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What is Contemplative prayer?

In the quiet, still silence, I await my God.   There seems to be some misgivings about the idea of “contemplative prayer” (also referred to as Christian Meditation) and in some of the descriptions I've read, I would agree that it can seem iffy. Contemplation, or sometimes known as Lectio Divina, is in its most basic form, the idea and practice of waiting on the Lord. Often in silence or while you ponder on scripture or when you seek an answer or just to rest in his presence and have your strength renewed. There are some people who think that this means “emptying your mind” and doing something akin to occultism, and ope...

Francis Chan turns towards a more historical and ancient view of Communion

...and from prayer, because they confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins, and which the Father, of His goodness, raised up again.”— Ignatius Of Antioch: Letter To The Smyrnaeans (c.108 AD) At first reading I was stuck by the literal nature in which Ignatius spoke of the Eucharist (communion), and as I read more of the Early Church Fathers, that same, common thread kept appearing: they all held to a view of Communion which was definitely more than simply a symbol or memorial (you can read some more quotes on the topic here). Chan later talks about unity in the early church and how he longs to see that...

Will UK Councils Criminalise Christianity? The Alarming Precedent Set by a Labour Council

...hat treat prayer, worship, and evangelism as public threats. The methods have changed, but the intent remains strangely familiar: to push the Gospel to the margins, to confine it to the private sphere, and to make public displays of faith something suspicious, weird, and even harmful. If Rushmoor’s injunction had gone through, it would have made praying with someone in town square, even holding out a leaflet, something punishable by fines or prison time. No blood shed, but freedom restricted and removed. No martyrdom, but the same coercive pressure to be silent. Succumb to Caesar (the local council) or face death (prison/fines etc). History Teaches Us Someth...

Biblical Inspiration and the Canon: How We Got the Bible

...e Lord in prayer that the inspired works be found on top and the spurious on the bottom. (Synodicon Vetus, 35) This account was later repeated by figures such as Voltaire in the 18th century, who further fuelled the misconception in his Philosophical Dictionary. It was revived again in the 19th century by Christian radical Robert Taylor, cementing the false idea that Nicaea determined the canon. In reality, Nicaea had nothing to do with the formation of the canon. The books of the New Testament were already widely accepted based on their apostolic origin, theological soundness, and use in worship long before Nicaea convened. Conclusion The Bible is not a ra...

Armageddon Is Not A Battle Plan: What Revelation Actually Says — And Why It Matters Right Now

...Something bizarre happened in the White House Oval Office this week. Photographs circulated on social media showing President Donald Trump seated at his desk, surrounded by approximately twenty Christian pastors from across the country, their hands extended towards him in prayer. The image provoked sharply divided reactions: some saw it as a moving expression of faith; others found it deeply unsettling. Whatever one makes of the optics, it arrived at a charged moment. Trump held a prayer meeting in the Oval Office after his administration admitted the war with Iran will likely last weeks longer than promised | Credit: Dan Scavino's X account Days earlier,...

Lent Day 23: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 21-30

...But with prayer and fasting we can overcome and strengthen our resolve against their attacks, which we'll need since once we defeat the weaker demons by our faith, they will come with stronger powers to try and bring fear through terrible visions and dreams and false prophecies. But through the power of Christ, these demons are displaced “like serpents and scorpions to be trodden underfoot by us Christians”. But even so, despite this they will try all the more to distract and deceive the Christian, causing noise and music and sleepless nights by rousing us awake at all hours, sometimes taking on the appearance of holy men or angels in order to trick us int...