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In 1995 and 96, the groups in Spokane Washington and Coeur D'alene Idaho hosted a few evenings for the public where they presented information about the Urantia Book and the Teaching Mission. The following talk is one given in 1996 at the Women's Club in downtown Spokane.

Peace, Bob Devine
February 1996

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TEACHING MISSION: Hi. I'm glad to be here tonight to share an experience with you that I have had the privilege to be involved with over the last few years and that is the Teaching Mission. Over tha last few years our groups have met once a week in Coeur d'Alene and in Spokane to fellowship with each other, to read from the Urantia Book, and to provide time for lessons and dialogue with celestial personalities. These personalities have said that they are here in the service of Christ Michael, the Creator Son of our universe.

On our planet his name is of course more widely known as Jesus Christ, due to the fact that he lived a life here with the earth name of Yeshua or Joshua in Hebrew, which when translated into the Greek brings us to Iasos or Jesus. So of course that's his more common designation here on our planet. Now it seems that Christ, our Creator Son, planned this mission a long time ago. The planning was in no small part due to the effects of the Lucifer Rebellion which had occured in the distant past. When the rebellion had broken out in our system, which is about a 1000 planets, it was the policy of Michael and our universe administration that our system should be quarantined and isolated so as to prevent the spread of rebellion into other systems and planets.

What this means is that all the information circuits and communication circuits were cut off so that the insurrection was isolated into one area. The normal pattern of things was halted and we've been in silence ever since as to much of our universe affairs and happenings. It should be noted also that even with isolation and quarantine, that the circuit of our Universal Parent, the First Source and Center of all things, remains unaffected by rebellion or isolation. In short, while we were cut off from the free flow of universal broadcasts, the Spirit of God was and is never withheld from anyone. He is not held subject to local affairs and their happenings.

I think it is important to know that with his life here on our world, that Jesus effectively ended the Lucifer Rebellion. It was part of the reason that he came. When he ascended back to his universal position he sent his spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to indwell in all people, thus solidifying his protective emplacement between those of his children struggling to become good and those who had forever chosen against him. During the period of time between then and the present day, several personalities have been in the process of bringing Lucifer and all who followed him to trial, so to speak. Near the beginning of this century the trial actually began.

Have you ever wondered, "What is all this Lucifer and Satan stuff? Is there a shred of truth to it or is it just a myth that was made up?" From studying the Urantia Book here's just an idea of what it was that made him 'bad'. Lucifer was created by Michael as a Lanonandek Son. He was a System Administrator. And he'd never seen God at the First Source and Center, the one that the Michael Son represents. And so Lucifer, over a long period of time, started to doubt the fact that this other God, this one First Source, actually existed. He thought that maybe Michael was trying to keep everybody in check by telling them that there was this other First Source.

And so he decided to challenge that and he basically declared that there was no Father and that everyone should be free to do what they want to do and they shouldn't be held to any standards. So he actually formed a rebellion and proclamation and sided against Michael. Therefore, I guess I wanted to relate the fact that there was a reason for him becoming 'bad' as they say. He wasn't always like this horned guy that did a lot of bad things and got crazy on Halloween. (Laughter) He actually was good, but slowly his pride got the best of him.

He started to think that maybe he was better and started to raise himself up. So that's how the rebellion occured and what has been happening since is that they're trying to clean up the mess. Now as a preparation for the impending verdict and the sometime reopening of the spiritual circuits from isolation, many celestial personalities were commissioned to narrate a series of papers dealing with the misconceptions that the people of our planet have had with God, Deity, and our human destinies, as well as to give us a more complete account of the life and teachings of Jesus. In the middle of this century the humans that received these papers published them into a book, the Urantia Book, where it is said that the trial of Lucifer is underway.

In the mid 1980's in New Zealand, a small group began to receive communication from Abraham and Melchizedek, the same as were spoken of in the Bible. After a short time these people came in contact with the Urantia Book. When asking Abraham about it they were told that it was valid and that it was not by chance that they had found it. The group was then given an assignment to send information to Urantia Study Groups around the world, informing them about the Correcting Time, a planetary transformation that was imminent.

Many Urantia Book readers were skeptical, actually most of them were skeptical. A few took notice, but the information faded from memory as time passed and nothing seemed to happen. Then in 1991 in Woodscross Utah, members of a Urantia Study group were contacted by a teacher named Ham who has said that he has come with a corp of teachers under Machiventa Melchizedek, who would lead an effort, which was again called the Correcting Time, in Christ's name. Much of the information coming through was on topics of spiritual growth such as love, faith, trust, etc., but there was one emphasis which seemed to be an announcement to everyone.

