Little Star 'quoting from Baha’i, but this is what my spirit calls me to share to what you have said, for I think that we yearn for the truth it speaks to:
“The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other. Thus hath it been decreed by Him Who is the Source of Divine inspiration.
They whom God hath endued with insight will readily recognize that the precepts laid down by God constitute the highest means for the maintenance of order in the world and the security of its peoples. He that turneth away from them, is accounted among the abject and foolish. We, verily, have commanded you to refuse the dictates of your evil passions and corrupt desires, and not to transgress the bounds which the Pen of the Most High hath fixed, for these are the breath of life unto all created things. The seas of Divine wisdom and divine utterance have risen under the breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful. Hasten to drink your fill, O men of understanding! They that have violated the Covenant of God by breaking His commandments, and have turned back on their heels, these have erred grievously in the sight of God, the All-Possessing, the Most High.”
I hope this isn’t too much from an unfamiliar source to you. Thank you for all of your good and thoughtful comments. You are right on. God bless you, and keep your Faith, please. Pay no mind to those who argue with you and don’t appreciate the depth of your understanding. You lift my heart.
Thank you so much for your kind words. You lift my heart as well. I find great wisdom in the direction given in by the text you quoted. I do have some familiarity with your faith. There was an American singing group that wrote and performed very lovely songs about your faith., Seals and Crofts. Two of their songs were “Summer Breeze” and “Humming Bird Don’t Fly Away”. I also had a close friend in college, an Iranian, that grew up in India. that was of your faith.
While I am a Christian, I see a bit more in Jesus’ teachings than most Christians. First, he is our friend if we so desire. Second, he will guide us to the place within us where God resides as part of us, to a strengthen our ability to live our lives with greater wisdom, patience, and love than we can do on our own. We are to seek this, and live from that place, not just pray and read the Bible.
Please don’t think I am saying it requires a special knowledge or for one to call themselves a Christian. If you believe in God and love God and seek God, you will find Him inside of you. The main requirement, and God could not have made this any clearer, is that you love each other and Him. Now, I was never taught about going within to find God in church and church always left me feeling a bit empty. This was something that came to me when I was a child.
I do believe Jesus is the Son of God. I do believe that we are all God’s children just as Jesus said we were. I do believe that if you believe he was the Son of God and that He and the Father are one, and that He died for your sins, you have a tough road to walk if you want to truly be a Christian. If this was not part of the faith that your soul was born into, God finds a way to bring you home.
I believe that anyone that seeks to walk with God, seeks to know Him intimately, is seeking after what Christians call the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to call the giver of that peace by that name or even acknowledge or understand that this aspect of living is there. You just have to seek it. We are what we are. Seeking it, and living it, and loving God and your fellow man is all that is necessary. It is Truth. God gives all access to the Truth.
I believe in a just God that will not condemn His children just because their souls were born in a faith that calls Him by a different name or describes Him in terms that are the same as what Jesus taught, but worded in a way that reaches the people within that culture. He wants obedient and loving children no matter what they call themselves and He will hold you to Himself as long as you seek Him and love Him and each other.
God is quite clear on the reasons why He will obliterate a people. I have not read anything in the Bible where He says, you gotta call yourself this or that. He says “Know that I am God.” Jesus said that he was the truth and the light and through him we come before God. I truly believe he was talking about how we are to live and treat each other and seek God within. If you are seeking to know God in your heart, and to walk with Him, you are seeking friendship with His Son, even if you don’t say or know that is what you are doing. Any other conclusion is ludicrous.
I frankly don’t worry if some Christians think I am wrong minded in believing this way. God is my judge and I worry that I am in His favor, not that of man. When I was a younger woman there was a Muslim that I would pass everyday going to and from work who was praying to God. The sight of him doing this on the street gave me much peace and a sense of joy. His daily presence in my life was a blessing and he didn’t even know it.
Oops, did a bit of preaching again. I really don’t mean to do that. I just love Him so very much I could go on and on and on. I feel His love when I speak of Him.
