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This week in Christian History

Thank you for the redemptive perspective and insight your words add Martin!

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"June 3, 1098: After a seven-month siege, the armies of the First Crusade recapture Antioch (now in Turkey) from the Muslims..."

How much do you know about the Crusades? Some of the details - wow . . . the reasons of the people who left to join a crusade, the actions along the way - wanton killing of Jews, pillage and plundering of the surrounding people along the way in order for the Crusaders to feed themselves - how did Christ fit in this action?

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/history/crusades.htm

How do we determine whether our actions and motives are directed by the One we claim to serve?

Then one year later - "June 7, 1099: The First Crusade reaches Jerusalem (see issue 40: The Crusades)." - blood ran deep in the streets of the "City of Peace" as almost 70,000 were killed in the city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjEpB2ikkuE&feature=relmfu

"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."

http://www.ymca.net/history/founding.html

"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." - not exactly a high point in the history of France . . .

We serve a great God, One who will see His work through to its fulfillment in spite of human frailty and folly, using whom and what He will to bring His Salvation to all who will receive it. Do we trust His plan and power enough to wait on His direction and timing, or will we continue to raise our own "Ishmaels"?

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12, NKJV)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y&feature=related
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"June 16, 1855: William and Catherine Booth, founders of the Salvation Army, marry, having fallen in love the first night they met. William had escorted Catherine home, and she later wrote, "Before we reached my home, we both felt as though we had been made for each other" (see issue 26: William and Catherine Booth)."


' "Never!" Catherine cried from the first row of the balcony, before her husband could utter a word. William Booth, a Methodist minister, had been faulted for welcoming the poor, ne'er-do-wells and street toughs to his services. Church leaders wanted him to promise that the welcome mat would be rolled up and put away. Catherine answered for him. Little wonder that she wrote, "The more I see of fashionable religion, the more I despise it." '

Strong charges, strong response, strong words.

Today, of course, we recognize the vast impact of the Salvation Army, the lasting imprint that came from the labors of this couple. It is amazing what can happen when two people who share a passion for the same things - work, God, each other - join under His direction as they did. Their passion led them to work with the down-trodden of society, enduring strong resistance and even persecution from the "establishment".

The Booth's preached a full Gospel message that, in addition to the primary goal of spiritual salvation, sought to bring about social change that called for an end to poor, unhealthy and immoral working conditions.

http://www.victorshepherd.on.ca/Heritage/william.htm

Last week, at a charity auction an anonymous bidder paid almost 3.5 million dollars for the privilege of lunch with Warren Buffet. Everyone lines up to shake the hand of the rich and famous, but who extends a helping hand to the needy in their distress? We all want to benefit, but who will share?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wI9XnAaM8js&feature=related

Jesus told us in a story that at the final judgment the litmus test of Kingdom life in us is how we treat others in need -

" "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' "

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25: 34-46, NASB)

So, what will we do this week when we see someone who needs a caring hand extended to them? Many people may hear the Gospel only through our actions, and not through "fashionable religion". And that's a kinda sad commentary on those of us who enjoy our comfortable religion . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlqBDpOa6cE
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

From this first debate over "Arianism" -

June 19, 325: Bishop Hosius, a delegate at the Council of Nicea, announces the newly written Nicene Creed. Countering Arius, who taught that "there was a time when the Son was not," the creed describes Christ as "God from very God, begotten not made" (see issue 51: Heresy in the Early Church).

- to this almost 1600 years later -

June 21, 1892: Reinhold Niebuhr, American neo-orthodox theologian and ethicist, is born. He rejected some of the optimism of Christian liberalism, arguing for origional sin and for a prophetic, culture-challenging Christianity, but his liberal views on politics, the Bible, and the nature of Christ (he believed Jesus was a moral exemplar, but not fully God) distanced him from conservatives.

- shows that humanity's thinking faces the same challenges as it always has! It seems that there have always been many who have difficulty accepting by simple faith that God IS, and that Jesus is His fully-divine Son - of one substance.

If Jesus was not fully God, his substitutionary death on the Cross would not have the qualification or efficacy to redeem broken humanity from the power and penalty of sin - eternal death!

However much the limitations of our human understanding prevent us from fully understanding the mysteries of God, it is our great privilege to accept what God has so freely and mercifully offered to all through the death of Jesus on the cross, made real within us by the Holy Spirit.
 
