Saturday, November 5, 2011

More reasons I am a Baha'i


Because Baha'u'llah is the One promised by Jesus Christ in the Gospels.

Because the explanations of the Bible in the Baha'i Writings ring true, are sound, are exalted, and are the only explanations that make sense to me:
Proofs from the Book of Daniel

Explanations of the Revelation of St. John, here and here.

Because Baha'u'llah is none less than the Return of Jesus Christ Himself, as explained here, here and here.

Because Baha'u'llah is the Promised One of all religions, as He states here


Because the Baha'i Scriptures summon to holiness

Because the Baha'i prayers unfailingly put me in touch with my Lord and with my own highest inner self

Because the Baha'i Faith gives me an unfailing path of service -- the fulfillment of my deepest desires to be of service to humanity, to contribute to real justice in this world, to the fulfillment of self-knowledge.  

I urge you to read the links I've suggested, and the books from which they come.  Contact the local Baha'is in your area, and tell them you want to participate in institute courses; they will bring you to sessions for the study of the Baha'i Writings.

Brent

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Because The Baha'i Faith Fulfills Bible Prophecies



Open the doors of your hearts. He Who is the Spirit [Jesus Christ] verily standeth before them.
(Baha'u'llah, Tablet to the Christians)


~ ~ ~

I was raised Catholic.  While I was deeply attracted to the beauty and efficacy of the Baha'i Teachings, I needed to know that it was related to the God I knew from my upbringing.

Among the many explanations of Baha'u'llah's fulfilment of Bible prophecy are these:

The Baha'i Faith fulfills the date prophecies in the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation.  He also fulfills prophecies in the Book of Isaiah

The Baha'i explanation of the Return of Christ promised in the Gospels is unparalleled, and Baha'u'llah explains that He is the Return of Christ here and here.  An entire book is dedicated to compiling Baha'u'llah's Proclamation to the world's religious and worldly leaders.


Baha'u'llah, whose name means "The Glory of God" or "The Splendor of God" fulfills Isaiah's promise that He will come to Mount Carmel.  Baha'u'llah quotes the verse from the Book of Isaiah:

Isaiah saith: "The Lord alone shall be exalted in that Day." Concerning the greatness of the Revelation He saith: "Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty." And in another connection He saith: "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God."
     These passages stand in need of no commentary. They are shining and manifest as the sun, and glowing and luminous as light itself. Every fair-minded person is led, by the fragrance of these words, unto the garden of understanding, and attaineth unto that from which most men are veiled and debarred. Say: Fear God, O people, and follow not the doubts of such as shout aloud, who have broken the Covenant of God and His Testament, and denied His mercy that hath preceded all that are in the heavens and all that are on earth."


Baha'u'llah wrote:


O kings of Christendom! Heard ye not the saying of Jesus, the Spirit of God, "I go away, and come again unto you"?  Wherefore, then, did ye fail, when He did come again unto you in the clouds of heaven, to draw nigh unto Him, that ye might behold His face, and be of them that attained His Presence? In another passage He saith: "When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth."  And yet behold how, when He did bring the truth, ye refused to turn your faces towards Him, and persisted in disporting yourselves with your pastimes and fancies. Ye welcomed Him not, neither did ye seek His Presence, that ye might hear the verses of God from His own mouth, and partake of the manifold wisdom of the Almighty, the All-Glorious, the All-Wise.(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)



Baha'u'llah addressed Pope Pius IX in these words:


O Pope! Rend the veils asunder. He Who is the Lord of Lords is come overshadowed with clouds, and the decree hath been fulfilled by God, the Almighty, the Unrestrained. Dispel the mists through the power of thy Lord, and ascend unto the Kingdom of His names and attributes. Thus hath the Pen of the Most High commanded thee at the behest of thy Lord, the Almighty, the All-Compelling. He, verily, hath again come down from Heaven even as He came down from it the first time. Beware that thou dispute not with Him even as the Pharisees disputed with Him without a clear token or proof. On His right hand flow the living waters of grace, and on His left the choice Wine of justice, whilst before Him march the angels of Paradise, bearing the banners of His signs. Beware lest any name debar thee from God, the Creator of earth and heaven. Leave thou the world behind thee, and turn towards thy Lord, through Whom the whole earth hath been illumined.
     We have adorned the Kingdom with the ornament of Our name, the All-Glorious.

