Written in Stone

Books & Resources

by (not by Joseph Paul) on 12/04/11

Books & Resources
Donate $15 to the Christian Universalist Association and receive your choice of one book shown on this page, as a gift to thank you for your support! Make larger donations and receive additional books, if you wish. Also check out our special offers listed below.

Christian Universalism: God's Good News For All People

by Eric Stetson

2008, Sparkling Bay Books. 144 pages - paperback

This new book argues forcefully for the Biblical teaching of universal salvation, answers the most common objections to this idea, and also serves as an overview of Christianity in general from a Universalist perspective. Covers major theological themes and church history. Perfect to give to both Christians and non-Christians as their first introduction to the Universalist Gospel of Jesus Christ. Endorsed by ministers from a diversity of denominations and backgrounds.

The author is a non-denominational Christian evangelist. He is the founding Executive Director of the Christian Universalist Association.

Destined For Salvation: God's Promise to Save Everyone

by Kalen Fristad

2003, Morris Publishing. 170 pages - paperback

An easy-to-read introduction to Christian Universalism, covering the major arguments for the salvation of all and refuting the false doctrine of eternal damnation. This book is written for a general audience, and is suitable to give to anyone as their first exposure to Christian Universalism.

The author is a United Methodist minister, evangelist, and founder of Destined For Salvation Ministries. He is the founding Chair of the Christian Universalist Association.

Destined For Salvation: God's Promise to Save Everyone -- Study Book

by Kalen Fristad

2003, Morris Publishing. 99 pages - paperback

A companion to Destined For Salvation, this book is intended as a resource for study groups. Chapters are condensed into 13 lessons, each with discussion questions at the end. Use this convenient resource in Bible study meetings, adult and youth Sunday School classes, and more. A great way to teach some of the basics of Christian Universalism in your church or home meeting!

SPECIAL OFFERS:

Donate $25 to the Christian Universalist Association and receive both Destined For Salvation and the companion Study Book as a gift to you.

Donate $50 and receive 5 copies of the Destined For Salvation Study Book to use in your Bible study meeting or Sunday School class.

Donate $75 and receive 10 copies of the Destined For Salvation Study Book.

Hope Beyond Hell: The Righteous Purpose of God's Judgment

by Gerry Beauchemin

2006, Malista Press. 248 pages - paperback

An in-depth introduction to the teachings of limited judgment and universal reconciliation, especially for Evangelicals and conservative Christians who are looking for detailed Bible-based arguments. If you want to see all the Biblical evidence laid out in a compelling fashion, this is the book to read.

If you already believe in Universalism and want to share your faith with others, give this book to your friend or loved one who attends the local Baptist church and thinks that eternal hell is a clear teaching of scripture. Hope Beyond Hell presents the Universalist message in language they can understand and feel comfortable with. Thorough and convincing!

The Golden Thread: God's Promise of Universal Salvation

by Ken R. Vincent

2005, iUniverse. 132 pages - paperback

An introduction to Christian Universalism which presents the subject in a way that will appeal to the liberal mind. Explains many Biblical arguments for universal salvation and covers other areas of interest, including evidence for post-mortem salvation as revealed in mystical and near-death experiences.

The author is a professor emeritus of psychology, author of two other books and over 100 articles in the fields of psychology and religion, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Christian Universalist Association.

SPECIAL OFFERS:

Donate $50 to the Christian Universalist Association and receive one copy of each of the following four titles: Christian Universalism by Eric Stetson, Destined For Salvation by Kalen Fristad, Hope Beyond Hell by Gerry Beauchemin, and The Golden Thread by Ken Vincent.

Donate $100 and receive 10 copies of any of those four books. Choose all 10 of one book or combine them any way you wish! Give them to your family and friends, your minister and people in your church, to spread the Good News of Christian Universalism!

Click here to make a donation. Don't forget to contact us and tell us which books you would like to receive.

