Daniel - Hope - Apr 26, 1992 - Pocatello, ID
Daniel042692Hope
Group: Pocatello, Idaho
Teacher: Daniel
Topic: Hope
April 26, 1992

Opening Prayer: Prayer of St. Francis

Daniel: "Good evening. I am Daniel. I am your teacher. A beautiful Spring day that brings forth joy, that gladdens the heart, that warms the spirit. I am happy to be with you here at this time.

Our lesson tonight will be on hope. This beautiful virtue is one that has been asked about recently. Hope is that quality which inspires, which brings forth life, creativity, and renewed devotion to the Father and to life. Hope is that quality which you the individual use within your own personal life to carry you forward. It is also that collective virtue which keeps all of the personhood of Urantia in forward motion in learning to unite and be of love, be of understanding, be of a oneness together. If it were not for this beautiful virtue there would be much apathy, much disheartening of souls. For it is in your hope that you bring forth effort, bring forth greater good. I will address hope on two levels this evening, the first being on the whole that is in the general society of all people.

This hope is a necessary, viable element for it brings all of the personhood of mankind into a thought process that can bring forth change that can bring forth progress and growth in civilization. It is through the hope of the peoples of the world that you strive to understand one another, you strive for tolerance, you strive for peace. And you strive to make life a worthwhile adventure for all of the peoples of Urantia. Do not ever give up on this hope, for it is the thing that carries you and brings you forward. It is the impetus for progress. And it is through hope that the overall life of all peoples can be brought to more equity. So hope is that quality that keeps you going, keeps you in forward progress, keeps the momentum going so that not only will there be social change, but change also in the environment, in technology, in economy, and in science; so that through all these efforts and through the hope underlying there will be made a better life for all of the peoples of the earth.

And in your own lives hope takes on another meaning. For it is that virtue which helps you to actualize, to become your potential. Were it not for hope, you would not move forward. You would have a tendency to withdraw. You would not see value in life. Hope is the mainstay of the individual, a beautiful gift from God. As you grow you are ever changing, you are always in a state of becoming, of utilizing the present as a means of growing to bring forth your humanness, your potential. You see, hope is part of the gift of God that helps you to become human. It is in your humanness, your mortal existence, that you actualize the potentials of you the ascending being on this plane. God, the First Source and Center, is always reaching down to you and through your hope, your wanting to grow you reach back toward Him. And in so doing you fulfill your responsibility of being a mortal. You become more human. And your doing this is experiential, it helps you to become. For only through your experiences will you know, truly know the Father. So my friends, my students, always value this gift. Always realize your dreams, your visions, your desires are built on hope. And this hope carries you through life, you the individual, and you, all of the peoples of Urantia. It is like a life jacket that you put on. For you see, when you step in the boat of life you will ride on many stormy seas. So name your vessel the Vessel of Hope. For when you are in this vessel, when you have the life jacket of hope on you, you can never be pulled down under, rather you will ride the stormy seas, and the calm seas as well.

So let hope always be a part of your nature, for through this hope and your experiencing of life you become. Hope is a part of your being. It is a part of the mortal that has brought people to this point in not only their life, but also in civilization. And when things look dark and grey, when your life or the overall life of the planet seems to be darkest, rely on this hope. For there are many dark days and yet the sun will always appear after the storm has passed. Realize that while you may be feeling that the problems in your personal life or the global problems are overwhelming, use hope to know that God is always working to help man and that you again are only seeing part of the overall picture of man and life in general; that it is through your trials, through your experiences that you become and hope is that comforting cushion that carries you through these trials. I will now accept questions."

C2: "Daniel, this is C2. As you started speaking first about hope a word that came into my mind and heart was compassion as well. So I wondered if it was somewhat within the realm to think of hope as the personal commodity, the personal virtue that enables us to survive. It enables us to move forward, and as you said, become. And that compassion is collective hope. It is compassion that allows for the hope of the universe, for the hope of the world."

Daniel: "Yes, this is true. There are many words that can be used to describe various things and compassion is one of those that does fall under the realm of hope and does describe hope very beautifully in just the fashion you stated. That globally, without compassion, without hope, there would be no change, no willingness to bring forth a oneness of the people of this world. And it is as you say, through your compassion, your understanding, your love, your tolerance, your willingness to be forgiving, your willingness to be merciful that there will be a whole personhood of mankind coming together; that without these qualities with hope at the head, these changes could not take place."

