From Karma to Grace Quotes

“Given our present physical reality and limited awareness, it is difficult to see how God is an integral and intimate portion of our being and how we are a portion of God’s being. God is with us, and this naturally showers us with God’s grace. Ezekiel revealed this when he searched for God, after he had gotten himself in trouble with the authorities and began to feel that he was alone in his quest, and grew weary of his mission. At first, Ezekiel searched for God in the things of power in the earth—thunder, lightning, fire, and earthquake—but not finding God in these, he became quiet and wrapped himself in his cloak, and there, within himself, he heard a “still, small voice.” At last, there was God’s presence. God had been with him the whole time. In Psalm 46 God instructed the psalmist to “be still, and know that I am God.” In Luke 17:11, Jesus taught, “the kingdom of God is within you.” In Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked God for His name, God replied, “I am that I am,” indicating that the great I AM is in that portion of us that has a sense of “I am.” The great I AM and the little I am are one. Our little consciousness is a portion of the vast Universal Consciousness that is God’s mind.”
― John Van Auken, From Karma to Grace: The Power of the Fruits of the Spirit

“Now Paul sees a formula: trials build patience, patience builds experience, and experience builds hope. As we handle life’s challenges and disappointments in active, faithful patience, we grow in victory over despair and surrender. These experiences, lived in patience, build hope. Add the Holy Spirit to this mix, and our hearts and minds grow strong in the quiet glory of living life with God, no matter what we face.”
― John Van Auken, From Karma to Grace: The Power of the Fruits of the Spirit

“An interesting aspect of Cayce’s teachings on faith is that he perceived virtue as a fruit of faith. (262-18) As one lives in faith, one’s heart and mind become increasingly virtuous. He added that a virtuous heart and mind are a fertile field for a spiritual understanding about self and life. This understanding would naturally arise with one whose faith gives life to virtue, which in turn gives life to a greater understanding.”
― John Van Auken, From Karma to Grace: The Power of the Fruits of the Spirit