Coming Soon! In addition to the titles listed here as gifts for our financial supporters, the CUA will be opening an Amazon.com bookstore where you can purchase a wide variety of books about Christian Universalism and related religious issues. Eventually, we also hope to offer additional resources for churches and meeting groups such as Universalist translations of the Bible, Bible study booklets, prayer books, hymn books, books about spiritual counseling and pastoral care, practical guides for church planting, growth, and business operations, etc. Please check this page for updates.

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Culture Threat

by (not by Joseph Paul) on 10/14/11

Turning Point

Culture Threat #6: The Attack Against Morality

Dear Joseph,

Today many obvious violations of God's absolute moral code are not only committed openly and without shame, but even enshrined into law. And lawmakers are being urged to enact laws legitimizing even further violations.

The consequences will be impossible to imagine.

While many Americans may participate in gambling, prostitution, abortion, pornography, and other legal behaviors that soil the American conscience, most seem to realize there's a disconnect between what is legal and what is truly moral.

The loss of a moral compass in society at large is troubling, but it is even more troubling when followers of Jesus Christ - those who are called to be "salt and light" in the world (Matthew 5:13-16) - lose theirs. We need to draw a line in the sand and close the "morality gap" - the distance between what we know God expects and what we are willing to allow as acceptable behavior.

The most concise summary of God's laws for those who claim to follow Him was given by Jesus in Matthew 22:37: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

I never thought I'd see the day when America's moral compass would lose its orientation. But it has happened. Let's create a thirst for God in those whose lives we touch by living lives that demonstrate His nature to a wayward and searching world.

What you can do:

Prepare:

Read Matthew 5:3-16.
Know how to defend the attacks on morality in our culture by doing what you can to positively affect the legal process.
Read Chapter Five of I Never Thought I'd See the Day! that examines the consequences of morality in decline. Now a #1 New York Times Bestseller!

Pray:

Ask God to convict people of their sin and for them to respond in repentance.
Pray for our nation to return to her moral bearings rooted in God's Word.
Pray for Christians to be "salt and light" as we live in the world but are not of it (Ephesians 5:8-11).

Participate:

Get involved in reversing attacks on morality that impact your community.
Diligently study God's Word and understand His call to holiness in your life.
Listen and watch I Never Thought I'd See the Day! on Turning Point Television and Radio.

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Be Content in All Things (Part One)

by (not by Joseph Paul) on 08/11/11

From CCG Weekly

"God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage."
—Anonymous

29-Jul-11

Essay: Be Content in All Things (Part One)
Ours is a discontented world, and current events indicate that more unsettled times are just ahead, creating more anxiety and dissatisfaction. God's Word tells us, however, that we must be content in all things: "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'" (Hebrews 13:5).

God wants us to be content to save us a great deal of heartache and to prevent us from breaking His commandments. Yet, because of our carnal nature, human reasoning clouds our thinking, and we often manage to miss the real significance of God's instructions, which as God's children, we need to know and be practicing.

In Ecclesiastes 5:10, Solomon writes, "He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity." In his wisdom, Solomon had seen that money and possessions do not bring a person true happiness and is therefore vanity. The dictionary defines vanity as a "display of excessive pride," and Proverbs 16:18 tells us, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." These scriptures clearly show that money or possessions are not the way to happiness. Yes, we can enjoy these things, but if that is all we are interested in, we will never be content. Just look at the lives of the rich and famous!

God is not a God who wants us to live miserable existences, working all our lives just to pay off debts that we have accumulated perhaps because we tried to keep up with the Joneses. He wants us to have an abundance of good things in our lives, and that begins with obeying His Word. We can all look at the people in our towns and see many who do not obey God yet seemingly prosper and have all that life can provide. Some may have gained high positions in the community or even in government, but are they genuinely happy? Did they, perhaps, achieve so much through dishonesty and underhanded tactics?

What drives a great many people is the desire to take as much out of life as possible, and they try to prove it by the possessions they accumulate—whether they can afford them or not. Some are not satisfied until they have bigger and better things than their neighbors, which means every time a neighbor gets something new, they have to top it. When they go shopping, they give in to the demands of all the eye-catching merchandise screaming out to them, "Buy! Buy! Buy!" These people are never content! In the end, they are in heavy debt and leave a mountain of bills as their children's inheritance.

