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Great Lent: The Season of Fasting

...original Christians called this time of year too. By the time of the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), Easter celebrations within the Church was a standard event which was preceded by 40 days of fasting. Athanasius had a custom of writing his "paschal (Easter) letters" to the churches at this time of year to give encouragement for fasting and self-control and moderation, linking the 40 days to the length of Jesus' fast in the desert. His letters are useful as they show quite clearly that the time of Lent and Easter have been established for many centuries in the Church and are nothing to do with paganism! The beginning of the fast of forty days is on the fifth...

Debunking the Crusades: 5 Myths You Probably Believe

...The Crusades have long been a topic distorted by myth, legend, and misconception, especially in modern pop culture and film. Movies and television often portray the Crusaders as either valiant knights on holy missions or brutal barbarians bent on conquest, feeding into a skewed image of the events. These simplistic portrayals fail to capture the complex motivations and historical realities of the Crusades. The Guardian article about the Reconciliation Walk One striking example of how these misunderstandings have influenced modern perceptions was the so-called Reconciliation Walk in 1999, marking the 900th anniversary of the First Crusade. Hundreds of Chris...

Implications Of The Frankfurt Silver Amulet: Insights Into Early Christian Practice And Belief

...how early Christians adapted existing cultural practices to express their faith, consecrating these objects for divine purposes rather than superstition. 5. Continuation of the Phylactery Tradition The parallels between the amulet and Jewish phylacteries (tefillin) are really interesting. Like phylacteries, which contain scripture and are worn as a sign of covenantal faith, this silver scroll bears sacred text carried closely by the believer. Such continuity reveals how early Christians preserved elements of Jewish tradition while reinterpreting them in light of Christ’s teachings and the new covenant. 6. Parallels to First Temple Period Artefacts The silv...

A Historic Easter Change Is Coming — But Will Protestants Get On Board?

...al to all Christians to take a decisive step forward toward unity around a common date for Easter.” “The Catholic Church is open to accepting the date that everyone wants: a date of unity” — Pope Francis The recent discussions between the Catholic and Orthodox churches regarding the unification of the Easter celebration date have some significant implications for Protestant denominations and as an Anglican, the wider Anglican Communion. Historically, the disparity in Easter dates has been a visible manifestation of Christian disunity, and efforts to establish a common date have been ongoing. Previous Attempts  In 2016, Archbishop of Canterbury...

?️ How Do I Become a Christian? A message for Muslims seeking to understand the way of Christ

...You are not alone. Around the world, many Muslims — people who already believe in one God, pray, and seek to live righteously — are drawn to know more about Jesus (ʿĪsā in Arabic). Some have heard He is more than a prophet. Some have sensed His presence in a dream or vision. And some simply long to know God more deeply, personally, and truly. So what does it mean to become a Christian? And how can you take that step? This guide is for you. 1. What Christians Believe About God and Jesus ➤ One God, Eternal and Good Christians believe in one God — the same Creator known to Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. But we also belie...

Four Blood Moons and everyone loses their minds

...According to NASA, there are about two lunar eclipses per year. This time there happens to be four all within 18 months - something astronomers call a tetrad. I'm slightly surprised I've not seen much about this yet (maybe a good thing?), but it does seem as though this is an event certain Christians have been waiting for - and writing books about! I came across this on a recent Huffington Post article which gives this story also about church leaders saying these moons are "an omen of Armageddon and Second Coming of Christ", but I'm not so sure about that. I did recognise one of the names mentioned, though: John Hagee, a Texas megachurch pastor. It was p...