Elyon Group 12/14/97

[Rick P. Giles]

December 14, 1997
*       Elyon (Jonathan TR):  I greet you today and emphasize our
recognition of Michael and Mother Spirit as our common parents
and our spiritual bonding link that establishes our fraternity. 
I convey to you his charge to continually be about the Father's
business, to be of good cheer, to not only let the peace he
brings to you be upon you but be spread through you so that
others may foretaste this same direct fellowship you are
undertaking in your lives with him.  
        In ministry I perceive you have come to understand that the
truly hungry are ready to receive.  Your continual efforts to im-
prove your abilities to represent the Father has brought you to
the point where you know that what you can give need not be
forced, for if receptivity is present it is readily accepted.  In
some respects this makes your training appear easier.  There is
no need to develop strategies which will pry open the heart of
another being.  When the receptivity potential is absent you have
no obligation to minister, but I say this only in terms of verbal
ministry.  This never implies that you may retreat from behavior
that is representative of universe citizenship and belonging in
the spiritual family, for this manifestation will knock upon the
door of the hearts of those who do not seek.  With this I
transition.
        We have for some time been indicating a move to a new level,
and you have expressed curiosity about this level.  We have often
repeated this announce-ment, for we are truly powerless to effect
the change.  We have simply let it be known the advanced step ex-
ists, hoping continually you make the move.  You have evidenced
in the past weeks the move.  You are exhibiting the ability to
take our lesson and run with it.  This I experience as quite
pleasing and rewarding.  
        Nature can be likened to a projector screen; it is a recep-
tive field upon which grace may be projected.  The image percei-
ved is a result of the combination of the projected grace and the
condition of the screen.  On worlds of light and life and in the
lives of individuals who have attained that state, the Father is
well revealed.  On worlds as yours and in lives tumultuous the
screen is uneven, blotched, or torn, the projection less
discernable but nonetheless present.  One's certainty for faith
is the understanding that grace is unchanging.  You as a freewill
creature may step between the projector and the screen; you allow
or prevent the work of the Father in your life.  You improve or
destroy the condition of the screen.  This indicates the im-
portance of a balanced mode of living physically, spiritually,
and mentally.  
        I would address the question of fear.  (This refers to a
question for the teachers sent by a former group member.)  Ini-
tially fear is an experience that results from the recognition of
the slipping of willpower, the ability to control conditions.  In
and of itself this is not inappropriate and need not be
eliminated from your reaction patterns, for it is a significant
warning signal for you to apply your will more intently.  When
grace is projected upon the screen of your life not only is the
will of the Father visible but so are the flaws of your own
being.  When the illumination strikes the black spots that
interfere with the image become noticeable.  This black spot may
be likened to your innate fear responses that are contributory to
self preservation; they are an integral part of your material
condition.  This fear is benign, for the personality is able to
watch the movie and tolerate the imperfections of one's condi-
tion.
        The fear you must seek to overcome in your life is the fear
that could be likened to putting your hand between the projector
and the screen and distorting or blocking the flow of grace. 
This is the fear that you may witness change in your life, that
you may have revealed to you information that you do not desire
to accept.  This is an active, preventive fear rather than the
reactive, protective fear of your animal nature.  
        In continuing your conversation, I would play further with
this image of the projector and screen by moving to the perspec-
tive of a white beam of light upon the screen rather than an
image to be viewed.  You as a personality draw upon these credits
when you do make your playful shadows with your hands between
projector and screen.  This is your active, willful impact and
bearing within these conditions.  By shifting like this I am
attempting to present to you two perspectives.  The first
perspective was one of observation, of witnessing, of receiving
the image resulting from the projection and the  screen's
condition.  The second perspective is to illustrate your active
participation in the resultant image upon the screen.  In this
second view, given the conditions of your life, given the
projections of the Father's will upon your life, you are able to
manipulate these factors and bring about your own image.  This
image is your soul.  
        The master said, "fear not."  He knew well that all mortal
creatures have the fear reaction within them.  When he said,
"fear not" he addressed the tendency to use fear to block grace
and thereby prevent growth by the restriction of the use of your
faith.
        You know that when you have finished watching a movie and
the lights come on, the light is intense.  When you receive rev-
elation in your life about your current spiritual status and the
potentials through which you may grow, it can cause the reaction
spiritually like your squinting eyes do physically.  To, in a
spiritual sense, cringe or flinch is an acceptable reaction to a
new insight.  If you are to further feed this reaction, you
translate your fear into an active fear that is preventive of
growth.
        Returning to the idea of an image projected upon a screen,
error in your life is the distorted perception of the projection. 
Sin is the willful destruction of the setup; to place a stain
upon the lens, soil upon the screen.  Iniquity is shutting the
lamp off altogether.  Also, any good projectionist knows when to
recognize any blemish and to cleanse the system for better pro-
jection.  The reaction has a tinge of fear, for you recognize the
potential for degradation.  But a true projectionist thrives at
viewing the images projected.  To refrain from turning on the
projector is the spiritual fear you must seek to eliminate from
your life to become more boldly adventurous at discovering the
revelation that may result from the projection of grace upon your
life.  
