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Lent Day 35: Ambrose of Milan: Concerning the Mysteries: 1-4

...lds as an authority. God’s presence in baptism “What did you see?”, Ambrose rhetorically asks about the baptism. Water, of course, but not only that: apart from the bishop and deacons ministering during this time, God is also present in the waters. Quoting Paul from 2 Corinthians 4:18, he makes the point that there are “things which are not seen” along with the “the invisible things of God” (Rom 1:20) at work here, and if they should accept and believe the working of the Spirit during baptism, then why not the presence also, for one always precedes the other, Ambrose says. Using the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5), amongst others from the Old Testam...

The Historic Practice of Abortion and How Ancient Christians Responded

...It’s no secret that the majority of Christians are against abortion, no matter where you look in the world. But nowhere has the issue come to more of a head than in the US recently with the overturning of Roe v Wade, which had made abortion legal across the country. Now abortion is no longer a federal constitutional right, but individual states now have the authority to determine the legality and rulings around abortion. Christian opposition to abortion in America has always been a heated topic, especially in recent decades, but this isn’t a novelty within the Church in America, or globally, and has been a position of the faithful for about 2000 years. Even...

7 things the Lord hates (spoiler: questioning doctrine isn't one of them)

...ultimate authority in and for life, but that doesn't make it so for everyone else, and especially not for those in government who dictate the laws. Sometimes I think the sooner we realise that, the better off the Church as a whole would be.   It was only last week I was writing a similar post about the online actions of Christians and how unloving they were in regards to Google not posting an Easter themed "doodle". This week it's the similarly unloving actions and attitudes towards someone who dared to question. It's not like it was asking or seeking heretical doctrine, but simply trying to get to the root of an issue. As a friend of mine also...

The Coming of Jesus: The Olivet Discourse – Part 1

...nd divine authority to save Israel from impending doom in miraculous ways. These men failed, the miracles and prophecies didn't happen, and they and their followers were killed by the Roman soldiers. Flavius Josephus, "Wars of the Jews" Book 2 chapter 13 Another body of wicked men also sprung up, cleaner in their hands, but more wicked in their intentions, who destroyed the peace of the city no less than did these murderers [the Sicarii]. For they were deceivers and deluders of the people, and, under pretense of divine illumination, were for innovations and changes, and prevailed on the multitude to act like madmen, and went before them in the wilderness, pr...

8 Most Controversial Topics In The Church Today

...ubt their authority, despite the fact that they are not preaching/teaching in a typical church context. 4. Type of worship music Modern or traditional? Hymns or contemporary praise songs? This is undoubtedly a contentious subject inside many churches. It's frequently a decisive element in a person's decision to join a church. This problem also creates a schism between Christians of older and younger generations. Certain instruments can also be contentious. Some churches may not accept a drum set, yet another church may have a whole praise band with a full spectrum of instruments. Some churches have sought to settle the debate by including both classic and co...

Coffee With Jesus: Luke 22–23

...power and authority, there will be a time of delay and that his followers must carry on “doing business” in the meantime. Luke 19:12–13So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant region to receive royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves and gave them ten pounds and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ To wrap this up, we can see that although Jesus was instigating the new covenant, inaugurating the Kingdom of God, and fulfilling the prophecies surrounding his death as a Passover lamb for the sins of the world, and that at the cross these things all took place… there would be a delay between him go...