HOPE

Lesson on Hope:

This lesson is generally along the line of personality survival, however it will be approached through the quality of hope. On page 51 we learn that hope is “the grandeur of trust”. So, brothers and sisters, one must understand that hope leads to or is the basis of trust. Trust in The FATHER's goodness, watchcare, love, and overall plans. Trust in the fellow's mercy, which is applied love. Trust in the Divine Spirit's ministry through her agents to us.

It is only through faith, which can be viewed as belief beyond rational, tangible meaning in a Deity or creative purpose and mind in a creator - that is what faith is. It is only through faith and hope that man transcends the portals of physical death. Hope - potential trust - is a key because it is the belief that man, ones self, is capable of transcending the material into the morontial and eventual spiritual. Hope is the unifying emotion underlying all true religion. Hope is ultimate optimism for the individual, the society, and the world, that the plan of Deity for evolving perfection will be realized. It is the driving force behind even, true progress.

It is initiated - faith and hope - from the Divine Adjuster. Therein springs these two necessary spiritual qualities. Even the Adjuster unceasingly hopes for the perfection, communication, and consecration of the human subject's will to the will of The FATHER. The Adjuster is familiar - and synonymous - with the spiritual quality of hope, and thus propels you toward personality survival. Children, on advanced worlds so different from your own, when a mortal-evolving imperfect-individual dies, there is immense joy, faith, celebration, and assured hope. If only your world could view the physical death this way, so much hope would abound, so much fear would disappear, and despair would be unknown.

Urantia, as reflected in your scientist, materialist philosophers, intellects, and every day people - even some religionists, lack hope because if one narrows ones vision to the material, physical, life or planet or even universe, one fails to grasp the hope of evolution perfection, even eternity. The perspective of the eternal is quite different from the perspective of the finite. Thus we who are slightly older see the goodness in this world, see the potential and promise that Urantia will one day fulfil - as the greatest and brightest world in all of Nebadon. We see the potential and promise of the agondonter, even in the human, which you would scorn.

This is hope. It is not without validity, but is not seen by time bound and often physically blinded mortals. The scientist - by and large - is without hope because the spiritual element is not integrated.

The philosopher despairs because lofty ideals are so often not reflected in the world around him or her. The intellectual disdains the irrationality of his or her fellows. The religionist falsely and arrogantly assume their eventual transmutation upon death into a perfected being. All leave out an integration of what a human is, and leave out hope of improvement - which is a Divine and appropriate decree by The FATHER - creator of the evolutionary spheres of being.

So, hope and faith get one to the morontial. Hope and faith allow one to see and integrate while on this planet - through mota - all disciplines, and when one sees with mota, one's vision is exponentially increased and much progress is made for the individual and for the world. If there were no hope, growth would cease. If there were no faith, God would not cease. When the portals of physical death are successfully crossed, hope more easily becomes trust, for then you will know the unreality of this plane, which so mightily influences all of your moods, will decisions, thoughts, and behavior. And yet it does not totally disappear, for one hopes to fuse some day. That must also require the belief and action motivated through faith and hope.

It is so easy, brothers and sisters, to become pulled downward if one looks only at the world around. The circumstances on this planet are depressing. Your struggle is difficult. But the struggle to survive, children, will be won only with hope that you can transcend this existence. Many mortals believe - by faith in God - but are in despair and feel abandoned, or are bitter at God's lack of Justice, or are angry at material circumstances, or are incapable of seeing goodness, beauty, or recognizing truth because they see so little reflected around or inside them.

What an untruth, children, for inside you, you have God. Outside you exists God. Hope is the assurance that you someday will become God-like, the ultimate goal of your life, the real reason for your creation - the belief that goodness will triumph over imperfection, that light will overtake shadows, that God's plan is perfect. It is not enough to survive physical death for you the children - enlightened children - of God. Your goal is to live morontially now. This goal will be more fully realized when you walk on the legs of faith and hope.

Personality is capable always of loving God and one's fellows. This gift is a gift from The FATHER, Himself. Survival of this gift is dependent upon faith. And the living knowledge of this faith is dependent upon spiritual hope.

That is your call to action. Because you are given more, you must do more. And that will end this portion of our lesson for today. I hope next week to discuss the morontial spheres, then we will have lessons on the Supreme. Are there questions, children?

Q: Is hope the essential threshold of faith? Must you have hope before you can have faith? Is it - in other words - in this sequence?

A: No. Faith can exist without hope, but survival is dependent upon both. Faith - one may have faith in God but not in one's self, not recognize the intention of evolution. That is hopelessness. It is not sequential, although faith usually comes first.

Q: So we need first to see the potential, then have faith, after which we have hope. Is that the sequence of events?

A: One can have faith without understanding potential.

Q: Would hope be what comes before trust?

A: Hope comes before trust, or is the grandeur of trust.

Q: What do you mean by “grandeur of trust?”

A. It is the - as we are agondonters and have faith without proof, so we have hope before we have trust, because it is not tangible. One can trust another personality after much testing of trustworthiness, but hope - which is greater than trust - often comes without testing. It is an agondonter quality. It is knowing that even though you cannot see the good, the good not only exists but will triumph.

Q: And that is hope?

A: Yes. And if one lives with hope, then one sees more good and does more good.

Q: Depression is a terrible problem on this planet. What can we do for those who come to us with depression.

A: One must live as JESUS lived in human form in the undying hope in God's love. You do not have to say this but be it. Depression has many roots, some chemical-physical, some due to lack of easy environment, perceived loss, comparisons with others or ideals internally-intellectually, despair over world circumstances. All of these things are real, but the reality pales when one realizes the ultimate destiny for humankind.

One cannot feel alone when you know God lives within you. One cannot feel despair when you have the hope of God's promise of individual survival, potential eternity, and light and life for Urantia. All of these concepts, however, are not important to tell, but important to live - as JESUS did and gave so many the realistic spiritual hope of The FATHER's love and the promise of the kingdom. The Jews had false hope. Their definition of the messiah was incorrect, and when this messiah did not appear, their false hope got them into much trouble. JESUS provides real spiritual hope, and you must recognize that depression is, in essence, hopelessness.

You, perhaps, cannot provide a home, a love affair, a family, a better world, the specifics of what a persona identifies as the reason for their despair, but you can provide hope, real hope.

Q: Is it correct to assume that – like happiness - hope is meant to be shared with others? And, in a way, is contagious? That is not a good word, but I think you take my meaning.

A: It is not contagious, but is inspirational. Yes.

Q: What is the distinction between faith and hope which, as I listen to the lesson again maybe I will understand a little better. Faith is belief. Okay. Then is hope belief in my beliefs? Kind of an attitude toward my faith?

A: Yes. Yes, Yes, that is an excellent way to put it. Faith is generally faith in God. Hope is belief in the purpose of creation so it is belief in belief, yes.

Student: St. Paul said, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.”

RAYSON: Yes, correct. (05/24/92)

"Michael est toujours au Volant."

(Michael is always at the Steering Wheel.)

11:11 Angels