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This week in Christian History

March 1, 1633: "On his deathbed, English poet and clergyman George Herbert, 39, uttered these last words: 'I shall be free from sin and all the temptations and anxieties that attend it...I shall dwell... where these eyes shall see my Master and Savior.' " (StudyLight.org)

Long ago I heard a preacher make a statement that would likely displease both Calvinists and Arminians - "On this earth, we are two thirds saved. We are saved from the penalty of sin and the power of sin. But we won't be spared from the presence of sin until we leave this world." Perhaps he had read of Herbert's last words.

What a day that will be! "...heaven is a perfect place..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G66ThRLy9js

March 2,1948: "U.S. Senate Chaplain Peter Marshall prayed: 'O God, forgive the poverty and the pettiness of our prayers. Listen not to our words but to the yearnings of our hearts. Hear beneath our petitions the crying of our need.' "(SLO)

March 3,1547: "The Seventh Session of the Council of Trent declared: 'If anyone says that one baptized cannot, even if he wishes, lose grace, however much he may sin, unless he is unwilling to believe, let him be anathema.' " (SLO)

March 4, 1966: "London's "Evening Standard" newspaper published an interview with Beatle John Lennon in which he remarked: 'Christianity will... vanish and shrink... We're more popular than Jesus Christ right now.' The quote touched off a storm of international protest, resulting in burnings and boycotts of the Beatles' records." (SLO)

March 5,1850: "Birth of Daniel B. Towner, American music evangelist. An associate of D.L. Moody, Towner composed over 2,000 hymn tunes, including AT CALVARY ("Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride"), MOODY ("Marvelous Grace of our Loving Lord") and TRUST AND OBEY ("When We Walk With the Lord")." (SLO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBFWThI0_mw

March 6, 1475: "The famed sculptor and painter Michelangelo (left) was born this day. He produced some of the most profound religious art ever conceived by any artist. He also wrote religious sonnets which reveal a heart hungering for God." (Christianity.com)

March 6, 1919: "Death of Julia H. Johnston, 70, American Presbyterian Sunday School leader. She penned about 500 hymns during her lifetime, one of which is still sung today: "Grace Greater Than Our Sin" (a.k.a. "Marvelous Grace of our Loving Lord"). " (SLO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDdENxO6HVo

We are so blessed for having those who were given artistic gifts that help us in our walk of faith. I am especially grateful for those who have used their musical gifts, both as writers, composers or singers/musicians. Others have expressed how works of art - for instance, those of Michelangelo - have been instrumental in drawing their attention to the Divine.

It is a reminder that God, in His infinite wisdom, has provided every means necessary to reveal Himself to each individual as well as giving each one whatever it takes to grow to maturity in faith.

"Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11, NLT)

March 7, 202, two young women faced a choice between temporal obligations and eternal life... http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/perpetua-and-felicitas-in-the-carthage-arena-11629612.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyAwfwIRMuo

March 7,1782: " Ohio Territory militiamen began a two-day massacre of the Moravian Indian town of Gnadenhutten (modern New Philadelphia, Ohio). In all, 96 Christian Indians of the Delaware tribe were slaughtered, in retaliation for Indian raids made elsewhere in the Ohio Territory." (SLO)
 
March 8, 1740 - A preacher ticks off some other preachers by saying that those who teach Christ should first experience Him...

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/gilbert-tennent-outraged-traditional-ministers-11630232.html

March 9,1843: "Scottish clergyman Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in a letter: 'You will never find Jesus so precious as when the world is one vast howling wilderness. Then he is like a rose blooming in the midst of the desolation, a rock rising above the storm.' " (StudyLight.org)

March 9, 1915 : The "religion of peace" orders genocide (not for the faint of heart to read): http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/turkish-order-to-murder-armenians-at-aleppo-11630707.html

March 9,1930: "Pioneer linguist Frank Laubach wrote in a letter: 'It seems to me...that the very Bible cannot be read as a substitute for meeting God soul to soul and face to face.'" (SLO)

March 10, 1528: "Martyrdom of Balthaser Hubmaier, 48, German reformer and chief writer for the Anabaptist movement. Arrested in Moravia, Hubmaier was later condemned at Vienna and burned at the stake." (SLO)

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/martyrdom-of-anabaptist-evangelist-hubmaier-11629943.html

March 11,1860: "Birth of H. Frances Davidson, pioneer missionary. In 1892 she became the first woman from the Brethren in Christ Church to earn an M.A. degree, and in 1897 became one of her denomination's first missionaries to travel to the African continent." (SLO)

More about her, read here - http://gameo.org/index.php?title=Davidson,_Hannah_Frances_%281860-1935%29

Hanna Davidson was certainly a pioneer whose actions left a solid imprint on African people. 100 years later, her work is also having a direct impact on our family - our daughter is planning to go to Macha as a nurse and help meet the needs of the hospital that was built as a result of Hanna's work. I am not without trepidation at the thought of my girl going there...

March 12, 1607: "Birth of Paul Gerhardt, German clergyman and hymnwriter. He lost four of his five children in childhood, yet also composed over 130 hymns, including "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded." (Gerhardt's music marks the transition in Lutheran hymnody from confessional and high-church hymns to hymns of devotional piety.)" (SLO)

March 14, 1937: "English Bible expositor Arthur W. Pink wrote in a letter: 'Neither the nearness nor the remoteness of Christ's return is a rule to regulate us in the ordering of our temporal affairs. Spiritual preparedness is the great matter.' " (SLO)
 
March 15, 1517: A pope sells "grace for money", virtually a license for sin. (Rather like today's "carbon credits!")

When Leo X was made pope, he reportedly said to his brother: "Since God has given us the Papacy, let us enjoy it." And "enjoy it", he did, spending the papal treasury into penury. Eventually, he makes mockery of the work of Christ on the cross when he offers the sale of "indulgences" (a remission of penalties for one's wrongdoings) in order to raise money to rebuild St. Peter's basilica - since he had wasted the papal wealth on his whims, Leo thus sought to finance the building project.

