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The Young Man Who Was Afraid

130:6.1 While they were up in the mountains, Jesus had a long talk with a young man who was fearful and downcast. Failing to derive comfort and courage from association with his fellows, this youth had sought the solitude of the hills; he had grown up with a feeling of helplessness and inferiority. These natural tendencies had been augmented by numerous difficult circumstances which the lad had encountered as he grew up, notably, the loss of his father when he was twelve years of age. As they met, Jesus said: “Greetings, my friend! why so downcast on such a beautiful day? If something has happened to distress you, perhaps I can in some manner assist you. At any rate it affords me real pleasure to proffer my services.”

130:6.2 The young man was disinclined to talk, and so Jesus made a second approach to his soul, saying: “I understand you come up in these hills to get away from folks; so, of course, you do not want to talk with me, but I would like to know whether you are familiar with these hills; do you know the direction of the trails? and, perchance, could you inform me as to the best route to Phenix?” Now this youth was very familiar with these mountains, and he really became much interested in telling Jesus the way to Phenix, so much so that he marked out all the trails on the ground and fully explained every detail. But he was startled and made curious when Jesus, after saying good-bye and making as if he were taking leave, suddenly turned to him, saying: “I well know you wish to be left alone with your disconsolation; but it would be neither kind nor fair for me to receive such generous help from you as to how best to find my way to Phenix and then unthinkingly to go away from you without making the least effort to answer your appealing request for help and guidance regarding the best route to the goal of destiny which you seek in your heart while you tarry here on the mountainside. As you so well know the trails to Phenix, having traversed them many times, so do I well know the way to the city of your disappointed hopes and thwarted ambitions. And since you have asked me for help, I will not disappoint you.” The youth was almost overcome, but he managed to stammer out, “But—I did not ask you for anything—” And Jesus, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, said: “No, son, not with words but with longing looks did you appeal to my heart. My boy, to one who loves his fellows there is an eloquent appeal for help in your countenance of discouragement and despair. Sit down with me while I tell you of the service trails and happiness highways which lead from the sorrows of self to the joys of loving activities in the brotherhood of men and in the service of the God of heaven.”

130:6.3 By this time the young man very much desired to talk with Jesus, and he knelt at his feet imploring Jesus to help him, to show him the way of escape from his world of personal sorrow and defeat. Said Jesus: “My friend, arise! Stand up like a man! You may be surrounded with small enemies and be retarded by many obstacles, but the big things and the real things of this world and the universe are on your side. The sun rises every morning to salute you just as it does the most powerful and prosperous man on earth. Look—you have a strong body and powerful muscles—your physical equipment is better than the average. Of course, it is just about useless while you sit out here on the mountainside and grieve over your misfortunes, real and fancied. But you could do great things with your body if you would hasten off to where great things are waiting to be done. You are trying to run away from your unhappy self, but it cannot be done. You and your problems of living are real; you cannot escape them as long as you live. But look again, your mind is clear and capable. Your strong body has an intelligent mind to direct it. Set your mind at work to solve its problems; teach your intellect to work for you; refuse longer to be dominated by fear like an unthinking animal. Your mind should be your courageous ally in the solution of your life problems rather than your being, as you have been, its abject fear-slave and the bond servant of depression and defeat. But most valuable of all, your potential of real achievement is the spirit which lives within you, and which will stimulate and inspire your mind to control itself and activate the body if you will release it from the fetters of fear and thus enable your spiritual nature to begin your deliverance from the evils of inaction by the power-presence of living faith. And then, forthwith, will this faith vanquish fear of men by the compelling presence of that new and all-dominating love of your fellows which will so soon fill your soul to overflowing because of the consciousness which has been born in your heart that you are a child of God.

130:6.4 “This day, my son, you are to be reborn, re-established as a man of faith, courage, and devoted service to man, for God’s sake. And when you become so readjusted to life within yourself, you become likewise readjusted to the universe; you have been born again—born of the spirit—and henceforth will your whole life become one of victorious accomplishment. Trouble will invigorate you; disappointment will spur you on; difficulties will challenge you; and obstacles will stimulate you. Arise, young man! Say farewell to the life of cringing fear and fleeing cowardice. Hasten back to duty and live your life in the flesh as a son of God, a mortal dedicated to the ennobling service of man on earth and destined to the superb and eternal service of God in eternity.”

130:6.5 And this youth, Fortune, subsequently became the leader of the Christians in Crete and the close associate of Titus in his labors for the uplift of the Cretan believers.

187:4.1 One of the brigands railed at Jesus, saying, “If you are the Son of God, why do you not save yourself and us?” But when he had reproached Jesus, the other thief, who had many times heard the Master teach, said: “Do you have no fear even of God? Do you not see that we are suffering justly for our deeds, but that this man suffers unjustly? Better that we should seek forgiveness for our sins and salvation for our souls.” When Jesus heard the thief say this, he turned his face toward him and smiled approvingly. When the malefactor saw the face of Jesus turned toward him, he mustered up his courage, fanned the flickering flame of his faith, and said, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And then Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say to you today, you shall sometime be with me in Paradise.”

