Messages 1984 to 2000

Jesus: Assistance in the Spirit World among Spirits.

July 27, 1987

Received by D.L.

 

I am now here to write, my dear brother in Christ, and I come to you today as usual to impart my thoughts and words to humankind to assist them with their growth and development which comes from a clearer appreciation of those soulful requirements necessary to attain to their yearned for progress. I am your brother and friend in spirit, Jesus, who is Master of the Celestial Heavens and the eternal leader of our church on earth.

Today I wish to discuss a topic relating to the growth and development phase discussed in my last message to you. As you will recall, I have discussed change and growth as initiated by the soul aspirations to obtain such growth, commenting on how help and assistance can be gained by prayer to the Father, by association with us, and by the help that mortals can give to one another.

I would like to carry this one step further by explaining how assistance is accorded or provided in the spirit world among spirits. As you know, when a new spirit arrives, he is usually met by friends and relatives in an attractive location, and is made to feel as welcome as possible. In time, it is given to some spirit to explain to the new entrant where his new residence is to be in accordance with his true soul condition - this location corresponding with that soul condition. And, usually, if the location is to be a lower one, in one of the hells, the new spirit is told that both his condition of soul and his unhappy environment is not fixed but can be changed for the better through attending to the advice and direction of more elevated spirits who are always willing to lend a helping hand to those who are sincere in their desires to advance themselves and to attain to greater happiness and light. Of course, prayer to our Heavenly Father is also recommended as the most important and effective approach to improvement that a spirit can adopt and employ.

However, even though some instruction is offered, you have also heard that, once the spirit arrives in his dreary condition of darkness and unpleasantness, among like spirits of similar want of soul development, this instruction is more often than not forgotten by this new spirit who, at first, is simply more concerned about adjustment to his new location than about a possible way out of these unpleasant circumstances of living. And this is not to be wondered at, for sometimes the new entrant finds himself in such poor circumstances and among such ill-suited companions, as he thinks, that he has all he can do to attempt to just acclimate himself to the shocking circumstances of his deplorable conditions of living. The thought of progress, growth, and development simply does not occur to him in the face of such misery-laden conditions. He has all he can do to attempt to “survive,” if you will, in the hell of his own making, even though he does not at first realize that he is where he is precisely because his environmental conditions and his poor associations among spirits of like disposition have been determined by the nature and condition of his own soul at that time - this, the result of an abysmal want of true soul development that could have been gained by him, but which was forfeited by neglect during his days on earth.

So, you see, there can be a very long period of adjustment that follows this entrant’s awareness of his new and shocking life circumstances. And, oftentimes, owing to the despairing effect such circumstances tends to have, the new entrant becomes more or less convinced that his living conditions are really permanent, and that any earlier information given to him about a possible escape from these circumstances must have been imparted falsely, and perhaps even as yet another means of increasing his suffering by the giving of hope where no hope truly exists. And if added to this is the false belief about the permanency of hell, which orthodox teachings impressed him to believe, this convinces him even more that his circumstances are hopeless and beyond redemption.

Of course, as you know, no child of the Father is ever condemned to an eternity in a hell, and all will eventually make their progress to higher planes of light and happiness, even though such a transition may take as long as centuries to effect in some cases. But the point remains that the growth and development of some of the more vile and sin-laden spirits is greatly delayed, and much of this delay is owing not only to expiation of sins in accordance with the workings of the Law of Compensation but also to the further delaying effects of false beliefs and the want of knowledge of those practices which would make for soul development and advancement.

On earth, such souls, of whom I am speaking, have never exercised those thoughts and deeds that would have provided the experience and eventual knowledge and ownership of those means that would have begun their progress on earth so that, upon entrance into spirit life, they would not only have avoided the hells altogether, but also would have found themselves well on their way to higher spheres of light and happiness. And, so, because of this attrition, or want of soul development on earth, it becomes immeasurably harder for them to learn of heavenly things in hell where such despairing conditions makes the prospect of any growth seem all but absolutely futile.

So, from this, you will understand that the time to start one’s progress is definitely on earth as mortals. Earthly conditions, while not always ideal, are far more positive and conducive for encouraging growth and progress than any of the hells. And if a start is not made under more ideal or favorable conditions of living, perhaps you can imagine how truly difficult it is for a spirit in a hell to initiate soul growth and advancement. He may indeed have benefit of advice from spirits in a more elevated condition than he is in, but what effect or impact will such advice have in the face of deplorable living conditions, and a total or near total lack of familiarity on his part with those exercises of good thoughts and deeds that are necessary for his progress to begin? Without having exercised the soul qualities for helpful service on earth among many of good and kindly disposition, how is one to begin to exercise such qualities of service among those whose soul conditions are equally impoverished; and, in the place of goodness or kindness, there exists in one’s associates only hatred, bitterness, and a desire to hurt or harm others with whom they come in contact?

And, so, while in my last message I emphasized the positive nature and rewards associated with mortals helping other mortals, I thought that in my message of today I would emphasize the importance of helpful service and soul growth and development so as to avoid the negative nature and punishments that will accrue through wrongful soul exercise or the neglect of soul development on earth. The time to begin one’s progress is the ever-present now. And this is especially true and important where mortals are concerned, because the earth life is the intended period of probation where the skills of proper living and soulful advancement are expected to begin to take place. It will not do for mortals to rest on the thought that their destiny is beyond their own making, and that one has little choice but to wait passively to see what lies ahead. The destiny of all souls is very largely of their own making.

And, so, in summary, the process of growth and development depends upon both the positive application of good thoughts and deeds and the avoidance of sin and error. And, also, such development depends upon humankind recognizing that with the life the Father has given them comes the responsibility of using their God-given talents to live in love and harmony with each other, and to develop their souls ongoingly through service so that their destinies will be truly happy and fulfilled ones, both on earth and in the spirit existence and life to come. And, of course, over and beyond all of this is the Great Love of the Father which is ever available to His aspiring children who seek the greater development of transformation of soul through fervent prayerful petition. With such transformation comes angelic status, as you know. However, not all will seek this greater Way to the Father’s Love and their own greater happiness. But, if not, there is still the lesser but important goal of soul restoration and perfection which all must still attain to.

And, so, I ask, will this destiny of restored perfection and happiness through soul growth and development be gained minute by minute and day by day; or, through violation of law or neglect of soul development on earth, will this happy destiny be deferred for perhaps as long as centuries to come? This choice is ever before humankind. But I would encourage them to delay their happy destinies no longer, and to begin to apply their good thoughts and deeds as a daily exercise in their lives from this day forward, so as to both avoid the sorry fate of some I have previously discussed and to ensure their quicker advancement and concomitant greater happiness.

I am happy at the successful way in which you received this message, and will leave you now with my love and blessings.

Your friend and brother, Jesus.