No one did a better job of selling this overt form of licentiousness than the monk, Johann Tetzel, who made obscene comments in his propagation of this unbiblical practice. Tetzel's erroneous teaching had two unexpected outcomes, one which led to a severe beating for himself, which can be read here - http://www.aloha.net/~mikesch/tetzel.htm

And another direct and momentous impact of the actions of this corrupt pope - allegedly homosexual - led to the betterment of the church - the Reformation! Because when questions about the validity of the "indulgences" were brought to the attention of a certain young priest named Martin Luther, he expanded debate on them and nailed his 95 theses to the door of Wittenburg Castle, sparking the Reformation.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/infamous-indulgence-led-to-reformation-11629920.html

Luther was instrumental in steering the church toward a more Biblical presentation of faith and grace. However, he also self-admittedly (in his later years) failed in his desire to see a moral and ethical improvement in general church life, which he had hoped would reflect the redemptive, practical life-changing power of these two elements of God's plan of salvation.

He promoted some right theology but, in Augustinian fashion, neglected to emphasize the reality of how free will necessitates choosing obedient discipleship. This remains as true today as in their day, as many, many preachers teach grace without the accompanying need for Spirit-empowered life change. Shades of Leo, Tetzel...

Indeed, God's grace is free to all, and those who freely respond to His call to costly discipleship will enjoy its benefits!

Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." (Matthew 16: 24 -27, EVS)

Profession is important; obedience to His words is crucial as indicated by these words of Jesus: "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.' " (Matthew 25:21, ESV) Note that Jesus said "Well DONE", not "Well said..."

Well Done

By Connie Campbell Bratcher, June,1996.

Oh, to hear those words when we see His face,
At the end of time in that glorious place.
We'll bow before Him, worshipping our King,
As we hear the host of angels sing.
A crown of righteousness awaits we're told,
For our faithfulness within the fold;
But at His feet our crown we'll cast,
When our wonderful Saviour we meet at last.
Yes, face to face we'll see Him there,
The one who died, our sins to bear.
He made the way for our spiritual birth,
And abundant life upon the earth.
As we enter into glory with our merciful King,
Along with the angels we'll eternally sing...
Praises to His name for His marvelous grace,
Enabling us to enter His Holy Place -
And as faithful servants who've received God's Son,
We'll hear his voice say to us..."Well Done".



"His Lord said unto him, well done
thou good and faithful servant"
(Matt. 25:21)

http://faithpoetry.com/faith1/welldone.shtml


More on discipleship from Matthew Henry -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b1manI7SCU


March 18, 1767 "Anglican clergyman and hymn writer John Newton wrote in a letter: 'The more you know him, the better you will trust him; the more you trust him, the better you will love him; the more you love him, the better you will serve him.' " (SLO)

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9bjPwwLgj0
 
http://www.newadvent.gcathen/09162a.htm


The most important occurrence of Leo's pontificate and that of gravest consequence to the Church was the Reformation, which began in 1517. We cannot enter into a minute account of this movement, the remote cause of which lay in the religious, political, and social conditions of Germany. It is certain, however, that the seeds of discontent amid which Luther threw his firebrand had been germinating for centuries. The immediate cause was bound up with the odious greed for money displayed by the Roman Curia, and shows how far short all efforts at reform had hitherto fallen. Albert of Brandenburg, already Archbishop of Magdeburg, received in addition the Archbishopric of Mainz and the Bishopric of Hallerstadt, but in return was obliged to collect 10,000 ducats, which he was taxed over and above the usual confirmation fees. To indemnify hiim, and to make it possible to discharge these obligations Rome permitted him to have preached in his territory the plenary indulgence promised all those who contributed to the new St. Peter's; he was allowed to keep one half the returns, a transaction which brought dishonour on all concerned in it. Added to this, abuses occurred during the preaching of the Indulgence. The money contributions, a mere accessory, were frequently the chief object, and the "Indulgences for the Dead" became a vehicle of inadmissible teachings. That Leo X, in the most serious of all the crises which threatened the Church, should fail to prove the proper guide for her, is clear enough from what has been related above. He recognized neither the gravity of the situation nor the underlying causes of the revolt. Vigorous measures of reform might have proved an efficacious antidote, but the pope was deeply entangled in political affairs and allowed the imperial election to overshadow the revolt of Luther; moreover, he gave himself up unrestrainedly to his pleasures and failed to grasp fully the duties of his high office.

The pope's last political efforts were directed to expanding the States of the Church, establishing a dominating power in central Italy by means of the acquisition of Ferrara. In 1519 he concluded a treaty with Francis I against Emperor Charles V. But the selfishness and encroachments of the French and the struggle against the Lutheran movement, induced him soon to unite with Charles, after he had again resorted to his double-faced method of treating with both rivals. In 1521 pope and emperor signed a defensive alliance for the purpose of driving the French out of Italy. After some difficulty, the allies occupied Milan and Lombardy. Amid the rejoicings over these successes, the pope died suddenly of a malignant malaria. His enemies are wrongly accused of having poisoned him. The magnificent pope was given a simple funeral and not until the reign of Paul III was a monument erected to his memory in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. It is cold, prosaic, and quite unworthy of such a connoisseur as Leo.

The only possible verdict on the pontificate of Leo X is that it was unfortunate for the Church. Sigismondo Tizio, whose devotion to the Holy See is undoubted, writes truthfully: "In the general opinion it was injurious to the Church that her Head should delight in plays, music, the chase and nonsense, instead of paying serious attention to the needs of his flock and mourning over their misfortunes". Von Reumont says pertinently—"Leo X is in great measure to blame for the fact that faith in the integrity and merit of the papacy, in its moral and regenerating powers, and even in its good intentions, should have sunk so low that men could declare extinct the old true spirit of the Church."