C2: "Thank you Daniel."

B1: "Daniel, this is B1. I would like to make a statement regarding hope and what the Urantia Book and this teaching ministry has meant to me personally. And that is, probably at least one of the major changes in my life has been this very dimension of hope, because the revelation in the Urantia Book that so fleshes out the Gospel, so fully explains so many things has really turned me from somewhat of a pessimistic person to a much more optimistic person. And now the coming of you teachers, and this upgrading of contact and all of this support is tremendously helpful to me. I want you all to be aware of my personal feelings about this. And I want to thank you for your part in all this."

Daniel: "Thank you B1 for your comments. They are duly noted. And you are not alone in this, for not only are you being more hopeful, but those in this teaching mission, myself and the other teachers are also feeling the hope, the wanting for Urantia to move forward, to become more progressive, to be more understanding and in awareness of God, the First Source and Center, His love, forgiveness, His tolerance and patience and His desire for all of the sons and daughters to know Him. And so I thank you for your comments."

B1: "Thank you Daniel."

B5: "Daniel, this B5. I don't quite know how to word this. I'll try my best. Lately I seem to be in a bit of a dilemma, as are a lot of people around me. I listen to these teachings. I do what you say. I read in the Urantia Book and I am thankful. And I try not to worry too much about the politics and etc. in our government and our society, thinking that it will be taken care of in its own time. But when things happen in my life in political terms or governmental terms that directly influence my life or my family's life, I really have a hard time not getting uptight and a hard time knowing which direction to go and what to do about these things. Do you maybe have any enlightenment for me?"

Daniel: "My words in this regard are that, yes, you must in your faith, in your trust of the Father know that He will not forsake His children; that the people of Urantia will always be a part of Him; and that you the individual must know that in the saying that 'God will provide' does not mean that you do not have responsibility in this survival. For you see, you are a partner with God. And unless you do your part, He cannot intercept to be your guide, to provide the guidance needed to bring about a better life.

And so for all of you during this time especially when you will be choosing those who represent you, who will be leading your country. It is time that you all look into the platform and know what each candidate represents and their viewpoint so that when it comes time for you to fulfill your civic duty, you will know which way is best to meet the values you wish to be carried on. And this is not easy. And I nor any of the other teachers will or can say who or what is best. For you see, even Christ Michael in His mission, His mortal life would not or could not rule on law and government. While He was one who always followed the law, did not disrespect those in authority; He did, however, in His teaching refute the law in that He brought forth the words from His Father and He overruled many, or brought new light to many things that were part of the Jewish tradition that was considered the law. And so it becomes your responsibility. And not just responsibility, but also you need to be accountable for the values that are brought forth in society.

And the only way that change can come about is to start at the individual level; and you are very much aware of that, for it is what I tell you every week, to start with yourself. And once you are complete, in that you are growing and moving forward..and cautionary note here..no one is totally complete, only God is...that you will be able to look at the situation around you, that you will be able to perceive it in a very open and knowledgeable understanding; that you will do what is necessary for you to learn and understand and be knowledgeable about issues. And from that premise then, you need to go through the proper channels to bring about change. Instigating a riot may not be a proper channel. So use your wisdom, your well thought out and educated understanding of issues to bring about change.

And it is understandable that in everyone's life there are situations, there are injustices that will prevail. For you see that is life on this planet as such now. And so, prepare yourselves so that you can start then by bringing change into the general society. And of course you cannot tackle the whole picture. You must start at the bottom and slowly work up. As more changes are brought about in your personal lives, then spread to the local community and state, etc.,etc., then, and only then, will there be more change on a global level. And so B5 I know that there will be pain, there will be struggle, there will be times when the decisions you have to make are difficult and you do not know what is the right way to go. You do not know which is the worst of two evils or the best. So please research, become knowledgeable within yourself and then do what needs to be done to help rectify a situation. And know that there will not always be easy choices, or the choice you make may not always be right or wrong, either way. So it becomes your responsibility then, to do what is necessary so you can make proper judgment, be of proper understanding to make change. Do you see what I am saying?"