Forgiveness/Thankfulness

Today all things have come to pass

That time itself shows do not last.

Life upon this spinning sphere

Is ruled by Love, so do not fear.

So many paths that one must choose.

So many ways to win and lose.

All loss is but redirection

To the way of more perfection.

Choose your way most carefully.

Light and Life will come someday.

Prudent thoughtful ways of doing

Enlighten Spirit ways pursuing.

Pursue the light and shun the dark.

Noah truly built an arc.

Feel the Spirit weather forecast.

Experience helps, life goes so fast.

Be a positive force for all.

Look inside and hear God’s call.

Be willing to adjust to times

That are Loving, see the signs.

Let God‘s light shine through your pores

And let His nature change your core.

God is Love and Love can mold

All your desires, 100 fold.

Thankfulness spreads through your heart

And may upset your apple cart.

Faith renews you when it’s used.

A flickering flame will be excused.

Paul Anderson

110:6.3 The psychic circles are not exclusively intellectual, neither are they wholly morontial; they have to do with personality status, mind attainment, soul growth, and Adjuster attunement. The successful traversal of these levels demands the harmonious functioning of the entire personality, not merely of some one phase thereof. The growth of the parts does not equal the true maturation of the whole; the parts really grow in proportion to the expansion of the entire self – the whole self – material, intellectual, and spiritual.

Maturing

Up before the late sunrise,

But it comes up before my eyes.

Light returns, the day begins.

What can I do, ‘for it ends?

Something Good, yes, that’s my goal.

Hollywood is not my role.

Study group meets once once again,

But that’s tonight, as this day ends.

Cleaning up my act for others.

Helping all my sister/brothers.

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”

I guess I’ll write about my Lord.

The God within, I’ll look for Him.

I will ignite lights that were dim.

As I turn the brightness up,

The Spirit helps fill up my cup.

Love is what the Spirit has,

Spirit that is filled with Jazz.

Creative ways not seen before

Always knocking at my door.

Finding music in the day.

Singing Harmony as I play.

Whistling tunes from deep within.

The rhythm helps us all to win.

Thank You, Mother/Father/Son.

The world we’re on is pretty young.

But we’ll mature as life goes on.

Our love for hate will soon be gone.

Paul Anderson

101:2.14 Your deepest nature – the divine Adjuster – creates within you a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a certain craving for divine perfection. Religion is the faith act of the recognition of this inner urge to divine attainment; and thus is brought about that soul trust and assurance of which you become conscious as the way of salvation, the technique of the survival of personality and all those values which you have come to look upon as being true and good.

Good

Very early, it’s still dark.

There is a way to hit the mark.

Inside I listen to Your hark.

I make my way, an early start.

An early start to this fine day.

Though it’s still dark, I see my way.

There’s Good to do within my path.

Good is something that can last.

All the Good in any act,

Has potential to enact

A process where the Love contained

Becomes a fact and is retained.

Someday there’ll be so much Good,

This world will be the way it should.

Slowly, yes, the wave will come.

I hear the ripples, it’s begun.

The rising tide of Good’s deluge,

Will submerge evil ice cubes.

They will melt away in shame.

They broke the rules of Goodness games.

The game of Good will someday rule

The way we swim within the pool.

Our laws will keep evil in check.

Divine law will be in effect.

There is Good within me Lord.

And it is there within the hoard.

Someday Faith in Good will show

And help in every way we know!

Paul Anderson

102:2.8 Again, there are other types of unstable and poorly disciplined souls who would use the sentimental ideas of religion as an avenue of escape from the irritating demands of living. When certain vacillating and timid mortals attempt to escape from the incessant pressure of evolutionary life, religion, as they conceive it, seems to present the nearest refuge, the best avenue of escape. But it is the mission of religion to prepare man for bravely, even heroically, facing the vicissitudes of life. Religion is evolutionary man’s supreme endowment, the one thing which enables him to carry on and “endure as seeing Him who is invisible.” Mysticism, however, is often something of a retreat from life which is embraced by those humans who do not relish the more robust activities of living a religious life in the open arenas of human society and commerce. True religion must act. Conduct will be the result of religion when man actually has it, or rather when religion is permitted truly to possess the man. Never will religion be content with mere thinking or unacting feeling.

Preparations

Another dry, Fall day begins.

Desert like, the weather winds.

The grass is brown, because it’s dry.

We need more rain from our blue skies.

Perhaps our future will be dry.

There’s weather change, one can’t deny.

Warmer, yes, it’s going to be,

But what will be our history?

Do desert futures come to pass?

A dryness that is going to last?

Or will more rain ameliorate,

And give our plants a healthy drink?

No one knows exactly what

Will change, but change is not all luck.

Experts will make their predictions

Of our future weather conditions.

We will cope with what does come.

As time goes on, we gain wisdom.

The wisdom comes from our experience.

Time gives us those rich ingredients.

As best we can, prepare for change.

We know it’s coming to our range.

Warmer Summers, longer Falls,

Early Springs, answer God’s call.

Thank You, Mother/Father/Son.

We learn as time goes on and on.

Our progeny depends on us

To cope with weather when we’re dust.

Paul Anderson

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