Saturday, January 12, 2013

The proof of the Manifestation of God


What motivates us to action? For many it is greed, or a desire for peace, security, comfort or well being. The manifestations were only motivated by the compelling force of God to do His will. They did not receive money or any earthly gain for their action. There was no comfort as they were often subject to torture, ridicule, imprisonment or exile. There was absolutely no earthly reason for them to do what they did, so their motivation had to be purely Heavenly.

In the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Bahá’u’lláh addresses the Shah of Persia in these words.

These perspicuous verses have been sent down in one of the Tablets by the Abha Pen: "Hearken, O servant, unto the voice of this Wronged One, Who hath endured grievous vexations and trials in the path of God, the Lord of all Names, until such time as He was cast into prison, in the Land of Ta (Tihran). He summoned men unto the most sublime Paradise, and yet they seized Him and paraded Him through cities and countries. How many the nights during which slumber fled from the eyes of My loved ones, because of their love for Me; and how numerous the days whereon I had to face the assaults of the peoples against Me! At one time I found Myself on the heights of mountains; at another in the depths of the prison of Ta (Tihran), in chains and fetters. By the righteousness of God! I was at all times thankful unto Him, uttering His praise, engaged in remembering Him, directed towards Him, satisfied with His pleasure, and lowly and submissive before Him.

               (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 78, 79)

This was prefaced by;

"My grief exceedeth all the woes to which Jacob gave vent, and all the afflictions of Job are but a part of My sorrows!"

               (Baha'u'llah, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 77)

We see this Manifestation of God afflicted with great tribulation, yet His mandate is to manifest the Word of God for this day. How can He do that. Bahá’u’lláh cried out in the FIRE TABLET;

Thou seest Me forbidden to speak forth: Then from where will spring Thy melodies, O Nightingale of the worlds?

Now I look at my puny mission to the World and my puny difficulties and put them into perspective. How can I accomplish my mission to spread this Message of Peace to the World? I have no means. My knowledge is limited. My earning power is almost non-existent, but I am not in jail being tortured by my tormentors: At least not yet. So I continue to plod along on this divine path relying only on God as my helper. I pray that He will guide me, show me what to do and give me the right words to say.

For those who follow Christ, He has given us a sure way to recognize Him when He would return in His New Name. (and I will write upon him my new name. Rev. 3:12) He says;

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

               (Matthew 7:15 - 17)

So it is clear that a prophet that gives forth good fruit is of God. If the teachings lead us to God, compel us toward goodness and bring God’s people together, this truly is of God and no doubt can entertain our minds.

In the Gospel of John Jesus is quoted as saying;

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

               (John 10:16)

Later on He tells the Jews that were questioning Him;

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

               (New Testament, 04 – John 10:26, 27)

So it is clear that, if we want to recognize Christ we have to be familiar with His voice. When we read the quotations of His words, what do they sound like? If we hear or read other quotations that sound like these ones, should we not investigate to see if these are coming from the very same source?

To me that is it. That is the essence and the end of my argument. No more can be said.

I leave it to you and I have absolute faith that you, as one created by God, have the capacity know and recognize the Creator and the Source or His Revelation.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Introduction to The Revelation of Saint John the Divine

The Revelation of Saint John the Divine
The introduction.
Quoted from King James Version of the Bible. (Words in brackets are my thoughts)

1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
(When John wrote this down he was expecting the prophesies to be fulfilled very soon. Many were expecting the return of Christ during the same generation as when He ascended.)

1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
( This is a record of what John saw without interpretation. He did not understand the meaning of much of what he saw.)
1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
(Again the emphasis on this happening very soon.)
1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
(John addresses this to the seven Churches in Asia and says it is from himself and the seven Spirits)
1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
(He also includes Jesus Himself in the salutation. First begotten of the dead perhaps because He rose from the dead. Prince of the kings because He is the True Sovereign.  Jesus loved us so much that He offered up His life. Symbolically He died so that we could be cleansed from sin, the symbolic washing in the blood.)
1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(We are to carry on and spread His teachings as we watch for the day of His return.)
1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
(The clouds symbolically obscure our vision. All see the light but some may be slow to recognize its source because of the clouds.

1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
(He was, He is and He shall be. Eternity is a concept we cannot grasp. Time and space are limitations of the physical world. In the spiritual we do not have such limitations. Christ, the Messiah was manifested in the physical body of Jesus, but He was much greater than that body. Christ was never limited to a single physical body. He has always existed and will always exist and He can Manifest Himself whenever and however He chooses. None have the right to question His choice. However in His kindness to us He tells us how we can know.)
From the Gospel of John we read;
10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
10:2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
10:6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
10:12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
10:13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
10:15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
>>>>>>>>>> 
10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.
10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
10:30 I and my Father are one.
(The true sheep of Christ will recognize His voice wherever it comes from. They follow Him because they hear His voice. Many are the wolves in sheep’s clothing who try to lead the sheep astray, but they recognize the voice of their Lord and Saviour and the follow Him. Even though they are faced with calamity and death they will not turn away from their Lord. Even though all the earth becomes their enemy, they will gladly be slaughtered by an earthly army so they can go to their Heavenly Home. They have been given eternal life and they understand this temporary physical life is not important. They lay down their physical life with joy so they can be with the Good Shepherd.)
(In the last days (in which we are living) Christ is gathering all His sheep into One Fold. )
10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
(We are now witnessing the gathering of the sheep. People of diverse backgrounds, cultures and religions are being called by the Lord and Hear His Voice. Excitedly they tell others, and although the clouds of superstition, tradition, and false education obscure the light of the Revelation of God, once one  recognizes the source of the Light and Hears the Voice of the Lord, he or she cannot go back but must remain a part of that Great and Glorious Sheepfold.)