History presents few characters that have suffered more senseless misrepresentation, even bald caricature, than Tetzel. "Even while he lived stories which contained an element of legend gathered around his name, until at last, in the minds of the uncritical Protestant historians, he became the typical indulgence-monger, upon whom any well-worn anecdote might be fathered" (Beard, "Martin Luther", London, 1889, 210). For a critical scholarly study which shows him in a proper perspective, he had to wait the researches of our own time, mainly at the hands of Dr. Nicholas Paulus, who is closely followed in this article. In the first place, his teaching regarding the indulgences for the living was correct. The charge that the forgiveness of sins was sold for money regardless of contrition or that absolution for sins to be committed in the future could be purchased is baseless. An indulgence, he writes, can be applied only "to the pains of sin which are confessed and for which there is contrition". "No one", he furthermore adds, "secures an indulgence unless he have true contrition". The confessional letters (confessionalia) could of course be obtained for a mere pecuniary consideration without demanding contrition. But such document did not secure an indulgence. It was simply a permit to select a proper confessor, who only after a contrite confession would absolve from sin and reserved cases, and who possessed at the same time facilities to impart the plenary indulgence (Paulus, "Johann Tetzel", 103).
 
March 22, 1819: "Birth of Joseph P. Webster, American sacred music writer. During his lifetime, Webster composed over 1,000 pieces of music, including the still-popular hymn tune SWEET BY AND BY ("There's a Land That is Fairer Than Day")." ( StudyLight.org)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuJsikvCvCU

March 23,1966: "Archbishop of Canterbury Arthur Michael Ramsey met and exchanged public greetings with Pope Paul VI in Rome. It was the first official meeting between heads of the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches in over 400 years." (SLO)

March 24, 1980, a man who unblinkingly stood against a communist government's oppression of the people paid for his courage with his life -

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/outspoken-hero-bishop-romero-assassinated-11630844.html

March 25, 1525: Conrad Grebel drew crowds in Switzerland - Why? A college professor told one of our classes that there don't seem to be many preachers of the Word who are willing to stand up and proclaim the truth in all its power and simplicity. He said that is such a preacher would appear, he would fill churches again because people have a hunger to hear truth. According to the following account, Conrad Grebel was such a preacher -

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/conrad-grebel-drew-crowds-in-switzerland-11629934.html

March 26,1840: "Birth of George Smith, famed English Assyriologist. During several expeditions to the site of ancient Nineveh, (1873-74), Smith unearthed over 3,000 cuneiform tablets, including one which told the story of an ancient deluge, similar to Noah's Flood." (SLO)


March 27, 1840: "Scottish clergyman Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in a letter: 'No person can be a child of God without living in secret prayer; and no community of Christians can be in a lively condition without unity in prayer.' "(SLO)
 
March 29, 1847: "Birth of Winfield Scott Weeden, American sacred chorister and hymnwriter. During his life he led music and singing schools for the YMCA and Christian Endeavor. Of his several musical compositions, Weeden is best remembered today for the hymn, "I Surrender All." " (StudyLight.org)
Matthew 19: 27 "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?"
Luke 14:33 "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2QCaKny7KY

March 30, 1917: "All imperial lands, as well as lands belonging to monasteries, were confiscated by the Russian provisional government." (SLO)

March 31, 1860 - was born a gypsy boy Rodney Smith - who later came to faith in Christ and traded his thieving ways for giving out the Gospel message... God works through whatever means He chooses! He is not restricted by our past or present failures, but His Spirit can redeem any and all who turn to Him.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/rodney-smith-gypsy-evangelist-11630515.html

March 31,1958: "English apologist C. S. Lewis wrote in "Letters to an American Lady": 'What most often interrupts my own prayers is not great distractions but tiny ones things one will have to do or avoid in the course of the next hour.' " (SLO) Anyone who has set a time that they determined to spend in prayer knows what Lewis spoke of -that job on the list, the thing I forgot to do yesterday - they all have a way of forcing themselves into one's consciousness when trying to focus on conversing with the heavenly father.

And here is a quote from Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer that shows the importance of keeping our faith centered on God rather than a mere, fallible person -

March 31, 1976: 'You must not lose confidence in God because you lost confidence in your pastor. If our confidence in God had to depend upon our confidence in any human person, we would be on shifting sand.' " (SLO)

"Jesus did not commit Himself to them…, for He knew what was in man." (John 2:24-25)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n5w_2IXvuA

This very significant teaching from Oswald Chambers speaks further to placing our trust in the right place -

http://utmost.org/the-teaching-of-disillusionment/

April 1, 1872, the English working man lost a true hero and champion of their dignity and rights. After spending his whole life and being in bringing practical Christianity into every area of life, F.D. Maurice died. This excerpt summarizes his efforts -

"Maurice contended that society could only be transformed through the incarnation of Christ. Christians must become "socialists," that is, socially active, and socialists must become Christians. He was a founder and the chief voice of the Christian Socialists. ..." (Christianity.com) (Note the balance that he struck!)

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/workingmans-friend-f-d-maurice-11630561.html

Jesus did not invent a constitution by which governments should administer welfare to the needy. Rather, He taught His followers that they are to be the means by which the needs of the underprivileged and the broken ones are to be met - "Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me..." (Matthew 25:40)

April 2, 1955: "British apologist C. S. Lewis wrote in "Letters to an American Lady": 'Fear is horrid, but there's no reason to be ashamed of it. Our Lord was afraid (dreadfully so) in Gethsemane. I always cling to that as a very comforting fact.' " (SLO)

Fear is a natural response to a threat - we all feel it at times. David, the shepherd boy evidently knew fear and wrote this "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1, ESV)

April 3, 1950: "Death of American hymnwriter Ira B. Wilson, 70. Associated with Lorenz Publishing in Dayton, Ohio for over 40 years, Wilson's most enduring sacred composition was "Make Me a Blessing" (aka "Out of the Highways and Byways of Life")." (SLO)

One can serve Christ and "be a blessing" regardless of location - in the heart of the city or the middle of the Heartland!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYx5bvuvgA

April 4,1687: "James II issued a Declaration of Indulgence allowing full liberty of worship in England. The document allowed peaceable meetings of nonconformists and forgave all penalties for ecclesiastical offenses." (SLO)
 
It was the greatest announcement - EVER!

