The Cosmic Citizen

6 years ago Mark Siljander was one of the first guests we had on the Cosmic Citizen. At the time, we interviewed Mark on his award-winning bestseller, A Deadly Misunderstanding. Mark has skillfully blended 30 years in America’s powerful political inner circles with his travels to 130 countries to grip audiences with true stories of his private interactions with political and religious leaders in hotspots of global conflict. Many of these stories are compellingly recounted in his book. His efforts to promote peace defy the assumptions of traditional diplomacy. Mark went from being an anti-Muslim, right-wing, Christian political conservative to a pioneer of international peacemaking. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, publicly recognized his “…efforts toward a more just, humane and peaceful world.” How did he go from being the recipient of the Mohandas K. Gandhi International Peace Award in 1996 to being scapegoated as a world terrorist and sentenced to prison?  Tune in to find out. Mark’s approach has inspired many of our nation's friends – and enemies – to a new path toward peace. However, at times his approach has also violently offended the entrenched self-interests of the political, diplomatic and religious establishment. The result? Encountering personally the truth of his book’s title as he experienced his own “deadly misunderstanding,” As you listen, perhaps you too will experience your own personal paradigm shift as Mark recounts his discovery of long-hidden linguistic and cultural common ground that connects adherents of all three major Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Trac5, is an NGO Mark founded that is committed to helping parties in conflict achieve reconciliation through the creative peacemaking model. Please join us as we catch up with Mark's amazing journey as a peacemaker.

An Investigation into The New Testament Bible The Story of Jesus  From 3 perspectives * The Biblical world viiew * The Academic/Scholastic * The Urantia Book Notwithstanding the favorable reception of Jesus and his teachings by the common people, the religious leaders at Jerusalem became increasingly alarmed and antagonistic. The Pharisees had formulated a systematic and dogmatic theology. Jesus was a teacher who taught as the occasion served; he was not a systematic teacher. Jesus taught not so much from the law as from life, by parables. (And when he employed a parable for illustrating his message, he designed to utilize just one feature of the story for that purpose. Many wrong ideas concerning the teachings of Jesus may be secured by attempting to make allegories out of his parables.) Email:  [email protected] On facebook: Godss GumshoeTwitter: @godsgumshoe  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/godsgumshoe?feature=mhee

Tomorrow we'll be broadcasting live from Christianity21. Christianity21 is a conference that highlights progressive Christianity in the 21st Century.  Christianity 21 Conference is taking place January 9-11, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. It was produced by emergent Christian leaders Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and Sarah Cunningham. This conference brings together 21 exciting and diverse voices of faith to share their big thoughts on the future of Christianity. Some of the speakers are Nadia Bolz-Weber, Phyllis Tickle, Paul Rauschenbush, Bruce Reyes-Chow, and Kent Dobson, to name a few. In addition, 42 speakers will get 7 minutes each to share whatever they want with the audience as part of the event’s goal of giving everyone a moment in the spotlight. “This is a non-ideological conference,” says Jones.”This is not a liberal or evangelical conference. We try to have a lot of diversity in the voices. We pick the most awesome 21 people we can find and tell them they have 21 minutes to tell us their one big idea that Christianity needs to be about in the 21st Century. That’s it. We don’t vet their talks. Then they come in and do their best to blow the doors off. And then what’s amazing is how their ideas weave together to present a mosaic for the future of Christianity.”  Many of these great speakers have been featured quests on the Cosmic Citizen before. We'll be spontaneously asking some of these brave souls to share their thoughts and ideas with us. It has been a great conference so far. We hope you tune in.

An Investigation into The New Testament Bible The Story of Jesus  From 3 perspectives * The Biblical world viiew * The Academic/Scholastic * The Urantia Book "Happy are the poor in spirit, the humble, for theirs are the treasures of the kingdom of heaven. "Happy are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. "Happy are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Happy are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Happy are they who weep, for they shall receive the spirit of rejoicing. "Happy are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  "Happy are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.  "Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Happy are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.   Email:  [email protected] On facebook: Godss GumshoeTwitter: @godsgumshoe  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/godsgumshoe?feature=mhee

We are taking this week off, but offer one of our favorite archive shows for your enjoyment. After 5 years of weekly shows, we have some wonderful shows in our archive. We hope you enjoy Dr. Margaret Paul. Margaret Paul holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is a celebrated author, relationship expert, public speaker, seminar leader, consultant, facilitator, and artist. She has appeared on many radio and TV shows, including the Oprah show. She has successfully worked with thousands of individuals, couples and business associates and taught classes and seminars for over 42 years. Her books have been distributed around the world and have been translated into many languages. After practicing traditional psychotherapy for 17 years, Margaret was discouraged by the results – both for her clients and herself. She had spent years trying to heal from her own dysfunctional and abusive background, but found herself still suffering with anxiety and relationship problems. She started to seek a process that works fast, deep, creates permanent change, loving relationships, inner peace, and joy. In 1984, a partnership with Dr. Erika Chopich resulted in an incredibly powerful healing process, Inner Bonding. Margaret works with individuals and couples throughout the world via phone, workshops and intensives. She relies on spiritual guidance during her sessions, enabling her to work with people where and as they are. Dr. Margaret has just completed a 12 year project called SelfQuest®, which is a transformational self-healing/conflict resolution software program. SelfQuest® is being donated to prisons and schools and sold to individuals, families, and businesses. You can read about SelfQuest® and see a short video of it at http:/selfquest.com. In her spare time, Margaret loves to paint, make pottery, take photos, watch birds, read, ride and play with her horses, and spend time with her children and grandchildren.

