Osama Bin Laden is Dead

As an American, I join in with the rest of the country in breathing a collective sigh of relief in knowing that Osama Bin Laden has been removed from the world stage, and I applaud the obviously successful efforts of our (American-born) Commader-In-Chief (who has had a very good week, by the way) and the amazing soldiers who executed a virtually flawless raid on Bin Laden's Pakistani mansion/compound. I wish it hadn't taken so long to find him, especially since he has obviously been hiding in plain sight, and I regret that we are still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan...but at least he's gone, and at least it happened before the up-coming 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Being as patriotic as the next guy, I was moved by the spontaneous celebrations that broke out at the White House and in Times Square and at Ground Zero last night, and I certainly don't want to be insensitive to the pain of the families who lost loved ones on that horrible September morning a decade ago...families that will never have full closure from the attrocities of that day, no matter who is assassinated...but I am sober today. Relieved? Yes. Happy? Not really...at least not totally...

Just yesterday I preached on "The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness", and how we live in such an unkind world...people killing one another...hating one another. Even though what was done in Pakistan in the last few hours apparently had to be done, I can't in good conscience really rejoice in the death of anyone, no matter how evil they are. Am I glad he's gone? No doubt about it. I'm glad to know that we don't have to dread another of his videos coming out that shows he's still alive and still a threat to our safety. But I am grieved that we live in a world where this kind of thing still has to happen at all.

The President gave a short but brilliant speech last night, in which he pointed out that Osama Bin Laden does not represent Islam, and he's right about that. In fact, Bin Laden has killed more Muslims than he has any other group. But where my mind is today is that the real enemy is not Osama Bin Laden or any other person, for that matter...it's religious fundamentalism.

Fundamentalism kills...be it Muslim or Christian or that of any other religious persuasion. The Crusades, The Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust, the violence between Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, the Ku Klux Klan, the Taliban, etc...it's all about religious intolerance that stems from fundamentalist interpretations of holy writ.

Today I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud of our President and of our troops. I love this country, and I want it to be safe. But I'm really, really tired of religious fundamentalism, and all the hatred and death that it inevitably causes.

Terrorism happens every day in the name of religion...believe me, I know of what I speak.

Just wanted to share some thoughts.

Love never fails...

The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness...

God bless America...

INTERCESSION IN THE NOW!

Hey bloggers,

This post started out many hours ago as just one word - INTERCESSION. But the anointing for prayer on me today has caused it to evolve into a labor of love, and into something that I think is very important right now, for many reasons. It's very lengthy, and at the time of this addition there are 8 comments already posted; but I'm going to leave it here through tomorrow (which is Body Builders day, by the way), and I would like to get a lot of feedback on it. Please take the time to read it over the next couple of days, and add your AMEN if you are on the page with me...and feel free to add your own personal prayer requests. Let us pray...

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. (I Timothy 2:1-6 – TNIV)

___________________________________


Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they prosper who love you [the Holy City]!

(Psalms 122:6 – AMP)

We pray for the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and for many on both sides who are broken and anxious in body, mind and spirit. We pray for a political solution in Israel and Palestine based on truth and justice...for mutual recognition of Palestinians and Israelis, and for reconciliation between the two peoples. We pray for Israelis and Palestinians, and especially their leaders, for a new determination to build bridges of hope rather than fortresses of dogma. We pray for peace activists who courageously stand against injustice, terrorism and human rights violations...for openness and mutual respect among all the Children of Abraham...
Christians, Jews and Muslims. We pray that people all over the world may encourage the people of the Holy Land to make peace.

In the Name of Jesus, the Prince of Peace

_________________________________________


Don't read more into this part than is my intention...
I absolutely believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that every tongue will eventually believe and confess that, as well, as every knee eventually bows to him in worship ("All the earth shall worship You..." - Psalms 66:4). I believe that as He was lifted up on the cross, He began the process of drawing all peoples to Himself, and that His Spirit will be poured out on all humanity. But in light of what I said about the religions of the world this past Sunday, and because of what is in my spirit today about intercession, I want to post these prayers for peace from various religions (in alphabetical order). I pray that you will hear me by the Spirit, and that you will agree with me today in prayer for our world...

BAHA'I PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.Be fair in thy judgement, and guarded in thy speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

BUDDHIST PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...May all beings everywhere plagued with sufferings of body and mind quickly be freed from their illnesses.May those frightened cease to be afraid, and may those bound be free. May the powerless find power, and may people think of befriending one another. May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wildernesses— the children, the aged, the unprotected---be guarded by beneficent celestials, and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

CHRISTIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be known as the Children of God. But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from those who take away your cloak, do not withhold your coat as well. Give to everyone who begs from you, and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them again. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

HINDU PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Oh God, lead us from the unreal to the Real. Oh God, lead us from darkness to light. Oh God, lead us from death to immortality. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti unto all. Oh Lord God almighty, may there be peace in celestial regions. May there be peace on earth. May the waters be appeasing. May herbs be wholesome, and may trees and plants bring peace to all. May all beneficent beings bring peace to us. May thy Vedic Law propagate peace all through the world. May all things be a source of peace to us. And may thy peace itself, bestow peace on all, and may that peace come to me also.

