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Lent Day 26: Athanasius: Life of Anthony: Chaps. 51-60

...witness strange things going on as spiritual events formed against Anthony, as though soldiers and beasts were attacking him, but he would be seen praying against them and the demons fleeing. They “heard tumults, many voices, and, as it were, the clash of arms … and [Anthony] also fighting as though against visible beings” since he wrestled not against ‘flesh and blood’ “but against opposing demons” as Athanasius learned from those who visited him during these times. At other times, demons would make appearances to try and bring fear and to shake his trust in Christ, or they would cause all the hyenas nearby to come and surround Anthony. But, no...

The Coming of Jesus: Our Future Hope - What Now?

...ic armies ran through the clouds over Jerusalem, the streets ran with blood and fiery destruction rained down across the city! But those who were in Christ were saved, as promised. They who held to the faith until the end were warned by angels before this destruction came so that they could escape the city and survive.   This was the culmination of all things! The old world with its sacrificial system and priestly laws and rules for pleasing God and removing sin was done away with; now Christ has come, a new law and rule had also come: the Law of Christ/Love (Gal 6:2; 1 Cor 9:21). Grace abounds and love rules. Sin and death are defeated (2 Tim 1:10) and thos...

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

...efore, he ran out of the church and gave away the last little bit he'd kept aside for himself and his sister. After doing this, he committed his sister to a well respected convent to be brought up, and then went away outside of his house to dedicate himself to ascetic discipline (such as prayer, solitude and self control). There weren't many monasteries in Egypt at this time, so he eventually went into the desert to find greater solitude for prayer and discipline, which was an unusual practice, since other ascetics and monks would just stay in remote places near their villages. In the next village there was an old man who had been a hermit since his youth. A...

The Historic Practice of Abortion and How Ancient Christians Responded

...gh often translated as “image”. Paul makes it clear that while we are icons of Adam now in our fallen state, in and through Christ we shall also be icons of Jesus (1 Cor. 15:49) being renewed back to that original image we were created to be (Col. 3:10) as imagers of God because Jesus is also the icon of God — his exact character and image (Heb. 1:3). Colossians 1:15He is the image [εἰκών] of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. Hopefully, this explains a little more about why life is seen as precious and something to be protected. Christian views on abortion, love and charity Abortion is nothing new though, but the worldview...

Coffee With Jesus: Luke 24

...Brief thoughts from daily devotions The road to Emmaus. A familiar story from the Gospel to many, though today as I read it, I noticed some things which I probably glossed over in previous times. At the start of this chapter we see that some of the women who followed Jesus had gone to the tomb with spices to prepare the body of Jesus, and yet were met with a few surprises: an open, empty tomb and some angels! They ran back to the group of apostles and other disciples to tell the exciting news, and what was their response? “[T]hese words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” (v.11). They thought it was nonsense! Probably not the react...

Coffee With Jesus: Luke 22–23

...e of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. John 19:29–30A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the wine on a branch of hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the wine, he said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Even the use of hyssop here in John’s account points to something often overlooked but extremely significant to the Jewish people as it points back to the very first Passover. Moses commanded the people to cover their doorposts in the lamb’s blood using bunches of hyssop (Exodus 12:22), and now durin...