As Orthodox Christians, we are in a unique position compared to many others. During the Divine Liturgy, we do not only pray for ourselves—we pray for the whole world, for all people everywhere. At the very beginning, in the Great Litany, we hear these petitions: And again and again, the Church lifts up the whole […]
Fighting for the world through prayer & fasting Read More »
Staying Filled with God’s Light I’ve been learning a lot lately as I discover the ancient Christian faith lived in the Orthodox Church, and there’s an image that’s really stuck with me. In church, we use glass prayer candles—some plain, some colorful, some ornate. On their own, they’re just glass. Nice enough, but cold, dark,
The Candle in the Glass: Read More »
Justin Martyr What Justin Martyr Taught Me About Real Christianity I was raised to think that being a Christian mostly meant being a decent person and going to church on Sundays. In the Protestant circles I grew up in, that usually meant sitting in padded pews, singing along with a rock band, hearing a short
Ancient Christian Faith Series: Part II Read More »
If you’ve ever wondered what Christianity looked like in the days of the Apostles—or whether the early Church actually resembled any Christian tradition today—Fr. Stephen De Young’s The Religion of the Apostles: Orthodox Christianity in the First Century offers a bold and illuminating answer. This thought-provoking book dives into the beliefs, worship, and worldview of
“A Bishop, a Chalice, and a Martyr: How St. Ignatius of Antioch Shattered My Modern Christianity” ✝️ Introduction For 42 years, I was a contented Evangelical Christian. I loved Jesus. I read Scripture. I worshiped with sincerity. But something didn’t sit right. Questions bubbled under the surface: Where is the Church that Jesus built? Why
🕊️ Ancient Christian Faith Series: Part I Read More »
Rediscovering the Original Christian Church We live in an age of religious confusion. There are thousands of Christian denominations, each interpreting Scripture in its own way. Today, the word “church” can refer to anything—from a stadium filled with lights and music, to a quiet living room meeting with no structure at all. But what is
Finding the Ancient Faith: A Journey to the Church of the First 250 Years Read More »
What if I told you that trying to build the Church using only the Bible is like trying to build a car using only the owner’s manual? That’s the real-world problem with sola scriptura—the idea that Scripture alone is sufficient to form and sustain the Church, without the help of tradition, history, or the early
Why Sola Scriptura Is Like Building a Car with Just the Owner’s Manual Read More »
Not a single Protestant truly believes in Sola Scriptura. They may preach it, they may claim it, but they don’t actually mean it. What they are really saying is “Scriptura Nostra”—Our Scripture. That is, only the version of Scripture that they have approved. And why not? The Mormons do the same thing. They claim their
Sola Scriptura Is a Lie—A Bald-Faced Lie. Read More »
If one is to argue for Sola Scriptura—the doctrine that Scripture alone is the highest authority—it stands to reason that we should use the most accurate and authoritative version of that Scripture. The historical and textual evidence overwhelmingly supports the Septuagint (LXX), including the Deuterocanonical books, as the Scriptures known, quoted, and used by Jesus
Sola Scriptura and the Masoretic Text: Trusting the Wrong Scribes Read More »
Worship, Baptism, and Communion in the Didache: How the Early Church Practiced Faith What if you could step back in time and experience Christian worship as the first believers did? No church buildings, no denominations—just raw, authentic faith. The Didache, one of the earliest Christian writings, gives us a front-row seat to how the early
Worship, Baptism, and Communion in the Didache: How the Early Church Practiced Faith Read More »