"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you..." (Matthew 28: 5-7a, NASB)

HE IS RISEN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huFra1mnIVE

A Blessed Easter to all! May you see Him going ahead of you in the coming year.
 
April 13, 1742: "...the world first heard the lovely overture, memorable arias and majestic choruses of the most famous oratorio ever written...George Frederick Handel's Messiah..."

There are few who have not heard at least bits of this masterpiece, especially the most famous part of all, the "Hallelujah Chorus" -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76RrdwElnTU

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/hallelujah-handels-masterpiece-11630238.html
 
April 19, 1529: "In Germany at the Diet of Spires (Speyer), a document signed by Lutheran leaders in fourteen cities lodged a "protest" which demanded a freedom of conscience and the right of minorities. Henceforth, the German Lutheran Reformers were known as "Protestants." " (StudyLight.org)

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/protestants-1st-called-protestants-11629946.html

Interestingly, Luther, Zwingli and later, John Calvin among others, did not see the need to extend to the despised 'Anabaptists' the same liberty and freedom of conscience that the 'Protestants' requested from the civic/religious powers of the day. In fact, history remains strangely oblivious to the severe and beastly treatment to which the mainstream denominations subjected these quiet and peaceful disciples of Jesus Christ.

All they wanted was the freedom to demonstrate their faith in Jesus Christ through obedient living, rather than holding to a mere verbal profession as was the norm for much of the Christendom of their day.


April 20, 1826: "Birth of Erastus Johnson, American hymnwriter. A lifelong student of the Bible, Johnson, at age 47, penned the hymn, "O Sometimes the Shadows are Deep" (a.k.a. "The Rock That Is Higher Than I")." (SLO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t7-E5O21aQ

April 21, 1649: "The Toleration Act was passed by the Maryland Assembly. It protected Roman Catholics within the American colony against Protestant harassment, which had been rising as Oliver Cromwell's power in England increased." (SLO)

April 21,1828: "English churchman John Henry Newman wrote in a letter to his sister: 'May I be patient! It is so difficult to make real what one believes, and to make these trials, as they are intended, real blessings.'" (SLO)

I'm not sure that this lesson has ever been more real than in the past couple of weeks since I had my spine surgery. The doctor put strong limitations on my activities for 6 weeks - an especially difficult trial since the grass is now turning green, fences need repair, ground needs to be cultivated, general cleanup is beckoning - but the doctor is always right...so each day is a test of patience and a lesson in depending on others to do what needs to be done.

I know it in my head, but to apply it to my will is the real challenge!

April 22: The date which is dedicated to the memory of the life and work of Origen. In spite of his faults, he was a man of profound influence of the life of the early church and many of his writings are still held in high regard today. The dates of his birth and death are not certain.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/origen-11629622.html

April 23, 33: The possible date of Christ's resurrection from the grave! Without this event, the Christian faith is meaningless...

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1-300/possible-date-for-christs-resurrection-11629555.html

April 24, 1944: "In deciding the legal case "United States v. Ballard," the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the general principle that "the truth of religious claims is not for secular authority to determine." " (SLO)


April 25, 1800: "Death of William Cowper, 69, English poet. A lifelong victim of depression, Cowper nevertheless left a great spiritual literary legacy, including three enduring hymns: "God Moves in a Mysterious Way," "Oh, For a Closer Walk with God" and "There is a Fountain." " (SLO)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMcG0JclK-A
 
April 28, 1789, began a violent chain of events that eventually led to the planting of the Christian faith on Pitcairn Island by an unlikely group of men - mutineers from the British ship, "Bounty". This island chain lies on a line between Australia and South America, somewhat closer to S.A.

That the Gospel should take hold in such an unlikely environment, and with such great effect, without the careful oversight of some foreign missionary agency or Sunday School program is a stunning testament to the power of the Living Word, directed by the same Holy Spirit that was given to us at Pentecost when our Lord ascended into heaven. When the deep spiritual need of some humans met the divine grace offered through Jesus Christ, it made a difference!

And the same is still true today.

"It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trusts him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! God's way of putting people right shows up in the acts of faith, confirming what Scripture has said all along: "The person in right standing before God by trusting him really lives." " (Romans 1:16, 17, The Message)

But further reading about the more recent, sad history of this island shows us that while God's grace is free and available to all who will receive it, this grace must be appropriated and maintained by each successive generation or it will become ineffective, leading a people back into the same sinful and ugly lifestyle as that from which they were once delivered.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1701-1800/how-christianity-came-to-pitcairn-is-11630308.html

April 28, 1955: Barely more than 1 year after his first flight into New Guinea, a Canadian pilot, Albert Lewis, meets an untimely end while flying a solo mission into some challenging country. He risked and eventually lost his life taking the Gospel message to the unreached, but thousands of people came to know Jesus Christ as a result of his sacrificial work -

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/last-flight-for-al-lewis-11630809.html

April 30,1904: "Birth of John T. Benson, Jr, religious composer and former president of Heartwarming Music in Nashville. His best-known sacred composition was the hymn, "Love Lifted Me."" (StudyLight.org)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHQQ7PomyIE

May 2,1949: "American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'The man who will not act until he knows all will never act at all.' " (StudyLight.org)
 
May 5, 1925: "High school biology teacher John T. Scopes, 24, was arrested for teaching the theory of evolution in his Dayton, Tennessee classroom." (StudyLight.org)

Since then, Biblical teaching and prayer have been banned from the public classroom while evolution is taught as the most likely theory for human existence or practically "fact".

More recently, prayer has been banished from the council chambers in our local municipality...the "progressives" are firmly in charge.

Or so it appears.

What happens when we reject the Creator and design? Bill Johnston, pastor at Bethel Pentecostal in California says this: "When you get rid of the Creator, you get rid of design. When you get rid of design, you get rid of purpose. When you get rid of purpose, you get rid of accountability."