The Greek expression adopted at the Council of Nicaea is "homoousious," which is translated into English as "con-substantial." The Eternal Son, who was born of the Virgin Mary, is neither "like" the Father nor "practically the same substance" as the Father. The Eternal Son enjoys the very same substance as the Father. The Son possesses fully the Godhead of the Father. So today, the Church again confesses in the English rendition of the Creed that Jesus Christ is "consubstantial with the Father."
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"June 26, 1892: Pearl S. Buck, Presbyterian missionary to China and author of the bestselling The Good Earth (1931), is born." - after looking for a copy of this book, I recently found an excellent hardcover at a used bookstore and am requesting each of our 4 kids to read it! They are all working at their own jobs and lives now and I want them to remember the value of the farm on which they grew up.

This book is one of the best I have ever read toward that end. There is something about laboring on the dirt from which we were made that keeps us a little more in touch with the simpler realities of life, I think.

"June 26, 1932: Francis Schaeffer attends a Presbyterian church meeting where a Unitarian spoke out against the truth of the Bible and its teachings. A young lady named Edith had prepared a rebuttal, but before she could speak, Francis stood up and shredded the speaker's arguments . . ."

Schaeffer must have been fairly bold to stand in public, as he did, and confront untruth. What moves a person to speak truth to those who try to refute God's words? Who is called to do so?

Pastor used this clip in church this morning -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAGsV6PYKgg

"Stand up for me against world opinion and I'll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I'll cover for you?" (Matthew 10:32-33, The Message)

It seems that there is an ever-increasing pogrom being waged against Biblical teaching and those who are believers and followers are called upon to speak in defense of the Word of God. Spending time with the Father through prayer and meditation prepares us to speak up when the times arises. As our creator and redeemer, He is worthy and if we count ourselves among the redeemed, we owe it all to Him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6vHHbUOCQA&feature=related
 
Amen.....and Amen to "the Good Earth". Read it the first time when I was very young. It's one of those books you can just read over and over and learn more everytime you read it.
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"...Thomas Cranmer...was burned at the stake in 1556..."

"Saladin, leader of the united Muslim forces, defeats the armies of the Third Crusade..."

"...to work among London's poor and unchurched..."

"...excommunicating him..."

"...is burned as a heretic in Constance, Germany..."

"...becomes the first American to be canonized..."

We can read history and form our perceptions of whether certain events were helpful or harmful for the life of the church of Jesus Christ. It's not hard to look back and attach the label of "sinner" or "saint" to those whose lives and actions are recorded for us to review.

We can watch and get caught up in current events and pass our own judgement on the perceived benefit or potential harm that will come from them.

In our limited understanding and broken humanity, we often either demonize, at times unjustly, those with whom we differ or ascribe honor, and at times wrongly, to those with whom we agree.

While it is of utmost importance to maintain and practice good discernment, I find that in my own experience it is so easy to slip from my idea of healthy, practical discretion into the self-serving trap of harsh judgementalism. And then burn people or make them to be more than they are.

What is the main characteristic that followers of Christ should display?

What was the defining characteristic of Jesus Christ, the completely Holy Son of God? The one whose sinless perfection qualified him as the only one worthy to pass judgment on a broken and sin-filled world?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stGmBcwmDMQ

"...It wasn't the nails, you see
he was there for you and me,
outrageous love..."

The life of Jesus Christ was a demonstration of love in action. Following his example is what makes a "disciple" - more than just bearing the name "Christian".

"If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing..." (1 Cor. 13:1-3. NLT)
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

July 12, 1536: Desiderius Erasmus, Dutch scholar and the first editor of the Greek New Testament, dies in Basel. One of the leading scholars of the Protestant Reformation, he also wrote the influential In Praise of Folly. "Most holy was his living," said one observer, "most holy his dying" (see issue 34: Luther's Early Years).

Erasmus' classic "In Praise of Folly" is just as fitting today than it was when he wrote a satirical description of those who live for the moment, throwing all prudence to the wind. You can take a peek at it at this link:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/erasmus/folly.toc.html

Judging by his epitaph, his life stood in sharp contrast to the "character" so shamelessly described in his satire.

How will you and I be remembered?
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

Again we commemorate vivid snapshots of a sometimes painful and other times beautifully stirring past - bloody crusades, the artistic works of Rembrandt, doctrinal discussion, ever-present persecution, schisms, missions established to spread the Good News, examples of steadfast faith and others of heresy.

Also, the birth of a hymn writer!

"July 17, 1674: Isaac Watts, author of about 600 hymns, is born in Southampton, England."