(Baha'u'llah, The Summons of the Lord of Hosts)

Here, Baha'u'llah refers to Christ's promise in Revelation 3:12 that He will return with a "new name."  In that verse, Jesus links His own new name to the City of God, the "New Jerusalem" that comes down out of heaven from God.  In Revelation 21:10-11, John sees that Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, "having the glory of God."  "The Glory of God" is Baha'u'llah's name--Baha'u'llah is Arabic for "The Glory of God" or "The Splendor of God."




Saturday, August 28, 2010

1. Because of the Baha'i Prayers

There are many reasons why I am a Baha'i, and I am going to post them day by day.  The first of these is PRAYER.  While I also compose my own prayers, I cannot imagine going through life without the Baha'i prayers.  These revealed prayers uplift me, they give me purpose, they clarify my sight, they are a path to forgiveness, they put me in touch with the realities of life. They give voice to my heart in ways I would be incapable of expressing.

Here are a few brief excerpts from some of the Baha'i prayers, with links to their full text. At the bottom of this posting are links to view the Baha'i prayerbooks online, or to download them as Word or PDF files.  I urge you to with your whole heart, and to observe your inner condition before saying them, and after.  These are selected at random and are really an unworthy sampling of the grandeur, power and beauty of the Baha'i prayers.

Prayers to be guided to divine Truth

Hold Thou the hand of this seeker who hath set his face towards Thee, O my Lord, and draw him out of the depths of his vain imaginations, that the light of certainty may shine brightly above the horizon of his heart …
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah XXXVIII, p. 53)



Keep safe Thy servants and Thy handmaidens, O my Lord, from the darts of idle fancy and vain imaginings, and give them from the hands of Thy grace a draught* of the soft-flowing waters of Thy knowledge.
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah XLIX, p. 72)
[* this is the British spelling of the word and it is pronounced “draft”]


Prayer for world peace

O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony. O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind. O God! Establish the Most Great Peace.
(Baha'i Prayers, p. 102)


Prayer for children

O God! Educate these children. These children are the plants of Thine orchard, the flowers of Thy meadow, the roses of Thy garden. Let Thy rain fall upon them; let the Sun of Reality shine upon them with Thy love. Let Thy breeze refresh them in order that they may be trained, grow and develop, and appear in the utmost beauty. Thou art the Giver. Thou art the Compassionate.
(Baha'i Prayers, p. 34)
Benches and gardens around the Ridvan Garden
Copyright © 2006, Baha'i International Community
Used with permission

Prayer for parents

O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou dost accept the intercession of children in behalf of their parents. This is one of the special infinite bestowals of this Dispensation....
(Baha'i Prayers, p. 63)


Prayer for a departed woman

  O Lord, O Thou Whose mercy hath encompassed all, Whose forgiveness is transcendent, Whose bounty is sublime, Whose pardon and generosity are all-embracing, and the lights of Whose forgiveness are diffused throughout the world! O Lord of glory! I entreat Thee, fervently and tearfully, to cast upon Thy handmaiden who hath ascended unto Thee the glances of the eye of Thy mercy. Robe her in the mantle of Thy grace, bright with the ornaments of the celestial Paradise, and, sheltering her beneath the tree of Thy oneness, illumine her face with the lights of Thy mercy and compassion. Bestow upon Thy heavenly handmaiden, O God, the holy fragrances born of the spirit of Thy forgiveness. Cause her to dwell in a blissful abode, heal her griefs with the balm of Thy reunion, and, in accordance with Thy will, grant her admission to Thy holy Paradise. Let the angels of Thy loving kindness descend successively upon her, and shelter her beneath Thy blessed Tree. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful.  (`Abdu'l-Baha)