Too often, people fill their homes with things that they might appreciate for a few weeks or even months, but then either throw them away or put them on sale at a garage sale. What a waste! Sadly, it seems that some people work solely for possessions. Discontentment is a hard taskmaster, and many make themselves slaves to the credit card and second mortgage.

Not being content with what they have drives people to lose all reasoning and break more of God's laws. Sometimes, when people receive a gift that they did not particularly want and someone else receives what they desired, their discontentment leads them into jealousy and feelings of unfairness. The fact that the person giving the gift had put a lot of time and effort into choosing and purchasing the gift becomes lost in ingratitude. When we allow ourselves to become discontent, we allow this damaging, carnal thinking to rob us, not only of the joy of receiving, but also of the love and thoughtfulness that went into it. If we do not stay on top of them, our carnal natures can lead us into all kinds of unhappiness, with the result that we sin. Being discontent has serious consequences.

It is not only about possessions. I once heard one lady telling another that she did not care how her children did it, but she wanted grandchildren. Her discontentment prevented her from simply enjoying her children and allowing circumstances to flow naturally toward marriage and babies. No, she had to push them into having children, possibly out of wedlock, just to satisfy her desire!

Genesis 4:3-8 contains the account of Cain and Abel bringing sacrifices before the Lord. Abel's sacrifice was more acceptable than his elder brother's, and when God pointed this out to Cain, he became angry and killed Abel. Not content that God had corrected him so that he would do better in the future, he allowed jealousy and rage to drive him to murder. All Cain needed to do was to repent and offer an acceptable sacrifice. Instead, he allowed discontent to lead him to break God's commandments. How many did he break in this act?

I Thessalonians 5:18 says, ". . . in everything give thanks," but that does not just mean all the things that are pleasing to us. Unlike Cain, we need to be grateful for trials and corrections that help us to grow in godly character. It may be difficult to have the right perspective, but if we want to please God, then we must overcome our carnal nature, the way of thinking that has caused untold problems since Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden.

In Ezekiel 28 chronicles Satan and his downfall into sin. Notice verse 2, addressed by God to "the prince of Tyre," who was a human type of Satan, probably the ruler of that Phoenician city: "Because your heart is lifted up, and you say, ‘I am a god. I sit in the seat of gods in the midst of the seas,' yet you are a man, and not a god, though you set your heart as the heart of a god." In verses 3-5, God describes his proud attitude, and in verses 12-17, he shows the same attitude in Satan.

Satan was a covering cherub at the very throne of God. He saw how beautiful he was and how he held such a high position. He also saw the mighty works of God, and instead of being pleased with his part in God's plan, he allowed his pride to lead him into discontentment. No longer satisfied with his position, he soon attempted to usurp God's throne.

This great being, renamed as "Adversary," is still filled with pride, and with that pride comes a great deal of discontent. He influenced one-third of the angels and then all of mankind to be discontent and ungrateful (Revelation 12:7-9). Even now, Satan wants instant gratification. He wants adulation. He wants everything under his power. As "the prince and power of the air," He broadcasts his discontent throughout the world (Ephesians 2:2).

If we do not keep control on our minds, we could, even after being converted by God, allow ourselves to fall victim to the same problem of discontentment that has beset man all down through the ages. If we do not stay on top of this, we, too, could become locked into dangerous thoughts that will set us on the path to eternal damnation. We can see how serious a sin discontentment can be.

- Geoff Preston

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Pandora's Box

by (not by Joseph Paul) on 07/12/11

From Tomorrow's World Newsletter

Jeffrey Fall

In recent years, amazing progress has been made in mapping the genetic blueprint of many bacteria and viruses that can cause human disease. The more we understand the genetic code of these microbes, the greater the promise of learning to control their deadly nature. Researchers have held out the possibility of developing new vaccines and antibiotics for all sorts of deadly human diseases.

continue here

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Aeon

by (not by Joseph Paul) on 06/13/11

Of all the Biblical arguments, the one which appears to me the most absolutely and hopelessly futile, is the one in which so many seem to rest with entire content; viz. that "eternal or aeonian life" must mean endless life, and therefore that "aeonian chastisement" must mean "endless chastisement."

