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Today, is the celebration of All Saints' Day. What is All Saints' Day and why should we celebrate it? Since the 4th century, Christians have celebrated the lives of saints and martyrs. However, it was not until AD 609 that Pope Boniface IV dedicated one day of remembrance for all martyrs. Since that time, and …
Continue reading "All Saints’ Day: A Celebration and Encouragement"
Some of the most striking stories of the early church after the New Testament come from times of persecution by the Roman Empire. In North Africa, the church was strong, but suffered greatly. In the early 3rd century in present day Tunisia, a noblewoman, Perpetua, who was a Christian, refused to take the oath of …
Continue reading "What Happens When Christians Aren’t Afraid of Death?"
It was sadly ironic to read about the terrible church bombings yesterday morning even as I prepared as a pastor for the celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Recent times have seen not only church bombings but church buildings burning, whether in Louisiana or Paris. Every Christian knows that the word 'church' means people and not buildings. …
This past weekend in my message, "The Final Move" from Luke 21:5-36, I shared the story of two early Christian martyrs, Perpetua and Felicitas. These women gave their lives for their faith in the city of Carthage at the turn of the 3rd century. You can read the entire account of their lives here, but …
Matthew Erickson 