Abraham022805WoodsCrossUT_The BusinessOfFaith

WOODS CROSS GROUP

ABRAHAM

The Business Of Faith

FEBRUARY 28, 2005

I am ABRAHAM. Greetings. I am most glad to share in your discussion this evening. It is said where two or more are gathered, there in the midst is our Spirit of Truth. It is literally true. In your discussion, the spirit does help to bring the truth to the forefront of your minds. I am honored to be a part of you and the whole Kingdom family. You are to one another an anchor in the sea of everything. Your willingness to engage in honesty with one another is soul building and indeed felt by the Supreme.

The business of faith is not always easy. You have your mortal lives as a practice field. I can say as you mature in spirit, faith will not be such a struggle. Each week I study lesson topics. I have prayer and meditation so that I can be spirit led. I discuss ideas with my peers. I believe I make quite an effort to give the weekly lesson. It is funny that in all my efforts, things change and I must adapt. I am indeed happy to do so. I am happy I do not have to rely upon my own knowledge. I am part of a massive network that aids in my efforts to be spirit-led. Many times I am somewhat disappointed that my plans are thwarted, but always is there a better plan in the works. It does take effort on my part to let go of my desires, my expectations, to play a part in the good of the whole.

I realize as a mortal I lived to serve my desires. I always thought every good thing simply takes hard work. The harder I work--the more my desires will be fulfilled and certainly would I be joy-filled. With time and experience I realized I was a slave to my desires. Certainly in this frame of thinking there is no flow. In this thinking I was in service to my ego and could not figure out why the universe would not oblige. I did at some point in my mortal career have to make a conscious decision to not focus on what I want. Indeed, anyone who can do that has achieved self-mastery, but the reality is that the animal-self does take some time to tame.

Let us ponder the Master’s pain over His well-loved apostle, Judas. Jesus tried to help Judas on several occasions concerning faith. He treated Judas as He did all His brethren. He only wanted the highest good for all His apostles. The Master did feel the sting of betrayal when Judas had made his mind up to serve himself, to make a feeble attempt at having others see him as more than he was. How Jesus wanted to look into Judas’s eyes and save him from himself. Still we all know that Jesus served the Father in Heaven and was not about to stray from that, no matter how deep His desire to save His friend.

Any other person who may have had to deal with Judas would have left him to his own demise. Jesus kept within the boundaries of the Father’s will in trying to reach Judas. Had the Master interrupted the Father’s will with His own personal desire, how would history have been different? Father always has planned an ultimate good--no matter what choices His children make. But definitely was Jesus a wonderful example of one who was not overcome with emotions and selfish desire, but lived to serve the whole.

While the events on Urantia had not the outcome the Master had hoped for, He still vowed to drink the cup, no matter how bitter it was and definitely did this take some reconciliation for His mortal mind, and the lessons the Master had allowed to play out are certainly priceless and affecting many even beyond your world. Once you have a good foothold in the rock of faith, then is it easier to climb the mountain of self-mastery. It does become natural instinct to follow the will of Father as close as you possibly can. Father every day directs us and it is our choice to follow.

This week let us make effort to not be caught up in desire or wanting. Let us focus on Father giving us His guidance. Father does speak to you every day in many ways. If you are caught up in the ‘want’ it is difficult to not be self-serving. Know that it is my deepest desire to spend these few moments with you and I consider myself indeed blessed. That is all. I am growing in affection for you. Go in peace. Until next week, shalom.

END