B5: "Yes Daniel, I see what you are saying. I guess one of the points, funny you should mention riot, because actually that was my first thought pertaining to the systems in our government. More so the IRS, than anything. You say to learn, understand and gain knowledge and I guess maybe that's where my problem is. The more I learn, the more I understand, the more irritated I get! I don't see any solutions, other than a whole country revolting, and I know that is not right. I know there has got to be another way. And I don't mean to stress politics so much here, but certain things have happened recently in my life that I am really having a rough time with this. But I do see what you are saying. It is going to take time. I understand."

Daniel: "And so look to Christ Michael, that even though He Himself did not agree with some of the laws He still followed them, and in His own way He tried to show an overall bigger picture so that things could be made better. You will many times in your life have to follow those laws which may not fit into your own personal understanding, personal views. So long as there are laws that are there, you need to follow as best you can until change can be brought about. And you see, if it is true, the discontent of many and your working together as a group can bring about changes. So have faith and continue to be knowledgeable, for this is your best weapon, your best tool to fight or to bring about change. It is those who are not of understanding, that do not know, that make decisions that are not always workable. And as you become knowledgeable, as you come into understanding of areas, then you can inform your brothers and sisters. You can help shed light on these things for them and as they become knowledgeable they can spread it and this is how change comes about. So often word of mouth, coming together in small groups, and working through what you call 'grass roots' will bring about change."

B5: "Thank you Daniel." Daniel: "You are welcome."

N1: "Daniel this is N1. Thank you for the message. I was getting on the freeway this past week and there were some hitchhikers there and it brought up an issue for me that I thought I have handled and I have been struggling with different aspects of this issue again and I was wondering if you might give me some help. I felt really guilty going by the hitchhikers and leaving them there. And especially it seems like since I have started coming here I have these old feelings of being watched all the time(laughter from group)..not supported and loved which I know has to do with my perceptions..but judged and condemned..being watched and feeling really wrong and I feel like a lot of things I do are really wrong and passing the hitchhikers I felt really wrong...I had the Good Samaritan story in mind...but I also have been learning about boundaries and taking care of myself and not becoming a victim and I'm having a real hard time being loving and offering compassion and not being a victim. I'm not setting myself up and acting like I am immortal or something. Could you give me some help with this distinction?"

Daniel: "Yes, of course N1 and know that this teaching mission has nothing whatsoever to do with judging. The observations are meant just for your growth. For you see, only God can judge and you see, I, too, am an ascending mortal, and I, too, do not know everything. I, too, am often feeling as you do that you are being watched. However, I am knowledgeable about the love of the Father that you are not able to see or feel as yet. And you see, the Father knows all of your thoughts, all of your desires. And so you see, you need not feel guilt when you are driving and see hitchhikers. Do not feel guilt for not picking them up. For your being desirous to help them, your compassion for them being there is understood; and because of the bad rap, so to speak, that hitchhikers have gotten over the years, it is not within your understanding to know who you could pick up or not. These kinds of questions will always be a part of your everyday life and it is not always easy to know which way to go. And it is true that these hitchhikers probably would have been fine, would have been ever so grateful to have gotten a ride and yet you are not knowing of their intent. What is important is to have in your overall story one of love, of compassion, of wanting to help and be of service to your brothers and sisters. And maybe you cannot help these individuals on the side of the road, but further down the road there may be a time when you can be of service to someone else. And it is when your overall story follows this path of servitude and this is what is measured. For you see, you had the desire. You would have, had you known their intent. And so throughout life you all will be making these kinds of judgments of what to do, which way to go. And so you must do what is best at any given time. N1, had you had three of four football players in the van with you, the situation may have been different. This is facetious of course, but I am trying to make a point that it is your overall desire, your overall wishes, the path that your life takes in general. And N1 you are a person of love and compassion and you do realize the value of service. So feel no guilt. Rather look back on this situation and all of you when these things occur, send love to those you can't help and this may be more help than the actual doing of something. And know that you cannot be there for everyone. You cannot always be the servant; that you too are a vessel of the Lord, of the Indwelling Spirit, and in such cases you must protect and take care of yourselves. You must use wise discretion and knowledge when these types of situations occur. So release your guilt and forgive yourself and then love. Is this helping?"

N1: "Yes Daniel. Thank you. I did send love. But when I can't do anything else, so that makes me feel better to know that maybe has an effect. And I would like to talk with you later this week in private on the distinction between trying to be a victim and trying to be forgiving. And I understand, and that does help me in seeing the broader picture. Thank you."

Daniel: "Most certainly I will be happy to visit with you."

N1: "Thank you."

