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battle to join that can be won. Souls for the kingdom must surely be won mainly by example--the example of God-revealing lives being lived out inconspicuously and without trumpets and fanfare by those already in the kingdom. It was the example of Jesus' actual life as he lived it among them that won the loyalty-unto-death kind of faith that the apostles gave to Jesus.
Surely it is only a similar kind of behavior, the actual living out of a personal, God-revealing life as a matter of duty from each of its adherents that will lift the teachings of the Fifth Epochal Revelation to the point where it will begin to displace other religious teaching.
Fifty years of experience has now demonstrated that mere words, spoken or read, are unlikely to bring the true religion of the Jesus of The Urantia Book to the churches that bear his name. People need to see God-like--Jesus-like--actual, real, lives being lived out among them before they will be lifted up to the heights of Christian living exemplified in the teachings of the book. For the very few who are receptive, The Urantia Book can do, and has done, a great task. But for the many, the positive way of Jesus is needed. People need to actually see Jesus-like characters living among them, and simply going about whatever confronts them, doing good in the manner of Jesus.
Speaking of the early followers of the Fourth Epochal Revelation, the book says: "Pentecost, with its spiritual endowment, was designed forever to loose the religion of the Master from all dependence upon physical force; the teachers of this new religion are now equipped with spiritual weapons. They are to go out to conquer the world with unfailing forgiveness, matchless good will, and abounding love. They are equipped to overcome evil with good, to vanquish hate by love, to destroy fear with a courageous and living faith in truth. Jesus had already taught his followers that his religion was never passive; always were his disciples to be active and positive in their ministry of mercy and in their manifestations of love." (2064)
And speaking directly to all those who would follow him into the kingdom, Jesus said: "Now that you are ambassadors of my Father's kingdom, you have thereby become a class of men separate and distinct from all other men on earth. You are not now as men among men but as the enlightened citizens of another and heavenly country among the ignorant creatures of this dark world. It is not enough that you live as you were before this hour, but henceforth must you live as those who have tasted the glories of a better life and have been sent back to earth as ambassadors of the Sovereign of that new and better world. Of the teacher more is expected than of the pupil; of the master more is exacted than of the servant. Of the citizens of the heavenly kingdom more is required than of the citizens of the earthly rule. Some of the things which I am about to say to you may seem hard, but you have elected to represent me in the world even as I now represent the Father; and as my agents on earth you will be obligated to abide by those teachings and practices which are reflective of my ideals of mortal living on the worlds of space, and which I exemplify in my earth life of revealing the Father who is in heaven." (1570)
The above quotation is, of course, at the commencement of the ordination sermon to the twelve apostles. However, on page 1569, it is made clear that Jesus' invitation was to "all others who would follow you (the apostles) into this kingdom." And surely that includes recipients of the Fifth Epochal Revelation! The ball is now in our court!
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