I never thought that studying Church History is interesting and beneficial. It made me appreciate the beauty of God's own hand shaping our history so that His story will be made known to the whole world. I was fascinated of how God miraculously works throughout history to the present protecting and preserving His people to carry out His plan of salvation. Learning about people in the past especially those who contributed in our Christian faith also gave me a glimpse of how I become what I am now; it is more inviting to get involve in the Lord's vineyard knowing what I have and what I am believing is real and need to be hawk about to the ends of the earth. Indeed, it is very valuable to know all these facts for it proves the truth of Christianity and make our faith more meaningful.
Upon understanding about the value of this study, it changes my view towards total surrender. Early Christians did not only sacrifice their belongings for the ministry and giving up their comfort for the benefit of other people to know Christ, they even sacrifice their own life for their faith. It is easy for me to go as if everything is just like an adventure. In fact, my journey as a missionary for four short years was full of adventures and it was really fulfilling. However, the thought of being a missionary for the rest of my life creates reluctance in my heart. I wondered why. I realized that I am not ready yet to give fully my time to God. I needed security before I would settle down myself to place where I would spend my life serving the Lord. But then, our security is only in God's hand and not in the other things or people.
Right now, my heart is still on a process of learning to fully trust God knowing I am called to be a missionary wherever He leads me. I am still learning to take another leap of faith to continue the chapters of my life in Christ. My heart is still in the process of everything God wants me to do.
God's way of implementing His plan for His church was beyond our horizon; it was unthinkable! Truly, He works in miraculous and humorous ways that even ungodly people were being involved. When God established the church, even in the midst of chaos and persecutions, Christianity turns out to be more contagious and growing rapidly. It was because God used the impossible route and the unimaginable people as ironic as it was, to be the instrument of spreading the Gospel. Constantine may have a different motive in the making of the Edict of Milan but it was one way of the rapid growth of Christianity that it became the state religion. It is always possible with God to work providentially in the midst of adversary.
Throughout the class, I resolve to be more patient as I rest in God's plan and promises knowing that in my ups and downs in life, He is always with me and working in me. As I patiently wait upon the Lord, I would be more sensitive and willing of His leading in whatever He wanted me to be and to do, and wherever He wants me to go. I am more confident in His working power for I know, nothing is impossible with God.
Reflection # 3
Our topic was about The Age of Christian Roman Empire and its positive and negative effects. It is interesting to know that somehow, there were positive effects when the Roman empire was being Christianized like the increased of respect for women, better treatment for slaves including freedom for Christian slaves, and many more. Although the way it was governed was not really Christian-like, we could see God's working among Christians at this time. However, there were negative effects also; the government interfered in church affairs, and many others. What I don't like was the persecution of the heretics. Christ-like love was no longer present and the faith of the Christians became weak.
Reflection # 4
This was the time when different councils were being formed to answer and settle heretic teachings. It's good and interesting to learn how the early church fathers dealt with doctrinal issues and presented to us now what the Scripture really says about God, Trinity, and many other doctrinal issues that causes conflict among the church fathers.
Reflection # 5
As a Christian student and leader, I have been through a lot of frustration that seems turned my world upside down. Often times, I reacted negatively to it feeling hopeless and out of control towards the situations. Upon learning through the Dark Ages topic, I can see that what I've been through were just a pinky finger compared to what the early Christians' experiences. I learned to look for the positive outward of every negative things that would happen to me. I have learned that it's not how big or small our struggle is, but how we respond to it in a godly way.
Reflection # 6
This was during the time of High Middle Ages that Pope Urban II called the church leaders to council in Clermont. He exhorted that Christian should take up their cross and strive for a cause that promised not just a spiritual rewards but also material gain. The people responded saying, "God will it" and soon became the expression of the crusaders used in battle as they aimed to gain Christian control of the Holy Land away from the Muslims. There were nine crusades in all that happened between 1096-1291, but none of them become successful in their attempts.
For me, it can be considered also as Dark Ages; many people died especially those pitiful children that were even sold to slavery. Christianity can be pictured as blood and sword, not life and love. although there were also positive effects for the state and even to the church itself, we still cannot deny the fact how much ugliness was being portrayed by the Church especially to the Muslim people even to these days. The impact of such bloody crusades was so great that Muslims would consider Christians as infidels.
It is really true that what we did today will truly affect our future. Our past has something to do with our present situation. It made me think of what could be the impact of my life to other people few years after. Are my choices and deeds today would make a difference in someone's life? This realization helps me to evaluate myself and ask God for wisdom on how I should live my life as a Christian not just here at BTC, but wherever I go.