"And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper..." (Romans 1:28, NASB)


May 5, 1950: "American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'The conflict of science and religion is fought between the errors of both camps.' "(SLO)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dy3h6--fMBA
 
May 3, 2015: Shortgrass encouraged by being reminded of God's greatness in the past, and further encouraged by the thought that He is by no means done working in the lives of sinful men.
 
May 10, 1886; Birth of German theologian, Karl Barth. A "liberal" theologian in his younger day, he became convinced that faith and theology needed to accurately reflect the nature of God based strictly on a Biblical basis, not a merging of ideas of the popular religions of the day: "... averring that religions are man's attempt to reach God, whereas Christianity is God's reaching down to humans through Christ Jesus." (Christianity.com)

In our practice, do we always make this distinction? It seems to be in our human nature to try to create and follow formulas about how to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ, rather than simply allowing Him to live through us by coming to Him in faith...

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (John 1:12, KJV)

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1801-1900/karl-barth-was-mondays-child-11630612.html

May 13, 1619: The execution of Johan Van Oldenbarneveldt, a Dutch statesman who, over the course of his notable lifetime, held many powerful positions in government. Most significantly, he helped Maurice, Prince of the Untied Netherlands, orchestrate Dutch independence from Spanish rule.

Yet in his later years, he became a victim of the suspicions of Maurice, a dictatorial leader who subscribed to Calvinist thought, when he felt that Oldenbarnveltd's Arminian and more Libertarian leanings presented a threat to his imperialistic objectives. This conflict spilled over all of the Netherlands to the point where riots broke out and the military was called in to quell the fighting factions, split along Calvinist and Arminian lines.

The Calvinists, who believed that all of life's events are predetermined or appointed by a sovereign God and leaving nothing to be determined by man's freewill, were determined to enforce their religious views with the help of the power of the state.

However, in an initiative consistent with his Arminian belief system, Johan Van Oldenbarneveldt wanted to see a separation between Church and state. Furthermore, he took actions to create a Province of Holland, a state which practically declared its independence from any imperial ties.

The following quote provides a tremendous insight into the connection between one's faith-base and political bent -"Politics often mirrors faith. Oldenbarnevelt, champion of man's spiritual freedom, favored a freer nation and a more liberal government. He was for state's rights. The strict Calvinists preferred a centralized government and fewer state's rights." (Christianity.com)

The Calvinists provide a strange dichotomy here - if they truly believed that God is sovereign and rules unerringly over all of mankind's actions, why would they care whether or not people conformed to a particular set of rules or governance by any particular state? Would not any and all choices made by people automatically be a result of God's divine rule? Did their ensuing, heavy-handed actions not indicate the they believed that a sovereign God needed a bit of human help? :lol2:

Maurice objected strongly to the remarkable political achievements of the man who helped him reach power and overruled all of his actions. In an apparent act of jealous treachery, Maurice invited Oldenbarneveldt and his fellow officers to a meeting where he had them captured, thrown into captivity and eventually, after a mockery of a trial which didn't allow the victims to provide a fair defense, Oldenbarneveltd was executed.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1601-1700/john-barneveld-executed-11630068.html

May 14, 1948: "After nineteen centuries of enforced exile, the Jewish people regained their homeland when the State of Israel was formally proclaimed in Tel Aviv. On this same date, the U.S. became the first world nation to recognize the newly-refounded state of Israel." (StudyLight.org)

May 14, 1950: "American missionary and martyr Jim Elliot wrote in his journal: 'To believe is to act as though a thing were so. Merely saying a thing is so is no proof of my believing it." (SLO)

May 15, 1816: "Birth of Sylvanus Dryden Phelps, U.S. Baptist clergyman and poet. His several writings included the hymn, "Savior, Thy Dying Love." " (SLO)

Another of my favorite hymns from over the years -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHqvwQKH9So
 
May 17, 1527: "Michael Sattler tried for being Anabaptist" (Christianity.com) He was found guilty and condemned to torture and death.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thepangeablog/2012/01/11/an-anabaptist-hero-and-martyr-michael-sattler/

May 21, 1527: The martyrdom of Michael Sattler - "On the morning of that day this noble man of God, in sight of horrible torture, prayed for his judges and persecutors and admonished the people to repentance. He endured the inhuman torture stipulated in the sentence. Then his mangled body was tied to a ladder. He prayed again for his persecutors while the ladder was placed upon the stake. He had promised his friends to give them a sign from the burning stake, to show that he remained steadfast to the end, enduring it all willingly for Christ. The fire having severed the cords wherewith he was bound, he lifted up his hand for a sign to them. Soon it was noticed that his spirit had taken its flight to be with Him whom he had steadfastly confessed under the most excruciating torture, a true hero of the faith." (http://www.anabaptists.org/history/michael-sattler.html#mirror"

May 22, 1868: "Birth of William R. Newell, American clergyman and devotional writer. He published expository works on the Bible, and is remembered today as author of the hymn, "At Calvary" (a.k.a. "Years I Spent in Vanity and Pride")." (SLO)

I am glad for what happened at Calvary, that William Newell wrote the song and that this family sings it -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaKzTNxxQM

May 23, 1633: "By French edict, only Catholic settlers were permitted permanent residence within the country known as New France (called "Canada" today), thus ending 30 years of attempted colonization by Huguenots (Protestants)." (SLO)
 
Sorry for missing last week - after nearly completing the posting for the week, I lost the material and did not get around to redoing it. The login troubles that I have with this site have taught me to prepare a word document which I can save and then copy and paste onto the site page…

May 31, 1579: Accidental Discovery of Roman Catacombs - "Forbidden to bury their dead in regular burial grounds, the Christians of Rome interred them in underground vaults used by the poor. Called catacombs, these were built outside the city…" (Christianty.com)

This vast labyrinth of underground burial chambers stretched for hundreds of miles into the volcanic rock that formed the foundations of Rome.They were developed through the first 3 centuries of persecuted Christendom and now provide a treasure trove of historical insights into the lives and culture of those first Christians whose remains were interred in them.

