[tmtranscripts] Ham on our changing concept of God

[David Schlundt]

09/14/2003

Ham: Greetings, children, I am Ham and I am happy you have chosen this 
evening to gather here. Tonight, let us discuss the ever widening nature 
of mankind's perception of God. Each human being is taught or comes to 
understand some aspects of the nature of God. As you grow and develop in 
years, each person begins to widen that conception and as you grow in 
the spirit, each person's relationship with the overall spiritual 
universe deepens and broadens. This development is directly in 
proportion to spiritual growth.

A child may conceive of God as the great punisher, the one who punish 
him for his sins. And, of course, this is often a useful tool for 
parents and society to influence behavior that is not necessarily seen 
by others. It is a subtle form of thought police that steers young 
people toward behaviors that society deems fruitful and away from those 
behaviors society deems destructive.

But to the true spiritual seeker who leaves behind his youth for the 
uncharted waters of spiritual adventure, God becomes unfathomable love, 
unsearchable wisdom, limitless forgiveness, and the bestower of eternal 
life all for the simple act of faith on the part of the believer. Human 
beings still have difficulty grasping that grace is free. They are still 
under the impression that God requires something of them besides love. 
They may feel guilty if they do not attend church every Sunday or if 
they do not fulfill the full tithing requests or do not comply with 
various ritualistic or even charitable requirements of their churches 
for in the back of their minds, God is still the punisher and judge 
rather than merciful and forgiving Father and Friend.

Human kind has wasted untold resources in sacrifice over the millennia 
and modern tithing is a remnant of that evolutionary religious impulse, 
to sacrifice for God. Human beings have difficulty believing that God 
does not require anything tangible or material in return for his favor. 
And, many modern religions draw heavily upon this human impulse. How can 
it be that God loves us as we are for we do not feel ourselves worthy of 
this love and are always trying to do something that would make us 
worthy in our own eyes of God's love?

The Father is incomprehensible to human minds. Human beings have always 
projected themselves onto God. Human beings have consistently created 
laws on the basis of their understanding of what God likes and does not 
like. The human understanding of God has always reflected the culture 
and the time of those human beings and it must be so.

Human civilization is meant to progress in its collective consciousness 
of God. The Master said many times, do not make the mistake of seeing 
God's word to an earlier generation as his final word to the world for 
God speaks to every generation and to every generation he sends his 
messengers. Truth, as human beings grasp it, is not a static thing but 
an ever expanding concept. Each human being as he grows in the spirit 
also grows in the conceptualization of truth.

The truth that is conceived by this generation will be enlarged in the 
next. There is no end, no cut off point, for spirituality and the things 
that are cherished as universal truths today will be seen as a starting 
point, a beginning of truth conceptualization in the future. Increasing 
freedom, and especially the freedom of thought, are the hallmarks of 
civilized advancement. Where freedom is curtailed, there is also a 
curtailment of human creativity and human happiness.

You, my friends, have been born into the freest society yet constructed 
by human kind and individual freedom of spiritual thought is held in the 
highest regard human kind has ever achieved. It is considered to be the 
wellspring for all future spiritual advancement. The Urantia papers were 
given in Chicago and this is significant. Spiritual freedom and 
spiritual advancement go hand in hand. Morally we see some jeopardy, but 
we also see that moral errors come with the price of liberty.

My friends, you are a privileged few. You are receiving the most 
advanced spiritual teachings you can grasp. No longer must you search 
only in static and dead texts. Your spiritual life is alive and growing 
and interacting in the world. Do not be afraid to stretch your spiritual 
wings and to expand and explore your spiritual reality.

Are there any questions at this time?

Q: Ham, may I have a personal message please?

Ham: Yes, certainly my son. Do not be disappointed in yourself. This is 
an old tendency that is born of childhood scars. Remember that you are 
human. Remember to love yourself as you love your fellows and when 
pressure tends to rise and seem insurmountable, remember who you are, a 
son of God equal in spirit to all other sons of God. Remember that it is 
not what you do but who you are that garners his loving attention. Be at 
peace with yourself. Set your self-doubts aside and say to yourself that 
even if I cannot do the task before me, there is one who lives within me 
who can. Expand your faith and be at ease.

Q: May I have a message tonight?

