I did a major website overhaul some years ago to get rid of out of date or irrelevant content, but I continue to get requests for this article so I have chosen to repost it. Enjoy! Introduction Pastor Joe Schimmel is founder of Fight the Good Fight Ministries and pastor at Blessed Hope Chapel in…
Keeping the Christ in Xmas Have you ever wondered where the idea of the “Xmas” abbreviation comes from? Is it just the secular world trying to rid the culture of Christ? Maybe sometimes – but it might not be as nefarious as all that. As most Catholics are aware, “Christmas” itself is an abbreviation for…
Introduction The Reformation’s unparalleled rupture of the unity of Christ’s Church is said to have begun on Oct. 31, 1517, when a monk named Martin Luther nailed his soon-to-be-famous 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. These theses were a list of religious complaints Luther wished to debate with any who would do so. Although…
Introduction Because all Christian groups believe they were ultimately founded by Jesus Christ, all who wish to be considered legitimate need to explain why they did not exist prior to their (actual) founding date. The gap is usually explained by what I call an “apostasy narrative.” An Christian apostasy narrative is a tale of how the Church…
Introduction Some kind of “apostasy narrative” is required to explain why a group that did not exist for nearly 2,000 years can consider itself the true expression of Christianity. Obviously, if the Church founded by Jesus did not go into apostasy, there would be no excuse to create a new group or “restore” what was “lost.” Unlike…
Douglas Beaumont 