An Investigation into The New Testament Bible The Story of Jesus  From 3 perspectives * The Biblical world viiew * The Academic/Scholastic * The Urantia Book But the apostles were not yet satisfied; they desired Jesus to give them a model prayer which they could teach the new disciples. After listening to this discourse on prayer, James Zebedee said: "Very good, Master, but we do not desire a form of prayer for ourselves so much as for the newer believers who so frequently beseech us, 'Teach us how acceptably to pray to the Father in heaven.'" Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come; your will be done .On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our bread for tomorrow; .Refresh our souls with the water of life. And forgive us every one our debts As we also have forgiven our debtors. .Save us in temptation, deliver us from evil, And increasingly make us perfect like yourself. 144:3.12.And increasingly make us perfect like yourself. Email:  [email protected] On facebook: Godss GumshoeTwitter: @godsgumshoe  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/godsgumshoe?feature=mhee

We had such a great time discussing Jesus in the last few weeks that we'd close out 2013 and ring in 2014 with one more Jesus show about the Master's effective and unselfish service ministry. To that end, we will be reading and discussing two of our favorite sections from the Urantia Book.  The first one is from Paper 100 - Religion in Human Experience, Section 7 - The Acme of Religious Living. Here is just a small taste of that delightful cosmic account of the Master: "The unfailing kindness of Jesus touched the hearts of men, but his stalwart strength of character amazed his followers. He was truly sincere; there was nothing of the hypocrite in him. He was free from affectation; he was always so refreshingly genuine." And this: "He was candid, but always kind. Said he, "If it were not so, I would have told you." He was frank, but always friendly. He was outspoken in his love for the sinner and in his hatred for sin. But throughout all this amazing frankness he was unerringly fair." The other section we've chosen is from Part IV, The Life and Teachings of Jesus, Paper 171 - On the Way to Jerusalem, again Section 7 - As Jesus Passed By. Here's a sample: "Most of the really important things which Jesus said or did seemed to happen casually, "as he passed by." There was so little of the professional, the well-planned, or the premeditated in the Master's earthly ministry. He dispensed health and scattered happiness naturally and gracefully as he journeyed through life. It was literally true, "He went about doing good." Please join us as we explore effective service ministry together. "Religion does need new leaders, spiritual men and women who will dare to depend solely on Jesus and his incomparable teachings."

An Investigation into The New Testament Bible The Story of Jesus  From 3 perspectives * The Biblical world viiew * The Academic/Scholastic * The Urantia Book 122:8.1.All that night Mary was restless so that neither of them slept much. By the break of day the pangs of childbirth were well in evidence, and at noon, August 21, 7 B.C., with the help and kind ministrations of women fellow travelers, Mary was delivered of a male child. Jesus of Nazareth was born into the world, was wrapped in the clothes which Mary had brought along for such a possible contingency, and laid in a near-by manger.   122:8.2.In just the same manner as all babies before that day and since have come into the world, the promised child was born; and on the eighth day, according to the Jewish practice, he was circumcised and formally named Joshua (Jesus). Email:  [email protected] On facebook: Godss GumshoeTwitter: @godsgumshoe  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/godsgumshoe?feature=mhee

As we approach Christmas, The Cosmic Citizen will be exploring the meaning and value of Jesus’ life and teachings. Week one, we discussed: What was the purpose of Jesus’ life?  Week two, we asked the question: What is the gospel of Jesus?  This final week we’ll look at: What did Jesus mean in using the term ‘The Kingdom of Heaven?’  During this time we've asked several friends and scholars, special guests, to call in and share their insights with us. We're not publicizing who they are, you'll just have to tune in to see.  To get the juices flowing, we listed below what Jesus said about the "kingdom of Heaven:" "...Jesus did not propose to meddle with the affairs of earthly rule; that he was only concerned with the establishment of the spiritual brotherhood of his believers, which brotherhood he called the kingdom of heaven." 154:2.02 "...your Master has wisely chosen the father-child relationship as the very cornerstone of this new gospel of the kingdom." 160:2.6 "Jesus desired to substitute for the idea of the kingdom, king, and subjects, the concept of the heavenly family, the heavenly Father, and the liberated sons of God engaged in joyful and voluntary service for their fellow men and in the sublime and intelligent worship of God the Father. "Up to this time the apostles had acquired a double viewpoint of the kingdom; they regarded it as: "1. A matter of personal experience then present in the hearts of true believers, and "2. A question of racial or world phenomena; that the kingdom was in the future, something to look forward to. "They looked upon the coming of the kingdom in the hearts of men as a gradual development... " 170:2.12-16 Please join us as we explore and learn from His remarkable teachings.  As always, we welcome you to call!

An Investigation into The New Testament Bible The Story of Jesus  From 3 perspectives * The Biblical world viiew * The Academic/Scholastic * The Urantia Book Notwithstanding the favorable reception of Jesus and his teachings by the common people, the religious leaders at Jerusalem became increasingly alarmed and antagonistic. The Pharisees had formulated a systematic and dogmatic theology. Jesus was a teacher who taught as the occasion served; he was not a systematic teacher. Jesus taught not so much from the law as from life, by parables. (And when he employed a parable for illustrating his message, he designed to utilize just one feature of the story for that purpose. Many wrong ideas concerning the teachings of Jesus may be secured by attempting to make allegories out of his parables.) Email:  [email protected] On facebook: Godss GumshoeTwitter: @godsgumshoe  YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/user/godsgumshoe?feature=mhee