JAINIST PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Peace and Universal Love is the essence of the Gospel preached by all the Enlightened Ones.The Lord has preached that equanimity is the Dharma. Forgive do I creatures all, and let all creatures forgive me. Unto all have I amity, and unto none enmity. Know that violence is the root cause of all miseries in the world. Violence, in fact, is the knot of bondage.
"Do not injure any living being." This is the eternal, perennial, and unalterable way of spiritual life. A weapon howsoever powerful it may be, can always be superseded by a superior one; but no weapon can, however, be superior to non-violence and love.

JEWISH PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
that we may walk the paths of the Most High. And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation — neither shall they learn war any more. And none shall be afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.

MUSLIM PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...In the name of Allah, the beneficent, the merciful. Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, that we may know each other, not that we may despise each other. If the enemy incline towards peace, do thou also incline towards peace, and trust in God, for the Lord is the one that heareth and knoweth all things. And the servants of God, Most Gracious are those who walk on the Earth in humility, and when we address them, we say "PEACE."

NATIVE AFRICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Almighty God, the Great Thumb we cannot evade to tie any knot; the Roaring Thunder that splits mighty trees: the all-seeing Lord up on high who sees even the footprints of an antelope on a rockmass here on Earth. You are the one who does not hesitate to respond to our call. You are the cornerstone of peace.

NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things you provide for us on this Earth.

SHINTO PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...Although the people living across the ocean surrounding us, I believe, are all our brothers and sisters,
why are there constant troubles in this world? Why do winds and waves rise in the ocean surrounding us? I only earnestly wish that the wind will soon puff away
all the clouds which are hanging over the tops of the mountains.

SIKH PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...God adjudges us according to our deeds, not the coat that we wear: that Truth is above everything, but higher still is truthful living. Know that we attaineth God when we loveth, and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated. Know that we attain God when we love, and only that victory endures in consequence of which no one is defeated.

SUFI PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...O Almighty Sun, whose light clears away all clouds, We take refuge in you. Guide of all people, God of all deities, Lord of all angels, We pray you to dispel the mists of illusion from the hearts of the nations And lift their lives by your all-sufficient power, Your ever shining light, your everlasting life, Your heavenly joy and your perfect peace.

ZOROASTRIAN PRAYER FOR PEACE...
...We pray to God to eradicate all the misery in the world: that understanding triumph over ignorance, that generosity triumph over indifference, that trust triumph over contempt, and that truth triumph over falsehood.



THE ULTIMATE PRAYER FOR PEACE
John, Chapter 17 (John In The Now)

1. After Jesus had finished speaking to his disciples, He looked up toward the infinite sky and said, “Father, the time has come for You to bring glory to Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You.
2. “You have granted Him full authority over all the people of the earth, and You have given them to Him so that He might give them all eternal life.
3. “And this fulfills the purpose of eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the manifestation of Your physical presence on the earth.
4. “I brought glory to You in this dimension by doing everything that You told Me to do.
5. “And now, Father, bring Me back into the eternal now, so that I may exist in the glory that We shared before the world began.
6. “I have told these men who have followed Me all about You. Their perception was limited, having been shaped by the current world’s system, but You gave them to Me and now they have been freed from the smallness of their previous mindset by obeying Your word.
7. “They know that everything that I have came from You.
8. “I just told them exactly what You told Me, and it convinced them that I came from You and that You sent Me here.
9. “Right now I am not praying for the whole world, but for those whom You have given to be My followers, because they know that they belong to You.
10. “All that I have is Yours, and all that You have is mine, and the glory of that connection has now included them in its manifestation.
11. “I will no longer remain in this dimension or in this physical incarnation, but they are still in the physical realm of space and time. I am returning to the eternal now to be reintegrated with and in You, but I pray, Holy Father, that You keep through Your name those whom You have given Me. I pray that, even though they continue to live and move in the physical world, they will be able to transcend its finite limitations and be one with each other, even as We are.
12. “While I was with them in the physical world, I kept them safe and intact in Your name. I carefully guarded them, and not one of them was lost to My circle of influence, except for that one who just seemed bent on destruction. But his rebellion only served to fulfill the Scriptures.
13. “I am on My way back into the eternal now, but I want to say these things while I am still in this physical incarnation. If I say these things as the Son of Man, it will make it possible for them to also say these kinds of things, so that they can know the joy of being manifested as Sons of God.
14. “I have told them Your message, but they are hated by those mental prisoners of the world-system, because they don’t belong to that system in any way, just as I don’t.
15. “Father, I don’t ask that you take My followers out of the world, because it would defeat the entire purpose of My coming here if You should allow them to become escapists. I only pray that they be kept safe from the phantom menace.
16. “They are misfits in this world – strangers to its present mindset – just like Me.
17. “So let them find shelter in the truth of Your word; it is the only place where they can live now that they have been with Me.
18. “As You sent Me into this dimension, I am sending them into it – into the fullness of it.
19. “I have given Myself completely for their sake – becoming absolutely absorbed into them – so that they may become absolutely absorbed into the truth.
20. “But I do not pray for these alone…these who know Me as I am, here and now. But I pray for those everywhere and in every dimension of time, including those in the future, who will ultimately believe in Me through their witness and their word.
21. “And I pray that they all may be one in the now...all around this world of yours, not just the ones here in this time and place. Make them all one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You. Integrate them as You and I are integrated – unified, in harmony, inseparable.
22. “I have actually given them the glory that You gave Me, so that it would be possible for them to be one, even as We are.
23. “I have become one with them in the same way that You are one with Me, so that they may become completely one. This unification – this melding and merging of separate entities into a perfect oneness – is the thing that will ultimately show the whole world that You sent Me. They will all see that You love My followers as much as You love Me.
24. “Father, I truly want everyone You have given Me to be with Me…wherever I am…so that they will see, first-hand, the glory that You have given Me because You loved Me in the now…before the world of space and time was created.
25. “Righteous Father, the people of the world at large don’t know the real You, but I know You, and now the ones who have followed Me know that You sent Me.
26. “And I have revealed You to them and will continue to reveal You through the coming manifestation of the Holy Spirit. I am committed to continuing this revelation so that your love for Me may be in them and that I, Myself, may be in them, as well.”

