow out of the fact that the spirit hope of
each of you is identical in origin, nature, and destiny.
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Tue, January 01, 2013
Scholars Speak: A declining church in a spiritual culture
By
Tim Neufeld
While the
unaffiliated avoid the institutional church, they are not devoid of
spirituality or opposed to thinking about God. They just do this in
different ways, thus providing opportunities for church leaders to
imagine new means for engaging the culture.
Here are a few
suggestions to churches for serving those outside their doors. First,
focus on building relationships and stop treating people as targets in a
marketing scheme. Postmoderns are quickly offended by a sales job.
Second, show the relevance of Scripture to social problems such as
global poverty, human trafficking and fair trade. Altruism and justice
are engaging issues for those outside traditional church structures.
Third, work to reconnect the creation and the Creator. Churches have
long ignored environmental issues, something that postmoderns highly
value. Finally, create events that are intergenerational and
multicultural. An emerging generation is suspicious of the flagrant
homogeneity found in most churches.
See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
This article is offering suggestion for the church to attract more congregants, and it appears that the author correctly identifies much of the problem, but his premise is that the church has been trying to attract those who are not looking for a spiritual experience. It seems to me that people are simply not looking for a spiritual experience in the confines of a traditional church setting, but within their own hearts and souls...if a church could offer something different and more appealing, maybe it would attract those kinds of people...
From The Urantia Book:
103:5.12 There is great hope for any church
that worships the living God, validates the brotherhood
of man, and dares to remove all
creedal pressure from its members.
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Tue, January 01, 2013
Getting spiritual is healthy, too
By
CHELCEY ADAMI
"As they ring in the New Year, most people begin to look inward and wonder how their lives could improve.
While becoming physically or mentally healthier is great, it can also help to consider improving spiritual health as well.
All major religions and most spiritually healthy people incorporate the Golden Rule."
This is a good article, with some practical advice for becoming more healthy by becoming more spiritual-minded. See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.
From
The Urantia Book:
2:7.11 All truth—material, philosophic,
or spiritual—is both beautiful and good. All real beauty—material art
or
spiritual symmetry—is both true and good. All genuine goodness—whether
personal morality, social equity, or divine ministry—is equally true and
beautiful. Health, sanity, and happiness are integrations of truth, beauty, and goodness
as they are blended in human experience. Such levels of efficient living come about through the unification of energy systems, idea systems, and spirit systems.
100:4.3
But the great problem of religious living consists in the task of
unifying the soul
powers of the personality
by the dominance of LOVE. Health, mental efficiency, and happiness
arise from the unification of physical systems, mind systems, and
spirit systems. Of health and sanity man understands much, but of
happiness he has truly realized very little. The highest happiness is
indissolubly linked with spiritual progress. Spiritual growth yields
lasting joy, peace
which passes all understanding.
And, about the "Golden Rule," what Jesus called the "Rule of Living," please see
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