Tuesday, July 29, 2014

the most laudable of all acts.


O HUSAYN! God grant thou shalt ever be bright and radiant, beaming with the light of the Sun of Truth, and  mayest unloose thy tongue in magnifying the Name of God, which is the most laudable of all acts.

 

                (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 234)

1.   laud·a·ble   (ˈlôdəbəl/)

adjective

adjective: laudable

1.    (of an action, idea, or goal) deserving praise and commendation.

"laudable though the aim might be, the results have been criticized"

synonyms:

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Addition vs Subtraction


Celebrating 1,000 views.

I Started my fireside blog on 26th of October 2012 and as of today, July 27th, 2014 it has had 1,000 views. My more popular blog, the London World Peace Forum was started on June 6th 2011 and it would take a year to break the 1,000 views mark. Then, in July of 2012 it had 602 view followed by 1,996 in August that year. Currently, at time of writing, it stands at 19,607 views.

I made a post on the Peace Forum blog on July 3rd, 2012 that got a lot of attention. To date 2,047 people have viewed this post alone. I titled it “Addition vs Subtraction. I compared the Teachings of God to Mathematics and likened the rejection of God’s latest messenger to be the same as rejecting new concepts of math. The student that has just learned to add is now being asked to subtract and he wants nothing to do with it. There is an uprising among additionists as they try to squash the influence of subtraction, but the subtractionists explain that the full purpose of addition can never be realized without subtraction. I have repeated the argument below for your convenience.

 

Addition vs Subtraction

One and One is Two

Addition vs Subtraction

 

Additions argument:

I just love addition and I do not want to see it corrupted by subtraction. We all know from the very beginning of addition that one plus one is two. Now subtraction wants to confuse the issue by saying one minus one is zero. Tell subtraction to get a life. What good is zero? What do we do when there is nothing left? With addition we will always have more. Whatever we have we can add to it and get more. There is power in addition, but subtraction wants to take that away. If you love addition you will not allow subtraction make a negative impression on you. And if subtraction does take hold, what’s next? Multiplication, division or perhaps even fractions; we don’t need these. Addition serves all our needs. It gives and never takes away. Don’t let our pure methods of addition get corrupted with these new age ideas.

Subtractions argument:

Addition is good, but it doesn’t do everything. Addition is getting, but if we keep adding and never taking away, we will become bogged down in materialism.  Subtraction is giving and sharing. If I have ten apples and give five away, I still have five. Addition can’t do that. Without subtraction there would be no room for addition. Our storage facilities would be full and we would starve to death. Subtraction is necessary for live. If we have ten apples and we eat one, we have just subtracted. Yes, with addition we can get all we need, but we can’t use it without subtraction. If the additionalist would examine the principles of addition they would see it was just a first step leading to subtraction and beyond. Yes it will progress to multiplication, division and even fractions, but this is a fulfilment of addition and not a corruption.

It is plain to see that the Divine Teachers teach us what we are capable of learning at the time, but if we reject the Divine teachings of the present because they introduce new ideas that we are not familiar with and were not taught in the past, we lose big time. The new teachings do not negate the teachings of the past, but they add to it. It is not a denial of the past but a fulfillment of it. When we close our minds to the new ideas, we become handicap and the old ideas will no longer work for us. If we don’t learn to subtract, addition will lose its power and be of no use to us.

Moses brought the revelation of God to humanity in His age. He brought social and spiritual laws to help us live. Among them was the law of the Sabbath that was designed to give us humans a break and a day of rest. By the time Jesus appeared the followers of Moses had interpreted the law in such a manner that people became slaves to the law. Moses led the people out of slavery and Jesus found them in a new kind of slavery.

When Jesus introduced new spiritual and social concepts, He was rejected by the majority of the followers of Moses. When He explained that the law was made for man and not that man was made for the law, He was accused of blasphemy and corrupting the law of God. Have the followers of Jesus suffered for accepting His teachings? No, they went on to found great governments and establish kingdoms on earth. They did not reject the teachings of Moses, but added the teachings of Jesus to them. Many more became acquainted with the teachings of Moses through the efforts of the Christians and there was no harm whatsoever done to the law of Moses.

