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Why do many Christians come off as doomsday believers when they speak of the end of the world coming?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Why do many Christians come off as doomsday believers when they speak of the end of the world coming? While I don’t disagree that the world is in absolute chaos, isn’t this a negative way to present religion? – D.D.
A: The Bible tells us that the state of the world will grow darker as we near...Read more

What is the true meaning of Easter?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Largely the world recognizes the Easter holiday but few understand its significance. My neighbor says that Easter is about forgiveness of sin but my co-worker says it is all about God’s love. Which is it? – E.S.
A: Christ died for one reason – because of God’s hatred of sin and His deep ...Read more

Should education and sports be considered as important as they seem to be?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Education and sports are two things in society that seem to dictate lifestyle. Why is this so important; and if it is, should it be? I struggle to help my children choose what they should give their time to and whether it is important to go to a religious school versus a secular one. Many religious ...Read more

Should I “fight, fight, fight” to hold my marriage together?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: My wife and I are experiencing a great tragedy as we consider divorce after 35 years of marriage. I was impressed to watch our new president declare a fighting spirit to overcome the possibility of losing our nation’s freedom. Should I “fight, fight, fight” to hold my marriage together, or ...Read more

Does God place value on healthy living?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: There’s a great awakening in our nation about health, and new hope is rising that people will come to their senses and lay aside binge eating and forsaking alcohol altogether. Does God place value on healthy living? – H.W.
A: There is great value placed on the physical well-being of people, ...Read more

Is a president who grants pardons, such as President Biden's, justified at the expense of others’ grief?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I’m embarrassed at our former president granting random pardons to high numbers of prisoners that have brought great pain to many who have lost loved ones and friends at the hands of these prisoners. I’ve only found some degree of comfort in knowing that God has forgiven me when I am also not ...Read more

The God Squad: Spring songs
As we prepare to welcome spring (March 20) and Passover (April 12) and Easter (April 20). I offer up a prayer for remembering how our spring holidays divide us and unite us and how springtime makes all our celebrations part of a renewal of hope.
Passover and Easter are ...Read more

If we really live for God’s purposes, will we never experience tragedy?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: Many of my friends who all go to church say that if we really live for God’s purposes, we will never experience tragedy. I do not believe this, for I know powerful testimonies from those who have lived through catastrophic troubles and the Lord has been greatly glorified. How is this explained? �...Read more

Does the Bible condone praying other than in the Name of Jesus?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I have been asked to deliver a prayer at the beginning of a community event. When I asked my colleagues why they selected me, they said that I would be able to figure out how to pray in a way that covered all religions. This troubled me greatly since I believe God is the one true God who is Jesus ...Read more

The God Squad: Megan’s Rule
I recently wrote about how the Golden Rule (“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”) is a part of every single world religion. This note lifts my spirits by showing me that it is also a part of the moral education of every compassionate family,
Q: My husband and I were raised ...Read more

The God Squad: Letting go for God
Springtime brings us a wide variety of joyous and colorful celebrations in the cycle of sacred time. People do not realize that religions cannot only fill our lives and our years with stern limitations and restrictive rules, but that faith must also be fun.
The two weeks at the end of March and at the beginning of spring put us squarely in the ...Read more

The God Squad: Healing from grief
I recently was humbled and honored to speak to a group of parents who have experienced the death of a child. I shall try to address some of their questions in the weeks ahead but nothing I can write will adequately convey the deep and hard-earned wisdom they shared with me.
Q: “I am so angry at the death of my son I don’t ever want to let ...Read more

The God Squad: Ramadan Mubarack
The beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan on Friday evening Feb. 28 brings us back to the ways sacred calendars are created.
The first way a year was calculated in human history was by the cycle of the moon and not the sun. It is virtually impossible to calculate the time of a solar year but a lunar year is...Read more

The God Squad: The Golden Rule is everywhere
The mission statement of the God Squad is that we know enough about how we are different and not enough yet about how we are all the same. I realize that I have been spending too much time writing about how we are different and not enough about how we are the same so let us begin our exaltation of sameness with the Golden Rule.
Q: You have ...Read more

The God Squad: The way love heals us
In an interfaith column like The God Squad, it is easy to scoop up sectarian holidays and learn from their wisdom. Passover, Chanukah, Easter, Christmas, Diwali, Ramadan, Vesak all have much to teach us about the way sacred time intersects with secular time. However, the sacred calendar does not have ...Read more

The God Squad: Can prayer heal people?
As we move away from God winks for a bit and devote our time and love to understanding the big questions, we encounter a very big question, “Can prayer heal?”
Q: I read your column faithfully. My question for you is my prayer list. It just keeps growing, and I have had a difficult time reading my list and praying for each person and ...Read more
Meditation 4/17 - 4/23: Be Filled With Joy - Rms 15:7-13 NASB
May you be filled with joy
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
"THEREFORE I WILL ...Read more
Meditation 9/25 - 10/1 - The Lord's Servant CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The LORD chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The LORD said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and ...Read more
Looking Unto Jesus: Our God and Saviour!
Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of
the great God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ;
Titus 2:13 KJV
_______________
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my
savior-- from violent men you save me.
2 Samuel 22:3 NIV...Read more
Meditation 9/21 - 10/1 - The Lord's Servant CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The LORD chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The LORD said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and ...Read more
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