Our singing experience would be much poorer if it were not for the numerous hymns produced by this prolific song writer. For a glimpse of his story and a few of his hundreds of hymns, go here -

http://www.smithcreekmusic.com/Hymnology/Watts/Isaac.Watts.html

Watts' hymns reflect a strong sense of awe of the greatness, holiness and love of our creator God, and presents these in contrast to our immeasurable need for redemption, making it a very personal experience.

His songs live on! And just as this "Father of English Hymnody" brought a new, dynamic sound to music in the Church of his day, so today there are those who have taken his works and given them a revitalized, contemporary form that has once again boosted their usage among worshipers of Jesus Christ.

For example, an old favorite of many is "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" as "renovated" by Matt Redman and Chris Tomlin -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sKcw9_PQYA

In this song, Watts seemed to portray the words of Paul in Philippians 3 where he stated -

"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3;7-11, NASB)

Whatever we may have been given or have accomplished, it all fades into dark obscurity when we consider what Christ did for us on the Cross.

Not to devalue the earthly - for God made it also - but we need to constantly be reminded that what we have here is all going to pass away someday and be replaced with the eternal, incorruptible new heaven and earth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkx8WAycYAc
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"July 22, 1620 - Led by John Robinson, a group of English Separatists who had fled to Holland in 1607, sail for England, where they would board the Mayflower..."

While we may read so casually of this great adventure in the pursuit of religious freedom, this was very likely a most frightening undertaking for those involved. We cannot know the fear that drove them to flee from place to place in order to be able to live and practice as they believed they should.

"July 23, 1742: Susannah Wesley, mother of John and Charles, dies. Born the twenty-fifth child in a clergyman's family, she became one of the most notable mothers in church history..."

Coming from such a large family (25!), it is a wonder that Susannah herself had only 19 children ;-)! Yet when she died at the age of 73, she was survived by only 8 of her children, so difficult was the beginning of human life in those days.

http://susanpellowe.com/susanna-wesley.htm

However, as was mentioned above, two of her sons in their day had a profound impact on the course of Christendom, the aftereffects of which remain to the present. Following the pattern of her father Susannah provided an example of Christian commitment.

Was this just an accident of history? Or do our children actually follow in the ways of their parents if they are properly cared for?

Susannah, it is said, dedicated an hour each week to spend solely with each one of her children, a time during which she would engage in soul-searching conversation with them.

"Point your kids in the right direction—
when they're old they won't be lost." (Proverbs 22:6, The Message)

Susannah would inquire about each child's spiritual condition, hopes, ambitions and fears, setting a life-long pattern of valuable self-reflection for each of them.

What a challenge for parents today when texting and tweeting is more popular than talking face to face!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKNOUeB565A - kinda a hit me a bit . . .

Are you and I gripped deeply enough with a vision of the greatness and love of God to instill that faith into the lives of our children? Does our belief inform our practice to the point where our lives are a witness to the glory and power of God?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-pZNULbJws&feature=relmfu
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"July 29, 1030: Viking king Olaf Haraldsson, patron saint of Norway, dies in the battle of Stiklestad. Though limited in his ability to force his countrymen to convert during his reign, his death was later hailed as a miracle-filled martyrdom and, as his legend grew, it spurred on christians converting the country. In time, Olaf became one of the most well-known saints of medieval Christendom, and his relics in Norway became one of Europe's most popular pilgrimage destinations..."

His life, death and legacy stand in sharp contrast to this man's -

"August 2, 1100: William the Conqueror's son and successor Rufus, a wicked king who delighted in torture, seizing church property, and blasphemy, is mysteriously killed while hunting by an arrow that flew out of nowhere. No one mourned, and England took his eternal damnation for granted."

- so I guess it wouldn't have helped to say to Rufus "watch your back"? lol. Sometimes it seems like great wickedness goes unpunished for a long time but our merciful and just God is never late. Rufus is dead but the faith lives on.

In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue . . .

"August 3, 1492: Christopher Columbus sets sail from Spain for the "Indies." Though the explorer was in part driven by a quest for gold and glory, he also saw himself as a missionary. He thought, if there were a shortcut to the East by sea, missionaries could be sent there faster, thus enabling Christians to meet the provision for world evangelization before the Lord could return (see issue 35: Christopher Columbus)."

"August 4, 1892: English medical missionary Sir Wilfred T. Grenfell arrives in Labrador, Newfoundland. He labored as a physician and missionary for 42 years..."