Again humanity progressed and became in need of new ideas and teachings. The people of the Arabic area were nomadic tribes living in a constant state of war. God sent Mohammad and the tribes were united into a great nation. The Muslim universities became renown over the world and even many Christian leaders were educated in these Muslim institutions. If you doubt the advantages of these new ideas, try balancing your bank account or filing your tax return using roman numerals. Our present number system and mathematics is an outcome of Muslim educational techniques.

Over the last few hundred years we have seen the world increasingly being ravaged by war. Each nation wanting to protect its way of life would rise up against anyone perceived to be a threat to its ideals.  Politics, religion and materialism all contributed to the greed of expanding territories and defeating the enemy. Christ’s injunction to “love your enemies” was forgotten as even one Christian ideology would rise up in war against another. At such a time, God’s twin Messengers, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh came with a message of love and unity.  Bahá’u’lláh annulled the rule of the sword and replaced it with the power of utterance. He says;

Know thou that We have annulled the rule of the sword, as an aid to Our Cause, and substituted for it the power born of the utterance of men. Thus have We irrevocably decreed, by virtue of Our grace. Say: O people! Sow not the seeds of discord among men, and refrain from contending with your neighbor, for your Lord hath committed the world and the cities thereof to the care of the kings of the earth, and made them the emblems of His own power, by virtue of the sovereignty He hath chosen to bestow upon them. He hath refused to reserve for Himself any share whatever of this world's dominion. To this He Who is Himself the Eternal Truth will testify. The things He hath reserved for Himself are the cities of men's hearts, that He may cleanse them from all earthly defilements, and enable them to draw nigh unto the hallowed Spot which the hands of the infidel can never profane. Open, O people, the city of the human heart with the key of your utterance. Thus have We, according to a pre-ordained measure, prescribed unto you your duty.

 

   (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 303, 304)

 

We see in the past how, despite insurmountable odds and extreme opposition, the law of God was established and human society was advanced. We also see that, without these new ideas, human society was doomed and its destruction would have resulted. Now, more than ever we see the destruction of the human race looming on one side while the revelation of God is rushing in on the other to save it. The world is waiting for the life giving Message that has been entrusted to those faithful followers who have recognized it. The veils must be rent asunder, the clouds dispersed and the hearts unlocked so the revelation of Glory may shine with its life giving rays on all of humanity.

Yes; many problems can be solved with addition, but we need subtraction, multiplication, division and many other aspects to solve all the problems. Even so, the past revelation of God was good and sufficient to solve the problems of the Day in which it was revealed, to solve the problems of today we need the current revelation of God and we must learn the rules and conditions of the future world order which is currently being established.

 
 

Monday, July 21, 2014

The religion of God is for love and unity


From KITAB-I-'AHD (Book of the Covenant), Bahá'u'lláh states.

O ye that dwell on earth! The religion of God is for love and unity; make it not the cause of enmity or dissension. In the eyes of men of insight and the beholders of the Most Sublime Vision, whatsoever are the effective means for safeguarding and promoting the happiness and welfare of the children of men have already been revealed by the Pen of Glory. But the foolish ones of the earth, being nurtured in evil passions and desires, have remained heedless of the consummate wisdom of Him Who is, in truth, the All-Wise, while their words and deeds are prompted by idle fancies and vain imaginings.

                (Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 220)

Many wars have been fought and often the opponents both  had the belief that God was on their side. As they attempted to rid the world of evil forces they forgot to ask God if it was what He wanted them to do.

Bahá'u'lláh makes it clear that the religion of God is for love and unity. Many people see God as a warring God that divides humanity against itself and inspires people toward hatred and strife. Many atheists cannot believe in such a God. A friend of mine would often tell such people that she did not believe in the God that they didn’t believe in either. She explained that, in order to not believe in God they must have some concept of God that they don’t believe in, and that concept of God she did not accept either.

The Religion of God, in its pure form, is a very powerful thing. Unfortunately, even watered down, it can be very powerful and have a great influence. Thus evil men have used the religion of God to promote their own interests. By watering down and distorting the facts they come up with a new religion that resembles Truth but promotes hatred and division.