[As an interesting side-note, there were three layers of strata laid down by volcanic activity and the Roman catacombs had their beginning in the second layer in a mixture of rock and earth. Below them, rock was quarried out to build Rome. The upper layer of strata was comprised of pozzolana which, when pulverized and mixed with lime in the correct proportions and then with water, formed concrete! Although discovered by the Greeks, it took Roman ingenuity to perfect this technology and put it to work in building an empire. Many ancient Roman structures still stand today, with underwater pier and cementworks being as sound as they were when constructed 2100 years ago. How will our concrete structures look even 100 years from now!?]

What becomes abundantly clear from the inscriptions or epitaphs on the graves is the transformation of the lives and relationships of those whose remains lay within. These words, etched into the stone tiles used to seal the burial chamber, speak of the love, purity and unity that characterized the earthly life of the believer. Some spoke of the changed social relationships between slave and owner, statesman and common person, all because of their shared love, faith and experience in one person - the Lord Jesus Christ.

These burial grounds lost their protected status after the fall of Rome to the Goths (circa 400) and eventually, through the Middle Ages, the catacombs were forgotten. However, after their rediscovery on this date in 1579, there began a serious exploration, cataloguing and eventual mapping of these seemingly endless and confusing tunnels, first by Antonio Bosio and then by hundreds of others who followed his footsteps down these "hallowed halls" through the centuries since then.
As a result of their dedication to studying the contents of the catacombs, we now have a much fuller and more accurate view of the personal lives of our early Christian predecessors and how they stood in contrast to the culture and conditions in which they lived. A contrast, the records show, which cost many of them their lives as they would not capitulate to the demands of a corrupt and viscous secular society.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1501-1600/accidental-discovery-of-roman-catacombs-11630027.html

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03417b.htm

June 1, 1793: "Birth of Henry Francis Lyte, Scottish clergyman who wrote the hymns 'Abide with Me' and 'Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken.'" (StudyLight.org)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmjuqZSH_aY

June 2, 597: "Augustine, missionary to England and first archbishop of Canterbury, baptized Saxon king Ethelbert. Afterward, the Christian faith spread rapidly among the Angles and Saxons." (SLO) Ethelbert went on to become the first English king to develop a written law code. Eventually, this code extended protection to the Church and to the civil liberties of the people; especially noteworthy is the Code's mention of women's rights and those of servants and slaves.

Then this: June 3, 1647: The Puritan British Parliament bans Christmas and other holidays." (ChristianityToday)

June 4, 1820: Birth of Elvina M Hall, who wrote the words to the hymn "Jesus Paid it All" while the pastor prayed a particularly long prayer on Sunday morning…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bPaXN9j9yQ

June 5, 754: "English monk Boniface, missionary to Germany, dies with 50 other Christians in an attack by angry pagans. The missionary, famous for smashing pagan idols, also established a monastery at Fulda that is still the center of Roman Catholicism in Germany." (CT)

Boniface is remembered for his legendary fearlessness in confronting the pagan beliefs of his day. Perhaps the most notable of his feats was when, in Lower Hessia (in west-central Germany), he felled a massive oak tree dedicated to the god Thor. With every blow of the axe, he is said to have preached the Gospel to the fearful onlookers. Finally, the tree crashed to the ground and Boniface used its wood to build a chapel. The locals, astounded that he was not struck dead by a lightning bolt, then believed that the God he proclaimed was the true God.

Yet his mission work was made challenging by the people's relentless drift back into paganism, heretical beliefs and ungodly living. Is the work of the disciples of Christ any less challenging today? And is our faith based on the spectacular and miraculous, or is it grounded in the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord regardless of our circumstances? Only time and testing will tell...

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/601-900/pagan-attack-felled-st-boniface-11629751.html

Nothing will...separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus... (Rom 8:39b)

June 6, 1844: English merchant George Williams founds the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) out of his London meetings for prayer and Bible reading. (CT)
 
June 7, 1811: "James Young Simpson was born at Bathgate, Scotland. He graduated from the University of Scotland as an MD, discovered the use of chloroform as an anesthetic and made great improvements in gynecological procedures. Asked before a group of scientists what was his greatest discovery, he replied, "That I was a sinner and Jesus died for me." He was active in the Scottish Free Church. (Christianity.com)

June 8, 1794: "French revolutionaries replace Christianity with a deistic religion honoring a trinity of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity." They renamed churches "Temples of Reason," and a new calendar announced a 10-Day week and holiday s commemorating events of the revolution. The "reign of terror" followed, with some 1,400 people losing their heads. Napolean recognized the church again in 1804, then proceeded to imprison Pope Pius VII." (ChristianityToday)

There arises a problem with a society that discards the Bible as an absolute basis for determining standards - who sets the standard, and based on what? When there is no absolute, every decision-making process devolves into a contest of the likes and wishes of one against those of another.

June 8th, 1978: Solzhenitsyn's Harvard address was given on this day, and this is another quote from it:"(Solzhenitsyn) went on to analyze how legalism has eaten up morality. "The West has finally achieved the rights of man, and even to excess, but man's sense of responsibility to God and society has grown dimmer and dimmer. Must one point out that from ancient times a decline in courage has been considered the first symptom of the end?"" (C.c)

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1901-2000/solzhenitsyns-commencement-speech-11630842.html
June 9, 68: "Nero Claudius Caesar, the ruler to whom the Apostle Paul appealed for justice (Acts 25:10) and who ordered the first imperial persecution of Christians, commits suicide." (CT)

June 10, 1900: "Chinese soldiers and Boxers surround the home of the Orthodox priest Fr. Mitrophan about ten at night, having burned his church a week and a half earlier. They torture Mitrophan and the Christians assembled at his house, primarily women and children. Finally Boxers puncture his chest and he dies under a date tree." (Christian History Institute)