Reflection # 7
This week I have learned about the lives of some significant people in our church history namely, John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, Anselm, and Francis of Assisi. People like John Chrysostom, a great speaker of God's Word was someone we could be thankful to God for His boldness in preaching despite the persecution he had encountered. I was astonished also of St. Jerome's knowledge and wisdom in translating the Scripture from its original language in which, until now, many gifted and passionate people like him giving their skills to translate the Scripture into different tongues. Augustine was another example of a redeemed sinner who have experienced the grace of God in spite of his struggles that we too, could find grace in God's eyes as well even the worst sinner on earth could experience it. St. Gregory the Great was another significant person in history who, sad to say, started the idea of purgatory. Despite his doctrine which highly influenced the Catholic beliefs, it became a tool that orthodox Christians found he Truth by really studying the Scripture. Anselm made an impression in me realizing he was the one who wrote the cosmological arguments in which we Christians have being taught of. His influence in the lives of the honorable people in his time was an example of God's sovereignty even over the respective kings. Lastly, Francis of Assisi's sacrificial living and writings had made a great impact not only in the church but also in literature.
I may not be like one of these six great and influential people in history who will make a name someday, but I could become who and what God wants me to be, taking a part of His great work here on earth from today's ministry until my last day. I thought of what legacy I could leave that people may remember of me in the future and this realizations bothers me really. I started to evaluate myself regarding my actions and words towards other people and I was not really happy with what I had realized in me. I know I have failed many times in this area, but I am still grateful for I have seen the grace of God holding me still in spite of my disobedient and rebellious heart and act. This very moment I became more conscious of how I would act and respond to the people around me and so with many unpleasant circumstances that would come in my life. This may be impossible for me to become instantly a better person, but by God's mercy and grace, I know He would sustain me throughout the way.
Reflection # 8
The seed of reformation
Reflection # 9
I've never knew Anabaptist until now. All I know was Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, the Wesley brothers, and other reformers. I was astonished to know that most of our doctrines are based from them. It was just a sad picture that those reformers who are supposed to restore the Word of God as the final authority, were the one who persecuted these people who tried to show the truth to the church. I really appreciate how they stand on their ground even to the point of their own death as long as they would be able to tell what the Scripture truly says.
Reflection # 10
It's been an exciting week, especially having a special meeting with Sir Manges. He reminded us the importance of studying Church History, the story of our spiritual fathers, to learn from their blind spots and how the early church deals with church conflict especially with heresy. The history of Christianity has a lot to do with how and what we are in our churches today. It's so just sad to think how lost our country is if we will truly look at the main religion people have even to this time. I learned more about Catholicism, most likely here in the Philippines and how significant Mary was to them that I can now understand how devoted they are to this belief. By learning all of these, I become more sensitive for these lost people that I prayed for opportunities to share to them the love of Christ and that they may know whom to worship instead. There are just so many non-Christian around us, especially the atheist, and they too, even they do not believe in God, they still need God and even more into their lives. In this informal discussion, I started to be more interested in learning more about Church History that I feel like one whole semester is not enough to know all of them. I was encouraged and challenged to obtain more of this in the future.
Reflection # 11
Moravian Christians begun in the time of John Hus, a professor of philosophy and a preacher who gained support from students and the common people, and led a protest movement against many practices of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy. The church promoted the Scriptures through its two printing presses and provided the people of Bohemia and Moravia with the Bible in their own language in spite of persecutions and oppositions from the Roman Catholic Church. Ten percent of their members were sent as missionaries to many places, in fact, to very difficult places that one of them named Leonard Duber, even sold himself to slavery in able for him to minister to the slaves. The rest of the members spent an hour a day praying for one hundred years.
What amazes me was their passion in missions and their devotion in prayer. They did not send missionaries only to have a comfortable lives, but sent them to remote places and difficult to live with just to bring the Message of salvation to those people who doesn't have idea about Christ. Not only that, they stood up on their ground, defending their faith even to the point of death. As to prayer, I've never heard such persevering prayer of a church. It made me think of how am I in my prayer life, and how much perseverance and endurance do I have in my prayer life and walk with God. I felt sad for those many wasted years I had and thought of ways to improve myself especially in my Christian life.
As I ponder about the Moravian church, I got a desire to do this prayer principle first to my personal life, then to other people whom God entrusted me to minister with. I want this principle to be shared to many churches especially those who are sending missionaries all over the world. I would start a daily prayer list and faithfully prayed for them with perseverance and more passion for the lost.
Reflection # 12
This week we discussed how Christianity came in the Philippines. When the Spaniards colonized this island (the Philippines) and made it into one nation, they also brought Christianity, which is the Roman Catholic Church. This was the reason why Catholicism is very strong in our country. Later on, group of protestant missionaries came to Philippines after the Americans had driven the Spanish away. This was the beginning of Evangelical churches in the Philippines.
