MEETING WITH ABRAHAM

HOLDING BACK FOR SELF PROTECTION

OCTOBER 28, 1997

WOODS CROSS GROUP

I am ABRAHAM. My greetings to you my friends. I am once again honored to be in your presence. I would express my gratitude for your trust and kindness for me. Each of our weekly lessons bring us closer to self-mastery. All your experience helps you to understand these lessons. Our Father assists us in unifying the lessons and experience towards gaining self-mastery.

Common is it for us to give tonight's particular lesson at this stage of understanding self-mastery. You, my mortal friends, are knowing of those things concerning Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. You are rightly amazed when Father shows His works in your average daily living. Each individual at their best is spirit led. Most individuals feel truth to the core of their being and can understand the will of God. Mortals can understand those basic principles Father teaches, love, kindness, devotion, faith, service, and tolerance. There are many mortals who are understanding of these basic truths, and yet, feel not that liberty to live them. There is a holding back. There is a self-protection.

In the days of old, neighbor would dare to tend to his neighbor without expectation of anything in return. There were acts of service done out of plain and simple love for one another. Yes, it is true that those that have gone before you were somewhat more emotional, but always was this the effects of following their heart. Love was the goal. Love went before pride, material wealth, and self-protection. Yes, your ancestors were somewhat more prone to trust their fellows. Naive? Possibly, but could you look upon a small village, would you see each one helping the other carry water, hunting, building, and child care. As evolution takes its toll, trust has dwindled, and with that the walls of self-protection were formed, and holding back was the style.

You, my friends, know and understand spiritual liberty. Still are you shy to act upon your spiritual ideas. Yes, there is a holding back, a self-protection. There is a fear of rejection, a concern that one might appear out of sorts. Do you see you are not taking full advantage of your spiritual liberty? It is in my knowledge that individuals who have departed from Urantia that would regretfully express, I wish I would have loved more, lived more, laughed more, and shared more.

In being bringers of the new light, you are endowed with spiritual power from on High. To squelch this with holding back causes you to miss out on much of Father's meaning for living. To believe yourself to be not made for exposing your total self, and would rather not be subject to any rejection, are missing half the mortal learning experience. To always maintain a quiet composure, a closed heart, is not taking full advantage of that spiritual freedom Father has bestowed upon you.

The Master feared not any rejection, but went about freely affecting people with love and joy, without stopping to see the results. That was His nature to be about the Father's business, with full spiritual liberty, doing what He could to uplift those He met. Christ's life is sometimes portrayed as tragic, and many know not the joy of His ministry. Many times had He supplied the humor to His fellow apostles to just view the beauty of their smiles. Many times did Jesus make light of a serious happening to transform the negative energy of those that He knew were troubled. Jesus expected nothing from His ministry of joy and being kind just to be kind. He found great pleasure in putting out love. He had no expectations for receiving any back in return. Could you imagine Jesus, and his closeness with Father, to be one to hold back for fear of rejection or hurt feelings, no.

You, my friends, also will know as we delve deeper into self-mastery that holding back is a deterrent to the purpose. As you continue in your journals you find the Father is immediate. In your understanding you find His upholding to be a constant. With the continued closeness with Father you need to realize that holding back, or self-protection, or shyness, does not align with self-mastery. Do you see how your holding back of the love you have to give, your distinct personalities you have to share, your wisdom that could help others, would cause a holding back of Father, a distancing from Father?

To live life to the fullest, without holding back, seems to be a decision of one who has been diagnosed with a deadly disease, whose time is short on earth. I would ask that you review your own hearts and minds to discover if you are holding back of yourself, or personality, your love. Is there an over-amount of self-protection? If I give, and am rejected, I would not wish to give anymore. This week attempt to see how in holding back of what you are, is there an actual holding back of the Father. Is He also kept at a distance? Continue to write in your journals, and attempt to view conflicts from a purely spiritual point of view, knowing that all that we do is a lesson. A few questions.

NORWOOD: Abraham, I would like to go over something that you talked about last week in the lesson to get a little clarification. I will read this to you. I am quoting what you said, "I am limited in what I can speak about until such time you are prepared to receive. By your experience will your questions become more advanced, and then I can receive more information." Can you talk about that a little bit, and expound on that. That seems to peek my interest a bunch right now.

ABRAHAM: Certainly. My meaning was--I can receive permission to reveal more advanced spiritual realities. It is a simple mistake, and not the first one either. Is this answering? (I am not sure.)

CALVIN: I bet he is talking about receive versus reveal part in that sentence. I gather what you are asking, is did he mean, till we get more understanding, then I can tell you.

NORWOOD: Till we live more and experience more, then we ask more questions. Our questions will become a higher level. I understand that what he said there. I think what I am asking is--okay, what kind of a question? I guess that won't be revealed till that time, right?