He said that the Lucifer case had been adjudicated and concluded and that anyone who did not accept forgiveness had been made as though they never were. Ham also said that the isolation was ending and that a new spiritual freedom was beginning. The circuits would begin to open, allowing information to flow once again. Did you ever wonder why over the last decade or so it seems there is a new awareness of God, angels, and spirituality in the world? Look at all the books, the television, the movies, even the art world and music... ohhh music... A few quotes from music today, just in the last couple of years. Listen to some of these songs:

The Damn Yankees Where you goin' now? When your world's turned inside out isn't love what it's all about? Where you goin now? When you get to the top of the hill, gonna be there, yes I will.

The Eagles Though the world is torn and shakin, even if your heart is breakin. It's waiting for you to awaken and someday you will... learn to be still.

Melissa Etheridge Don't be afraid, close your eyes, lay it all down, don't you cry. Can't you see I'm going where I can see the sunrise? I've been talkin to my angel and he says that it's alright.

Joan Osborne What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on a bus trying to make his way home?

Collective Soul Love is in the water. Love is in the air. Show me where to go. Tell me will love be there? Teach me how to speak. Teach me how to share. Teach me where to go. Tell me will love be there? Oh heaven let your light shine down.

Bon Jovi Mother, mother, tell your children that their time has just begun. I have suffered for my anger. There are wars that can't be won. Father, Father, please believe me, I am laying down my guns. I am broken like an arrow. Forgive me, forgive your wayward son. Faith, you know you're gonna live through the rain. Lord you've got to keep the faith. Don't let your love turn to hate. Right now we've got to keep the faith.

...And more. That's just rock n roll because I happen to like that music, but it's everywhere. I recognize this as being the end of the quarantine. It's starting now. On very subtle levels this spiritual awakening is being offered to all of us. Most people on this planet aren't even aware that it's happening... yet. They will. So tonight I'll take the privilege of saying to you what one of our teachers has said to us. "The time of darkness is over. The time of light is beginning." We now have the opportunity to shine forth light from the darkness. Many beings throughout the universes would love to have the opportunity that we have now, to be at the beginning of the correction to higher ways. Now the Woodscross group sent their information out to Urantia Groups around the country. Many of the people were very skeptical again, but some people came to check it out this time.

Other groups began to receive teachers -- Malibu Ca, Tallahassee Fl, Pocatello Id, and more and more. Five years later there are groups all around the country and there's even some in other countries. But this is just what we see in the grass roots movement that we are in, that's visible to us, because this Correcting Time is happening everywhere. It's not limited to the Teaching Mission. All spiritual seekers, all truth seekers are being influenced. It is a massive influx of spiritual energy designed to correct our backward thinking and to aid in us aligning our wills more fully with that of our Heavenly Parent. But it should be said that it is always by our own free will choice. No one is forcing us or requiring us to do this, to make the changes. We are each the controller of our own individual destiny.

These teachers talk about love and goodness and faith and hope and so many things that lead us to desiring to develop our relationship between ourself and our indwelling spirit of God, but personally the greatest revelation I think I've received is simply the fact that they're here and that they care enough to join with us in fellowship. Here they are, all these spiritual beings of all different levels throughout the universe and what is it they're interested in? Us lowly evolutionary tadpoles who have barely tasted reality. We don't even have a clue most of the time. And they see us as their brothers and sisters and they value us immensely. They want to see us succeed and grow and understand. To me, that's amazing and that's a revelation.

And they were all sent here by our Creator Son, who cared about us enough to live a life here and show us about love firsthand. And as us humans have taken that message and begun to distort it and twist it a little into something less than what was real, he sent them all here again to tell us how it is. And he probably told them to make it very simple and clear what it is we need to know to form the basis for recognizing our relationship to God. I can just see Michael or Jesus giving them direction on what it is they should tell us. Dare I try to speak for God?... Well yeah. It's like...

Tell them that God is love, absolute love. And tell them that He's our Father and that He can be a She too. It's not about gender. It's beyond gender. It's all gender. And that God's spirit resides in each of us. And if that's a fact, if God is in each person, then we have to be brothers and sisters and we should get along. We're all children of the same parent. And the Kingdom of Heaven is within. He tried a long time ago to make it clear to these apostles that were so darned determined that he was this messiah, that he was trying to position himself away from that, but he finally had to settle for this Kingdom concept. The kingdom, being sole rule or monarchy doesn't really do justice to what heaven and the universes are all about, because it's really about Family. It's about older brothers helping their younger brothers and sisters and everybody working together. It's all about love. Emphasize love over and over and over again, he would say. And teach them how to be still and listen and learn from what they have that's inside of them. Do this for me and our Father. I'll be there with my Spirit aiding them in their understanding. Trust in me.

...Or maybe he said something else entirely. I don't know... (Laughter)

One of the best ways to gain awareness of God and all of the communication going on is through the stillness practice. It is a meditation or prayer of a sort, actually more like worship. It's a state of calming yourself, directing your thoughts toward the highest conception you hold of God until the flow of energy exists between you and the Spirit. They say that the stillness is good to do on a daily basis for about ten to twenty minutes. It is to allow us as mortals a period of illumination with our God fragment each day which will then help us to better react to our everyday circumstances of life. You don't necessarily hear voices booming off the mountain saying, "Go do this." It's very subtle.