Ham: My son you do well. You are also plagued by self-doubt, but do not 
succumb to the paralysis of fear rather live each day one day at a time. 
Do not try to project too far into the future what shall be. Rather, 
practice being grateful for what is. Relax for the Father is not grading 
every action and putting bad marks beside your name in the book of life. 
Rather know that your name is written there. Eternal life is yours and 
there is nothing you need to do in order to secure this. Life passes 
quickly. Take time to enjoy your life and trust that the Father will put 
each days work before you and trust also that you can and will discharge 
that days work to the best of your abilities. And, remember that the 
Father loves you as your are, right now with the same infinite love that 
he will bestow upon your perfected spirit. So be at peace, for that is all.

Q: May I have a message please Ham?

Ham: Certainly my dear. You are doing well. You are often critical of 
yourself and tend toward perfectionism which can begin to be a strain. 
Remember who you serve. You serve a loving, understanding, infinitely 
forgiving Father. He is not the stern task master that you are with 
yourself. Remember that your place within his universe is fully secure. 
You are not outside looking in, rather you are part of the liberated 
sons and daughters of God. You don't have to fight for a place. A place 
is prepared for you and is yours by birthright.

If I could say one thing to all of you, I would plead for you to realize 
that each of you is enough right now as you are. The Father loves you 
now with all your quirks and imperfections, all your doubts and dreams. 
It is you, yourself the Father loves. Be secure in this love. Allow it 
to fill you and to grow with you.

Q: Ham, may I have a personal message please?

Ham: Certainly my daughter. My dear, you do well. You are also expanding 
the boundaries of freedom. You are coming to understand the ever greater 
joy of life. Increasing happiness always comes to those who are 
completely certain about their place in God's universe. As you increase 
in that certainty, so does your joy increase and this is wonderful to 
see. Be at peace my daughter, that is all.

Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?

Ham: Certainly. My daughter, you do well. You are gradually letting go 
of old restrictions that were unconsciously self-imposed. Have courage 
my dear in all that you do for you are never alone and always is there 
spiritual help both at your right and left hands. The Father will give 
you all that you need in any aspect of his service. Trust in your 
guidance and be assured a new way is opening.

Q: Jarad?

Ham: Yes my son, you also do very well. You have been working through 
some difficult issues and doing this with the aid of the spirit. You 
must see then that the power of the spirit is the only power worth having.

Q: Question from pz: My question today is, will my health improve any 
since this move from the North to the South? I'm just getting over one 
infection of the lungs, and I only hope it won't be an ongoing thing. I 
do know that with my disease, it will only get worse, my wish is it 
won't be so fast.

Ham: My daughter, you do well. The challenges that you have before you 
will be of great aid in the spirit. Endeavor always to see the good that 
comes with the bad. Physical illness can be overwhelming and frightening 
but it can also be faced with poise and grace and even some humor. Let 
your spirit shine through and grow stronger with the weakness of the body.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Marije?

Ham: Certainly. My daughter, the challenges of your new life can 
sometimes seem overwhelming as well. But you have an innately joyful 
spirit and so you are quite easily buoyed above the waves of fortune 
that might overwhelm and sink another. You naturally look for the bright 
side and the best in people and this is a great gift, one that you will 
pass on to your daughter. Have no fear, but rather find joy in the 
little things of life surrounding you. Be happy and know that you are 
deserving of happiness.

Q: Do you have a personal message for Charlie B?

Ham: Yes. It is time, my son, to leave some things in the past. There 
are things which cannot be changed that can be a stumbling block for you 
now. Like many sensitive children, you took on more than your share of 
guilt in your early life. But it is time now to let that go and to curb 
your tendency to simply acquire more guilt in its place.

Q: Do you have any feedback for me tonight?

Ham: Yes. You do well my son. Have faith in yourself. Discover the 
difference between true faith in yourself and the false faith of ego. 
Think about this and what it means. If you desire more elaboration, I 
will do so next meeting for I want you to digest the difference first.

Are there any further questions at this time? Be at peace my children. 
Until next week, my love and prayers go with you. Farewell.

 

 


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David G. Schlundt, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Vanderbilt University
301 Wilson Hall
Nashville, TN  37203

Phone: (615)322-7800
Fax: (615) 343-8449
Email: David.Schlundt at Vanderbilt.edu
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Beauty is that which attracts the soul,
and that which loves to give and not
to receive

Kahlil Gibran
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