ArcaMax

Only rarely do Chanukah and Christmas fall on the same day, but this year is one of those times. The first light of Chanukah will be kindled in Jewish homes across the world on Wednesday evening, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day. So let me use the rare and blessed gift of our shared sacred ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I was sharing with a co-worker how the Lord saved me from a life of trouble by my own making. When I finished, she just sat there. I got a little nervous but put the question to her: “Would you like to give your life to Christ?” Without a blink and a coldness in her voice, she said, “What’s ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Diocese of Orange has agreed to pay $3.5 million to a man who alleges he was sexually abused by a former administrator at Mater Dei High School in the late 1970s.

The settlement concludes a lawsuit filed in 2019 against the diocese and brings the amount the Catholic Church has paid out in civil cases involving Msgr. Michael ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am ashamed to say that while I know I’m saved and going to Heaven, there are days I’m depressed and feel uncertain about the future. My friend tells me that I’m fickle, but I don’t want to be, because I know my future is secure. How can I overcome this dilemma? – F.F.

A: It’s amazing ...Read more

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. – The red wooden doors at Salem Historical Church have been tightly sealed and locked for most of the last half-century.

But on Saturday night, the doors were a portal to the past: Inside were twinkling holiday lights and a pine tree that stretched to the ceiling, its boughs draped in silver tinsel. A sugary aroma hung ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am not opposed to Christians but I am opposed to the fact that they preach God’s love, the brotherhood of man, and we are people tied together by human bonds, while saying that only Christians make up the family of God. Isn’t this doublespeak? – B.F.

A: There is a great deal of ...Read more

DETROIT — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released the fourth of seven reports Monday related to a years-long investigation into clergy sexual abuse within Michigan's Catholic dioceses.

The report indicated that the investigation into the Diocese of Lansing, which began in September 2018, found that 48 priests, three religious brothers,...Read more

Two spray-painted swastikas were found outside Minneapolis’ Temple Israel, the largest synagogue in Minnesota, on Monday morning.

The symbols were found spray-painted in red on a pillar and a door on the temple’s Emerson Avenue S. entrance, according to Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman. A report has been filed with police.

“It is heartbreaking to ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m “amazed” that the world accepts the song “Amazing Grace,” with its strong testimony of people being lost sinners and being saved by God’s amazing grace. Is this the personal testimony of John Newton, once a slave trader? – A.G.

A: In an English village, not far from Oxford and ...Read more

WILSON TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The last time the Catholic church here faced an existential threat was on New Year’s Eve 1935, when the church was set ablaze. Not even a trace of its sacred vessels was found in the debris.

The hardship of the Great Depression did little to deter the congregation. Within weeks, parishioners were rebuilding. Men of ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My mother is legalistic and won’t allow me to watch certain shows because of the language. I hear bad language in school all the time but she doesn’t allow me to quit school. Why is it so wrong to put up with a little bad language to enjoy the entertainment? – L.W.

A: A story’s told of ...Read more

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court voted Friday to hear a potentially far-reaching claim of religious freedom and decide whether church-sponsored charities, programs and businesses may refuse to pay state unemployment taxes for their employees.

All states exempt churches and church programs from the taxes if they "operate primarily for religious ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I am part of a televised Bible study and there are many things I question. Since I’m not a Bible scholar, I often defer to the one “teaching” the Bible. But often the instructors don’t back up their claims with Scripture. Isn’t that the purpose of a Bible study? Specifically here at ...Read more

People of faith are not more generous than non-religious people — except in one case, a new study found.

A study by researchers at Linköping University in Sweden found that religious people are more generous than non-religious people when they know the recipients’ religious beliefs — otherwise there is no difference.

The research ...Read more

Q: I have always enjoyed your God wink stories so I decided to share mine. When my daughter was very little, maybe 4, while in her room one morning she said out of the blue, “That’s when the angels come and get me and take me.”

I was a little concerned thinking, is this a sign from above letting me know she may be taken from ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: How can I have a desire to read the Bible? It’s hard for me to keep my mind on what I’m reading. Reading is not something I’m good at. Is this the only way to get God to walk with me? – R.B.

A: When a person is saved, it’s of utmost importance to have a desire to be nourished from God’s...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Who is God’s Son, Jesus? Is he coequal with God? – G.S.

A: Jesus is not “a” son of God but “the” Son of God. He is the eternal Son of God – the second Person of the Holy Trinity, God manifested in the flesh.

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ had no beginning. He was never created. ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I went to a tree decorating party and the hosts had selected Bible verses about various aspects of a tree. I had never heard anything like this. I never connected anything about a Christmas tree to the Bible. But one of the verses was about Jesus being a branch. I didn’t exactly grasp the ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My mother told me that I am a Christian so there is no need to do anything else, just live to be kind to others and act as a Christian should. The church I am going to says otherwise and that I’m confused. I’ve been a member of the church a long time and was even baptized at this church; now I ...Read more