Some, like Rufus, live only for base self-gratification. Others, like Grenfell, use their abilities to work for the good of others. Columbus was a great explorer who, it appears, operated under mixed motives.

The Apostle Paul once worked tirelessly to uphold his reputation as a proud, legalistic Pharisee. He considered it to be his greatest gain. But after he came to know Jesus Christ his whole focus changed -

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him..." (Philippians 3: 7-10. NLT)

"Only one life - 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last."

Who could say it better than Johnny Cash in his late epic piece, "Empire of Dirt" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNt6hHYlmR0

Taking a look at Christian history shows us that you can't force it, you can't fake it, you can't kill it. A full life comes from within only through knowing Jesus Christ.
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"August 6, 1221: Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers (or Dominicans), dies, having just confessed his darkest sin—that, though he had always been chaste, he enjoyed talking with younger women more than older ones. He left this "inheritance" to his followers: "Have charity among you, hold to humility, possess voluntary poverty." A mere five years earlier, he had six followers. At his death, he had thousands (see issue 73: Thomas Aquinas)."

- the power of an honest example?


"August 8, 1471: Thomas a Kempis, Dutch mystic and devotional author of The Imitation of Christ, dies at age 91. In his classic, Thomas wrote, "We must imitate Christ's life and his ways if we are to be truly enlightened and set free from the darkness of our own hearts. Let it be the most important thing we do, then, to reflect on the life of Jesus Christ."

- the power of a perfect example?

Some of those gone before in the faith have left better examples than others for us to follow, but Thomas a Kempis had it right on how to lead the full life that God intended for us - committing to following the example of Jesus Christ -

"We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne." (Hebrews 12:2 NLT)

There is no one else!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiluBPPJxKI&feature=related
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

"August 13, 1727: Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, at age 27, organizes Bohemian Protestant refugees into the Moravian community of "Unitas Fratrum" (united brotherhood) (see issue 1: Nicolaus Zinzendorf)."

Zinzendorf, a wealthy young man of high office in Saxony (a south-eastern state in Germany) and possessing a tender conscience, sought to provide a safe place for religious refugees from Bohemia, the present-day Czechoslovakia. This he did by purchasing his grandmother's estate and soon began to receive those fleeing persecution.

His focus was on forming "little churches within the church", a movement mirrored in today's small groups which are stimulating great growth among some Christian denominations. The purpose was to create an environment that nurtured spiritual growth and God-guided living, a task which came with its own challenges in that setting due to the diverse backgrounds of those who comprised the group.

But he was personally dedicated to working for unity in a healthy, united church as '"There can be no Christianity without community," he said.'

But is that not the effective outcome of the Gospel message - the creation of a community of believers whose common bond is their redemptive experience at the Cross of Jesus Christ? Can we see the power of the Cross as being the central theme that far surpasses our strongly-held views, the power that makes all who believe a part of God's family? (See John 17)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjY7lNkFnqU

With increasingly open intolerance of the Christian faith and its principles, it may well be that in our time we will once again see the kind of persecution that washes away many differences and unites us according to our holy "Bloodlines", as was the case in Zinzendorf's community. Would we welcome that which brings clarity and unity to the work of Christ even if it causes us a passing, personal discomfort?

"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:21,22. NASB)

Holy Father, make yourself known on the earth, through the lives of your redeemed ones, so that you may receive all the glory that is due to Your name! Amen.

For more about Zinzendorf and his work, read the following -

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/denominationalfounders/zinzendorf.html?start=1

"August 18, 1732: In an emotional farewell service, Moravian Christians at Herrnhut sing 100 hymns and commission Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann as missionaries to slaves in the West Indies. Herrnhut, a community of only 600 members sent more than 70 missionaries between 1732 and 1742 (see issue 1: Nicolaus Zinzendorf)."
 
"August 18, 1732: In an emotional farewell service, Moravian Christians at Herrnhut sing 100 hymns and commission Leonard Dober and David Nitschmann as missionaries to slaves in the West Indies. Herrnhut, a community of only 600 members sent more than 70 missionaries between 1732 and 1742 (see issue 1: Nicolaus Zinzendorf)."
Click to expand...

Burnt, I realize your commentary is done from a protestant point of view, however, at the time of this happening the Cathedral of San Juan Bautista in Puerto Rico was 200 years old, and many of the other West Indies islands had been christianized.... we Catholics are certainly "Christian". :wink: No doubt this was the first protestant effort at evangelization in the area.
 
