Faithfulness in the Shadows: The Life and Ministry of Philip Melanchthon
Far from playing a “second fiddle” role to Luther, Melanchthon was first rate in his giftedness and his contributions toward the advancement of the gospel in Germany and beyond.
Melanchthon’s relative obscurity in modern Christian thought is unfortunate. As will be explained here, while temperamentally Melanchthon was certainly more subdued than Luther, this does not warrant the minimization of the significant role he played in the Reformation, or his effect on the advance of the gospel since then. For many Christians, the name... Continue Reading
Hymns Sifted in Satan’s Sieve of Suffering
Pastor Gerhardt sheltered under the wings of the Almighty in times of great difficulty.
Today, on his memorial plaque in Lubben are inscribed the words, “Theologus in cribro Satanae versatus,” which is roughly translated, “A theologian sifted in Satan’s sieve” (compare Luke 22:31). From all we can tell, however, these fiery trials only served to strengthen Gerhardt’s faith in Christ and hope in God. I mentioned Gerhard’s hymns above. He... Continue Reading
Lord, Have Mercy on Us
Christians today should remember Daniel Defoe.
Defoe’s Christianity comes through in A Journal of the Plague Year as it did in Robinson Crusoe. The government encouraged people “to implore the mercy of God.” One mother prayed to God that her child did not have the plague. As the pestilence increased its victims, they “would go praying and lifting up their hands... Continue Reading
A House with Open Doors: Betsie and Corrie Ten Boom
May the Ten Booms’ example encourage us to open our hearts and homes, take action for the needy and the oppressed
Since the Ten Booms were not Jewish, the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands did not present a direct threat to them as a family. Recognizing God’s love for their Jewish friends and neighbors, the family was propelled to care for these innocent lives threatened by the powers of evil. Later on, when the family came... Continue Reading
Ravi Zacharias,74, Called Home to Glory
Famed apologist Ravi Zacharias (1946-2020) has died, following a short battle with an aggressive cancer.
Zacharias began in ministry with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (CMA). His best selling book was Can Man Live Without God?, which sold about 500,000 copies in 1995. His most recent book, The Logic of God: 52 Christian Essentials for the Heart and Mind, won the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association’s 2020 Christian book award in... Continue Reading
The Brave Stunt That Brought Down Slavery
How David Livingstone freed East Africa.
“The Publicity Stunt” refers to Livingstone’s internationally hyped expedition to find the headwaters of the Nile. Milbrandt calls it a “stunt” because Livingstone’s deeper motive was not the Nile. “Livingstone was no longer mounting a Nile expedition, but a grand publicity stunt. The Nile quest provided the platform he needed to campaign against the slave... Continue Reading
The Duty & Art of Pastoral Catechizing
At sermons and prayers men may sleep, or wander; but when one is asked a question, he must discover what he is.
“Is not Christianity full of such things, as are not to be seen, but believed? You said, God made the world; who is God? And so forward, requiring answers to all these, and helping and cherishing the answerer, by making the questions very plain with comparisons, and making much even of a word of truth... Continue Reading
The Life-Changing Love of a Mother
My mother alone played a role that no one else could have—as my confidant, my encourager, my advocate, and my champion.
The picture is indelibly fixed in my mind of my turning the corner to my street after school, especially on predictably hard days, and seeing my mom waiting for me in front of our house. This is the lady who made all the difference in my life. This is the gift that God gave me... Continue Reading
Samuel Pearce and Discerning God’s Will
People who avoid the accountability of any outside authority are in a dangerous one.
Most of us are familiar with searching the Scripture and praying as we discern the will of God. But even these processes are not infallible. Yes the Scriptures themselves are infallible; yes the Holy Spirit is infallible. But our internal process is not infallible. We can bend contexts. We can easily fall prey to impressions... Continue Reading
Lydia Mackenzie Falconer Miller – An Inquisitive Woman
Lydia believed that serious scientific discoveries could only magnify God’s glory.
Natural history was one of Lydia’s passions, probably sparked by Hugh’s interest in geology. In spite of being self-taught in this subject, Hugh became a competent expert on the subject, so much that several scientists sought his views and advise. Like Hugh, Lydia considered science and religion as complementary, with science as a tool to appreciate... Continue Reading