Unspeakable atrocities were done to European "colonizers" and others during the Boxer rebellion. However, such horrible things committed by the Boxers (rape, torture, murder and looting) were equally matched by the European armies who moved in to meet the violence. "A foreign journalist, George Lynch, said "there are things that I must not write, and that may not be printed in England, which would seem to show that this Western civilization of ours is merely a veneer over savagery."" (Wikipedia)
June 11, 1294: "Death of Roger Bacon, a Franciscan monk and one of the most original thinkers of the Middle Ages. He had predicted aircraft, submarines, suspension bridges, engines, and more." (CHI)

June 12, 1898: "Death of Sanford F. Bennett, American hymnwriter, author of the hymn "In the Sweet By and By" ("There's a Land That Is Fairer Than Day")."(CHI)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhNxXBTIjfk
 
June 14,1936: "Death of G. K. Chesterton, an influential Roman Catholic apologist and wit, noted for his use of paradox. Pope Pius XI will pronounce him a defender of the faith." (christianhistoryinstitute.org)

Who is this guy? Chesterton was a modern wit, pundit Christian apologist and prodigious writer whose books led many to faith, including C.S. Lewis, as well as instigating others to start social movements, such as Gandhi...read more here -

http://www.chesterton.org/who-is-this-guy/ http://www.chesterton.org/quotations-of-g-k-chesterton/

June 15, 313: "Edict of Milan is proclaimed by Licinius when he enters Nicomedia." (CHI.org) This was the proclamation of freedom of religion for Christians who had up until the time of Constantine suffered horribly at the hands of the Roman government. It was after this that Christianty became a favored religion and, what was once a faith kept pure by the fires of persecution, became an increasingly corrupted political mechanism by which position, power and wealth were acquired...so the question lingers: did this edict help or hinder the true faith?

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/1990/issue28/2809.html

June 15, 1215: "King John signs the Magna Carta, which begins, "The Church of England shall be free." (ChristianityToday)

The modern day importance of this document cannot be over stated since it forms the bedrock of our present day system of law and order. Yet, we usually sit by idly either in abject ignorance of its significance, or in helpless hand-wringing as we watch bureaucrats and legislators hack away at our Biblically-based civil liberties.

What can be done to protect the quality of life which the Magna Carta enshrined in writing? Be aware of what is happening in government both locally and nationally and make your views known, clearly and without apology, and be an advocate in word and deed for what is right and essential.

http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/1201-1500/great-charter-for-england-11629819.html

ON THE TROUBLES we may face in this world:

June 16, 1804: "Anglican missionary to Persia, Henry Martyn wrote in his journal: 'My soul, alas, needs these uneasinesses in outward things, to be driven to take refuge in God.' " (StudyLight.org)

However, not quite 50 years after the proclamation of the Edict of Milan, there arose an emperor who was less favorable toward the Christian faith:

June 17, 362: "Emperor Julian "the Apostate" orders that all professors and schoolmasters must obtain a license before teaching—thus excluding Christians from educating youth." (CHI.org)

Persecution of the followers of Christ has always been a real risk, even today some give their life for the faith:

June 17, 2004: "Jiang Zongxiu, a 34 year old mother and wife in China is arrested and beaten for distributing Christian literature in a marketplace. She will die the next day." (CHI.org)

Such troubles, although mostly unknown to people of faith in our Western society, should come as no surprise since Jesus said this:

"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, ESV), and also this: in Matthew 5:11, 12: "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (KJV)

June 18, 1955: "Divine services, Bible studies, and celebration of communion in East Germany are forbidden by the Communist government." (CHI.org)

June 19, 1910: "The first widely-promoted Father's Day celebration of modern America was held in Spokane, Washington on this day..." (Christianty.com) http://www.christianity.com/bible/bible-study/a-day-for-father-11630692.html

June 20, 1776: "Anglican clergyman and hymnwriter John Newton wrote in a letter: 'A Christian is not of hasty growth...but rather like the oak, the progress of which is hardly perceptible, but in time becomes a deep-rooted tree.' " (SLO)

"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalms 1:3, KJV)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPuzJFzXgU4
 
June 15, 313: "Edict of Milan is proclaimed by Licinius when he enters Nicomedia." (CHI.org) This was the proclamation of freedom of religion for Christians who had up until the time of Constantine suffered horribly at the hands of the Roman government. It was after this that Christianty became a favored religion and, what was once a faith kept pure by the fires of persecution, became an increasingly corrupted political mechanism by which position, power and wealth were acquired...so the question lingers: did this edict help or hinder the true faith?
Click to expand...

I find this statement somewhat odd in that the Catholic Church in it's efforts over the centuries tried also to maintain and keep the faith pure by the fires of persecution if necessary but in doing so is considered by protestants to have gone into apostasy and is blamed for the "dark ages".

The Roman Empire was terminally ill by the end of the second century A.D. It had used its skills in administration, engineering, and military strategy to dominate a region spanning three continents. But its heart was weakened by the rise of an absolutist monarchy led, all too frequently, by weak, ineffectual emperors. Slowly, the Roman armies abandoned the most distant outposts and could not prevent the Vandals, Goths, and Huns from penetrating the innermost parts of the Empire. The Goths sacked major Greek cities in 268, gave the same treatment to Rome in 410, and in 476 deposed the last Western Roman Emperor. Deprived of Roman law and economy, much of the region plunged into disorder and poverty.

Lost from the scene was a significant portion of classical Greek science, including Ptolemy's astronomy, Euclid's mathematics, Galen's anatomy, and Aristotle's naturalistic writings. But it hardly could be said that nothing was going on in these "Dark Ages," as some are inclined to characterize the next few hundred years. In particular, the establishment of monasteries in the sixth century provided a means for religious training. Literacy improved because instruction depended on readings from the Bible, commentaries, and works of the church Fathers.

