This new edition of A Window to the Divine presents a summary of developments on a number of basic questions pertaining to creation theology and what a synthesis might look like at this time. It is based on the premise that contemporary believers can sense a remarkably rich communication of the divine mystery through the insights of science, and that the sciences may open even richer and more challenging possibilities to the understanding of our tradition. "Our tradition is rooted in the belief that however the universe may look empirically, it is precisely this universe described to us at the empirical level by the sciences that our faith holds to be the fruit of God's creative knowledge and love. It is my hope that these reflections may help us discover in what sense this universe may truly be seen as a window to the mystery of the divine." --from the preface to A Window to the Divine
Praise for Windows of the SoulEvery once in a while a book comes along that makes you stop and think—and then think some more—like Ken Gire’s wonderful book Windows of the Soul.—John Trent in Christian Parenting TodayKen Gire has created a book that gently pours forth, like water out of a garden bucket, cleansing our thoughts and opening the petals of our spirits, providing us with a new sense of clarity in our search for God.—Manhattan (KS) MercuryEach word, each phrase, is painstakingly wrought, loaded with thoughts and prayer, and filled with new glimpses of God’s love, grace, and strength.—The Christian AdvocateWindows of the Soul will surprise you with the many and varied windows God uses to speak to us. With the heart of an artist, Ken Gire paints word pictures in prose and poetry that will thrill your heart.—Mature LivingWindows of the Soul is a rare book, resounding with the cry for communion that is both ours and God’s. With passion, honesty, and beauty, Ken Gire calls us to a fresh sensitivity to God’s voice speaking through the unexpected parables that surround us.—Christian Courier
Dr Francis S. Collins, head of the Human Genome Project, is one of the world's leading scientists, working at the cutting edge of the study of DNA, the code of life. Yet he is also a man of unshakable faith in God. How does he reconcile the seemingly unreconcilable? In THE LANGUAGE OF GOD he explains his own journey from atheism to faith, and then takes the reader on a stunning tour of modern science to show that physics, chemistry and biology -- indeed, reason itself -- are not incompatible with belief. His book is essential reading for anyone who wonders about the deepest questions of all: why are we here? How did we get here? And what does life mean?
Open Up the Window! If you are seeking important answers for your life, then you need a revelation from God about what you should do next. Do you know how to receive that divine revelation? The Holy Spirit has all the answers you need, and in this powerful five-part series, Rick Renner will show you how to open a window to another realm so you can receive the divine revelation and the answers you are seeking for your life. In this remarkable series, you'll learn: How to open a window to another realm so you can receive divine revelation. About the vital role that praying in tongues plays in your receiving divine revelation. Specific prayers that you can pray to help you receive the revelation you need. To be sure, the Holy Spirit has all the answers you need, and He wants to open a window into another realm to give you the divine revelation you are seeking. Are you ready to open the window?
Description: "Why is this happening to me in my life now?" As an intuitive counselor, holistic therapist, motivational speaker and author, Susan Z Rich was asked this universal question many times. One day she had to ask herself the same question after diagnosed with stage four-breast cancer. She made the life changing decision to heal her self naturally without any chemotherapy or surgery. From her own personal healing experience and years of counseling others, Susan Z Rich identified a pattern of divine communication between the dreaming soul experiencing a life and the Divine coach within. Life cycle signals that opened an anomaly called Soul Windows. Through the author's own life experiences and her clients, it gave her the insight to write Soul Windows -Secrets From The Divine, a poetic narrative book on common sense spirituality and how to own your life choices. Being happy in life, spiritual or feeling connected to the Divine is not only about prayer, angels, mystical beings, a punishing or rewarding God, a heaven to ascend to or hell to be afraid of. It should not depend on something outside of yourself to feel whole, safe, loved or valued by a goal that always seems to be just out of your reach. God is not out there, life is not out there and we should not be looking out there for it: God and everything else is within us. Our life journey was not designed to be experienced with a beginning or an ending of a promised goal or reward. It is completely about experiencing the emotions of everything until the feeling of being separate from Oneness is no longer a reality the soul believes in. Susan Z Rich inspires the reader through humor and a "get over yourself" narrative to help you understand how to embrace the power of your free will choices. She introduces many successfully proven life-changing tools to help you stay in control of that relentless Inner Child's (emotional needs) desperate demands at all cost. Showing you how our Divine self uses Soul Windows to help the dreaming soul unfold its written life script. The inner Divine self guides the soul as a spiritual Life Coach through all the aging life cycles. Susan Z Rich writes: It is my hope Soul Windows will help you to understand you are in charge of your own life script and this book will give you some useful information with a few powerful learning tools to use. You write your own life script, live it, get assistance along the way and hopefully accomplish your journey the way you planned it. With a little luck, some new beliefs and a healthy dose of divine inspiration, my book just may assist you in experiencing this life journey with more joy and enlighten you with a few "Aha, that makes so much sense" moments. Helping you to find your "Muchness" and to let your "God Sparkle" shine within!
The Texture of the Divine explores the central role of the imagination in the shared symbolic worlds of medieval Islam and Judaism. Aaron W. Hughes looks closely at three interrelated texts known as the Hayy ibn Yaqzan cycle (dating roughly from 1000--1200 CE) to reveal the interconnections not only between Muslims and Jews, but also between philosophy, mysticism, and literature. Each of the texts is an initiatory tale, recounting a journey through the ascending layers of the universe. These narratives culminate in the imaginative apprehension of God, in which the traveler gazes into the divine presence. The tales are beautiful and poetic literary works as well as probing philosophical treatises on how the individual can know the unknowable. In this groundbreaking work, Hughes reveals the literary, initiatory, ritualistic, and mystical dimensions of medieval Neoplatonism. The Texture of the Divine also includes the first complete English translation of Abraham Ibn Ezra's Hay ben Meqitz.
