Blog Search Results

The Coming of Jesus: Daniel's 70 Weeks

...of Jewish history (Antiquities 11:1,2) when he recounts that King Cyrus didn't realise this was written but when it was shown to him, he then had a desire to go about and fulfil it - despite being a Persian king who didn't even know nor worship the God of the Jews (Isa 45:5)! So when did the seventy week clock begin ticking, if not with Cyrus? There are four decrees by three kings to the Jews concerning the rebuilding of the temple and the city, over a period of time: Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes (twice, although there is some dispute over whether there was a second king with the same name later on). But is it the decree of Artaxerxes (Ezra 7:11-26) in which...

John Chau, missionary to the Sentinelese: martyr or madness?

...john-chau-history-pandit-india-news/ https://www.thebetterindia.com/165650/sentinelese-first-woman-madhumala-john-allen-chau-news/ http://www.dennyburk.com/mission-agency-clears-away-some-false-assumptions-about-john-chaus-mission-to-remote-tribe/?fbclid=IwAR2mi_Ii9FrK8MD_iV_m82KAEcSOU2m7Rz3tNCFHJeEGJfhMIzJGLVc_xeY https://www.instagram.com/johnachau/ ...

What was so good about Good Friday?

...day. And history would tell us this as well, as celebrating birthdays were a pagan/Roman tradition, the Christians had nothing to do with it. It wasn't until around the 4th Century when Pope Julius declared December 25th as the date in order to corresponded with the Roman feast of Saturnalia. But the real celebration, and the main thrust and focus in the New Testament is the death of Jesus and his subsequent resurrection. While there does seem to be some evidence to suggest that by the 2nd Century, early Christians were celebrating Easter, it sometimes feels like the Modern Church has placed more emphasis on Jesus's birth in terms of celebrations and event...

Fasting: A spiritual and physical discipline

...Similar, history changing events, also happened from prayer and fasting in 2 Chronicles 20, and the post-Acts early church. Here’s a quick quote from Tertullian (c.198) and Irenaeus (c.180), respectively, on the power of prayer and fasting: “When, indeed, have droughts not been put away by our kneeling and our fastings?” “When the entire church in that particular locality entreated God with much fasting and prayer, the spirit of the dead man has returned, and he has been bestowed in answer to the prayers of the saints.” The general belief about fasting, which we can see in the early writings, also shows that the Church taught not only absta...

Spiritual Disciplines of the Early Church: Ancient Practices for the 21st Century

...I was asked not so long ago what kinds of things Christians did in the Early Church (first to fourth century) as a form of spiritual discipline, on a personal level as well as a corporate one. Though the concept of an individual “personal spiritual life” would have been quite foreign to first century believers as faith and Church was very much a corporate venture that had personal implications, rather than the other way around as it can often appear to be thought of today. Much of what made Christianity structured, disciplined and set apart from society, has largely been lost in practice, or forgotten and relegated to the annals of history by many practicin...

My new book, available now! Take a journey through the first 400 years of Church history in only 40 days!

...Take a journey through the first 400 years of Church history in only 40 days! "40 Days with the Fathers" is a daily reading plan/devotional spread out over forty days; and over the course of this reading plan you will read extracts and commentary on 23 different early Church texts from a selection of some of the most influential Church Fathers, such as: Didache, Diognetus, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Leo the Great. These people who came before us, those great men of faith, many of whom suffered persecution and martyrdom to preserve the Church and Christ's mission, bridge the gap between th...