John Fletcher Quote

“…Repentance…the awakening of a soul

from the sleep of carnal security…”

– John Fletcher, from Works vol. III

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Irenaeus – died

ON THIS DATE

Irenaeus (it is thought) died 4/6/202 AD, probably at Lugdunum, Gaul (now Lyon, France).  Historians estimate his birth as 125-130.  He appears connected to Smyrna, a town near Ephesus ,located in what is now Turkey.  One of the things that rivets attention on Irenaeus is that he heard (was a student of?) Polycarp and – – – Polycarp heard (was a student of?) the Apostle John.   In a sense we might call Polycarp a “spiritual son” of John & Irenaeus a “spiritual grandson” of John.  What a linage.   

Irenaeus went west to what today is southern France (perhaps while a young man).  He seems to have been sent on a trip to Rome in 177.   Before he could return persecution took the lives of several believers including the man who had been bishop there, Pothinus.  Irenaeus became bishop in his place.  He penned the Refutation of Heresies, and Proof of the Apostolic Preaching. (As an aside, he seems to have seen the earth as a sphere.)

Irenaeus Quotes:

“Error never shows itself in its naked reality, in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than truth itself.”

“The business of the Christian is nothing else but to be ever preparing for death.”

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Wesley Quote

“You are in danger…if you depart ever so little from Scripture…

from the plain literal mean­ing of any text taken in connection with the context.”

– John Wesley

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C S Lewis Quote

“The Christians are right:

it is Pride which has been the chief cause of misery

in every nation and

every family since the world began.”

– C S Lewis, Mere Christianity

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Duncan Campbell – died

ON THIS DATE

Duncan Campbell died 3/28/1972. He was born 1898 in the Scottish Highlands, 5^th of 10 children of a stonemason & wife, genuine Christians. As a youth playing his pipes at a dance he left under Holy Ghost conviction. He quickly associated himself with Faith Mission (1913). Later he trained with & worked for them in the Highlands & Islands among his native Gaelic speakers. In ’25 he married Shona Gray.

He served with the United Free Church but disagreed with their union to the Church of Scotland & resigned. He served a church at Balintore & at Falkirk. 1949 saw him returning to Faith Mission & ministering again at Skye. In God’s timing he went to the Island of Lewis (Outer Hebrides) where two sisters in their 80’s had prayed for revival & their vision was caught by pastor & deacons who prayed in a barn for months.

Though he later headed-up The Training School for Faith Mission Campbell is remembered today for how God was able to use him in the Hebrides. He was a strong advocate of the second work of the Holy Spirit following being clearly converted.  He did not pull toward an altar but used a separate room for seekers.  After unreliable reports of events on Lewis, he published, The Lewis Awakening, an official account.

In his later years he traveled sharing the wonderful news of God’s moving.  Those travels included the US.  In the fall of ’71 Larry Grile & I took my 68 VW to an Ohio River town  & heard him speak. I strongly encourage reading: When the Mountains Flowed Down – Duncan Campbell  www.revival-library.org/catalogues/20thcentury/campbell.html  learning more about a man of prayer & modern revival.

Campbell Quotes: “Revival is a community saturated with God.”

“75% were gloriously saved before they came near a meeting…the power of God was moving.”

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Queen Elizabeth I – died

ON THIS DATE

Queen Elizabeth I of England died 3/24/1603.  This daughter of Henry VIII (& second wife, Anne Boleyn) was born 9/7/1533 at Greenwich.  She became queen (after her half-sister’s death) November 1558.  She was well educated (commanded 6 languages) & as known, never married, being called the “Virgin Queen.”

She did England the favor of making the Anglican Church the “state church” but held a short (plain) theology. She is said to have said she would not put “windows into men’s souls…there is only one Jesus Christ & all the rest is a dispute over trifles.”  This final break with Rome brought 25 attempts on her life & brought the catholic Spanish Armada.  God helped (via storm) defeat it & preserved Christian England.  

This date’s second British event is naturally the next ascension – 3/24/1603, King James VI of Scotland (1566-1625) became also James I of England.  He was next in line being a descendent of Henry VIII.  James I became the most published monarch; had he not be of royal blood he would’ve been a compliment to any university of his day.  Some vehement anti-KJV men have dropped low enough to attack the CLASSIC of all Classics by attacking James I.  Though human, his monarchy, his morals, & his marriage (1 wife – 8 children) show God allowed a descent man to preserve His Word in TODAY’S lingua franca.

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Tobacco quote

“A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain,

dangerous to the lungs and in the black stinking fumes thereof

nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.”

– James I, of England

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Educational Quote

“Headmasters have powers at their disposal

with which primeministers have never yet been invested.”

– Winston Churchill

>> Not Churchill fan. Am fan of Christian teachers/parent teachers – they need to hear this <<

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Henry Drummond – died

ON THIS DATE 

Henry Drummond died this date 3/11/1897.  He was born at Stirling, Scotland, 8/17/1851. At Edinburgh U. he showed interest in physical & mathematical science but his interest in Christ surpassed this; he joined the Free Church of Scotland & prepared for the ministry.  By 1877 he was a lecturer at the Free Church College.  While here he penned Natural Law in the Spiritual World, argueing for a connection between the physical & the spiritual world. He worked for a while with Dwight L Moody in some revival campaigns.

After spending some time in Africa (African Lakes Company) & following the success of the above book Drummond published Tropical Africa, what has been called “a valuable digest of information.” He delivered the “Lowell Lectures” at Boston – a book followed this appearance entitled The Ascent of Man.

Drummond’s most lasting work was The Greatest Thing in the World (described as “a meditation”) showing the importance of 1 Corinthians 13.  It influenced his generation, selling some 12 million copies, & still has a place in religious literature today.  (Could not find names of either parents or wife.)

Drummond Quotes:

… it takes a smart fella to say ‘I don’t know the answer’!

To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.

The people who influence you are the people who believe in you.

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Dante Alighieri – sentenced

ON THIS DATE

Dante Alighieri on 3/10/1302 was sentenced to burn to death (for political reasons).  The firey death was sidestepped when he was exiled instead – this gave him his Life but not his Wife – he was never to see her again. Dante was born in Florence in May 1265 & died in Ravenna September 13, 1321.  In between these “life covers” he was educated, married, fathered 3 children, was very active in religious-political actions of day and wrote his famous Divine Comedy.  This work was written after this exile date. 

Italy’s best known poet divided his book into three sections Paradiso (paradise), Purgatorio (purgatory), & Inferno (hell).  Literature majors (my BA is in Lit.) may want to read the entire work as I have.  Others need not worry with the first two sections but probably every minister should read his concept (purely that) of hell with its concentric circles going deeper & deeper.

I could hope that Dante Alighieri is in paradise.  I could equally hope he is not in an inferno; I wish no man a future in that awful place (whether it approximates his imagination or not). What I do know is that Dante is NOT in purgatory.  There is no such place found in the Bible. It is a lie of the worst proportions – to give dying men a false hope which they will not know is a lie until it is too late.

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