6 February 2012

THE RADIANT GUIDANCE PROJECT

Looking Ahead to Completion

We have often heard it said that it would be wonderful if someone would "come back from the dead" and tell us just what happens when one dies.  The great magician, Houdini, boldly proclaimed that once he died he would do all in his power to return to his mother with just such a message.  If she were still alive, she would still be waiting.  As it is, she was given her own insight when she crossed the eternal threshold.  So, we wait and wish and ponder what lies beyond.

Humankind continues to ponder and seek answers about what lies beyond death's door.  Generally we focus our quest for insight in all the wrong places.  Ouija boards, tarot cards, psalm readers, spiritualists, voodoo, palm readers, and a host of other mediums-to-the-beyond are likely to be either moved by earthly desires or by the ever-present influence of Satan and his demonic legions.  Evil abounds among the human condition.  But the power of evil cannot hold a candle to the radiant glory of God the Father and His heavenly kingdom.

We began our Radiant Guidance Project in 2002 with a vision of interviewing individuals who have experienced some form of divine guidance from a departed loved one, an angelic being, or what is termed a "near death experience."  To date we have captured experiences from over two hundred individuals.  We found that spiritual experiences ranging from tingling and counter-intuitive decisions to communication with spiritual beings while near death are much more common than we could have imagined at the outset of our project.

And yet, none of these amazing experiences included an actual resurrection from death.

That was the time of our "Ah-Ha!" experience, or what we define as an instantaneous recognition of the obvious.  One historical personage really did return from the death to explain what was on the other side of death's door, and what was required of each and every one of us to seize the opportunity for eternal life in total glory and joy.  This "Ah-Ha!" is the core of our project.  While not diminishing the importance of countless experiences with "radiant guidance" in personal situations, we were blind to the ultimate experience right before our eyes.  During every Catholic Mass or most all Christian services we profess our faith as proclaimed in the Nicene Creed.

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I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.  


I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of god, born of the Father before all ages.  God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made.  For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.  


For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.  He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.  He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.


I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.


I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.  I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  Amen


Jesus Christ, Son of God, became man and lived and taught among us to redeem us, to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to provide us the opportunity to achieve eternal life in that Kingdom, and to assure us that he would always be with us in his real presence in the Holy Eucharist even until the end of the age.  From a broader perspective - if that is possible - Jesus demonstrated three key purposes for His time on earth.


His first purpose was to enable us to recognize God, our Father, who created the all things visible and invisible.  Human creation must recognize that God the Father - not the State or some form of government - created everything and everyone so we can have eternal life.  We have that opportunity only if we come back to the Father.


His second purpose was to have all human creatures respond to the love of God.  We were created in His divine image.  Jesus brought us back to the Father after Satan caused the fall of man.  Jesus taught us that the Father loves us all.  Our response to this infinite love from the Father must be an expression of thankfulness and to love the Father in return.  We must realize that we are the image of God and that we love Him.


His third purpose was to enable and move all human creatures to proclaim God the Father and glorify Him.  He speaks to all of his children.  We must recognize His presence, love Him, and glorify Him.  Essentially, we are charged to love God, glorify God, and then proclaim God to all people.  


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With these insights as our guide we will complete the Radiant Guidance Project by providing a peripheral sampling of instances of radiant guidance for selected individuals surrounding a core of the messages of Jesus, Son of God, who really did return from the dead to proclaim the Kingdom of God, our opportunity for eternal life, and the eternal consequences of our own personal behavior here on earth.



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