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.

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

Jesus teaches his Apostles that the Holy Spirit will accompany them and support them in their pilgrimage of faith. Perhaps this year we can observe the days between now and Pentecost as a special time of prayer to the Holy Spirit.  Let us ask him to stand by us and to help us to grow in knowledge and understanding so that we might echo the apostolic witness of the Church in all of our words and deeds.

"THE FIVE BOOKS OF JESUS," byJames Goldberg, CreateSpace, $12.95, 330 pages (f)

Serious students of the New Testament are fascinated with the stories and teachings found in the four major gospels or testimonies of Jesus Christ’s disciples. The rich messages give substance to individual lives and help many as they try to live righteously in a difficult world.

But there is much missing from the writings that would be of great interest to the common person. Very little is mentioned concerning the day-to-day activities of Jesus and his disciples as they traveled throughout the Holy Land. And not much is known about the individual personalities of the apostles and other disciples.

James Goldberg’s new book, “The Five Books of Jesus,” is a thought-provoking fictional story of how things might have occurred in the lives of those who encountered Jesus of Nazareth during his ministry.

See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.

Organized religion is rejected by 20 percent of Americans according to a new poll, but 97 percent still believe in God.

"The ritual washing of feet is a gesture of humility based on the belief that Jesus Christ washed the feet of his apostles on the evening of their final meal together before his arrest, crucifixion and death.

Vatican tradition has it that each year on Good Thursday the pope washes the feet of twelve priests of different ages and nationalities in a solemn ceremony held in Rome's St John Lateran's Basilica or in St Peter's Basilica.

The priests are seen as representing the apostles.

Though retired pontiff Benedict XVI revised the ritual in 2007 by selecting 12 lay men from Rome for the ceremony, the new Pope Francis shook up Catholic tradition Thursday by choosing to honour not only prisoners, but women as well as men."

See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.

It's pretty sad when something so beautiful and so simple raises such concern - one might think instead, that it would inspire awe, admiration, and even inspiration. Like Jesus, Pope Francis is demonstrating that his view of women is evolved to the point where he is at least willing to include them in his service - as equal recipients.

As Jesus' supposed "representative" on earth, one might assume that this would be standard behavior. Sadly, it has not been; however, maybe Pope Francis in going to change all of that, and welcome the other half of humanity (women) to be participants in spiritual living.

Jesus, of course, was the pioneer. He not only included women in his ministry, he ordained them to be teachers and leaders - roles at which they always excelled.

From The Urantia Book:

^150:1.3 It was most astounding in that day, when women were not even allowed on the main floor of the synagogue (being confined to the women’s gallery), to behold them being recognized as authorized teachers of the new gospel of the kingdom. The charge which Jesus gave these ten women as he set them apart for gospel teaching and ministry was the emancipation proclamation which set free all women and for all time; no more was man to look upon woman as his spiritual inferior.

Images of space are ubiquitous in our lives. We have been surrounded by stunning portrayals of our own solar system and beyond for generations. But in popular culture, we have no sense of what space sounds like. And indeed, most people associate space with silence.

Radio waves emitted from celestial bodies can be turned into sound by ordinary radio receivers, which contain amplifiers and speakers that convert electrical signals into sound waves. Using this century-old process, the universe becomes soundful.

This is just the introduction to a most interesting article...See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.

The Celestial Artisans

^44:1.2 The celestial musicians are occupied with the production of celestial harmony by the manipulation of the following spirit forces:

1. Spiritual sound—spirit current interruptions.
2. Spiritual light—the control and intensification of the light of the morontia and spiritual realms.
3. Energy impingements—melody produced by the skillful management of the morontia and spirit energies.
4. Color symphonies—melody of morontia color tones; this ranks among the highest accomplishments of the celestial musicians.
5. Harmony of associated spirits—the very arrangement and association of different orders of morontia and spirit beings produce majestic melodies.
6. Melody of thought—the thinking of spiritual thoughts can be so perfected as to burst forth in the melodies of Havona.
7. The music of space—by proper attunement the melodies of other spheres can be picked up on the universe broadcast circuits.

"Chris and Sarah recently moved into a newly renovated two-bedroom apartment in Xining, a bustling Chinese city on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, where they manage a small business and spread the teachings of Jesus Christ. The couple, whose names have been changed to protect their identities, are enthusiastic and devout. They say that they could stay for decades.

'I really love being in a place where, it's like, if you're an artist, and an artist comes in and sees a blank canvas, they go heck yes – they love creating something new, and that's how I feel,'said Sarah. 'That's not to say that there aren't times when I cry my eyes out and get discouraged, but I know that this is where I'm supposed to be, so we're going to find joy in the midst of difficulty.'

Chris and Sarah have a strong affinity for Tibetan culture, even if elements of Tibetan religion strike them as sinister or harsh: its icons, the shamanistic rituals, the draconian precepts of reincarnation. 'I love these people so much, and I feel like I … I want them to be free from fear,' said Sarah. God, she said, brought her overwhelming feelings of love and compassion – feelings she wanted her Tibetan friends to share. Yet so far, progress has been slow. 'You can't expect to go into this really rocky field and immediately plant corn,' she continued. 'It's going to take some time.' "

This is a modern-day story about missionary zeal and carrying the message of Jesus into all the world.  See "Link to External Source Article" below to read further.

These young people are doing what Jesus advised his followers to do:

^191:4.4 "Go, then, into all the world proclaiming this gospel of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men to all nations and races and ever be wise in your choice of methods for presenting the good news to the different races and tribes of mankind. Freely you have received this gospel of the kingdom, and you will freely give the good news to all nations. Fear not the resistance of evil, for I am with you always, even to the end of the ages. And my peace I leave with you."

We certainly wish them well!!!

"Christians agree that the meaning of gospel is good news, but there is major disagreement about the content of that good news. Over the years on this subject, I have had a radical change of mind.

In Jesus, God accepted me into his holy family. With all my sins forgiven, I was assured that when I die, I would go to Heaven and live eternally as a citizen in the Kingdom of God. Escaping Hell and being promised eternal Heaven was the good news. It was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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.