___________________________________


Touch the screen and let's agree...


"Truly I tell you, whatever you forbid and declare to be improper and unlawful on earth must be what is already forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit and declare proper and lawful on earth must be what is already permitted in heaven. Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by My Father in heaven. For wherever two or three are gathered (drawn together as My followers) in (into) My name, there I AM in the midst of them."(Matthew 18:18 - 20 AMP)

The Earth is the Lord's! (And then some)

In the last few days and hours, all over the globe, there have been cyclones, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes and earthquakes, among other disasters, that have claimed the lives of literally thousands and thousands of people, worldwide. It's really very hard to get your head around the enormity of the number of casualties, and, as I said in a recent article here, I believe that something is definitely going on with the planet.

Al Gore, along with many others with his world-view, believes that it is the inevitable fallout from global warming. Most evangelicals and fundamentalist Christians believe that it is the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy...signs of the times...a prelude to "the Apocalypse", as they believe it to be. My personal belief is that it is evidence of the whole creation groaning in painful travail, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God according to Romans 8...the birth pangs for the new earth. Whatever it is, it is certainly unsettling to see what has been happening, even right here in our immediate area.

Today a Christian minister was lamenting the fact that, because so many of these disasters were happening in predominately Buddhist and Hindu (and some Islam) nations, that thousands and thousands of unknowing people who were dying in these catastrophes were being hurled into eternal hell because they had most likely not embraced Christianity or acknowledged or confessed Romans 10:9, 10 (even though they don't have Christian Bibles).

A few years ago I might have believed that myself. Now I believe in the what the Scriptures really say, in the love and mercy of God, in His plan to restore all things, and all of humanity, and in the Last Adam's ultimate triumph over the first Adam.

I don't have all the answers, but I know that it is not His will that any should perish, and that He is good, and His mercy endures forever. I also believe in the power of prayer...pray for your planet today. It's a great day to be alive!


I have some more things to say, and will probably be back here later today...

















In the meantime, what is in your spirit today concerning these things?

___________________________

Hey bloggers,

I said earlier that I had more to say on this subject, and so I’m adding this part many hours later. At the time of this writing there are about 26 comments posted, and let me just say how impressed I am by all of your keen insights, and how proud I am of you as a blog community. You have all brought up some very interesting and compelling points, all of which I basically agree with on some level, and I appreciate the balance of intelligence and compassionate sensitivity that you all show.

As a student of history, I certainly am aware that natural disasters have always happened, and I also realize that with constant, 24 hour news coverage, it may appear that more is happening now than has happened in the past in this area. But you have to admit, the last few days and hours have been pretty intense.

And yet, at the same time, there is such an amazing move of God happening in the world right now…a great awakening is taking place. I realize that there are some Christians who interpret this awakening as “the great falling away”, and I understand their paradigm. I was raised on it. And let me just say, for the record, that I do believe that John 14:6 is the truth. I do believe that Jesus was speaking rightly when He said “no man comes to the Father but by Me”. As the perfect embodiment of the Christ, He established Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that is an absolute in my heart and mind.

But the same Jesus said that those who were not against Him were for Him. John the Baptist said, “Behold, the lamb of God WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.” The best-case scenario is found in John 3:16…that “whosoever would believe in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life.” But, thank God, verse 17 follows verse 16, for those who have never heard, or who have not had the proper influences in their lives to cause them to believe in Him…“For God sent not His son to condemn the world, but that THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED!” He is the Savior of all men, ESPECIALLY those who believe.

I may even add more to this later today. In the meantime, I don’t know if you noticed or not, but the picture of the drinking deer has a structure in the background that reminds me of something out of Asian architecture…something that you might see in China or Myanmar (the Land of Pagodas)…I put it there to remind us all to pray for our brothers and sisters in those nations who are suffering even as I write this. They make up a huge part of the Family of God…our family…and those who have lost their lives are with the Lord. The Scriptures say “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”, and that is a universal promise.

That’s all for now. Keep up the beautiful correspondence. I love you all.