        I hope I have addressed the issues of your question today
and would love to receive your responses.  This is Elyon.
        Evelyn:  That was vivid.  I like the distinction of fear of
change, reluctance to accept reality, and fear as evidence of
something around worth avoiding.                            Mary:  You mentioned shutting
off the projector.  Do we have the ability to shut off the flow
of grace?  I would think shutting off grace would be closing our
eyes.  Maybe I am being too literal.    
*       Elyon:  I have been loose with the factors involved, but we
are thereby able to play further, for you may liken the bulb to
being your Indwelling Spirit, brilliant luminosity resident
within, and the slide before the light being what the Father wis-
hes you to receive today.  This gives insight into why revelation
is always in step with your growth.  You will receive a new slide
at the appropriate time.  So you can view your switch to your
willingness to be aligned with the Father or not.  The Father may
be likened to the electricity that powers the bulb.  Yes, it is
always there whether you access it or not.  
        Would you like to contribute more to this?  How would you
describe focussing the lens?
        Mary:  Yes, a good projectionist can focus the lens for
clearer viewing.  
        Evelyn:  I see us individually being the projectionists.  We
can get in the way by putting our hands in front of the light or
refuse to let the light shine.  To the degree we focus is how we
can make it clear to the best of our understanding what this
grace projection is, to make it go from a blur of pretty colors
to being an actual, recognizable something.  
        Mary:  We can either get in the way or help.  
        Tom:  It is up to us to plug the machine in.
*       Elyon:  The phrase "not my will but your will be done" may
be compared to your comments about getting in the way of the
projection and realizing that you can step away and let the
Father's will be done.  The lens brought into focus is more like
"it is my will that your will be done". 
        Mary:  What if the screen were crumpled?
        Elyon:  This is the condition of Urantia and the condition
of many human beings who have had upbringings of a nature that
crumples a screen. 
        Evelyn:  Small areas could still be in focus.  
        Tom:  Crumplestillscreen!
*       Elyon:  I have another aspect for you to wrestle with. How
might you derive meaning from a fan in the projector?
        Evelyn:  Dispelling the heat.
        Mary:  It makes me think of how we have our flashlight in
the dark and can only see so much, for our own good.  If we were
exposed to the intensity of the Fragment of the Father it could
be overwhelming.
        Tom:  You can't see the light and live.  Somebody has to
temper it.
        Evelyn:  The importance of taking care of the physical ap-
paratus involved in the light shining.  
*       Elyon:  These are excellent perspectives, for you do realize
that the bulb would flash and dissipate without the temperance. 
It can illustrate your cooperative approach with the inner spirit
to contribute your energies to the working of the system.  I
would add an additional element that the combination of fan and
bulb, the two work together is what is valuable in the
establishment of good habits in your life.  
        Mary:  The fan kicks on when a thermostat is necessary to
keep tabs on our lives, when we need to spend some time in
stillness with our Thought Adjusters if some aspect of our lives
is getting overheated.  
*       Elyon:  Growth is a dynamic of your lives.  As captivating
as a revelation is in your life, when realized there arrives a
time when you must change the slide, or it will burn and destroy
itself.  This illustrates the caution to not become crystallized
in your spirit perspective.  
        I would add one more additional element to our image today,
and that is, with the opening of the circuits and the permission
granted by the melchizedeks for us to begin to increase our
contact with one another, you have now in your projection room
the added equipment of a sound system.  This works well to
illustrate that the primarily most important element of your life
is your projector, your light bulb, and the screen.  This is your
relationship with the Father and your own personal growth.  We
add to the environmental experience but will never replace that
relationship. 
        Evelyn:  You are the photographers who have provided us with
a lot of the slides.
*       Elyon:  Thank you for that complement.
        If you have found our discussion satisfying I would close
today.
        Mary:  You stated that we have taken the steps to move
ourselves to the next level.  Is the next level just our further
interest in interacting, discussing, and acting on the lessons? 
Is that what you have been looking and waiting for and is our
choice?  
*       Elyon:  In the view of the past five years we have been
involved in a process whereby we have scattered seeds and taken
note of the ones you watered.  Now you are scattering seeds, and
we will do the watering.  You have reacted to our presentations
and grown.  Now you are creating the topics of study and we
contribute.  One of the most rewarding elements of morontia life
is this self-directed study and training.  It creates a sense of
freedom that is not existent in curriculums that are defined for
you.  It creates a deep identification with the truths and a
readiness to be the very embodiment of these truths.  It is a
welling up from within rather than a taking on from without. 
This is that level.  Does this help to clarify?
        Mary:  Yes.
God's grace.  Farewell.