It's a feeling, a presence and somewhere inside you get touched and He tells you and you probably go and do it and you don't even know that He told you. God is very subtle because we can't hear Him clearly. He's so much more pure than we are, but we're trying hard and once in a while He gets something through, but it's very difficult. And that's why He sends other beings -- angels, ministers that are closer to our level of existence -- to help us, because He Himself can only draw so close until we get a little more spiritual. As we grow spiritually we begin to have an increasing desire to help others and to share because a spiritual person wants others to be spiritual too. It's not a contest to be better than the rest, but rather it's a goal to get everyone to grow into their potential.

There are no special or chosen ones to lead all others to truth. The source of truth is inside you, each individual, so any person who knows anything at all will tell you to look there and offer you support in your efforts to find it. I think that what they're trying to get us to do at this point in the cosmic experiment on this planet is to get us to a point where people will tolerate each other and be more inclined to love than to fight or argue. Once we can love each other, then we can grow much quicker in understanding spiritual realities, but we really need unity first. Without unity it will all fall down again and again and again, because a house divided against itself cannot stand.

And unity does not mean that we must all see things the same way. It just means that we recognize the value of each other and our status as children of the same God. We need to recognize that there are as many paths to God as there are people to walk them because no two people are alike. Everybody's unique and therefore their interpretation and understanding of God is bound to be different. Let's applaud true spiritual seeking and not fight over the form in which it takes. Let's see the good in each other, the value, and then we'll have unity... someday. And right then at least you'll have it with one other person and it has to start somewhere. And I think it's time to recognize that this planet will not fail and will not be destroyed. Too many beings are working with us and for us for this to happen.

It just isn't going to happen. We need to get off of our duffs and make the changes necessary to start this ship moving toward the higher way, because someday our planet is destined to reach a state called light and life, where people live in peace without wars, where crime is diminished, where the goal of life is to learn and to grow, where love is second nature for many and people recognize their goodness and desire and strive to achieve, where doing the right thing is actually politically correct and applauded and not shunned. It will happen, but only when we decide to take the steps to make it occur. It's probably for our "children's children's children" to see that day, but we can have the excitement of getting it started and being the pioneers of peace and love and unity.

I think of Jesus and the apostles and how they simply set down their tools one day and went out and talked about God and shared from their heart. We can do that! We can all be modern day apostles right here, right now, where we live. We can be kind and share truth and be loving and tolerant, but most importantly we can be positive in all that we do, because a positive example is much more than any words you can throw out. I'd like to think that that is what the Teaching Mission is for those who believe in it, a fellowship of people who believe in truth and love and unity, who believe that God is present within and believe that many of His children at higher levels would gladly come to us and share their lessons and thoughts.. I think it's about learning to be apostles of love, spokespersons for peace and unity, not just on evenings such as this where we can speak directly with you about such things, but every day, every hour, with every meeting, with every person. These are goals worth striving for.

It's really about expression, about being honest with yourself and honest with others about who you really are and who you desire to be, the best part of you. Let your art happen. Let your music flow. Let your spirit flow. Share this love and honesty with others without being ashamed of it. Let's make goodness a way of life, starting right here in our own community, because we have to start with ourselves and work out from there. If we haven't got it personally then we're wasting our time because it's not the words that will change this world but the actions, the way we live, the example we set. And in the air of creativity and expression, I'll close with a poem. And I don't have the words down. so if I forget it in my nervousness, I'll shoot myself... (Laughter) ... Oh wait a minute, positivity, I forgot. (More laughter)

Whispers

I hear them coming along, the whispers. alive, in the night with the song Singing a phrase which brings us along to see...

What is it I see? A place like this, but not so full of other things More like this when everything sleeps and all that are awake are those that want to see something true.

Like late in the night when you stare at the stars, when the voices that call diminish the scars of life This is the place, a future place right here, not so much different, but it seems much more clear to me

I cry because I see that people there, they believe in peace and dreams and in freedom live at one with everything. Angels and spirit are commonplace friends and everyone cares and everyone tends to love No one fights over who is right, but care to share with all in light and life

Where from comes the whispers? A liver? a lover? a giver? a Mother? a Father?... a Brother.

All these are true and not one is more. We're carried along by hands that are sure. He sees so much more than we can believe. He'll give us the future if we'll try to achieve

I sing in a song for the one that you are, be it Lord Jesus, or Michael, or the Light Of The Stars. Hallowed be thy name you say and yes it has to be For no one could come and refuse to believe once you give them the touch of your whispering seed

I know you are one who would give all you are to find one little child lost from the stars You are the Shepherd counting sheep in my dreams You are the Father giving love out in streams of light

I come to you oh Lord of Lights, I nestle in your name Call me Peter, John, or James, I'll follow you just the same But I know you, you just call me son And I thank your grace to let me be one for you.

And I thank all of you for letting me have this opportunity to share.