A man shares his synthesis of ancient and quasi-empirical thinking that helped him to become more open to receive the grace that he needed to conquer the passions of the flesh to return to God what belongs to Him.The man utilizes scriptural verses, the wisdom of saints and philosophers, and insightful illustrations to empower and encourage the reader in the good fight to conquer the passions of self; for the reward that God gives to a person ¿ for conquering the passions and returning what belongs to Him ¿ is nothing less than, as St. Teresa of Avila said, the reward of Himself.This book might be difficult for some people to read due to its controversial content. Nevertheless, it is an illuminating and thought-provoking read for people who want to know God as Complete Goodness as well as the man¿s revelatory thoughts on: the Bible, the devil, the fallen angels, creation and the afterlife.
It is entertaining to be antiaEUR"Masonic and perpetuate conspiracy theories and stories based on satanic worship rather than join Freemasonry or any other private organization primarily structured with improving the individual in society. The Masonic term "making good men better" is the desire of the craft concerning all people living in a multicultural society to better themselves. This is masonry in a nutshell. To achieve this betterment takes a great deal of work and selfaEUR"introspection, which the critics of the craft refuse to endure and fail to examine the important historical esoteric symbols associated with the craft. This book is dedicated toward neutralizing such superficial negative ideology pursued by critics who have a personal interest in negating the significant works of the greatest fraternal organization in the world. Contained herein are chapters on women in Freemasonry, the Catholic Church, and Freemasonry (which contains an addendum relating to over one hundred cardinals and bishops who, under pseudonyms, were Freemasons), a chapter on the 133rd Psalm (providing a lineaEUR"byaEUR"line interpretation of a work which provides the important ideological, humanistic basis for both society and Freemasonry) with an important chapter analyzing the final endaEUR"period of a man's life as it related to Ecclesiastes Chapter 12. Men join Freemasonry because in their hearts, they seek to improve themselves. In a reality, any can start living as principled individuals, exercising the same values without being a Freemason. All that is required is desire and work effort, with a foundation from the Holy Bible to betterment of himself. However, the Masonic Craft assists an individual in this journey by providing defined structure, support, and a roadmap that helps focus the advancement and, as such, increases the probability of a successful outcome. Freemasonry centers on learning how to charge one's self with thought and physical conduct. However, in order to improve, one must read, study, and understand the true nature of reality in life, buttressed by the role of oneself and those with which one socializes. This philosophy underlines why the most important virtues of Freemasonry are symbolic and teach us to be better humans. Freemasonry gains its structure and foundation through an inherent love of an adherence to the Holy Bible and would not exist without that devotion. The foundation of Masonry is predicated on the fact that the craft and the Bible are intricately interconnected, just as other holy books around the world are central to their Freemason organizations. Much of Masonry's symbolism is taken from biblical sources, especially Genesis and the stories surrounding the building of King Solomon's temples. Great emphasis is placed on the development of moral and ethical virtues and the building of character, with truth being the guiding principle of our lives. Thus, brotherhood and charity are natural outcomes and further define one of Masonry's major tenets. Masonry uses proven methods to enhance the lives and spirits of members in a tangible way. In every Masonic lodge, upon its altar, there is a Holy Bible supporting the square and compasses. This old familiar book, so beloved by so many generations, is our Volume of the Sacred Law and represents the Great Light in Freemasonry. The Bible is open when the lodge opens; the Bible is closed when the lodge closes. No lodge can transact its own business, much less initiate candidates into the mysteries of the craft, unless the Book of Holy Law lies open upon its altar. It is the true responsibility of each individual Mason to seek out and understand the true nature of reality through the teachings of Freemasonry discovered in the symbols of the craft. The individual must learn to recognize and interpret the footprints of the deity and the sublime methods that he uses to reveal his message. So mote it be. May the mystery begin
Why have the monotheistic religions failed to produce societies that live up to their ethical ideals? A prominent rabbi answers this question by looking at his own faith and offering a way for religion to heal itself. In Putting God Second, Rabbi Donniel Hartman tackles one of modern life’s most urgent and vexing questions: Why are the great monotheistic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—chronically unable to fulfill their own self-professed goal of creating individuals infused with moral sensitivity and societies governed by the highest ethical standards? To answer this question, Hartman takes a sober look at the moral peaks and valleys of his own tradition, Judaism, and diagnoses it with clarity, creativity, and erudition. He rejects both the sweeping denouncements of those who view religion as an inherent impediment to moral progress and the apologetics of fundamentalists who proclaim religion’s moral perfection against all evidence to the contrary. Hartman identifies the primary source of religion’s moral failure in what he terms its “autoimmune disease,” or the way religions so often undermine their own deepest values. While God obligates the good and calls us into its service, Hartman argues, God simultaneously and inadvertently makes us morally blind. The nature of this self-defeating condition is that the human religious desire to live in relationship with God often distracts religious believers from their traditions’ core moral truths. The answer Hartman offers is this: put God second. In order to fulfill religion’s true vision for humanity—an uncompromising focus on the ethical treatment of others—religious believers must hold their traditions accountable to the highest independent moral standards. Decency toward one’s neighbor must always take precedence over acts of religious devotion, and ethical piety must trump ritual piety. For as long as devotion to God comes first, responsibility to other people will trail far, far behind. In this book, Judaism serves as a template for how the challenge might be addressed by those of other faiths, whose sacred scriptures similarly evoke both the sublime heights of human aspiration and the depths of narcissistic moral blindness. In Putting God Second, Rabbi Hartman offers a lucid analysis of religion’s flaws, as well as a compelling resource, and vision, for its repair.
