Dear Friends in Faith,
    I have been taking part in a three-way exchange on the subject of hell, specifically on a question brought up by a friend whose son committed suicide. The whole idea that there is a place of everlasting suffering, or even as everlasting annihilation, is astounding enough, but the conviction that it is taught in the Bible goes beyond belief. How can anyone be so blinded? And yet we find this idea being defended over and over as a most essential truth of the Scriptures.
    Along this line, I was glad to hear about a book recently published by HarperSanFrancisco entitled: IF GRACE IS TRUE, and subtitled: Why God Will Save Every Person (written by Philip Gulley and James Mulholland). It is good to read this testimony to the grace and love and patience of God by two pastors associated with Quaker meetings. Yet I was disappointed to see that this testimony is not based on a solid conviction of the inspiration of God’s Word and the deity of God (or, as it is usually termed, “the sovereignty of God”), or an appreciation of the centrality of the blood on Christ shed for sinners.
    But indeed “if grace is true,” then God will be All in all. May God give more and more of us boldness in holding fast to this happy and powerful message and in sharing it with others.
    October begins with a weekend of fellowship in Grand Rapids, Michigan (Oct.4-5), hosted by Orville Hunt. Also on November 8 comes the Fellowship in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario (contact Harry Watts.
    (Monday, October 6): The meetings in Grand Rapids brought together a small group of believers from Michigan and Ohio, rejoicing together in this opportunity to look into passages like Ephesians 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:3-13 and Romans 8:28 as compared with Genesis 1:31. In His grace God works our sufferings together for good, as part of His purpose to head up all in the Christ.
    Tony is in Santa Clarita, California all month, helping Jim and Suella Coram with their work at the Concordant Publishing Concern. He has been giving a lot of attention to the subject of grace, the meaning of the word and its meaning to us. In doing so he is asking friends to write him through the mail or internet on the question: What does grace mean to you?
    (Monday, October 20): Our friend and sister in the Lord, Pearl Johnston, died on October 11 at the age of 92. It was a privilege to speak at her funeral in Scotville, Michigan, on the 18th, centering on 1 Corinthians 15 and what it says about the evangel, God’s purpose, in Christ, for all mankind, and the resurrection. It is our security and peace to retain (1 Cor.15:2) the truth in our hearts that Christ died for our sins, was entombed and has been roused, the Firstfruit of those who are reposing!

Yours in God’s Grace,
Dean Hough