Human rights activist killed by Sri Lankan military

In brief

Human rights militant Father M. Karunaratnam was killed on April 20 by a wayside bomb in the Mallavi country in northern Sri Lanka. The part is controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The Peace Secretariat of the LTTE announced that the priest was targeted by the Sri Lankan military’s Deep Penetration Unit. The authorities denied any duty despite its in progress offense aimed at LTTE military units on at least three different presences in the north.

On the same day, the military proclaimed that air work stoppages had destroyed boats and killed almost 30 LTTE members. The LTTE countered the statement, saying that the military had destroyed a small town recently rebuilt after the 2004 tidal wave as well as many fishing boats and equipment used by local residents.

The LTTE have been fighting a national release battle in Sri Lanka since 1975.

I've Got a Golden Ticket!

When Jesus Of Nazareth Of Nazareth warned the grownups that no 1 will ever come in into the Kingdom of Heaven unless they have it as a small child, no 1 suspected that what He said was actually true.

It's obviously a "nice sentiment" that Jesus expressed, but He certainly wasn't serious. After all, He said it to grownups -- His disciples, apostles and what-not gathered around Him. And besides, everyone knows that Jesus Of Nazareth can't intend that to come in the Kingdom, one cannot be an adult! After all, if you haven't received the Kingdom by age -- what? 12? -- you can't acquire in? So Jesus Of Nazareth didn't really intend what He said. He was just making a point, right?

To a degree, that have to be true. After all, everyone presumes that Paul, the apostle, "entered" into the Kingdom of Heaven -- and he was manner past times childhood.

But too many people, having satisfied themselves that Jesus Of Nazareth Of Nazareth "couldn't" have got meant what He said, wind up throwing the whole statement out -- almost as if Jesus hadn't said anything.

But He did. He said, "I state you the truth, whoever makes not have got the land of Supreme Being like a kid shall not come in into it."

So what's His point?

Since He doesn't explicate it, we have to depend on the Holy Place Spirit for interpretation. This could be a good topographic point to stop this article... but I won't! Instead, I promote you to travel to your "prayer closet" and inquire Him what He intends -- who cares what I might have got to say? (If you believe this is a cockamamie approach, bank check out 1 Toilet 2.26f.)

Now -- assuming you just checked out that transition and concluded that you are the 1 who is responsible to go on out from the Holy Place Spirit (the Anointing) what Jesus Of Nazareth meant -- did you happen to glimpse at the adjacent verse, 1 Toilet 2.28? It says, "And now, small children, stay in him..."

Notice, Toilet addressed his fold (apparently including the adults) as "little children". Like what Jesus Of Nazareth talked about.

John doesn't explicate what exactly makes them "little children". But it's always a good policy to check up on and see if an writer do additional usage of a term, since every case may assist clear up its meaning. In 1 Toilet 3.1 Toilet writes, "Consider this: The Father have given us His love. He loves us so much that we are actually called 'God's dear children'. And that's what we are!" And down in 3.10, he continues, "This is the manner God's children are distinguished from the devil's children. Everyone who doesn't make what is right or love other trusters isn't God's child."

This doesn't actually say that the manner Toilet utilizes "children" and the manner Jesus Of Nazareth utilizes "children" are the same. But (in my opinion) they have got to be somewhat similar. See what haps if you set Jesus' Word together with John's Word: This is the Truth -- no 1 can come in the Kingdom of Heaven unless they have it as people who are who submitted and obedient to God, living lives in which they take to do right and love other Believers."

Does that make sense to you? It makes to me. But it also raises a challenge -- are you living a life in which you persistently make what is right in obeisance to God, including loving your (highly seeable and often unlovely) blood brothers and sisters?

If you can't state a clear and resounding, "Yes!" to this, then you can't claim to be His kid nor can you anticipate to come in into the Kingdom of Heaven!

But I do have got a clear Word of hope. And, actually, the lines that "inspired" this idea come up from an old children's film -- "Willy Wonka and the Cocoa Factory". But, first, allow me ask: is there any more than worthy beginning for "insight" than from a children's movie? How many ways may we be "as small children" -- may we bask the games and amusements which little children enjoy, or are we too grown up for that?

God forbid!

Anyway, there's a song (in the 1971 version) in which Charlie's grandfather happily sings, "I've Got a Golden Ticket", to a merry, cheerful, tune. After Charlie discovered Willy Wonka's "last Golden Ticket" in a cocoa bar, his grandfather began to appreciate that life wasn't over for him yet. He realized he'd begun to look at his life as filled with calamity and problem -- but suddenly he began to see that a spot of "good luck" had swept in and changed everything.

Prompting him to sing, "I've got a Golden Ticket..."

Which is precisely why you and I can be quite happy about our prospects for getting into the Kingdom of Heaven, despite our adulthood. In malice of our leaning to often do what is not right and our battles at modern times to love others as Jesus Of Nazareth loves them -- we don't have got to be afraid we might not be "childlike enough" to be received into the Kingdom. And why is this?

Because, we've got a Golden Ticket...

So -- what is our "Golden Ticket"?

Consider this: Paul, the apostle, had a lovely "name" for the Holy Place Spirit in his Christian church letters. He called the Holy Place Spirit, our "down-payment" Oregon even "certificate of promise" [KJV, "earnest"; Ephesians 1.14 and 2 Corinthians 1.22.] Just as Charlie had a "Golden Ticket" which guaranteed entry into Willy Wonka's fantastic Cocoa Factory, Supreme Being have got given us a "Golden Ticket" guaranteeing entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.

