THE TRUTH AT URANTIA, OUR PLANET

[GIUSEPPE MARIVO]

THE FATHER'S LOVE

"The Father loves each of his sons, and that affection is not less than true, holy, divine, unlimited, eternal, and unique... And such a love utterly eclipses all other facts".

THE 5th EPOCAL REVELATION - The Urantia Book, Page 454 (40:10.13)
http://www.urantia.org/

[Anne Marie]

Sonship


How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.

Unity, for the sake of unity, is not what God wants, for such unity does not endure and does not last, neither does it give pleasure, and as such it is not pleasant. Such unity can serve a purpose like the alliance of USA/Britain with the USSR to defeat Nazi Germany, but no sooner the war was over that a new war started between USA/Britain and USSR – the Cold War.

And since, when God speaks of living together, we know He is not speaking of just a few years or months, but forever. Yet, so all who believes in Jesus, all have been given the right to be children of God, which means that total strangers are placed together in God’s family and become brothers and sisters, and are expected to dwell together in unity. If God seriously expects that, then God is only deluding Himself, for such a thing is impossible with man – however, with God nothing is impossible.

God achieves a unity for His children, and sons and daughters, not just through common goals and purpose, but through a bond not of kinship but of friendship. No kinship can survive without friendship. That is why in natural families, brothers are against brothers and sisters against sisters. The bond of friendship, which God uses to get all His sons and daughters together, is based on a common love of each individual for Jesus Christ, and each experiencing an individual love from Jesus Christ. That is why the “command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

If Jesus only wanted disciples, it would be much simpler to teach and produce; but what God wants and what Jesus wants are sons and daughters who are disciples - disciples who are the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, to whom is accorded the fullness of the stature of Sonship and are made co-heirs with Christ, who are able to live in peace together, forever. The answer to that problem is Friendship. Friends who are brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters who are friends, so that when they fellowship together, they experience in giving and receiving, the mutual pleasure of friendship. As such, there can be no friendship between disciples or brothers and sisters, unless there is first a friendship with the Lord and through the Lord – a friendship with God.

James the younger wrote in his letter to the 12 tribes of Israel – and yes – his letter is for the 12 tribes of Israel, and not for us who are not of the 12 tribes – You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. But this is the same world that God “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son” , and the two words (world) are the same in Greek (3180 in the NIV concordance), so there can be confusion unless you forget about friendship with anyone else, but keep your friendship holy to God the Father, Son - Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

After all, are you not commanded to “Listen to Him" [Jesus] by the Father ? Are you not called by Jesus to follow Jesus and to practise His word, and does not the Holy Spirit only remind you of what Jesus said and tells you what He has heard from the Father and Son ? Is there anyone else in the picture? So, do not worry whether you should love the world or hate the world, because if you are God’s friend, you will love what He loves and hate what He hates; or at least, you would certainly respect what He loves and avoid what He hates. Love God and hate what He hates - it does not say God hates the world. However, if you aspire to friendship with the world at the expense of His Son Jesus, then James is right that you would provoke God to jealousy. …And he should know!

Jesus said, “You are My friends if you do what I command.” Loving one another as He loved us is an act of friendship. It is not an act of obedience of a servant to Master. Practising His words of Matthew 5-7 and all His earlier teachings before He gave the New Command, even loving your enemies, are acts of obedience of student to Teacher, servant to Master. But to obey this command, “Love each other as I have loved you,” is an act of friendship.

