God has set the stage, wrote the play and set the wage.
We as actors now need to play our part. Will the
play go on without us? Do you really want to know?
How will life be for you without a wage?
(from the book Lord of Lords)
Bahá'u'lláh repeatedly declares the supreme blessings of this great Day of the Lord:
Seize your chance... inasmuch as a fleeting moment in this Day excelleth centuries of a bygone age... Neither sun nor moon hath witnessed a day such as this... It is evident that every age in which a Manifestation of God hath lived is divinely ordained and may, in a sense, be characterized as God's appointed Day. This Day, however, is unique and is to be distinguished from those that have preceded it.
The excellence of this Day is immensely exalted above the comprehension of men, however extensive their knowledge, however profound their understanding... Shouldst thou rend asunder the grievous veil that blindeth thy vision, thou wouldst behold such a bounty as naught, from the beginning that hath no beginning till the end that hath no end, can either resemble or equal.
We have been moved to reveal these words in consideration of the weakness and frailty of men; otherwise, the Cause We have proclaimed is such as no pen can ever describe, nor any mind conceive its greatness.
This is the Day that hath been illumined by the splendors of the light of Our countenance - the Day around which all days and nights circle in adoration. Blessed is the man of insight who hath perceived, and the sore athirst who hath quaffed from this luminous Fountain. Blessed the man who acknowledgeth the truth, earnestly striving to serve the Cause of his Lord, the Powerful, the Almighty.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Free Will
(taken from the book Lord of Lords)
God is All-Powerful, but He does not compel us to submission:
God's it is to show the way... If He willed, He would have guided you all together. Qur'an 16:9 A
Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause...
- The Báb
God changes not what is in people, until they change what is in themselves.
- Qur'an 13:11 A
Our sincere efforts, like a magnifying glass, attract the grace of God. When those two forces - efforts and grace - meet, they release a power that can transform our darksome planet into paradise.
For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient
unto you. - Bahá'u'lláh
Human destiny is not predetermined but fluid. In one of His prayers, Bahá'u'lláh states that the course of events lies in God's hand, but their direction can be altered:
I testify that within Thy grasp are held the reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou pleasest.
The prophecies that involve human intervention serve several purposes:
. They demonstrate that we are partners with God in carrying out His plan.
. They indicate that human destiny is not predeteimined but fluid, that we can make choices, that we can change the course of history, and that we will at last harvest the fruits of our labors.
They give us hope and a reasonable goal.
They test the depths and purity of our faith, if there is any delay in the fulfillment of such prophecies.
Thus, whenever we deal with the fulfillment of prophecies that require human action, we should recognize our accountability. We should remember that we have the power to exert some influence on the course of history and the realization of God's promises. This gives us one more reason to be grateful and to rejoice that we are living in this glorious day of the Lord. This gives us one more reason for celebrating the opportunities we have. Never again may we be able to make so much difference. Every human being on our planet has the power to become an instrument for the fulfillment of God's ancient prophecies and promises for which people have waited and prayed for thousands of years. Can any honor be greater? Can any blessing transcend this?
God is All-Powerful, but He does not compel us to submission:
God's it is to show the way... If He willed, He would have guided you all together. Qur'an 16:9 A
Should it be Our wish, it is in Our power to compel, through the agency of but one letter of Our Revelation, the world and all that is therein to recognize, in less than the twinkling of an eye, the truth of Our Cause...
- The Báb
God changes not what is in people, until they change what is in themselves.
- Qur'an 13:11 A
Our sincere efforts, like a magnifying glass, attract the grace of God. When those two forces - efforts and grace - meet, they release a power that can transform our darksome planet into paradise.
For results depend upon means, and the grace of God shall be all-sufficient
unto you. - Bahá'u'lláh
Human destiny is not predetermined but fluid. In one of His prayers, Bahá'u'lláh states that the course of events lies in God's hand, but their direction can be altered:
I testify that within Thy grasp are held the reins of all things. Thou changest them as Thou pleasest.
The prophecies that involve human intervention serve several purposes:
. They demonstrate that we are partners with God in carrying out His plan.
. They indicate that human destiny is not predeteimined but fluid, that we can make choices, that we can change the course of history, and that we will at last harvest the fruits of our labors.
They give us hope and a reasonable goal.
They test the depths and purity of our faith, if there is any delay in the fulfillment of such prophecies.
Thus, whenever we deal with the fulfillment of prophecies that require human action, we should recognize our accountability. We should remember that we have the power to exert some influence on the course of history and the realization of God's promises. This gives us one more reason to be grateful and to rejoice that we are living in this glorious day of the Lord. This gives us one more reason for celebrating the opportunities we have. Never again may we be able to make so much difference. Every human being on our planet has the power to become an instrument for the fulfillment of God's ancient prophecies and promises for which people have waited and prayed for thousands of years. Can any honor be greater? Can any blessing transcend this?
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