ABRAHAM: As you discussed earlier, the imbalances of certain groups. There needs to be mental preparation, and also preparation on a soul level, for you to accept higher concepts without fanaticism. Yes, your seriousness for learning spiritual realities while in the flesh and maintaining...(TR: I just can't get the rest of it.) I am saying that to maintain balance in the spiritual and material will be your indicator of forthcoming enlightenment. (I understand that.) (Would that be individually or in these group lessons here?) In the group lessons. For now the Thought Adjuster is more familiar with your personal lessons, yes. I have said before, we on the teacher staff wish to bestow upon you more responsibility in disseminating the new light. We understand your surface level devotion. We are working on a more deeper level of commitment to living a spiritual life, not in formation of an organized religion, no, but an earthly understanding of how spirituality is as needed as food and water. Do you see? I am not to make prophecies, or predict the future, or to counsel on the right way to life, no. My assignment is to make spirituality an everyday reality. We must maintain common sense for our foothold to stay strong. I mean not to entice you towards advancing spiritually. However, I do mean to make the best use of our time together towards taking the new light out into the world. Is this answering?

NORWOOD: Yes it is. I would just like to tell you that you have answered that question well. I have a really good understanding now what you meant. In fact I personally feel that you are advancing my spirituality. I want to advance my spirituality as fast as I possibly can. The more I understand the Father's teachings, the more I can disseminate them through my life and through my actions. Thank you.

ABRAHAM: Yes, Norwood, you already exhibit those wonderful spiritual qualities in your daily living. There is balance and understanding you bring to those that you are in contact with, yes. Thank you Norwood.

ROLAND: Vincent and I have been invited to attend the trustee's foundations gathering in Chicago on November 14. We have both been struggling with the issue of how best to prepare ourselves to convey what might be given by the Teaching Mission to these people who are rather opposed to it. Is there anything that you could give us as far as a way to prepare ourselves best, attitude, readings, anything?

ABRAHAM: My information is that you could explain your position, and at that immediate time, it will appear to have been futile, and yet, I can assure you that seeds are being planted to relay to the Foundation that this Mission is in full force. This Mission goes with or without their help. This Mission does indeed use the Urantia Book as a tool, and that is not even under their control. It matters not whether they endorse our Mission or not. We will put the Urantia Book into action, and with the help from the material existence, and the spiritual, we will see Urantia be brought into Light and Life. We hide not our Light under a bushel, no. Our Mission is living and active.

The Urantia Book is being lived, and not hidden for an elite few to enjoy, no. I would ask you each to maintain a calm heart and clear head for receiving those beneficial words Father might have to say to them. Your humorous countenance may help them to accept that this Mission is fully functioning, and it stands for Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. Is this answering? (Yes. Thank you. In reality we just need to show up and keep a clear mind to allow us to speak the words that are Father's.) Yes, yes. This Mission has almost come about in the same way the Urantia Book had, and I am certain that there were those back then against such a liberal book. Another question?

MIRIAM: Abraham, I was just wondering if you have any guidance for me this evening?

ABRAHAM: I can say you do indeed well, and at times, a little too well. Your devotion is commendable, and yet, I would ask that you take a few moments each day just to be Father's child. Let the power that is in Him be also in you. Another question?

LaREEN: Abraham, last week you mentioned that I should stop worrying so much about the material things that puts a little twist on me, and sidetracks me, and that you would be with us all this week helping us----Do you know where my purse is? Laughter!! I can't get into my house. I can't get into my car. I have no checkbook. It was stolen.

ABRAHAM: I am checking. Laughter. It is a difficult situation. I do wish I knew the answer. I would refer you to a better source, your Indwelling Father Fragment, who can give you rest, if nothing else. Another question?

CALVIN: Abraham, concerning that conference next year. You appreciated last time we came to you for help on a particular issue. I think we need your input maybe here. Would it be your wish to separate the two completely, or integrate the Teaching Mission with the World Peace Concert? That might give us a little direction to go on there.

ABRAHAM: I can only answer--it matters not to us who dwell in spirit form. We will minister where we can. I am limited in what I can say, but I can assure you that trusting in Father, and His good works, will make what is suppose to happen--happen. Sorry. One more question.

RACHEL: Well Father Abraham, did you hear my poem I read to the group earlier today, the one I wrote 50 years ago? I asked for the group to analyze me to see if I had grown spiritually since that time. Now I am asking you.

ABRAHAM: I did, and I can say even then you were a daughter reaching for Father, Father's higher concepts. Your hand wrote the poem while your mind had not fully grasped its meaning. I would say, yes indeed, there has been growth, and also there has been only one Indwelling Father Fragment that has escorted you through your mortal life. You always had excellent communion with Him. A poem written 50 years ago through the urgings of the Spirit would still be the same today, with the same Spirit. Do you see? This personality is familiar to you. You have indeed traveled with Him throughout this lifetime, and will continue on until that day in which you become one. Know that you, my daughter, are thought of in a most loving and cherished manner by your Indwelling Father. I am slipping. I would continue to help throughout the week. Call on me. I am growing in love more each day for you. Until next week, shalom.