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Lent Day 21: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 1-10

...hrist’s death and resurrection, that those “who truly fight can say, 'not I but the grace of God which was with me’ (1 Corinthians 15:10)” because we can do nothing of our own. Not boasting nor being puffed up in this victory, he, “having learned from the Scriptures that the devices of the devil are many (Ephesians 6:11), zealously continued the discipline”, because he knew that the devil “would endeavour to ensnare him by other means” still. Continuing more with his discipline, he would not focus nor remember the past, but would press on with the current day and what lay before, meditating on Paul's words; Philippians 3:14I press on towar...

Lent Day 27: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 61-70

...oul after death, he heard a voice from above telling him to go outside and look up. On going, he saw a giant being going up as tall as the clouds, and people ascending upwards through the clouds. Some of the people were being hindered while others flew by without issue. He had his mind opened to understand what he was seeing, and it was explained that the giant was the enemy stopping those souls from heading to heaven who were accountable to the devil but those who belonged to God could pass by without issue. Anthony against heretics and heresy, such as Arianism When schisms and heresies arose, such as the  Meletian schismatics, or the Manichæan heretics,...

Lent Day 28: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 71-80

...s and the death of Christ put an end to all these powers (Col 2:15), then how is it something to be mocked, surely the only things worthy of mockery now are those powers which have been disarmed. For in every city, “our side flourishes and multiplies over yours” despite the persecutions and mockery Christians receive. Even though the Greek legends are honoured everywhere, their followers diminish and their faith perishes, yet the Christians, even though killed by kings, flourishes all the more! As Tertullian is recorded as saying, which relates to this, “the blood of the martyrs are the seed of the Church”! These signs, Anthony argues, are the proof of...

Lent Day 30: Cyril of Jerusalem: Catechetical Lectures: Lecture XIX

...hrist’s death and resurrection. Exciting times ahead!  ...

Rob Bell's “Love Wins” (Review)

....e. after death), but also that because of our freedom of will in this life we can, and do, create hell on earth through our actions and sins. Likewise, we can also create heaven on earth in the same way. This is what Jesus referred to when he prayed "Your will be done on earth as in heaven" – bringing the kingdom of God to the here and now. The book then continues on from what is explained in these chapters to explore the rest of our theology and doctrines on salvation, the cross and the hereafter, often taking our contemporary doctrines (which aren't always as scripturally based as we may think) to their sometimes extreme logical conclusions; which often s...

Lent: Day 1 - The Didache

...nd one of death. This is reminiscent of the various lists of vices which Paul writes to avoid in his epistles, contrasted with the right way to conduct yourself to enter the Kingdom. Some of the other things that are quite striking about the Didache, are the practices described that demonstrate that certain things which the Church (via different denominations/branches) has taught through the centuries actually originated at the very start, well within the first century. Such as baptism not always being full immersion, but sprinkling being permitted where water was scarce or not available to dunk in, and the gathering together on Sundays (the Lord's Day) to wors...