V1: "Daniel, this is V1. And this is right up the line of what B1 and I were speculating you might be talking on tonight. All my life I have 'hoped' that I would be doing God's will. And I guess I today came to the conclusion that there may be many ways to do God's will in the sense that God is not going to tell me exactly what path to take but within that path I am to act in a loving and kind way. I'm wondering if you would just talk on this and whether or not indeed there has only been one path and many misses along the way or if indeed a path that has been taken and in trying or attempting to be loving and kind, is this doing God's will, whatever the path might be?"

Daniel: "Yes, V1. A very thoughtful question. You see, the message of God, the First Source and Center, is very simple. This message is to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him. And when you are doing this you will be assured of eternal life. And know that in the love that you have for your fellow man, for your brothers and sisters, in the love that you have for the Father, in the service that you do for one another, you are doing His will. And as I have said many times, there are many paths, many roads to the Father's house. And know that your path may have an overall picture; and as you look closely, as you put your path under a microscope, you will see that it is not real smooth; that there are jigs and jags and ups and downs and curves in this road. But yet the overall picture is one of becoming, moving forward and meeting the Father. And all of you will have such a path; one that drifts one way and then the other; one that vacillates; that is not always seeming to be on a direct course. Yet the true trajectory of your path will be to make it to the Paradise Isle, to be one with the Father, with God the First Source and Center. So know that while there are times in your life where you feel that you are not loving, where you feel that perhaps compassion or tolerance or whatever is not part of your being; if it has been in the past, it will surely begin to be that way again, if you will always strive to come back to the Father, if you will daily take time to be with Him. For if you take this time you cannot stray too far. For in taking this time you're beginning to know Him and the love you feel for Him cannot but help bring you back on your path. And again these virtues will be a part of your life. And most of you have been on this course for many years. And this is not to say that even those most hardened of hearts cannot change, for there is always the possibility of change within an individual as long as that person wills it. Is this helpful?"

V1: "Yes, Daniel. Thank you. I had one other thought this week...well actually it came to a head last night when we were listening to a Ham tape and in there he said that perfection was a process and I believe that even though I wish it were a lot faster process, but I couldn't help but think in terms of the concept of perfection that I have had in the past and how that in the organized Christian religions we have been taught, and I certainly believed up until recently, that you died and went to heaven and were presented perfect before God because of Jesus the Son. I am just wondering how to help the concept of process to those friends of ours who would prefer as I do to make a quick and instant jump into heaven, understand this concept."

Daniel: "Even now while I am at my state of development and still becoming, so you see this process is eons long. And you think you have become, only to find out there is more to become. So do not try to think in these broad terms for too long because this will overwhelm you. Rather think in terms of who you are now in the present. And while we spoke several weeks ago about illusions, and you see the past is already an illusion, and the future is also. The only thing you have now is the present. And so what you must do is become the potential you are capable of being at this moment. Enjoy, love, feel the joy of this moment. Feel the uniqueness this moment has to offer whether you are in a state of happiness or state of confusion, state of sadness, sorrow, or whatever. Realize that each moment is unique, is part of your becoming. And it is the way you work through this very moment that decides and helps you in your becoming. And so for those people that would like to become instantaneously or who do not understand the process of this life long journey, this eternal journey, just plant seeds for them that state that every day you are growing, every day you are building your character, your personality, your soul. That you are always in this state of learning, growing, becoming and then learning, growing and becoming. And for these people you may just have to let this aspect go by. For it is difficult for those who do not want to face the now to understand that it is only in the now, in the time that you have at the present that you can become actualized, that you can effect change. The process is difficult. Life is difficult. And people who are not under the shelter of their own being, who have not built their own pillars of strength have a tendency to want things done for them, instead of realizing that in order for you to grow, you must do the work. So those who have trouble with this process are still having trouble with this aspect as well. Do you see?"

V1: "Yes, Daniel. Thank you."

B5: "Daniel. I would like to ask..I don't know where you are directly in your ascension as an ascending mortal..we as human mortals, flesh and bones have a lot of feelings, have a lot of things we go through, love, hate, anger, fear, all these different feelings. I'm wondering it seems like some feelings come from what you might call the soul, the heart, such as love, jealousy, whereas some feelings such as anger and rage come from the head portion, or the electro-chemical part of the brain. Do we lose part of these aspects when we lose our physical body? I guess what I am asking is, even in your ascension, do you still feel these things?"