I am glad to know how our country was being reached out by Protestant missionaries and how our churches started especially my own denomination, Methodist. It's just so amazing how God works in places where Catholicism and Islam was strong and difficult to evangelized with. I was reminded again that nothing is impossible with God. He will use every means so that the people will come to Him, and that includes myself.
Reflection # 2
Many times I get impatient in waiting in the Lord's miracle and answers to my prayer. Many times also I overlooked God's working hands along the way because of my selfish and impatient attitude. I didn't realized then that those people and circumstances along the way are part of God's wonderful plan of answering my prayer especially when things don't seem to work out well in my perspective. I always want instant gratification without realizing that God has something more wonderful than what I always wanted. a missionary always reminds me to look for the blessings within the problems and challenges that we are facing for God did not allow all things to happen without His divine intervention and great purpose.
Reflection # 3
Our topic was about The Age of Christian Roman Empire and its positive and negative effects. It is interesting to know that somehow, there were positive effects when the Roman empire was being Christianized like the increased of respect for women, better treatment for slaves including freedom for Christian slaves, and many more. Although the way it was governed was not really Christian-like, we could see God's working among Christians at this time. However, there were negative effects also; the government interfered in church affairs, and many others. What I don't like was the persecution of the heretics. Christ-like love was no longer present and the faith of the Christians became weak.
Reflection # 4
This was the time when different councils were being formed to answer and settle heretic teachings. It's good and interesting to learn how the early church fathers dealt with doctrinal issues and presented to us now what the Scripture really says about God, Trinity, and many other doctrinal issues that causes conflict among the church fathers.
Reflection # 5
The
Dark Ages era was devastating with all its barbaric invasion, war,
plague, famine, and death of thousands of people whether Christians
or none-Christians at that time. As different invaders like the
Vikings, Visigoths, and the Franks arrived trying to loath Rome,
great and influential leaders also arise from these barbaric tribes
like Charlemagne from the tribe of Franks who then became the
greatest king of Dark Ages when Rome had fallen.The Franks became the
agent of shaping the new Europe where economy and education rise up
under its leadership. In spite of its fall, Christianity continue to
spread out even in the midst of persecutions but sad to say also,
even the persecutions stopped, Christianity became corrupted and
brutal to those who would not submit to this religion.
What
amazes me in this topic despite its brutality was how God allowed
this dark event in shaping a unique story of Christianity in history.
Just like the Bloody Verdict of Verden, as passionate as they were
for this religion, these murderous people somehow protects
Christianity and helps it become wider and stronger and mass
conversion happened although not all who were converted were truly
believers. I have learned that no matter how severe the persecution is to Christianity and to the church, it will not cause Christ's ministry here on earth to cease for God's sovereignty in everything under heaven will never fail.
As a Christian student and leader, I have been through a lot of frustration that seems turned my world upside down. Often times, I reacted negatively to it feeling hopeless and out of control towards the situations. Upon learning through the Dark Ages topic, I can see that what I've been through were just a pinky finger compared to what the early Christians' experiences. I learned to look for the positive outward of every negative things that would happen to me. I have learned that it's not how big or small our struggle is, but how we respond to it in a godly way.
Reflection # 6
This was during the time of High Middle Ages that Pope Urban II called the church leaders to council in Clermont. He exhorted that Christian should take up their cross and strive for a cause that promised not just a spiritual rewards but also material gain. The people responded saying, "God will it" and soon became the expression of the crusaders used in battle as they aimed to gain Christian control of the Holy Land away from the Muslims. There were nine crusades in all that happened between 1096-1291, but none of them become successful in their attempts.
For me, it can be considered also as Dark Ages; many people died especially those pitiful children that were even sold to slavery. Christianity can be pictured as blood and sword, not life and love. although there were also positive effects for the state and even to the church itself, we still cannot deny the fact how much ugliness was being portrayed by the Church especially to the Muslim people even to these days. The impact of such bloody crusades was so great that Muslims would consider Christians as infidels.
It is really true that what we did today will truly affect our future. Our past has something to do with our present situation. It made me think of what could be the impact of my life to other people few years after. Are my choices and deeds today would make a difference in someone's life? This realization helps me to evaluate myself and ask God for wisdom on how I should live my life as a Christian not just here at BTC, but wherever I go.
