Daniel - The Concept of The I AM - Aug 02, 1993 - Pocatello, Idaho

Group: Pocatello, Idaho

Teacher: Daniel

Topic: Concept of I-AM

August 2, 1993

Opening prayer

Daniel: "Good evening, my friends. I am Daniel, your friend, your teacher. Welcome back to all of you that have been away from us. Your paths have led you in directions that have been fruitful, will continue to guide others and will continue to be a source of inspiration for your own growth. As you travel the many roads of life all of you will find that each experience that you have, and through each experience, you are given into a broadening circle which will provide for your own growth and a broader perspective of not only the [outer]world but also of the inner world as well. This inner world broadening comes from the time you spend in the quiet. The time you are introspective will give you greater insights. And, you see, the beauty of the inner world is that this journey can be taken daily. It does not require a time away, a distance from home base. The quiet time, the journey inward, is the road that leads to the Father, the Mother. And so, again, my words are to maintain this daily.

I would ask you today to think with me about the concept of `I AM'. This is a concept which can be very broad, can encompass much. Look to the First Source and Center as the first I AM. As this is brought into reality for each and every one of you, you begin to realize that if, indeed, the First Source and Center is that `I AM', where does each and every ascending, each and every descending Deity being fit in? If you are from the First Source and Center then you therefor must consider yourself to be part of the I AM. This week as you sit in the quiet realize, my friends, the deep meaning of being the I AM with the First Source and Center. You, the lowliest of creatures as myself has also been, are also a part of this the greatest! From the highest to the lowest the I AM embraces all and therefor all are part of the I AM.

As you think about this you will begin to understand that if you are part of the I AM then you are part of everything that is good, everything that is right. If you are from the I AM and are of it how can that which is negative be part of your being? For in bringing these thoughts into being in this thought pattern you are not only limiting yourself, but you are placing limits on the I AM, the First Source and Center. In the reality of being of human, animalistic nature, it is very easy to fall into this mode of thinking negatively, of not seeing beyond the immediate situation. However, as you take the time daily in the quiet you become more and more a part of the spiritual realm and the I AM tends to pervade and become a very living part of your being, a living part which overrides that of the base animal part of yourself. And so when the circumstances of life are that which can bring discomfort, disharmony, can call for one to think negatively, rely upon that foundation which you are building. Call upon that inner strength, the God within to help you to override, that in doing so you do not limit the potential of who you are; you do not limit the potential of the Supreme and you do not in any way limit your perspective of the First Source and Center. As you traverse life's path daily call upon the Spirit to give you strength and the courage and the necessary wisdom that you can function in body and mind in fulfilling the overall plan of the I AM. It is with your understanding of this concept that you will, indeed, be able to see beyond the immediate. You will be sustained. You will be given nourishment for mind and body, and the Spirit will work in and through you. As ascending beings you have within your being the Indwelling Spirit. This Fragment of the First Source and Center is truly the impetus in helping you to realize the I AM of yourself. Through your daily turning over to your Indwelling Spirit, you will find yourself ever closer to understanding the I AM of which the Indwelling Spirit is.

And so, my dear friends, take time this week. Consider the wonderful graciousness and the wonderful gifts that are given to you as you open yourself up, as you realize that because you are from the Father and the Mother and because you are the son and daughter of the First Source and Center that the only limitations are those that you place upon yourselves. Think thoughts that bring you into that alignment with the Source. Think thoughts that bring forth love, tolerance, forgiveness, and understanding. Daily bring forth thanksgiving that you will continue to increase in faith and trust, that you will daily grow to become more and more in that beautiful alignment and harmony of the I AM. You are, my friends, of much significance. You are loved and you must know and feel this. You must turn yourself over to let go of all negative thoughts about who you are. This was the message that was given by Christ Michael. Open your hearts and understand that the First Source and Center is a God of love and mercy. Those that fear are those who are blind to the I AM of who they are. Those who are unable to love themselves for the son and daughter that they are, are losing sight of that Indwelling Spirit within.