It's the Presence of the Holy Place Place Place Spirit within us.

When you trusted in Jesus Of Nazareth Of Nazareth for your salvation, Supreme Being performed a miraculous and occult work: Through the Holy Spirit, He made you One with Jesus Christ. And as proof that you're in Christ -- that you're saved and already in the Kingdom -- He gave the Spirit to you, to dwell inside you, living in a close, experiential communion and communication with you, every minute of every day.

Do you have the Holy Spirit home in you? If you do, He's your "Golden Ticket" you're "promise of entry".

But, if you can't state whether He is or is not residing within you -- you necessitate another small talking with Supreme Being about it. Just "ask" Him for the Gift of the Holy Place Spirit and He'll give Him to you. [Luke 11.13]

Charlie's "Golden Ticket" wasn't of any value to him at all when it remained hidden in an unopened package. We've looked at Scriptures which name out for you to come in into a personal and experiential human relationship with the indwelling Holy Place Spirit. If this "package" which Jesus Of Nazareth have offered you hasn't been received by you, hasn't been opened by you yet -- you're trying to do entranceway into a Kingdom without the necessary Ticket.

But as for me, I'm dancing and vocalizing every twenty-four hours to a merry, cheerful, melody called, "I've Got a Golden Ticket..."!

© by Emil B. Swift

36 Tips to Hearing God's Voice, The Voice For Love Within You - Tip 1 - Thoughts On Hearing God

Even though I could remember talking to God as a kid, when I was an adult and thought about talking to God, what came to my mind was: "Who are you to think that you can talk to God?" But the truth is, who am I not to? Who are YOU not to? When we think, "Who am I to talk to God?" we deny ourselves our Oneness with our Source. So even though the thought might arise, "who am I to think that I can talk to God?" it is just a thought. It's just something that arises when you entertain the thought of connecting with Source.

There are lots of thoughts that arise just like that: "Talking to God is impossible. Talking to God is something that only Holy people do. Talking to God is something that takes years and years of meditation, dedication, and isolation. One has to be in a monastery or be a priest or Pope to be able to talk to God." All of these thoughts are just distractions in the moment to keep you from connecting with your Source.

When you begin to think about talking to God and hearing His Voice, by whatever name you use, be it God's Voice, Holy Spirit, Voice for Love or Peace, Higher Self, True Self, Inner Wisdom, small still voice within, become aware of what thoughts arise. Notice what happens when you do that. If you become afraid at the thought of talking to God, that just means that a thought has arisen that caused you to become fearful. A fear thought could be as simple as, "I'll never be able to do that." It could be a thought that says, "I am not worthy of talking to God. God would never talk to me." It could be, "Look at all the things that I have said and done. Why would God bother with me?"

When you notice what emotion arises when you think about talking to God, you can know that a thought, which we call emotion, has attached itself to that thought, and just allow yourself to become aware of what it is that arose in your mind that was this momentary distraction, because that is all it is. It's just the idea of "look over here," instead of going to God. Notice this instead of going to God. Solve this instead of going to God. But that thought is only a tiny, meaningless distraction. It's like a little flea that's nibbling away at you here and there, and all you have to do is see it for what it is. If you want to scratch the bites, that's fine, but don't let that become the focus of your reality. It's just a little bite. Scratch it and move on. That's all these thoughts are, just a little momentary distraction. Notice them for what they are and move on.

In your meditation practice, in your communication with God and God's Voice, allow yourself to become aware of what arises in your mind as you go within. Do your best to notice those thoughts, emotions, or beliefs as lovingly and kindly as you can. They are just thoughts that arise. They don't mean anything. They are not a reflection of you. They're just thoughts that arise, these little flea bites that distract you for a moment. When you notice them for what they really are and respond to them with truth, love, and kindness, you are free to continue to focus on your connection with God.

Let's say, for example, that you have the thought: "Who am I to think that I can talk to God?" You can then remember: "Oh yeah, who am I NOT to? It's my job to be connected with Source. That's my job. That's all God would ask of me. Who am I not to?" Or you have the thought: "Why would God want to talk to me?" You can respond, "Because God created me and God only sees my perfection. God wants nothing more than to talk with me."

"I am not worthy. I've done these things, said these things, or thought these things. I am not worthy to talk to God," and you remind yourself, "God doesn't care. God just loves. God does not judge, God just loves."

Whatever thoughts arise, allow yourself to respond to them with Truth. You know the truth in your heart. You know that God only loves. So when you have the thought: "Oh, I've done these things or said these things. God will judge me," you can remember, "Actually, God doesn't judge. I am the only one judging me," and continue to move past that thought or move on from that bug bite. Allow yourself to continue to move in the direction of connecting with Source. It's as if you are maneuvering your way around these little distractions or obstacles, the little thoughts that arise, but you respond lovingly to them and remain on the pathway to Source.

There is nothing that can stop you from getting to God. There is nothing that can keep you from your Creator. Even if you're not sure how to respond with the truth to a thought that arises, just remind yourself, "Nothing can keep me from my Creator," and continue to move along on that path.

Since it is only a thought that can keep you from God, let yourself notice what thoughts have arisen in the past few minutes. Make note of the thoughts that sound familiar or the thoughts that have come to your mind and allow yourself in the next few days to continue to become more and more aware of what thoughts come up when you think about talking with God. Really look at each thought and allow a truthful response to each one to come to you so that you know no matter what thought arises, there is nothing that can keep you from your Source. Focus on this in the next few days and find out how much more connected you feel to God in doing so.