Prayer in time of great difficulty
O God, my God! Be Thou not far from me, for tribulation upon tribulation hath gathered about me. O God, my God! Leave me not to myself, for the extreme of adversity hath come upon me. Out of the pure milk, drawn from the breasts of Thy loving-kindness, give me to drink, for my thirst hath utterly consumed me. Beneath the shadow of the wings of Thy mercy shelter me, for all mine adversaries with one consent have fallen upon me. Keep me near to the throne of Thy majesty, face to face with the revelation of the signs of Thy glory, for wretchedness hath grievously touched me. With the fruits of the Tree of Thine Eternity nourish me, for uttermost weakness hath overtaken me. From the cups of joy, proffered by the hands of Thy tender mercies, feed me, for manifold sorrows have laid mighty hold upon me. With the broidered robe of Thine omnipotent sovereignty attire me, for poverty hath altogether despoiled me. Lulled by the cooing of the Dove of Thine Eternity, suffer me to sleep, for woes at their blackest have befallen me. Before the throne of Thy oneness, amid the blaze of the beauty of Thy countenance, cause me to abide, for fear and trembling have violently crushed me. Beneath the ocean of Thy forgiveness, faced with the restlessness of the leviathan of glory, immerse me, for my sins have utterly doomed me.
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah CXLV, p. 234)
Olive trees in the gardens around the Shrine of Baha'u'llah
Copyright © 2006, Baha'i International Community
Used with permission

Prayer of Gratitude
I yield Thee such thanks as can cause Thee to forgive all sins and trespasses, and to fulfill the needs of the peoples of all religions, and to waft the fragrances of pardon over the entire creation. I yield Thee such thanks as can enable them that recognize Thy unity to scale the heights of Thy love, and cause such as are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the Paradise of Thy presence. I yield Thee such thanks as can satisfy the wants of all such as seek Thee, and realize the aims of them that have recognized Thee. I yield Thee such thanks as can blot out from the hearts of men all suggestions of limitations, and inscribe the signs of Thy unity. I yield Thee such thanks as that with which Thou didst from eternity glorify Thine own Self, and didst exalt it above all peers, rivals, and comparisons, O Thou in Whose hands are the heavens of grace and of bounty, and the kingdoms of glory and of majesty!
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah CLXXXIV, p. 331)


Prayer for Forgiveness

The Ninth Glad Tidings
When the sinner findeth himself wholly detached and freed from all save God, he should beg forgiveness and pardon from Him. Confession of sins and transgressions before human beings is not permissible, as it hath never been nor will ever be conducive to divine forgiveness. Moreover such confession before people results in one's humiliation and abasement, and God -- exalted be His glory -- wisheth not the humiliation of His servants. Verily He is the Compassionate, the Merciful. The sinner should, between himself and God, implore mercy from the Ocean of mercy, beg forgiveness from the Heaven of generosity and say:
    O God, my God! I implore Thee by the blood of Thy true lovers who were so enraptured by Thy sweet utterance that they hastened unto the Pinnacle of Glory, the site of the most glorious martyrdom, and I beseech Thee by the mysteries which lie enshrined in Thy knowledge and by the pearls that are treasured in the ocean of Thy bounty to grant forgiveness unto me and unto my father and my mother. Of those who show forth mercy, Thou art in truth the Most Merciful. No God is there but Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
    O Lord! Thou seest this essence of sinfulness turning unto the ocean of Thy favour and this feeble one seeking the kingdom of Thy divine power and this poor creature inclining himself towards the day-star of Thy wealth. By Thy mercy and Thy grace, disappoint him not, O Lord, nor debar him from the revelations of Thy bounty in Thy days, nor cast him away from Thy door which Thou hast opened wide to all that dwell in Thy heaven and on Thine earth.
    Alas! Alas! My sins have prevented me from approaching the Court of Thy holiness and my trespasses have caused me to stray far from the Tabernacle of Thy majesty. I have committed that which Thou didst forbid me to do and have put away what Thou didst order me to observe.
    I pray Thee by Him Who is the sovereign Lord of Names to write down for me with the Pen of Thy bounty that which will enable me to draw nigh unto Thee and will purge me from my trespasses which have intervened between me and Thy forgiveness and Thy pardon.
    Verily, Thou art the Potent, the Bountiful. No God is there but Thee, the Mighty, the Gracious.
(The Tablet of Glad-Tidings, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 24)