You, my friends, have come a long way in this regard. You have begun to see with much greater perspective. You are beginning to grasp the significance of the I AM as being a real part of yourselves. As you continue to do this plant those seeds in others. Support them that they, too, can realize that they are also a part of the First Source and Center, that they are, indeed, your brother and sister, that they are the son and daughter of our Parent. To the degree that you allow the Father to work through you, to the degree that you open yourself up to this, to this degree do you allow the I AM to lead your life. Let this concept be a part of your quiet time this week. Bring into your inner reality, your inner life, this concept. You truly are part of the I AM. As you live your life so does the I AM, the First Source and Center become real. As you lead your life turning yourself over to the Father's will, so, too, will the concept of the Father grow for all. This is the message that Michael gave last August, that you be His apostles. You are the apostles by the life you live, by that which others see. As you turn yourself over to following the First Source and Center, so, too, do you live a life that helps others to also be on that path. As you lead a life that follows the will of the Father, so do you continually receive as you give, so do you continually reinforce that love of the Father for all. You are part of the I AM. This week think hard upon it. Accept it and work to bring this into your life, that you can at all times be able to stand in the presence of your brothers and sisters accepting them and yourself as the sons and daughters of the First Source and Center. I will now accept questions."

T4: "Daniel, I have two things. First, I would like to introduce my friend Lorenz G who is from Switzerland and is visiting me for the rest of the summer. And second, I will be going to Wyoming soon, as a matter of fact this next week. And I was wondering if you would, perhaps, have any words for me as I begin my next school year?"

Daniel: "As always we are very pleased to have visitors. And to you Lorenz I say, `Good Day'. It is our pleasure to have you here with us. And has been reported to you, these people are not crazy. These people are on a path of truth seeking to find the Father, to know the Father, that they can live their lives as the Father would have it. And so I say to you, `Welcome' and as the journey of life unfolds for you know that we are working through many channels, through many areas to bring the Spirit, as C2 has put it, into the general populace, that it becomes a movement that will sweep all and all can begin to come into the reality of their personal relationship with the First Source and Center. I say to you, my friend, welcome.

And to you, T4, you are leaving the group for your schooling. And yet, you will be with us in spirit. Your teacher, J2, will be with you. As you leave, his guidance can provide much solace and comfort, can give you help as you live your life. Remember, my dear, that as you are young and beginning to experience much, that this excitement you feel as you experience each new thing in your life is but the beginning of much excitement in the long ascent to the Paradise Isle. For you see, as this life is school, you all are beginning to realize that there will be many schools, much to learn as you travel through, as you grow into that perfected being that you, too, can be on Paradise Isle with the Parent of us all. And so I say to you T4, to continue to seek the daily quiet, for in doing so you will be led. All of you are finding out that as you turn yourselves over to the First Source and Center that which occurs in your life is that which is part of your growth. And while there may be days which are dark, there is the light at the end of every storm. And this light is the divine light that comes from the First Source and Center. Know that even in the darkest hours there is solace and comfort. Your teacher will often be there as that comforter. Your teacher will be there as a reminder to risk, to grow, to change, that you can know the Father's will. I say to you, I will be with you at times. Go and be open that the Spirit can work through you."

T4: "Thank you, Daniel."

B1: "Thank you for your welcome back to all of us who have been travelling, Daniel. Thank you also for being present with V1 and me in our travels. I wondered if you wanted to make any comments about the status of things with the Rochester group at this time. I haven't heard anything since I met with them, so I just wondered if there was any information or anything you wanted to share about that?"

Daniel: "It is, again, good to have you back. Your presence in Rochester has been one which has given much support and your visit was one that did provide for much nourishment. The events that occurred and the information that you have given will be utilized by these people in various ways. Each individual perceives and each individual understands the happenings of the Teaching Mission, the words that are given through the Urantia Book in their own way. What is important is that through all of this and throughout other ministries throughout the world that more and more people come into the greater understanding of life's purpose; that more and more people begin to understand that their relationship with the First Source and Center is a very personal one. The information you gave will be utilized by these people over much time. Your help and your willingness to transmit/receive was a great comfort to those who have felt isolation, have felt some hesitancy and not full understanding of the Teaching Mission. And so I say to you, `Thank you for your willingness, your cooperation.' These people have been fed."

B1: "Well, that's wonderful. And I was glad to do it and it's great to be back. That is all I have to say. Thank you, Daniel."

C2: "Daniel, this is C2. I was thinking about the `I AM' thing for a long time and your lesson today reminds me again of how critical I think it is for persons to really believe the `I AM'. You know, to believe that they are part of the `I AM' so they can become; do you know what I am saying?"