Reflection # 7
This week I have learned about the lives of some significant people in our church history namely, John Chrysostom, St. Jerome, Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, Anselm, and Francis of Assisi. People like John Chrysostom, a great speaker of God's Word was someone we could be thankful to God for His boldness in preaching despite the persecution he had encountered. I was astonished also of St. Jerome's knowledge and wisdom in translating the Scripture from its original language in which, until now, many gifted and passionate people like him giving their skills to translate the Scripture into different tongues. Augustine was another example of a redeemed sinner who have experienced the grace of God in spite of his struggles that we too, could find grace in God's eyes as well even the worst sinner on earth could experience it. St. Gregory the Great was another significant person in history who, sad to say, started the idea of purgatory. Despite his doctrine which highly influenced the Catholic beliefs, it became a tool that orthodox Christians found he Truth by really studying the Scripture. Anselm made an impression in me realizing he was the one who wrote the cosmological arguments in which we Christians have being taught of. His influence in the lives of the honorable people in his time was an example of God's sovereignty even over the respective kings. Lastly, Francis of Assisi's sacrificial living and writings had made a great impact not only in the church but also in literature. I may not be like one of these six great and influential people in history who will make a name someday, but I could become who and what God wants me to be, taking a part of His great work here on earth from today's ministry until my last day. I thought of what legacy I could leave that people may remember of me in the future and this realizations bothers me really. I started to evaluate myself regarding my actions and words towards other people and I was not really happy with what I had realized in me. I know I have failed many times in this area, but I am still grateful for I have seen the grace of God holding me still in spite of my disobedient and rebellious heart and act. This very moment I became more conscious of how I would act and respond to the people around me and so with many unpleasant circumstances that would come in my life. This may be impossible for me to become instantly a better person, but by God's mercy and grace, I know He would sustain me throughout the way.
Reflection # 8
The seed of reformation
Reflection # 9
I've never knew Anabaptist until now. All I know was Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, the Wesley brothers, and other reformers. I was astonished to know that most of our doctrines are based from them. It was just a sad picture that those reformers who are supposed to restore the Word of God as the final authority, were the one who persecuted these people who tried to show the truth to the church. I really appreciate how they stand on their ground even to the point of their own death as long as they would be able to tell what the Scripture truly says.
Reflection # 10
It's been an exciting week, especially having a special meeting with Sir Manges. He reminded us the importance of studying Church History, the story of our spiritual fathers, to learn from their blind spots and how the early church deals with church conflict especially with heresy. The history of Christianity has a lot to do with how and what we are in our churches today. It's so just sad to think how lost our country is if we will truly look at the main religion people have even to this time. I learned more about Catholicism, most likely here in the Philippines and how significant Mary was to them that I can now understand how devoted they are to this belief. By learning all of these, I become more sensitive for these lost people that I prayed for opportunities to share to them the love of Christ and that they may know whom to worship instead. There are just so many non-Christian around us, especially the atheist, and they too, even they do not believe in God, they still need God and even more into their lives. In this informal discussion, I started to be more interested in learning more about Church History that I feel like one whole semester is not enough to know all of them. I was encouraged and challenged to obtain more of this in the future.
Reflection # 11
Moravian Christians begun in the time of John Hus, a professor of philosophy and a preacher who gained support from students and the common people, and led a protest movement against many practices of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy. The church promoted the Scriptures through its two printing presses and provided the people of Bohemia and Moravia with the Bible in their own language in spite of persecutions and oppositions from the Roman Catholic Church. Ten percent of their members were sent as missionaries to many places, in fact, to very difficult places that one of them named Leonard Duber, even sold himself to slavery in able for him to minister to the slaves. The rest of the members spent an hour a day praying for one hundred years.
What amazes me was their passion in missions and their devotion in prayer. They did not send missionaries only to have a comfortable lives, but sent them to remote places and difficult to live with just to bring the Message of salvation to those people who doesn't have idea about Christ. Not only that, they stood up on their ground, defending their faith even to the point of death. As to prayer, I've never heard such persevering prayer of a church. It made me think of how am I in my prayer life, and how much perseverance and endurance do I have in my prayer life and walk with God. I felt sad for those many wasted years I had and thought of ways to improve myself especially in my Christian life.
As I ponder about the Moravian church, I got a desire to do this prayer principle first to my personal life, then to other people whom God entrusted me to minister with. I want this principle to be shared to many churches especially those who are sending missionaries all over the world. I would start a daily prayer list and faithfully prayed for them with perseverance and more passion for the lost.
Reflection # 12
I am glad to know how our country was being reached out by Protestant missionaries and how our churches started especially my own denomination, Methodist. It's just so amazing how God works in places where Catholicism and Islam was strong and difficult to evangelized with. I was reminded again that nothing is impossible with God. He will use every means so that the people will come to Him, and that includes myself.
