1516 HT: Dan Graves Erasmus never joined the Protestant movement, but many scholars would argue he set the stage for the Reformers. Erasmus loaded the cannon that Luther fired. The greatest scholar of his day, Erasmus rammed two shots into the barrel of the Reformation. The first shot was a satire titled, The Praise of Folly, which…
Paul James-Griffiths of Christian Heritage Edinburgh writes, “This week’s article is about Dr David Livingstone, the famous Scottish missionary. Although very few Africans were converted to Christ through him, his success lay in preparing the way for others to come and plant churches. Even until today he is spoken of with great affection by many Africans.” David…
1955 HT: Dan Graves In his last public appearance, Methodist layman John Mott said, “While life lasts, I am an evangelist.” The man who did as much as anyone to evangelize the world and unite divided denominations, died on this day, January 31, 1955 in Orlando, Florida. He was eighty-nine years old. Death was a place…
1499 HT: Dan Graves Katherine von Bora viewed herself as a prisoner in the cloister of Marienthron. Luther’s Reformation preaching had found its way behind the convent walls and she wanted out. It wasn’t as if she had chosen this secluded life for herself. Far from it. Her dad had brought her here when she…
1560 HT: Christian History Institute After reformers overthrew Roman Catholicism in Scotland, they needed a new church organization to replace it. Parliament commissioned six reformers to draw up a book of discipline, which they did. A few nobles refused to accept it, but a good number did, signing it on January 27, 1560 at the Tolbooth in…
Of his latest post, Paul James-Griffiths of Christian Heritage Edinburgh writes “Last week I wrote about how Scottish Christians pioneered Lovedale as a model for southern Africa. Today, I briefly look at the other mission bases which sprang out of this model, especially Blythswood and Livingstonia.“ Livingstonia College, Jwhyte82 at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia…
1672 HT: Christian History Institute Richard Baxter was an English Puritan author, pastor, theologian, and controversialist. He gained a national reputation when revival broke out under his ministry at Kidderminster. England was fractured into many religious and political factions and he advocated peace, saying “In necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity.”…
1893 HT: Dan Graves On this day, January 23, l893, Christians throughout the world mourned the death of Phillips Brooks. Yet sorrow soon turned to songs of triumph and praise of God for Phillips Brooks’ life. Over his tomb they would erect these words: “A preacher of righteousness and hope, majestic in stature, impetuous in…
1793 HT: Christian History Institute FOR TWENTY YEARS, John Berridge was known as “the old devil” by the clergymen around Everton (a district of Liverpool in England). They grumbled against him because he preached to the people of their parishes—souls they had neglected. Not only that, but he used illustrations they considered in bad taste,…
1563 HT: Dan Graves Some things must be memorized to be really useful. If your work required you to multiply numbers such as 6×7 or 8×9, you would save a lot of time by memorizing the multiplication table. The same is true of Bible truths. A good catechism sets out the core truths that Christians…