Monasteries also provided access to the relatively scant classical works available in Latin. Through the writings of Augustine (354-430), scholars were especially familiar with Plato's Timaeus. This work lent itself to Christian interpretation because it argued that the Universe had a first cause—an eternal self-mover—that created motion and order. Further, because Plato's god was good, he created a world that was good for us, the creature. Unlike the Christian God, this self-mover was not a personal god; he did not love man, he was not omnipotent, and he was not the object of worship. However, Plato's arguments for a Creator-God, combined with biblically based expectations of seeing God's handiwork in creation (e.g., Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20), encouraged medieval theologians to affirm the fundamental intelligibility of God's creation. Although Augustine frowned upon the systematic study of nature, the concept of nature's basic orderliness provided an important key to the development of modern science (Jones, 1969, p. 133).

During this same period, Arabic-Islamic science had reached tremendous heights. It led the world in mathematics, physics, optics, astronomy, and medicine. The stability and wealth brought by the spread of Islamic power in the seventh and eighth centuries fostered patronage of higher learning. In 762, al-Mansur established Baghdad as his new capital, and "cultivated a religious climate that was relatively intellectual, secularized, and tolerant" (Lindberg, 1992, p. 168). Over the next few generations, Arab scholars enhanced their own knowledge with medicine from Persia, mathematics from India and China, and the classical Greek heritage preserved in Byzantium. Much emphasis was given to knowledge that had special utility for Islamic culture. For example, the Chinese abacus, and the Hindu system of numbers and place-valued decimal notation, were used to advance trigonometry and Ptolemy's astronomy. These, in turn, could be used to determine the direction to Mecca and the times of prayer for any town in the Muslim world.

Crucial to the development of Arabic science was a massive translation program begun by Hunayn ibn Ishaq (808-73), a member of the Nestorian Christian sect. Arabs filled their numerous libraries with tens- or hundreds-of-thousands of books, whereas the Sorbonne in Paris could boast of a paltry two thousand as late as the fourteenth century (Huff, 1993, p. 74). Despite this clear superiority, why did modern science arise in Western Europe, and not in the Islamic world?

Some Muslim leaders, like some of their counterparts in early medieval Europe, had a low regard for the study of nature. Academic pursuits were tolerated, but learning was divided into traditional studies based on the Qur'an, and "foreign" studies based on knowledge obtained from the Greeks. Although there were Arabic rationalists, there were also those who saw in this rationalism a threat to the authority of the holy writings. A conservative reaction in the late tenth century, together with a decline in peace and prosperity, impeded further scientific advance in the Muslim world (Lindberg, 1992, pp. 180-181). According to the emerging Islamic orthodoxy, man was not a fully rational creature, and no room was allowed for a purely rational investigation of God's creation (Huff, 1993, pp. 100,115).

It was in this very early period of decline that the baton of science began to pass gradually into the hands of the Europeans, especially those who came into contact with the wealth of Islamic knowledge in Spain. Perhaps the next most significant event was the fall of Muslim-held Toledo in 1085. Many important Arabic and classical works from its vast library were translated into Latin. Within a century, these had begun to filter into centers of learning all over Europe. They arrived at a time when scholars such as Anselm (1033-1109) already were reviving the role of reason in faith. Their arrival coincided also with the development of the university as a legal entity with political and intellectual autonomy (Huff, 1993, p. 335). No similar institution appeared in the Arabic world until the twentieth century due, in part, to the orthodox Muslim concept of nature and reason. Religious constraints also played a role in late medieval Europe, but an academic world committed to the biblical views of man's rationality and freedom of choice provided a fertile ground for the rise of modern science
Click to expand...
 
June 21, 431: "When they discover that Cyril of Alexandria intends to open the Council of Ephesus without waiting for the arrival of John of Antioch who is supposed to be its president (he has been delayed by flooding) bishops of the East sign a formal act demanding delay, but Cyril will ignore them and condemn Nestorius and order John to break communion with him." (ChristianHistoryInstitute.org)

This event illustrates very thoroughly how the Church became bogged down in political controversy after the Edict of Milan "legalized" Christianity just over one hundred years earlier. Indeed, later generations have found Nestorius innocent of heresy, that there was little wrong in his theology and Christology. His condemnation was as much a result of Cyril's selfish ambition as any real fault in his thinking, a victim of hair-splitting and convoluted theological debate driven by religious egotism.

When it comes to understanding divine mysteries such as the nature of God, could it be that we sometimes enter into debates that are really beyond our scope of understanding? Is not the best expression of theology an obedient life that reflects the nature and teachings of Christ?

Two excellent sites that provide insight in the teaching of Nestorius: http://www.nestorian.org/nestorian_theology.html http://www.academia.edu/2248412/Nestorius_did_not_intend_to_argue_that_Christ_had_a_dual_nature_but_that_view_became_labeled_Nestorianism_PRO_

June 22, 431: Cyril refuses to wait for the arrival of the eastern bishops and convenes the conference without them. Nestorius and his allies were condemned in absentia. A bit of a lopsided approach, maybe? Ah well, one could say that it was politically expedient... http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/painful-council-met-at-ephesus-11629696.html

June 23, 1626: " A vendor, slitting open a giant codfish at Cambridge fish market finds a rancid, half-digested copy of a volume of the martyr John Frith's shorter works in its belly." (CHI.org)

June 24, 64: "Roman Emperor Nero begins persecuting Christians (see issue 27: Persecution in the Early Church)." (CHI.org)

June 25, 1529: "The Swiss agree to the first Peace of Kappel between Protestant and Catholic cantons." (CHI.org)

June 26, 1892: "Pearl S. Buck, Presbyterian missionary to China and author of the bestselling The Good Earth (1931), is born." (ChristianityToday.com)

"The Good Earth" is a must read for those who believe that the value of our work on the land has more than just monetary value.

June 27, 444: "Cyril, patriarch of Alexandria and author of several writings on the dual natures of Christ, dies. He opposed Nestorius, who supposedly taught there were two separate persons in the Incarnate Christ, one divine and the other human. Historians doubt, however, whether or not Nestorius actually taught this. In any case, Cyril deposed Nestorius in 430 (see issue 51: Heresy in the Early Church)." (CT.com)
 

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