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/thisweekinchristianhistory/

Can't seem to bring up the weekly page today, although the daily page does work -

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/2004/issue83/14.35.html

"August 19, 1662: Blaise Pascal, French scientist, polemicist, and Christian apologist, dies at the age of 39 after an extended illness. In 1654, he experienced his "definitive conversion" where he discovered the "God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and not of the philosophers and men of science" (see issue 76: Christian Face of the Scientific Revolution)."

Many have heard of, or maybe even repeated "Pascal's Wager" - Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists."

Eight years before he died on today's date in 1662, Pascal had an experience through which he came to know God in a way that was far beyond a mere 'wager"! He carried the memory of that divine intervention with him until the day he died.

It is possible to have an intellectual knowledge of God - to solidly believe that He exists. ("You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror." James 2:19, NLT)

Then there is that kind of knowing God in the same way that one knows a mother, father, or any other person in a very real, personal way. I think that's what happened to Pascal in 1654, after which time he had a vital relationship with the same God who walked and talked with the Patriarchs of the Old Testament.

He is also credited with this comment - "Between us and heaven or hell there is only life, which is the frailest thing in the world."

With so great an outcome in the balance, why would anyone leave our eternal outcome to chance? Pascal didn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyRlymbkF3w
 
August 20, 1153; Bernard of Clairvaux, French theologian, monastic reformer, and hymn writer(O Sacred Head Now Wounded), Dies. His motto was "To know Jesus and Jesus Crucified" (see issue 24; Bernard of Clairvaux).

August 20, 1745: Francis Asbury, one of the two first Methodist bishops in America (the other was Thomas Coke), is born in Birmingham, England,(see issue 45: Camp Meetings and Circuit Riders).

August 20, 1912: William Booth, founder and first General of the Salvation Army, dies (see issue 26: William and Catherine Booth).

August 21, 1741: George Friderick Handel shuts himself up in his home to begin writing "Messiah." He finished the composition 23 days later. "Whether I was in the body or out of the body when I wrote it, I know not," he later said.

August 21, 1874: Henry Ward Beecher, a populat congregational clergyman from Connecticut, is accused of adultery. Sued for $100,000 by the alleged adulteress's husband, the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe (and son of evangelical leader Lymann Beecher) would eventually be exonerated by his congregation and the jury (which voted 9 -3 in favor of Beecher).


August 22, 565: Celtic missionary andabbot Columba reportedly confronts the Loch Ness Monster and becomes the first recorded observer of the creature. "At the voice of the saint, the monster was terrified," wrote his biographer, "and fled more quikly than if it had been pullec back with ropes" (see issue 60: How the Irish Were Saved).

August 22, 1670; English missionary John Eliot founds a church for Native Americans at Martha'a Vineyard, Massachusetts (see issue 41: American Puritans).

August 22, 1800: Edward B. Pussey, author of Tracts for the Times and a leader of the Ocford Movement to renew the Angelican Church, is born. He wrote several works promoting a union between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, but the Vatican I Ecumenical Council (169-70) dashed his hopes when it declared the doctrine of papal infallibility.


August 23, 1733: Increase Mather, one of Colonian America'a most famous clergymen, dies. Friends and colleagues mourned him as "the patriarch . . .among us" (see issue 41: American Puritans)

August 23, 1948: The "fellowship of churches which accept our Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior" (a.k.a. the World Council of Churches) is formall constituted in Amsterdam.)

August 23, 1872: Cahterind de Medeci sends her son, young King Charles IX of France, into a panic with threats of a imminent Huguenot (French Protestant) insurrection. Frenzied, he yelled, "Kill them all! Kill them all!" In response, Catholics in Paris butchered the Huguenots who had come to the city for a royal wedding. Between 5,000 and 10,000 Protestants died in the St.Bartholomew's Day Massacre (see issue 71: Huguenots).
 
The CT link is not working for me - can't find any history to bring into the present! Hopefully the site is only undergoing an update or under repair.

But for this date, I did find this gem -

"1949: English apologist C.S. Lewis wrote in a letter: 'God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.' "

Lewis' words stand as a pretty strong encouragement for anyone who is presently undergoing difficulties or trials - to know that our heavenly Father sees our importunity and has beforehand provided for our successful passage through it!

I don't like troubles. Not many do. But with the passage of time, we all come to understand that not everything in life is sunshine and roses. In fact, there can be times when our circumstances might cause us to question the existence of pleasantness and beauty. Is there really a better future on the other side of what I am/we are going through?