Daniel: "Exactly. For you see, in the framework of the mind of Urantians there is this concept of first knowing. As you are as a young child you observe your parents, you watch and you begin to know a lot of things because you see this. But it is not until you are able to experience the things that you see and witness and to come into a better knowledge that you can become. First you observe, you see and you begin to know. As you work through your quiet time with the First Source and Center, each time you spend in that quiet you allow the Spirit to become a part of your experience. And this is the part of your coming into that knowledge and actually becoming. People say, `Oh, I know I am God's child. I know I have this inner light, this God, this Indwelling Spirit'. They call it many different things. They know that, yet their life goes on day in and day out and they are not filled with inner happiness or inner joy. And they wonder why this God is forsaking them. The inner joy, that of really knowing and becoming the `I AM' comes from that daily communication with the First Source and Center. For you cannot know God unless you take the time to sit with Him/Her. And so, yes, my friend, your words are very wise. To know is not becoming; that knowing is but the first step. The becoming takes work, takes experience, takes time, indeed."

C2: "I am just remembering a story I read for persons in recovery in terms of a relationship with a `higher power' and how as they described that `higher power'one of the fallacies of that has to do with...there is not a personal reciprocal relationship; it is sort of a power that provides certainly support and strength but doesn't really involve an interpersonal relationship and was saying that a higher power has to be able to say, `I AM', not `I will become who you want me to be'. And I think that is so critical in terms of my own understanding of, as I say, recovering from life. I really appreciate your lesson and your reminders about the I AM, First Source and Center, but also my relationship and my becoming at one with the I AM. Thank you Daniel."

Daniel: "And thank you for your words. Indeed, one must begin to come into that reality, that even though you are of dual nature, you also have within you that fragment of the First Source and Center. And it is through this direct connection with the First Source and Center that you truly are in that oneness. The I AM is who you are, who you have the potential of becoming a greater part of. When you begin to make that connectedness, at that point your life will change. You may not see or feel it radically, but over time you will witness and know that this change has occurred; that you are, indeed, forever on a path that will lead you to fulfilling the greatness of the I AM."

C2: "Thank you Daniel. It is good to be back."

B1: "Daniel, I have been reading in the Urantia Book the paper on the triunities and triodities, (what a heavy paper), and the Book mentions that there are seven triunities, functional relationships with the First Source and Center and other Absolutes and etc.; and that there eight triunities not mentioned because they are not pertinent to us. And it also talks about the fact that the First Source and Center is also the First Source and Center of non-personal reality, is the pattern for the Isle of Paradise and etc. I guess when we talk about God we think mostly in personal terms and yet when I think about this and other aspects, that He is not only the Source of all personal reality, but also the Source of matter, energy, and etc., it is absolutely overwhelming. In your lessons you haven't dealt with that and I assume it is because it probably isn't as personal an issue for us. But I thought I would comment that the `I AM'as I understand the Urantia Book to teach, is the Source of not only our personal realities, all personal reality, but also the Source of the non-personal energy and pattern of the universe. Would you comment on what you as a morontial being feel about the importance of this other non-personal aspect of Deity. Does it become more important as you progress toward Paradise to understand and know that? To me it inspires awe and wonder. That is about all my mind can understand."

Daniel: "It is inconceivable for your mind pattern at this stage of your development to understand the broadness of the First Source and Center in any greater detail at this point in time. For as you see, when you consider God even on a personal level in your individual life it becomes very difficult. When you see God in relationship to the people in this room it broadens. As you see it in relation to the countries and the planet it becomes even mind boggling as V1 has said. And when you conceive of God being personal to seven superuniverses and the outlying areas it becomes overwhelming to understand beyond a personal explanation. But, indeed, in order for the I AM, God, to be complete, must be also the non-personal of which you have spoken. And as you grow into greater and greater ascent, as that ascent grows and you begin to realize and see broader and with more depth, the understanding of the Father on not only a personal basis but a non-personal basis is very, very gratifying. For the concept of God becomes more harmonious in all areas, it becomes very circular; that you cannot at any point in time, then, conceive of God as being either personal or non-personal, but that the God and Parent of us all is, I AM, indeed."

B1: "Thank you. I would like to put in a request for a teaching as V1 once did. My request is for you to talk sometime about God the Supreme and the relationship of God the Supreme to the First Source and Center. I think this is confusing to a lot of us and would probably be helpful." Daniel: "Thank you B1. This is taken into consideration and this would be a good topic for our discussion at some point, for there is confusion in understanding the difference of the First Source and Center and God the Supreme. And so I will take this request with me and this will be considered for a later date."

