John Huss was the spark. Martin Luther lit the torch. Men like Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin fanned the flames of the Protestant Reformation, which this month will celebrate its 500th year anniversary! Isn’t that remarkable? This magnificent movement of the gospel swept across Europe more than five hundred years ago. You may not know […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Church History
Historical Background of Paul’s Final Imprisonment
On July 19, AD 64, a fire broke out in Rome, destroying ten of the city’s fourteen districts. The inferno raged for six days and seven nights, flaring sporadically for an additional three days. Though the fire probably started accidentally in an oil warehouse, rumors swirled that Emperor Nero had ordered the inferno so he […]
Read MoreGod IS Fulfilling the Great Commission!
When I heard the numbers, I could hardly believe my ears! I was at Insight for Living Ministries international headquarters, meeting with a delegation of pastors from Jiangsu in the People’s Republic of China. They told me that as many as 109,000 people in their province are trusting Christ as their Savior each year! Don’t […]
Read MoreI Walked Where He Stood
It doesn’t take a Rhodes scholar to guess the country, though the towns may sound strange: Offenbach, Darmstadt, Mannheim, Coburg, Heidelberg, Worms . . . . The land of beer steins, sauerkraut, liverwurst, and black bread; cuckoo clocks and overflowing flower boxes; wide, winding rivers and deep green woods; stone castles on hillsides and quiet, efficient trains; and the greatest music ever written. The beloved homeland of Bach, Mendelssohn, Handel, Beethoven, and Wagner.
Read MoreA Mighty Fortress: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Recently, I led a tour through the ancient city of Jerusalem. Early one morning, I looked out across the skyline and read Psalm 46. You may know the first verse by heart: God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. I thought of how God had shown Himself strong […]
Read MoreUnderstanding Prophecy
Probably the most important issue in understanding prophecy is the question of whether it should be understood literally. One widespread assumption is that while ordinary Scripture can be interpreted in a literal manner, with terms retaining their natural meaning, prophetic portions of the Bible should be treated as a special case, with the literal or […]
Read MoreThe Importance of Standing Alone
Standing alone usually means being isolated from comfort. Martin Luther relished the solitary fight between himself and papal prosecutors. However, solitary confinement was quite another battle. For ten months in 1521–22, Luther faced a devilish adversary—loneliness. A few days after the infamous Diet of Worms, a band of armed horsemen halted Luther’s carriage. With a […]
Read MoreI Walked Where He Stood
It doesn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to guess the country of the following towns, though the names may be strange-sounding: Offenbach Wurzburg Darmstadt Bad Kissingen Mannheim Aschaffenburg Heidelberg Schweinfurt Worms Bischofsheim Ludwigshafen Coburg The land of beer steins, sauerkraut, liverwurst, and black bread; overflowing flower boxes; cuckoo clocks; wide, winding rivers; deep-green woods; gray-stone houses […]
Read MoreHeroes of the Ancient Church
By around AD 90—about sixty years after Christ’s resurrection and the birth of the church—Christianity had grown significantly from its humble beginnings in Jerusalem and Judea. Churches planted by the apostles now thrived in cities of Judea, Egypt, Syria, Asia Minor, Macedonia, Greece, and Italy. From the larger cities, the churches continued to expand into […]
Read MoreDid Constantine Declare Jesus to Be “God” in AD 325?
The Da Vinci Code is not alone in claiming that in the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine changed Christianity to further his political agenda. Historians or false teachers who deny Christ’s deity sometimes suggest this event as a possibility. The truth is, Christians regarded Jesus as both God and man from the very beginning. In […]
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