Keep The Faith

Sometimes a single passage of Scripture lingers in the heart until it opens new questions about mercy and redemption. This reflection began early one morning, stirred by James 5 and a curious dream that seemed to echo its meaning. I woke up very early this morning thinking about a particular passage of Scripture, trying to relate it to Satan and the other fallen angels. The passage is James 5: James 5:19–20 (NIV 1984) 19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins. I’ve talked with my wife before about whose sins are “covered” in this verse. I’ve always thought it referred to the sins of the one who turns a sinner back to the truth, while my wife believed it referred to the sins of the sinner himself. She had a funny dream the other night. She works in the administration ...

This question is a real puzzler for us humans and, I believe, the angels as well, at least the fallen ones. We read, "fear the Lord. " What does this mean? Are we to be afraid of Him; stay away from Him? I know in the times I felt in His presence, I've felt a calming effect. Oh sure, I believe at the first, I was fearful but my feelings of fear would turn to peace. Thinking about the times in the Bible when someone (human) came face to face with Him, wasn't it always, fear not, don't be afraid? I've thought quite a bit about this subject lately.The angels are very powerful created beings. Some have fallen from God's grace, whatever that means. Now they use their power for harm and not for good. When Jesus was here on earth and He came in contact with someone with a demon, the demon was certainly afraid of Him. All I remember that Jesus did with demons was to drive them out; tell them / him to come out. I was reminded of the following scripture: M...

In the book of Romans, it tells us that every person is a sinner. Not one of us has obeyed God's teachings and therefore there is no peace. Some people have already gone through the healing process. Their eyes have been opened to their guilt; they have accepted there guilt through many trials and tribulations; they have turned to God in repentance and have accepted the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Because God the Father has laid our grief, pain, and sorrows upon His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, we no longer have to bare them; they are taken away. There is great joy. (I think that a lot of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior have forgotten this. Revelation 2:4) Some day all peoples, both the living and the dead (those who have fallen asleep, the ones we call dead), will have our eyes opened when God writes His laws within us and upon our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). This is the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord. We will see al...

The path from shadow to light — repentance restores peace. Sin, Death, Wrath, and Repentance: The Path Back to Peace In the Unity Series, we’ve been exploring what separates us from God and what brings us back into His peace. These four questions — about sin, death, God’s wrath, and repentance — form the foundation of that journey. Each one shows us something about the human heart, and even more about the mercy of God. What Is Sin? Sin is the destroyer of peace. When I sin against someone, I say or do something that breaks the peace between us. Sin against God does the same thing — it breaks the peace between me and Him. God gave us His teachings through Moses so we could walk in peace with Him and with one another. But I don’t keep them perfectly. I sin, and peace is broken. What Is Death? Death is separation. When I sin against someone, the relationship is damaged and we pull away — we “die” to one another. When I sin against God, I run, I hide, I withdraw. Tha...