C2: "Daniel, this is C2. When you were speaking a moment ago about the pre-personal, I think I must have tuned out. Are you calling what is prepersonal relationship an understanding of the First Source and Center which is `out there' so to speak, transcendent understanding that is primarily characterized by a distance and then we move into a personal relationship in which we are at one? And then did I hear you allude to the possibility that when we move from a prepersonal to a personal to a sort of a compassionate reality in which we are not only one with the First Source and Center but at one with all of the others for whom that First Source and Center is the I AM so that we evolve into a unity with the whole of the mystery?"

Daniel: "Thank you for helping me to bring to light this concept as well as to correct transmitter error. Non-personal should have been the word.[Ed. note: the word prepersonal was changed in the transcript to non-personal to reduce confusion] You have said that many have the idea of the First Source and Center as a non-personal or prepersonal type of Deity. This has been witnessed throughout the history of mankind in many series, many philosophies such as that which places God as being just nature in general, rather than as a personal God. Indeed, God cannot be confined to any one concept of being personal, prepersonal, or non- personal. For if God is the I AM then God is all of these things. As an individual you make your first moral decision at which point in time the personal God which you know now becomes a part of you. Before you were indwelt with the prepersonal Fragment of the Father/Mother Spirit, you did not have this personal connection with the First Source and Center. Upon this indwelling the First Source and Center has, indeed, become personal within your life. However, in consciousness, in mindal thought this understanding of the First Source and Center and of God must grow and must become. As you all have witnessed, your first thought of God is totally different from your understanding and thought of God as you see it today. Yes, as you become and as you grow in understanding the I AM becomes greater and you become more and more in that alignment to become one with the I AM."

C2: "Would it be accurate to say that the I AM becomes the WE ARE?"

Daniel: "In the fact that you are united as brothers and sisters. But even as you gain perfection, even as you sit in the presence of the First Source and Center many aeons from now you will not become I AM in the sense that God is I AM. You become perfected as a spirit. You become that perfection which the I AM deems as perfection for you. No one can ever become the I AM as God is, but rather a part of that I AM in a perfected state. This a very difficult concept for you to understand, however in your coming into a reality of a oneness with the First Source and Center you will find that, yes, as you grow and become more perfected then the essence and the wonderment of the First Source and Center continues to grow proportionately. And even in my many, many years of advancement over you I am still in awe of the greatness of the I AM. Even though I feel a definite part of it I am also realizing that the perfection and the overall encompassing of which the First Source and Center is cannot and never will be matched except by God Himself/Herself."

C2: "I do understand that. Yeah, I understand that we do become a part of the I AM but the I AM is always greater than the sum of all the I AM's. The First Source and Center I AM is always much greater than the sum of the parts in terms of our upside down understanding of God's arithmetic."

Daniel: "Exactly. You have stated this well."

C2: "Thank you Daniel."

Daniel: "No questions from you this evening, K3?"(laughter)

K3: "Thank you, Daniel!"

Daniel: "I hope that you did not wear yourself out too much last week. I look forward to hearing from you, and all of you.

My friends as we close this meeting this evening consider the importance of who you are. Remember that you are a divine and spiritual being and that the material body that you have at this point in time is part of a wonderful experience. And as you are able to increase and grow beyond the trappings of this body you will find within yourself and within life an underlying joy and happiness despite outer appearance. This is the joy of the Spirit that will sustain you throughout your life and will grow in proportion as you ascend. As you become more spirit the confines and the trials of the physical life will become less and less important, will be forgotten in many respects. And so I say to you to not put so much, again, complexity, as I spoke the other week; do not put so much complexity into your life. Seek God for what the First Source and Center desires for you, to be in that understanding of your spiritual natures. When you can understand this, then you are beginning to feel that oneness. The I AM is becoming more real to you and the trappings of this life seem not as important. And so as you take the time to sit in quiet, as you take the time to sit in prayer, remember your brothers and sisters in their hour of need, those who are thirsting for an understanding of God, those who are of poor health and needing spiritual upliftment and healing as well as bodily healing. Remember those who are caught in the prison of not being able to forgive, of not being able to be tolerant. As you pray this week ask that God's divine guidance can be given to each and every person that you are praying for so that they can begin to realize that they are also children of the First Source and Center, that they, too, are part of this I AM.

And so I end this lesson this evening asking you to remember this for yourselves and for your brothers and sisters. Go in my love and peace. Good evening."

END