Holding to His teachings up to John 8:31 and prior to John 13:34 makes you His disciples, but obeying the New Command not only allows the world to know that we are His disciples, but that we also are His friends. If you focus on fulfilling the Command, not as an act of obedience, but rather as an act of friendship, then you are a friend of Jesus and a friend of God, making you and bringing you into the place of Abraham, the friend, as James wrote out of whom came Isaac, Israel and Moses and the Law.
Friendship with Jesus puts you prior to the Law of Moses being given. It places you in the position of Abraham, not just by faith, no, for if faith alone was sufficient then all who believe in Jesus enough to use His Name to prophesy, heal, do miracles and drive out demons, would not have been sent away with these humiliating words, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!' That’s why it is best not to claim too high a place for yourself.
God says, "But you, O Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham My friend…” God called Abraham a friend, not because Abraham believed God and obeyed God, but Abraham thought well of God. Now, here is the key of friendship with God. It is not just faith and obedience, but rather, it is well thinking. Remember God Himself again said, “Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.”
Abraham thought well of God. When Abraham was told by God about the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham bargained with God not for the sinners in Sodom, but for God’s righteousness, saying, "Will You sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will You really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Abraham’s concern was for His friend to do the right thing, hence his bargaining. He just wanted to satisfy himself that his friend, God, the Judge of the Earth, does right! And when tested by God to sacrifice Isaac, his reply to Isaac’s question was, "God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son."
Although Job was not called a friend of God, Job had this trait also, except Job did complain. Job complained about God not telling him why he was in this situation, so that God’s final reference to Job is that: He said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” If there is anything you and I are guilty of and need repentance of, it is our tendency to speak of God that which sounds good, but is not right about God, like Eliphaz the Temanite and his two friends, and like James the Younger in Acts 15. It sounds good and seems good, but it isn’t right. So no matter how good it seems, if it is not right, have nothing to do with it.
Servants will always complain and do not understand the generosity of their Master. Only those who can see their Master in a generous light get to remain. That is why, when the workers who complained in the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard - “ 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.' ” - The landowner "answered… 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go.' ”
‘Take your pay and go!’ – These are the words I pray you will not hear, never hear from the Lord, so that you may truly experience His friendship. His love saves you and keeps you saved, but above His love is His friendship. To His friends, God keeps His promise generation after generation. That is why there will be one final exaltation of Israel during the Millennium with Jesus returning to reign amongst them. The return of Jesus Christ is not only for the glory of God and the Holy Spirit, but as part of that return, is also the fulfilment of God’s promise to Abraham His friend, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.” “I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.” For when Israel failed as an instrument to fulfil God’s promise to Abraham, for the Israelites never reached the numbers of the start or the sands on the seashore, God extended His salvation, His call, His choice to the Gentiles as well. Paul wrote: Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham.
So that, during the Millennium Reign of Jesus, truly, from amongst the Israelites who survive and the hundreds of millions who have been saved from amongst the Gentiles, Abraham will have descendants by flesh and by faith as numerous as the stars and kings - not a few kings, but multitudes of kings - thousands upon thousands will come from Abraham’s lineage of faithfulness.
Abraham did not return to Sodom his riches for reward, but for friendship, because they were neighbours. When Melchizedek met Abraham, Abraham gave a tenth, not because it was a law, but because it was a reciprocating token of friendship.
The discipline of friendship – to be friends with each other – is unbearable unless it is lightened by a friendship with Jesus Christ. When you have friendship with Jesus, everything you do becomes a reciprocating token. Yes—token—for what has God a need of your assistance? As He has said, “If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all that is in it.” But He appreciates the token of your friendship.
Abraham’s token of friendship with God was that He defended God’s righteousness in order to ensure that his Friend did right—even if it meant standing up against God Almighty, and Abraham never complained. Job complained. Not only did Abraham never complain, but he made sure that his Friend always looked good in the eyes of the people who may not know Him. When offered a reward by the King of Sodom, Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' ” Abraham refused Sodom’s offer of riches. How different a behaviour when you compare him with Balaam. Abraham trusted God enough to honour Him as holy in the sight of Sodom, whereas even Moses failed that when he struck the rock twice. "Because you did not trust in Me enough to honour Me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them." "Moses My servant…”
God, as I have said, is generous, and His generosity is now displayed through Jesus Christ. For though Job and Moses served brilliantly as His servants, and as servants, you would do well to imitate Job and Moses, they were not called friends. Yet Jesus even called Judas Iscariot, "Friend…” Why? Because what Judas was to do, would play a vital role in glorifying God through the betrayal of Jesus, so that Jesus would fulfil all that was written about Him. Anyone who would glorify His Father, especially since they were playing their part in ignorance, for Judas never knew he was chosen as the Betrayer who would glorify God in this way—to him is the honour of a most unique portion. Even Paul is just another apostle who tried to do his work, but Judas is the only betrayer whom Jesus called "Friend”, so how much more would He call you "friend” - you who seek to glorify the Father knowing what you know.
As I have said, God is after glory—glory for Jesus. Jesus wants glory for the Father and the Holy Spirit wants glory for both the Father and Jesus, so how much more will Jesus call you “friend” if you seek to help the Holy Spirit glorify the Father and the Son?
When you personally seek to obey “Love each other as I have loved you” as a token of your friendship with Jesus, you have risen above the Law. Indeed, you are not only not under it, but like Abraham, it will come out of your faith in God. As individuals, your will to fulfil “Love each other as I have loved you” as a friend, places you in the fullness of knowing the business of Jesus.
Look at your fellow disciples and see if you have it in your heart to love them, as Jesus has loved you, as a token of your friendship to Jesus. And since Jesus is not here personally, then your friendship can best be expressed by proxy, by extending your friendship to His friends as if they were Him. That is—go the extra mile—“Love one another as you would love Jesus.” As I said, when you become like Abraham, then like Abraham, the Law will come from you. Do the greater things, which is fulfilling more than that which is commanded. I say to you who have hearts to hear and understand—“Love one another as you would love Jesus.” And the proof of this must be shown first to He who is here still because Jesus sent Him to be with us—He who is the Holy Spirit!
Jesus commanded us as a church, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…” Let us listen to the Holy Spirit and hear what He is saying, not as an obligation, but as a token and an expression of friendship. Let us listen to the Holy Spirit as friends, listening to the best Friend of our best Friend. Indeed, if you want to show that you love God… that you love Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit as a Friend. Treat Him as a Friend, like Abraham treated the Father as a Friend.
And then go the extra mile… love the Holy Spirit as Jesus has loved you, even laying down your life for Him, for “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Are you ashamed of the Holy Spirit? Do you treat Him as an object… a servant or someone you only want to be seen with in private, but not in public? Elect of the Holy Spirit, He has elected you, chosen you—now—who do you choose? Are you for Him or for His enemies?
"Friend, why have you come?" Ponder this question friends – why are you here? Chose you this day whom you call friend, but as for me, I stand with the Holy Spirit.
You see, you only have trouble being friends with each other, if
1. you are not with fellow disciples
2. you are not friends with Jesus and His Friend, the Holy Spirit and the Father.
But when you are with fellow disciples, who are friends of your Friends – Father, Son and Holy Spirit - brothers and sisters, it is good and pleasant.
Enjoy the blessing. AMEN

[GIUSEPPE MARIVO]

YES, ANNE MARIE, MY DEAR SISTER AND FRIEND, WITH YOU IN UNITY OF FRIENDSHIP WITH OUR BELOVED FRIEND JESUS AND OUR BELOVED OUR UNIVERSAL FATHER.
SO ALL OUR HUMANITY: THE PLANETARY BROTHERHOO IN THE DIVINE FRIENDSHIP.
IT'S CREDIBLE, IT'S POSSIBLE, IT'S NECESSARY, IT'S URGENT, IT'S OUR FINAL DECISION AS HUMANITY.
THANKS, ANNE MARIE, WE ARE PARTNERS IN THE REALIZATION.
LOVE
GIUSEPPE