[tmtranscripts] Ham on living a righteous life

[David G. Schlundt, Ph.D.]

04/03/2005

Ham:

Greetings, children, I am Ham and I am your teacher. Each of you is 
experiencing a gradual increase in spiritual influence in your lives. 
This spirit is certainly making his home within your hearts as you make 
your way in this difficult world. Remember then to release your fears 
and dissolve with laughter the stubborn ego nature insisting on taking 
everything very seriously and very hard.

Let the Master himself comfort your hearts and assuage your fears. And 
truly my friends, as you love him in return you will grow in your 
knowledge of him and you will grow in being like him. The Master's 
gentle spirit goes before you and causes your way to be made plain. And, 
my friends, as his gentle nature becomes part of your nature, many 
things will smooth and be made easier over time. Gradually in your 
experience, you will find yourself given ever greater vision or 
conception of the truth, some bit of the true nature of reality. Be at 
peace, and yet do not cease to hunger after increased righteousness. You 
must allow yourselves the freedom to move ever toward a righteous nature 
through righteous action.

It is said, the Master ever aimed toward increasing self-respect. He 
upheld truth, and he always did the honorable thing in all his personal 
dealings. He sought righteousness and hungered to live it even as he 
thirsted for truth and also to live it as well. The Master became a 
righteous man through upholding the right, the good, and that which is 
best out of all options at every turn. Never did the Master think of how 
the upholding of the right would effect him personally. The Master 
cleared the temple of the money changers because it was the right thing 
to do. He thought not of his own peril, position, or comfort.

The Master spoke boldly concerning that which was right and true and 
moral and good. He challenged the law of the religious hierarchy by 
demonstrating and speaking about higher moral values and realities. When 
there were whispers about him not washing his hands, the Master said 
boldly "It is not what goes into a man's mouth that makes him unclean. 
It is what comes forth from his mouth". Over and over again, he 
challenged the rigidity of the law and especially when that rigidity 
sacrificed the higher moral value in order for the law to be carried out.

The Master was the living truth, but he did not assault men with this 
truth either. No, the Master was careful to form the bread of life in 
such a way as to make it palatable to each person. Said he, "Just as you 
would not give a baby meat and bread, so must you make palatable those 
truths for your more immature brethren to accept". All his life was an 
illustration of God finding the exact right nutrients to give each 
individual. If you try to give the baby steak, he will spit it out. And 
so it is with the truths of the Kingdom. You must learn, as the Master 
learned, how to prepare the bread of life for your fellows.

Hold on then to righteousness and do not pull away from it. Uphold the 
best you know and do this in all areas of life so that you can learn to 
respect yourselves and your actions completely. Doing those things that 
disrespect yourself also disrespect him.

Q: Ham, death has been in the news a lot this past week. I got a chance 
to hear many Christians interviewed, and I was amazed at how shallow 
their understanding is of death. It seems that many are very afraid of 
death, and that most have no idea of what the afterlife is like. On the 
other hand, from what we were told about the Pope, he faced his own 
death with faith. How can we help our Christian brothers come to a 
better understanding of death, their own death and the death of their 
loved ones?

Ham: There is no magic word that causes faith to be strengthened. Each 
person's faith is only strengthened through using that faith. The 
passage of death is only fearful when one is unsure about God and unsure 
about their relationship with God. Reminding Christians they are sons 
and daughters of God is the best thing you can do for their faith. Human 
beings are apt to forget who they are and what their status is in the 
universe. They must be reminded from time to time. When a person crosses 
from fear to faith, there may be times of fear, but at that point faith 
will strengthen and fear will lessen. This does not happen overnight. 
But it will happen.

Q: Perhaps I have trouble separating what people say for political 
motives and what they think and feel about death. Even so, the leaders 
seem to be confused about death.

Ham: Yes, there is much confusion in the world right now. This is 
certainly true.

Q: Thank you so much for allowing us to feel so much more confident and 
certain about these issues. I really appreciate all that you have taught 
us about death and about what happens after death.

Ham: Children, you are not confident and certain in your faith because 
of me. You are confident and certain in your faith because of your 
living connection with the spirit. I can give you guidance, but I cannot 
force you to grow in the spirit. This is only done through your own hard 
work in living. Be at peace. You are doing well.

Q: As you know I follow Christian broadcasting much like a hawk. Even 
though at times I have been confused by it, last night it comes to me 
when I listen to these preachers that are molding the minds of millions, 
literally, with their literal projections from the old testament on to 
our current, not only our current world situation, but prognosticating 
the end of the world from Ezekiel, among others. It came to me that this 
is dissing Jesus in that he brought us the new hope and the new truth 
and these people are either holding sway over millions of 
fundamentalists, or influencing the thought pattern of end of the 
worldism. It seems to me it is disrespectful of everything that Christ 
Michael brought to us as the good news.

Ham: Yes my daughter, you are correct in this assessment. And, once 
again, we discover there is great confusion in the world..

Q: Isn't it possible that these people who are preaching apocalypse, 
that cannot be good for the general mind set.

Ham: Well, how many times has the end of the world been proclaimed now?

Q: [Laughing] we don't have enough fingers and toes to count it.

Ham: Yes, ultimately, these old ancient mind sets will be abandoned but 
this will not be very soon.

Q: What I take from your lesson is part of defending righteousness is 
helping end this confusion, but what we have to do is speak to the 
individual at a level that they can understand.

Ham: Yes, you are correct.

Q: Do you have anything for Rebecca?

Ham: Yes, my daughter, you are doing very well. Rejoice in gratitude my 
dear for the Master is opening the way for you. Push forward and you 
will find all the help you require at each step. You are correct in your 
efforts to move forward. Simply receive that which is given you, do the 
work that is set before you in joy and in peace. Think not of the 
outcome, simply cling to the rock's face and climb.

Q: Jarad?

Ham: Yes my son, you are truly embracing a number of changes 
simultaneously. You are accepting sides of yourself that you had been at 
war with, that had been a source of inner conflict. But now, you are 
opening these doors and finding nothing fearful behind them. Rejoice as 
you gain self-assurance and self-acceptance. Your way move forward in 
all areas. Keep balanced and you will find yourself moving rapidly.

Q: Kerry would like a personal message?

Ham: Yes, my daughter, you are doing well. You have faced many 
disappointments and difficult choices over the last year or so. You must 
find peace within your heart, my daughter. It will not be found anywhere 
else. Do not fear the future, nor should you fear the past either. 
Simply find the work before you each day. Do that to the best of your 
ability my dear and you will find your way, all the way to eternity.

Q: Frankie would like a personal message please.

Ham: Certainly my son. You have bravely met a great challenge and you 
will find this test to be quite life changing - not so much in the body, 
but in the spirit. This experience, difficult as it is, will give you 
more than it takes away. Rejoice then and be glad. Rest and find peace 
within. Commune with the Master and do not worry about the world around 
you. Rest and all will be well.

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

Ham: Yes, my son, you do well. You are finding many lessons and many 
truths the hard way, as all human beings do. Do not worry where you 
should go, what you should do. The Master will speak to your heart my 
son saying, this is the way. Follow him and you will be well.

If there are no further questions, as always my children, my love and my 
prayers are with you each. Until next week, farewell.

 

-- 
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
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
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
To science God is a possibility, to psychology
a desirability, to philosopy a probability, to
religion a certainty, an actuality of religious
experience

The Urantia Book, page 1125
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