Prayer for divine service:

Make me ready, in all circumstances, O my Lord, to serve Thee and to set myself towards the adored sanctuary of Thy Revelation and of Thy Beauty. If it be Thy pleasure, make me to grow as a tender herb in the meadows of Thy grace, that the gentle winds of Thy will may stir me up and bend me into conformity with Thy pleasure, in such wise that my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee.
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah CL, p. 240)


Prayer seeing the beauty of God's attributes in nature
I am well aware, O my Lord, that I have been so carried away by the clear tokens of Thy loving-kindness, and so completely inebriated with the wine of Thine utterance, that whatever I behold I readily discover that it maketh Thee known unto me, and it remindeth me of Thy signs, and of Thy tokens, and of Thy testimonies. By Thy glory! Every time I lift up mine eyes unto Thy heaven, I call to mind Thy highness and Thy loftiness, and Thine incomparable glory and greatness; and every time I turn my gaze to Thine earth, I am made to recognize the evidences of Thy power and the tokens of Thy bounty. And when I behold the sea, I find that it speaketh to me of Thy majesty, and of the potency of Thy might, and of Thy sovereignty and Thy grandeur. And at whatever time I contemplate the mountains, I am led to discover the ensigns of Thy victory and the standards of Thine omnipotence.
    I swear by Thy might, O Thou in Whose grasp are the reins of all mankind, and the destinies of the nations! I am so inflamed by my love for Thee, and so inebriated with the wine of Thy oneness, that I can hear from the whisper of the winds the sound of Thy glorification and praise, and can recognize in the murmur of the waters the voice that proclaimeth Thy virtues and Thine attributes, and can apprehend from the rustling of the leaves the mysteries that have been irrevocably ordained by Thee in Thy realm.
    Glorified art Thou, O God of all names and Creator of the heavens! I render Thee thanks that Thou hast made known unto Thy servants this Day whereon the river that is life indeed hath flowed forth from the fingers of Thy bounty, and the springtime of Thy revelation and Thy presence hath appeared through Thy manifestation unto all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.
    This is the Day, O my Lord, whose brightness Thou hast exalted above the brightness of the sun and the splendors thereof. I testify that the light it sheddeth proceedeth out of the glory of the light of Thy countenance, and is begotten by the radiance of the morn of Thy Revelation. This is the Day whereon the hopeless have been clothed with the raiment of confidence, and the sick attired with the robe of healing, and the poor drawn nigh unto the ocean of Thy riches.
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah CLXXVI, p. 271)


Prayer of recognition of the Promised One of All Religions

Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes and the eyes of all them that have sought Thee, that we may recognize Thee with Thine own eyes. This is Thy bidding given us in the Book sent down by Thee unto Him Whom Thou hast chosen by Thy behest, Whom Thou hast singled out for Thy favor above all Thy creatures, Whom Thou hast been pleased to invest with Thy sovereignty, and Whom Thou hast specially favored and entrusted with Thy Message unto Thy people. Praised be Thou, therefore, O my God, inasmuch as Thou hast graciously enabled us to recognize Him and to acknowledge whatsoever hath been sent down unto Him, and conferred upon us the honor of attaining the presence of the One Whom Thou didst promise in Thy Book and in Thy Tablets.
(Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah LVI, p. 80)



You can read the full text of these prayers here or download the Baha'i Prayerbook here, or the full text of Baha'u'llah's Prayers and Meditations here.

I suggest that these prayers will make a difference in your life, however you understand and relate to your Creator