Recently I read a statement made by a major religious denomination based in the United States that surprised me. They wrote, “Divine grace is needed by every soul in consequence of the Fall of Adam." What is meant by “soul” is not stated, but the belief in the “fall of Adam” is linked to the belief that man has an immortal soul. The “fall of Adam” is a widely held belief and without some thought it may seem a reasonable description of what happened in the Garden of Eden. First, we need to … [Read more...] about Do We Have an Immortal Soul?
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The Importance of Fellowship
What makes God’s people stand out? What makes us different from the world around us? One of the ways this world will come to know our Holy Father is by how we show love for one another through our fellowship. We’ll stand out from a world that’s lost its way and lost its love – a world of relationships fractured by selfishness. The early church of God was born within a hostile society. Jesus had just been crucified by Roman hands at the behest of the Jewish leadership, and it was not … [Read more...] about The Importance of Fellowship
An Important Quality in Marriage
This year my husband and I celebrated sixty-one years of marriage. You might ask what I think is one of the most important qualities needed to keep a marriage strong and intact through the years. I have given a lot of thought on how to answer this for my own children and grandchildren. I hope I can pass on some lessons I have learned in my own marriage that may be of benefit to them and to others: It is good to have other friends, but if you spend too much time with others, you take the … [Read more...] about An Important Quality in Marriage
How do You See God?
When we respond to Christ’s direction to “go into your room and when you have shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” what visualization of God forms in your mind? When we talk to another person face to face, we see the person we are talking to, and most likely that has some bearing on the conversation we have. When we talk to God, what image do we have in our minds? Undoubtedly the image will have some bearing on the quality of conversation we have. We understand the … [Read more...] about How do You See God?
Thankfulness: Antidote for Dissatisfaction
There is one subject where practically everyone in the world is in agreement. That is the idea that “everybody else has it better than I do!” Who doesn’t know someone for whom things are not going “better” than for me? Even though, in the western world, we live in one of the most prosperous societies that has ever existed on the face of the earth, many people still have a problem with greed – not only greed but also with being envious of what other people have. There is a huge problem in … [Read more...] about Thankfulness: Antidote for Dissatisfaction
The Calming Light
Death of a Loved One From time-to-time events cause us to deeply consider the reality of our own mortality. One of those times inevitably is when we experience the death of someone close to us. This is particularly true in a situation that involves a devastating disease such as cancer or a tragic accident – those times when death is unexpected and premature. Experiencing the process causes us to be very realistic about just what we are as physical beings. Many of the Psalms capture the … [Read more...] about The Calming Light
Brexit
When Theresa May was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, she told the country in her New Year message that if her Brexit deal was passed by Parliament, the country could move forward together and begin a new chapter. The government could then work on fixing important domestic issues. If it were only that simple. Britain’s participation in the European Union for years, and the desire to leave has led to a complex and difficult situation as the current political impasse testifies. … [Read more...] about Brexit