The first way in which a soul is united with God is through salvation, solely by grace, This is followed by a period in which a saved soul comes to know God through a series of experiences, some of which bring it into closer union with him and some take it further...
When somebody you’ve wronged forgives you, you’re spared the dull and self-diminishing throb of a guilty conscience. When you forgive somebody who has wronged you, you’re spared the dismal erosion of bitterness and wounded pride. For both parties, forgiveness means...
In the end, forgiveness is a form of divine healing. As we embrace divine forgiveness in our lives, our memories and our actions—our lives—are transformed and made whole. To forgive is not only to affirm our value as God’s beloved children but also to recognize that...
If the church is to survive as a place where head and heart are equal partners in faith, then we will need to commit ourselves once again not to the worship of Christ, but to the imitation of Jesus. His invitation was not to believe, but to follow. Since it was once...
“Follow me”: that is the whole of a Christian’s duty. “And where I am there also shall my servant be”: that is the whole of a Christian’s reward.
It’s not that if they accept Jesus into their life then “Bam! Life is great!” Accepting Jesus into their life does mean that Jesus is walking alongside them in their pain, frustration, and loneliness. And salvation is wrapped up in that.
I wonder, if we were to stop people at random in the street on December 24 and ask them what they want most for Christmas, how many would say, “I want to see Jesus”? I believe that the single most important consideration during the sacred season of Advent is intensity...
Moses said to God, “Who am I to go to Pharoah and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11). The Lord answers, “I shall be with you.” That’s all. Simply, I’ll be with you! He wouldn’t tell Moses how to do it. He doesn’t give him a timetable, any...
We don’t have to believe that God is the author of death and destruction in order to believe that God can speak to us, even in sorrow. God’s answer is not an explanation, but the promise of his presence through every storm of life. —————-Gender-neutral version: We...
Bidden or unbidden, God will be present.