Daniel: "On the first morontia world you will have many of these same feelings that you do on this plane. As you grow in more alignment with the Father, as you and you Indwelling Spirit become more one you lose many of these aspects that are negative. You tend not to be fearful for you and the Thought Adjuster are so in line. And you see, the Thought Adjuster, this Fragment of the Father is not capable of feeling these kinds of things, anger, intolerance, jealousy. These things fade away as you become more in line with the Father and you become more tolerant, you become more loving, you become more understanding. You in a sense lose these bodily electro-chemical things for you as you ascend through the various mansion worlds become more of this nature and you do not have these same types of feelings. There are times that you feel confusion or you feel lack of understanding, knowledge about various things, but this is just part of the level that you are at, referring to ascending mortals that have passed this plane. You will feel that there is always more to learn. So these are more the feelings you will have rather than the human ones of say fear, jealousy. Does that clarify?"

B5: "Yes, thank you for that."

C2: "Daniel. This is C2. And I would like to follow up with a question that has to do with the emotions that come out of a sense of injustice, in which case much anger does in time become fear. Does that mean that as we ascend our surroundings will be such that there will be less cause to be.. I should say the phrase I will use is 'righteously indignant' or angry, because of what is done either to ourselves or those around us?"

Daniel: "Yes, because as you ascend you become more in line with the Father and you become more in understanding of the overall picture and you are not, as I have spoken this week to several of you, just holding one piece of the puzzle, but see many pieces, and you start to see how the puzzle goes together. You see more of the picture. And the types of circumstances that you work through are on a different level and even as I sit here and view the problems that you face I do not feel the sense of injustice as you speak. Rather I see these problems that you are dealing with are those that are going to bring you to fullness, that as you work through them, you become whole, you grow. And so I can see these problems from this perspective. I feel compassion, I feel that I want the best for you. But I know that the adversities, the struggles that you have will bring you to your full potential. Is this helping?"

C2: "Yes. I don't know if you can see me smiling or not but one of the reasons I did smile was that while you were speaking I was thinking that about the notion of, 'and that returns us back to compassion' which is a greater understanding of than just the particular."

Daniel: "Very good."

C2: "Thank you."

B2: "Daniel. This is B1. One short question and then a longer one. I am concerned about Arcada, California since they are so close to the epicenter of that earthquake. Have you had contact with the teacher from that group or know of their safety?"

Daniel: "I have had no direct communication with this teacher. I know that these people themselves are ok..that this earthquake was very widespread in that area..was a severe jolt and there was much damage. There was little if any for human life. They are ok. Your concern for them is admired."

B2: "Thank you. And I don't limit that concern to just the study group but all people in that area."

Daniel: "Yes, I understand that."

B2: "The second question I have been holding for several weeks. L2 and I were discussing and several other people the idea of ghosts, beings that are stuck somewhere between their mortal death and their ascension. So many people really hold that belief strongly. Is there any way of..are there actually stuck beings? The Urantia book says no. Is there an explanation for the poltergeist type of experience? Thank you."

Daniel: "I have no direct comment on this, plus, you see the Urantia Book is essentially correct, that once there is a cessation of life, the soul that goes forth, is carried on to either the resting place or within three days to world number one. I am not of understanding of these other phenomena and there are many things that are not explainable. I am not at liberty to say everything. I am only allowed to discuss certain things. There is to be amongst you no fear for this, however. And as an explanation to others, you can speculate along with them and know that the soul is not capable of entrapment; that there is always forward motion. Or if there is no desire to move on then there is of course the end of that particular soul. I am sorry I can not say any more."

B2: "I understand. I agree with your whole statement, myself. I was just hoping for something to help others. Thank you."

Daniel: "You're welcome. It appears there are no more questions and D3 is growing tired. Her headache is returning and it is difficult for me to come through. I will leave you this evening with this thought. This week come to an understanding and true respect for the virtue of hope for it is as I said, like your life jacket through life. And know that the human spirit itself is an indomitable one that always strives to move forward, to know and it is because of this aspect of hope, that give you this sense of forward motion. My love and peace to you all. I hope that the teachings you hear during our time together are taking root, that you will continue to grow and come to clarity and understanding and continual love for yourselves, one another, and the Father, the First Source and Center. I leave you with my peace. Good night."

Group: "Good night. Thank you."

END