This battered and aged argument, . . . if it had possessed a particle of cogency, would not have been set aside as entirely valueless by such minds as those of Origen and the two Gregories in ancient days, nor by multitudes in the days of St. Augustine and St. Jerome, nor by the most brilliant thinker among the schoolmen, nor by many of our greatest living divines. . . .

No proposition is capable of more simple proof than that aeonian is not a synonym of endless. It only means, or can mean, in its primary sense, pertaining to an aeon, and therefore "indefinite," since an aeon may be either long or short; and in its secondary sense "spiritual," "pertaining to the unseen world," "an attribute of that which is above and beyond time," an attribute expressive not of duration but of quality.

Can such an explanation of the word be denied by any competent or thoughtful reader of John 5:39; 6:54; 17:3; 1 John 5:13,20? Would not the introduction of the word "endless" into those Divine utterances be an unspeakable degradation of their meaning? And as for the argument that the redeemed would thus lose their promised bliss, it is at once so unscriptural and so selfish that, after what Mr. Cox and others have said of it, one may hope that no one will ever be able to use it again without a blush.

I cannot here diverge into a discussion with Bishop Wordsworth and Canon Ryle, whose sermons need some adversaria rather longer than I can here devote to them; but as they both dwell on the fact that people who spoke Greek interpreted aionios to mean endless, I reply that some of the greatest masters of Greek, both in classical times and among the Fathers, saw quite clearly that, though the word might connote endlessness by being attributively added to endless things, it had in itself no such meaning. I cannot conceive how any candid mind can deny the force of these considerations.

If even Origenists would freely speak of future punishment as aionios but never as ateleutetos [without end] –– if, as even these papers have shown, Plato uses the word as the antithesis of endlessness –– if St. Gregory of Nyssa uses it as the epithet of "an interval"–– if, as though to leave this Augustinian argument without the faintest shadow of a foundation, there are absolutely two passages of Scripture (Hab.3:6 and Rom.16:25,26) where the very word occurs in two consecutive clauses, and is, in the second of the two clauses, applied to God, and yet is, in the first of the two clauses, applied to things which are temporary or terminated –– what shall be said of disputants who still enlist the controversial services of a phantom which has been so often laid in the tomb from which it ought never again to emerge?

How is it that not one out of the scores of writers who have animadverted on my book have so much as noticed the very remarkable fact to which I have called attention, that those who followed Origen in holding out a possible hope beyond the grave founded their argument for the terminability of torments on the acknowledged sense of this very word, and on the fact that other words and phrases which do unmistakably mean endless are used of the duration of good, but are never used of the duration of evil?

The Wider Hope (1890), pages 327-330.

George Campbell Morgan

On the Word "Eternal"

In His book "God's Methods with Man" the Rev. G. Campbell Morgan says this about the word "eternal": "Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word "eternity." We have fallen into great error in our constant use of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our "eternal," which, as commonly used among us, means absolutely without end. The strongest Scripture word used with reference to the existence of God, is–"unto the ages of the ages," which does not literally mean eternally. Let us remember however that the self-same word, which is thus used in connection with the existence of God, is also applied to the loss of the human soul. Men have divided the Church, separated from each other, and persecuted one another, upon a thought conveyed by an English word which has no equivalent in the Bible."

George Campbell Morgan

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

God's Righteousness

"I greatly longed to understand Paul's Epistle to the Romans and nothing stood in the way but one expression, 'the justice of God,' because I took it to mean that justice whereby God is just and deals justly in punishing the unjust. My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Therefore I did not love a just and angry God, but rather hated and murmured against him. Yet I clung to the dear Paul and had a great yearning to know what he meant.

"Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement that 'the just shall live by faith.' Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning, and whereas before the 'justice of God' had filled me with hate, now it became to me inexpressibly sweet in great love. This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven."

Martin Luther

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