Faithful Friday: Henry Muhlenberg

September 6, 2024.Reading time 2 minutes.

Though he was the forgotten preacher of the First Great Awakening, Henry Muhlenberg left an indelible mark on the Lutheran Church of the United States

Faithful Friday: Saint John Bosco

August 16, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson John Bosco was perhaps one of the more eccentric saints of the Catholic Church, though can one truly be a saint without being a bit odd? As a young lad in Sardinia (Italy), Bosco saw a performance by a circus troupe and was instantly obsessed. He began training himself in acrobatics and […]

Faithful Friday: Pope Stephen I

August 2, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

The 23rd Pope of Rome was born sometime in the third century, AD – no one knows exactly when. Little is known of the details of his life prior to his papacy other than he was born in the city of Rome to ethnically Greek parents. From a young age, he was drawn by God […]

How To Interpret the Bible

July 30, 2024.Reading time 4 minutes.

By Ian Wilson (G) To begin to interpret the Bible, we must first read and understand it on it’s own terms. We cannot bring our modern, Westernized sensibilities to the text. We cannot bring to the text a meaning which the authors did not intend. We cannot bring modern, textual criticism to the text, the way we […]

Faithful Friday: Paul the Apostle

July 12, 2024.Reading time 5 minutes.

By Ian Wilson (G) The most prolific writer of the New Testament was probably born sometime around 4 BC to a devout Jewish family in Tarsus, present-day Turkey. His story is one of redemption and the incredible grace of God. Nothing is known of his formative years, other than he was trained by Gamaliel, one […]

Shut up, Jesus!

June 18, 2024.Reading time 6 minutes.

By Ian Wilson I frequently see this sentiment expressed that we, as Christians, should “follow Jesus, not just the Bible” or that we should “unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament” or even that we “follow Jesus, not Paul”. In Roman Catholic or Orthodox circles, I hear it expressed as “Jesus established a church, not a […]

Faithful Friday: Richard Baxter

June 14, 2024.Reading time 2 minutes.

By Ian Wilson (G) Born in 1615, Richard Baxter lived in a tumultuous time in British history. In a time when it might have been easy to be an extremist, Baxter always sought to seek peace, and hold the middle ground between the warring factions. He was fond of saying “In necessary things, unity; in […]

Faithful Friday: Guy de Bres

May 31, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson (G) Not much is known about the childhood of the Belgian Protestant Reformer, Guy de Bres. He was born in the year 1522, in the Belgian town of Hainaut. While nothing is known of his father’s profession, he was apparently prosperous enough to afford to send Guy to university, where he first […]

Snakes in the Garden

May 29, 2024.Reading time 6 minutes.

photo by Jan Kopriva on Unsplashed As I’m sure we all know by now, Adam and Eve did not continue on in perfection and bliss forever; they fell. What (or who) caused them to fall? Why did they eat from the tree? And who exactly was the Serpent? Now the serpent was more subtle than […]

The God of Order

May 21, 2024.Reading time 7 minutes.

(Image by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash) Ian Wilson (G) It’s easy to get hung up on the details of Genesis while missing the deeper meaning – that our God is a God of order. He is a God who places everything in it’s proper place, who sets a limit for the season and calls the […]

Faithful Friday: St Aelfheah

April 19, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … Born in 954 in Somerset, England, Aelfheah had everything – a noble family, wealth, food, drink, servants – yet none of those things had affected him so much as knowing and drawing nearer to God. Much to his family’s dismay, Aelfheah entered the monastery, where he was respected for his austerity and extreme piety.

Faithful Friday: Juliana of Liege

April 6, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … In her youth, Juliana had quickly learned Latin and memorized the works of St. Augustine and St. Bernard of Clairvaux, devoting herself to theological study; an unusual pursuit for a woman in her time. At the young age of 13, Juliana was welcomed into the order.

Faithful Friday: St. David of Wales

March 8, 2024.Reading time 2 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … St. David’s life can be summed up by his last words: “Be joyful, keep the faith, do the little things you have seen me do”.

Faithful Friday: Reginald Heber

March 1, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … There have been many hymn writers in the history of the Christian Church, but few have been as influential on church music as Reginald Heber. Heber was born on April 21st, 1783, to a wealthy and educated family, who were able to afford to give Reginald a good education. He was something of a child prodigy, translating Latin classics to English at only seven years old.

Faithful Friday: Philip Melancthon

February 16, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … The Lutheran Church’s first systematic theologian was born on February 16th, 1497, in Bretten, Germany. He was given the name Philip Schwarzerdt, but at the urging of his uncle, Johann Reuchlin, he changed it to the Greek name, Melanchthon, to reflect his status as a scholar.

Faithful Friday: Tatiana of Rome

January 12, 2024.Reading time 3 minutes.

By Ian Wilson … The wicked minister Ulpian had the saintly lady arrested and brought to the temple of Apollo, attempting to force her to sacrifice to the false god. Instead, Tatiana prayed, and the idol of Apollo shattered with a terrible noise. Some witnesses claimed they saw a shadowy being fleeing from the statue.

Faithful Friday: Hieromartyr Hilarion

December 15, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

by Ian Wilson … A brilliant theologian and defender of the Russian Orthodox church, Archbishop Hilarion was born Vladimir Alexievich Troitsky around the year 1885 in the Russian village of Lipitsa. He was born into a family of clergy and theologians, and followed in his father’s footsteps.

Faithful Friday: Martin Luther

November 10, 2023.Reading time 7 minutes.

Faithful Friday: Martin Luther by Ian Wilson … Perhaps the most controversial figure in Western Christianity, Martin Luther was born on November 10, 1483, in Eisleben, Saxony. His father had become prosperous in the copper industry, and made enough to give young Martin a good education.

Autumn 2023: The Pursuit of Happiness

November 4, 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

Join us as we explore the Pursuit of Happiness! What does it mean and where can it be found? Plus our first nonfiction author interview, a new Evermore story, and the fifth installment of Knights of Adonai. Don’t forget to check out the photo contest, Scripture Search, book & media recommendations, and Bible trivia!