The Origin of Religious Beliefs

According to some scientists, religions are a form of superstition. But then again, some scientists believe that consciousness itself is an illusion and everything can be explained by interactions between chemicals and particles. On one level, religion may have developed in the same way superstitions developed. Once you make the assumption that there is an invisible connection between one thing and another, it opens a whole new world of possibilities. After making enough such assumptions, primitive mankind could easily have surmised... Read more »

Chuck Swindoll: Rewriting the Reformation

In The Grace Awakening, his magnum opus, Dr. Charles R. (Chuck) Swindoll presents himself as fanning the flame of “the torch of freedom” as originally held by protestant Reformers like Martin Luther. In this he convinces his followers that by trusting him and his teaching in The Grace Awakening that they are in line with the historic Reformation teachings of grace and faith alone. Swindoll wrote: Achievement must accompany sincere faith … We continue to hear that “different gospel” and it is a lie. It is heresy. It is antithetical to the true message that lit the spark to the Reformation:... Read more »

Will Your Faith Withstand Each Test

The rain and wind swirled all around the house producing hail that covered the ground as if it had snowed. It started as a warm spring day with just small clouds in the distance. But within a matter of hours the day turned cool and massive clouds producing torrential rain pelted my house. I felt confident and secure because the flat part of my roof had just been newly shingled, but within a few minutes of hard rain, leaks were filling buckets of water inside my house. My mood of security did a complete turnaround from calm and peaceful to... Read more »

Does God Exist? The Age Old Debate

Whether you believe or not, the existence of God has been a question faced by human civilization for millennia. From the early concepts of sun worship to advanced theological thinking and philosophy, humans have argued and debated the existence of some higher spiritual plane, or some ubiquitous deity characterized as God. In this context, God refers to the wider spectrum, beyond Christian connotations, to include Gods and Goddesses of other faiths and beliefs, and even energies and spirits without physical form from elsewhere. Without scientific proof, many people find faith hard to justify, whilst others think that science and... Read more »

Memorial Card Poem for the Deceased

How do you use memorial card poems for the deceased to help ease the grieving? When a loved one passes away, you need prayers and compassion. You hunger after seeing your precious friend or family member who is no longer with you. You desire to know how she is doing or where he is. The agony of missing his or her physical presence it is sometimes too painful to endure. Losing a spouse, child or friend when death happens is a difficult time. When those special people, you have an empty feeling that nothing seems to fill. When death happens, you need a way to cope with the grief as you mourn. After reflecting upon the loss of my family members and what happens to them, I found a helpful way to understand their new way of life. Grief... Read more »

Sometimes We Just Have to Check the Signs to Know We Are On the Right Road

Have you ever struggled with the question of what your life purpose is? I know I have. Finding your life purpose. It is a difficult and uncomfortable quest to figure out why you are here and what it is you are suppose to be doing. Trying to identify your life’s purpose and meaning can be difficult at times. There are so many choices to be made and you may not always be certain that the choice you make may be the correct one. Throughout our life we deal with choices. It is through these choices that we become... Read more »

Antique Religion Books, China - Buddha, Meditation Again

Antique religion books tell us Confucius felt there was no after life. Jesus and Buddha did. Since 1949, China has been a nation that is officially of no religion. Yet modern China now is experiencing a rebirth of interest of a deeper sense of meaning in life. And this is happening in the more sophisticated cities on the coast where the new more wealthy people with more education and learning are incorporating Buddhism into their lives. While the officially Communist government now ensures that a member of state corporations is a partner with each foreign corporation, thus taking the known... Read more »

What The Bible Teaches About Stewardship - Part 1

The definition of Parables is that they are earthly stories with heavenly meaning. Jesus Christ often speaks in parables and everytime he does this, he is trying to teach us a lesson. The parable of the talents in Mathew 25:14-27 reveals Christ’s teaching on the principles of Stewardship. Stewardship is an important topic in the Bible. It’s importance is highlighted by the fact that Christ talked more about stewardship than any other topic except the Kingdom of God. A steward is a person who manages and administrates what has been entrusted to him by another. As Christians and as human beings we are stewards as we are to manage what has been entrusted... Read more »

Having Faith In The Tools God Gives Us

I stumbled into a Christian Station on the radio and something struck me: that in most organized religions the emphasis is on having faith in God but I hear very little about having faith in the tools or gifts God gives us! First, let me say something about my use of the word “God″. This is just how I refer to my higher power, that and the word, “Grandfather” which comes from my work with the Holy Men. So please substitute whatever definition you are comfortable with. God has given us some incredible gifts to walk this... Read more »

Miracles Can Happen Even When We Don’t Deserve Them

Many people cannot see God in the world they live in. They feel He is in some far off place, not paying any attention to what goes on in their daily lives. The problems of the world weigh them down, and they cannot see the miracles going on all around them every day. Evangelist, Lorene Hall says, “When I was younger, I never thought about miracles. I never entertained the word miracle. I didn’t hear about miracles when I was growing up in those difficult times. I would tell anybody today that God is a miracle giver. When you talk about God, you cannot talk about Him without connecting Him to miracles.” As a young, unwed mother, living during a time... Read more »