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. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

    (Matthew 7:15-20)

Thus the wolf comes in sheep’s clothing intent on dispersing the flock and devouring the weak ones. If we remain united, the wolf does not have  chance, so he must first divide the flock and scatter it into sects, religions, cults and other divisions that will weaken the True religion. Be assured that if anyone is attempting to divide God’s sheep, he is not the True Shepherd. When we realize that all of Gods Messengers taught us to love, we will all embrace the Ancient Faith of God and be in unity.

Let your principal concern be to rescue the fallen from the slough of impending extinction, and to help him embrace the ancient Faith of God.

    (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 316)



Did you find something in your scriptures that caught your attention? Why not share it with us. Click on comments below to leave your comments.

Friday, July 18, 2014

Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord


For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.                (Matthew 23:39)

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Those who know the truth do not need to seek the truth but those who seek the Truth find the Truth. This common theme runs through all religion. Those who consider themselves learned and righteous feel they have no need of knowledge or forgiveness. Therefore they go on assured of salvation while despising the sinner. Yet, when one acknowledges sin and continues a lifelong search after Truth, he or she is rewarded abundantly.

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.     (Matthew 9:13)

Until we say “Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord,” we can in no wise recognize Him. This is evident throughout scripture. How many Priests, Rabbis, Mullahs, Ministers or clergy of any religion have failed to recognize the one sent by God when they came face to face with Him? This is repeated throughout history. Those who believe they have perfect knowledge feel they need no more and therefore reject the Word of God even if they meet Him in person. Yet the true seeker recognizes His voice even if he or she is hearing His words hundreds of years after they were revealed.

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: (John 10:26-27)

If we love the Lord, Our God, we thirst after His Knowledge while ever mindful of our own shortcomings. We love our neighbor and, desiring that he suffer no shame, we hide his deficiencies any praise his attributes, but for ourselves, we must scrutinized our lives and always be working on bringing it more in accordance with God’s Will. We have only one live to control and that is our own. If we do that in accordance with the will of God while intently listening for the Voice of God, we will hear Him calling us into the unity of the One Fold under the One Shepherd.

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)

Now we have a challenge set before us. Can we do as the Holy Spirit guides us? Will we follow the Spirit of Truth when he comes to us with All Truth? When we go forth in humbleness to accomplish that which God has ordained our reward is beyond our imagination. We are being watched from the Heavenly Realm and He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our capabilities and when He says to try He knows we can succeed even if we feel the task is impossible. Yes, we need to look at our own shortcomings, but only so we can correct ourselves and learn how to lead a more Godly life. If we use these shortcomings as an excuse to fail, then we are not relying on our Almighty God to see us through. He will aid us so long as we try. He will bring a passage of His word to our minds when we need it most if we but take the time to read His Word.

Let your principal concern be to rescue the fallen from the slough of impending extinction, and to help him embrace the ancient Faith of God. Your behavior towards your neighbor should be such as to manifest clearly    the signs of the one true God, for ye are the first among men to be re-created by His Spirit, the first to adore and bow the knee before Him, the first to circle round His throne of glory. I swear by Him Who hath caused Me to reveal whatever hath pleased Him! Ye are better known to the inmates of the Kingdom on high than ye are known to your own selves. Think ye these words to be vain and empty? Would that ye had the power to perceive the things your Lord, the All-Merciful, doth see -- things that attest the excellence of your rank, that bear witness to the greatness of your worth, that proclaim the sublimity of your station! God grant that your desires and unmortified passions may not hinder you from that which hath been ordained for you. (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 316 - 317)

Still there are some who doubt the Power of God. They see evil in the world and think that God has lost control. We find ourselves in difficulty and doubt that God can help us, however at such times we are taught to pray:

Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!  (The Báb, Baha'i Prayers, p. 27)

 

        He says, “all abide by His bidding.” It is hard for us to understand. He gives us free will and with that free will, we suffer the consequences of  the decisions we make, yet we are powerless to work outside of His will. He has perfect knowledge and therefore knew everything we would do even before He created us, so we wonder why. Why does He allow wars? Why does He allow little children to be abused? We cannot understand because we only see this earthly plain, but in His perfect Wisdom and Knowledge, He knows how much pain we need to correct our ways. We suffer when we turn away from Him and He allows that suffering in a measure that will help us to turn back to Him.