If we are familiar with the words of Jesus, we should not be surprised when troubles come. When he gave the promise of his Spirit living with us, he said "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." (John 16:33, NLT)

Jesus experienced joy, suffering and eventually, complete victory over the power of sin and suffering when he walked on this earth. That is only because he had his eyes fixed firmly upon what the heavenly Father wanted to accomplish, rather than on his own comfort and human goals.

If his Spirit is in us, we can expect to experience no less! And we have access to the same power as that which flowed through Jesus! Now, that IS reassurance and C.S. Lewis had it right!

"Oh no, you never let go . . ." -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM14VZVu0og
 
Since the CT site is not working, couple of events from this week gathered elsewhere -

"Sept 10, 1734: English revivalist George Whitefield wrote in a letter: 'Pain, if patiently endured, and sanctified to us, is a great purifier of our corrupted nature.' ".

Now, how many people who deal with pain - from the mildest occasional twinges to living in constant pain - would long to have instant relief rather than long-term benefit?

It is only right and normal to want to live free from pain. In fact, we have shelves of bottles full of pills that offer some relief from pain. Pharmaceutical companies spend fortunes developing and advertising their "best" form of pain relief. And make larger fortunes selling their "cures".

But can pain actually serve a purpose? Whitfield said so. When those joints ache chronically or old injuries flare up persistently with painful reminders of past troubles, can we allow them to direct our thoughts from the temporal present to the unblemished future?

Not as a form of escapism, but rather as a mentor that speaks of our transient state here on earth, moving us to allow his redemptive Spirit to prepare us for the incorruptible life that promised to all who make Him Lord of their lives.

Or perhaps your pain is of a non-physiological nature, one that has its source in loss or injury that has no physical evidence, but left marks on your soul and spirit. Have you thought of turning that pain over to the One who saw all of our hurts and injuries when He hung upon the cross for our healing? He can carry it for you.

"But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by his scourging we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, NASB)

I don't like injury or pain either - no one does - and I readily reach for the ibuprofen bottle when the shoulder aches or the headache hits. But what if we begin to understand what George Whitefield was trying to tell us? Could we actually begin to see ("enjoy" might be too strong a word!) the benefit of our discomfort and allow it to be a source of refinement rather than just a totally useless affliction? That approach sure goes against my human nature, but can actually bring a form of relief that I cannot buy in a bottle!

Whitefield's words are worth considering!

(This non-commercial break is brought to you by a guy that loves to find life in Christian History! :wink: )

1819: Birth of Canadian hymnwriter Joseph Scriven. The accidental drowning of his bride-to-be the night before their wedding led to a life of depression; yet he also authored the hymn of comfort, "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."

Do you think Joseph Scriven knew pain? His experience should heighten our appreciation of his hymn that we all enjoy -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCV5t8wRBI8
 
Lately it seems that excerpts from letters catch my attention -

"Sept. 16, 1840: Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne wrote in a letter: 'Grace fills us with very different feelings from the possession of anything else. If you have tasted the grace of the Gospel, the irresistible longing of your hearts will be, "Oh, that all the world might taste its regenerating waters."' " (Blake)

Grace. We all stand in need of it. All desire to receive it. The heavenly Father delights in offering it to all who will receive it!

How many of us are good at extending grace as freely as we may receive it from God? If we offer grace to those around us, it is like shining a light into the darkness.

It may not necessarily be a big deal - this week I had opportunity to show grace to a parts counter person who feared the repercussions of repeatedly getting my order wrong. Instead giving her of the "cussin" she obviously expected, I just worked through the confusion - even somewhat patiently! - which allowed her to relax and hopefully make her day a bit better.

Oh it wasn't because I was feeling good about the 2 weeks that it had taken to get it right, but I realized that I could be on her side of the counter someday. Moreover, was it worth crushing someone's spirit because of some honest mistakes mixed with a bit of incompetence?

And beyond that, was her wrong greater than all of mine, which God so patiently endures?

Who of us, as broken, needy humans, does not need to experience grace that Jesus freely dispensed when he went to the Cross for our sins?

"... Freely you received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7a2yOoaIz0&feature=related

When we, in the name of Christ, extend grace to those whom we encounter, it is like giving a drink to a thirsty person, or pouring water on a dried out plant.

If enough of His disciples do this as we go about our daily lives, it's like pouring rain soaking into the parched earth and then watching it turn green. It's all we can do. And then God takes over and makes it grow . . .
 

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