"The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers gathered together, against the Lord, and against His Christ" (Ps. 2:2). The whole of earthly history is in the hands of God. Even those who strove to wrest history from God's governance, such as the Communists in Russia as a radical example, have ultimately only …
Tag: Christian
The Apocalypse Now
“Little children, it is the last time” (1Jn. 2:18). True Christianity is a pronouncement of the end, the last of time; not an end unto death but an end unto never-ending Life. What is this end? The definitive end of the corrupt system of sin and death that is proliferated and energized through human rebellion against …
A Last Days Great Revival …?
This is the last segment in a series in which I have examined certain aspects of the modern Evangelical Charismatic/Pentecostal movement. I was once part of this movement. This movement, as noted in earlier articles, has permeated and influenced most of modern Protestantism and also portions of Roman Catholicism. (Links to the preceding articles are …
Know Thyself
Know thyself. The Christian understanding of self-knowledge is substantially different from that of the world. The Christian call is not one of egocentric self-fulfillment or self-gratification. The danger of a quest to “know thyself” outside the bounds of revealed truth manifested in Christ Jesus is that, to some degree or another, it has elements of …
Is Christ Faithless? Examining Protestant Ecclesiology
Is Christ Jesus faithless? Or is He eternally faithful? How does one's view of the Church reflect on the faithfulness of Christ? Proper Ecclesiology (theology of the Church) has always been vital to true Christianity. A staple doctrine of modern Protestantism teaches that the Church (using this word generally) fell into relative darkness sometime after …
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Not for Cowards
When clear matters of the faith are blatantly assaulted, every sober-minded Orthodox Christian is called to stand up and make a courageous answer. There exists a pseudo-humility. This false idea turns humility and meekness into spinelessness and cowardice, in which a person is unable to address anything at all. All such a one can do …
A New Charisma in the Early Church
In the town of Phrygia, central Asia Minor, about the year 160AD, a man named Montanus claimed to be “seized” by the Holy Spirit. He began to receive “special” messages, “speak in tongues,” “prophecy,” and so forth. Two women “prophetesses” soon join him: Priscilla and Maximillia. According to a Protestant/Charismatic/Emerging Church history scheme, about 300AD …
The Charisma of the Age: An Orthodox critique of the Charismatic Movement
The modern world is not "secular" by chance. It is the result of a great religious formation, among other factors. I have made the case elsewhere in my writings that the secular world is actually “religious” in its manifestation, and I hold to it. In this article, I will be using “secular” and “religious” in …
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Heavenly Revelation: the Foundation of Christian Worship
Why Orthodox Christianity? Through the deafening din of the modern age, Orthodoxy may appear as just another voice in the babble, and just another flavor choice on the “what would I like today” buffet. (To clear something up from the start, Orthodoxy Christianity is not a denomination. Denominations are the result of the Protestant Reformation …
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Firsthand Reflection
I have just returned from a two and a half week trip to Ukraine. Although the trip entailed personal factors, one of my goals was to acquire a firsthand experience of the ongoing situation in Ukraine, specifically regarding the Church. To this end, I was blessed to have the opportunity to speak with some of …