Many of us, with imperfect knowledge, would like to advise God and tell Him a better way of doing things, but He has perfect knowledge and knows what is best for us.

I can already hear the cry of the people. They will tell me that I don’t know what happened to themselves or their loved ones and how could I believe that was the will of God and I need to make clear that all that happens is not necessarily His will, but since it is His will to give us free will, we must also be allowed to suffer the consequences of our actions. Therefore, when people commit terrible acts there is terrible consequences. Many times innocent victims are hurt, but the recompense for their hurt will come. If not in this life time, it will surely come. Those who did the evil things will have to live with the knowledge of the results of what they did and they too will receive the recompense for their actions. And yet, we have a forgiving God. When we learn to be forgiving we will suffer much less.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (Matthew 6:12)

How are you feeling today? Let me know your thoughts. Leave a comment.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Qualifications of the Truly Learned


O foolish one! Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation, and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge, and soared in the atmosphere of My love, and cast away all else besides Me, and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance. He, verily, is even as an eye unto mankind, and as the spirit of life unto the body of all creation. Glorified be the All-Merciful Who hath enlightened him, and caused him to arise and serve His great and mighty Cause. Verily, such a man is blessed by the Concourse on high, and by them who dwell within the Tabernacle of Grandeur, who have quaffed My sealed Wine in My Name, the Omnipotent, the All-Powerful.

 

                (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 207, 208 )

This quote is  from a tablet written to Shaykh Muhammad Baqir. However I still wonder if the address, “O foolish one!” may also apply to myself.

“Know thou that he is truly learned who hath acknowledged My Revelation,”

I have acknowledged the Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, so am I truly learned? Wait! There is more conditions.

“and drunk from the Ocean of My knowledge,”

Well I’ve taken a few sips from this Ocean.

“and soared in the atmosphere of My love,”

I know Bahá'u'lláh loves us, but am I soaring in the atmosphere of His love?”

“and cast away all else besides Me,”

This is tough. I’m not sure I’ve done that. If I’ve cast away most other things, does that count?”

“and taken firm hold on that which hath been sent down from the Kingdom of My wondrous utterance.”

I am trying. I am desperately trying to grasp every word that comes from Bahá'u'lláh, but can I say I have taken firm hold of it?

The words of praise that Bahá'u'lláh has for the truly learned makes one long for such a position, and yet how unworthy we feel. And this for a good reason. The qualifications for the truly learned are tough. Is there anyone who can honestly say they have met all those qualifications? I wonder what qualifications there would be for the fifty percent learned.           

Thursday, July 3, 2014

What is the changeless commandment of God?


Question : What is the changeless commandment of God?

Indeed thou didst grasp the significance of rendering assistance unto God and didst arise to achieve this through the power of wisdom and utterance. Say: To assist Me is to teach My Cause. This is a theme with which whole Tablets are laden. This is the changeless commandment of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future. Comprehend this, O ye men of insight. They that have passed beyond the bounds of wisdom fail to understand the meaning of assisting God as set forth in the Book. Say: Fear ye God and sow not the seeds of dissension amongst men. Observe ye that which hath been enjoined upon you by your Lord, the Almighty, the All-Knowing. He knoweth the reality of victory and hath taught it to you with an utterance that the vain imaginings of them that rove distraught in the wilderness of doubt can never corrupt.

                (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 196)
Question. Why is the changeless commandment of God to teach His Cause?
Say: If it be Our pleasure We shall render the Cause victorious through the power of a single word from Our presence. He is in truth the Omnipotent, the All-Compelling. Should it be God's intention, there would appear out of the forests of celestial might the lion of indomitable strength whose roaring is like unto the peals of thunder reverberating in the mountains. However, since Our loving providence surpasseth all things, We have ordained that complete victory should be achieved through speech and utterance, that Our servants throughout the earth may thereby become the recipients of divine good. This is but a token of God's bounty vouchsafed unto them. Verily thy Lord is the All-Sufficing, the Most Exalted.
    (Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 197)