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Beginning of Church History

It began with a Person—Jesus Christ, who was born during the reign of Augustus Caesar (Reign 27BC-AD14), also known as Gaius Octavianus, nephew of Julius Caesar (Luke 2:1).

From AD 14 to 37, Tiberius Caesar became Emperor of whom Jesus mentioned (Luke 3:1; 20:22-25).

The literal Church started with a crowd, when Peter preached at Pentecost. Partly because of the sin of Ananias and Sapphira, the Hellenists and Hebrews' Christians were then beginning to dispute among themselves (Acts 5:1-11). The Hebrews lived according to the Mosiac law, while Hellenists were Jews who came out of the Dispersion with greater acceptance of Greeks' ideas (John 7:35; Acts 2:5-11). The Hellenists were the first to be persecuted, in which Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 6:8-9).

Persecution During Roman Regime
In the year 64 during the reign of Roman Emperor Nero, fire broke out in Rome. For six days and nights the fire burned and the greater part of the city was laid in ashes. The rumor got around that Nero had caused the city to be set on fire and this aroused great hatred in the people of Rome against the emperor. In an attempt to turn this hatred away from himself, Nero accused the Christians of having set fire to Rome, and a terrible persecution followed.

Many Christians were crucified. Some were sewn up in skins of wild beasts, then big dogs were let loose upon them and they were torn to pieces. Women were tied to mad bulls and dragged to death. Christians were burnt at the stake in Nero's garden after nightfall. Roman people who hated the Christians were free to come into the garden while Nero drove around in the chariot to enjoy the horrible scene.

During the persecution of Nero, according to tradition, the apostle Peter suffered martyrdom by crucifixion with cross upside down, counting himself not worthy to die like Christ, while Paul suffered martyrdom by execution, being a Roman citizen. The slaughter of Christians at this time was confined to the city of Rome. It was not a general persecution throughout the whole of the Empire.

For the next one hundred years (from 68 to 161), there were no general persecutions, but in different parts of the Empire many Christians were put to death. Outstanding among the martyrs of that period were Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch; Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna; and Justin, the apologist who had boldly and very ably written in defence of the Christians.

Ignatius (67-110) was ordered by the emperor to be arrested and was sentenced to be thrown to the wild beasts in Rome. He was said to feel honored to be able to give his life for his Savior, saying, "May the wild beasts be eager to rush upon me. If they be unwilling, I will compel them. Come crowds of wild beasts; come, tearings and manglings, wracking of bones and hacking of limbs; come, cruel tortures of the devil; only let me attain unto Christ."

Polycarp (69-155) was the last one of those who had been personally taught by the apostles. He was arrested and brought into the amphitheater in Smyrna, which was filled with an immense multitude. Since there were no images of gods in the houses of Christians, the heathen rightly concluded that the Christians did not believe in the existence of the gods and so accused them of being atheists. The proconsul reminded Polycarp of his great age and urged him to show his penitence by joining in the cry, "Away with the atheists!" Polycarp did as told, but when he was told to revile Christ, he did not deny Christ and said he is a Christian. For that, he was burnt at the stake.

Justin Martyr (100-166) was a philosopher and was scourged and beheaded in Rome with six other Christians. In the face of death, he bore with joy the witness to the truth. His last words were: "We desire nothing more than to suffer for our Lord Jesus Christ; for this gives us salvation and joyfulness before His dreadful judgment seat ..."

During the reign of Domitian (81-96) as emperor, a similar local but less severe persecution took place. From Trajan (98) to the end of the reign of Antonimius Pius (160), Christianity was both in danger and under protection. Danger because it was exposed to persecution, and protected because Trajan forbade legal action on anonymous accusations. Hadrian forbade condemnation of Christians without evidence. Marcus Aurelius (160-180) was more aggressive and actively opposed Christianity, resulting in very severe persecution in Gaul (177).

Under Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180), the persecution became universal. In the year 303, Emperor Diocletian started a persecution which was continued by his successor Galerius until the year 311. The tortures which were inflicted upon Christians were gruesome and the persecutions were a determined and systematic attempt to uproot Christianity completely, to wipe the Church off the face of the earth. Cyprian and Origen died in this persecution. Cyprian was Bishop of Carthage from 248 to 258. Origen (184-254) was a pupil of Clement who was with the Apostle Paul in AD57.

From 180-250, Christianity remained an illegal religion, but little was done about it. The chief exception in this period of quiet was a severe persecution under the emperor, Septimius Severus in 202 and 203, mainly in Egypt and Carthage. Septimius forbade conversion of paganism to Christianity.

In 244-249, Philip the Arabian was named the first Christian Emperor. Under Decius (251) and Valerian (257-259), persecution was empire-wide. Valerian was taken prisoner by the Persians (260) and his son Gallerius cancelled the persecution. With this followed 43 years of peace.

Diocletian came into power and reigned as emperor from 284-305. He knew the difficulty of his task and understanding the situation, he decided that the empire should be divided into two parts: the West and the East. Each half was to be governed by an Augustus (that is, an emperor), who was assisted by a Caesar (future successor). Diocletian became Augustus of the East and Maximian, of the West. Galerius, Diocletian's son-in-law became his Caesar; Maximian's Caesar was Constantius, father of Constantine. Among the two Augustus, Diocletian remained supreme. Thus began the severest persecution yet ever known for ten years.

All Christians of upper classes would be deprived of official positions and privileges. Christians in the imperial court would become slaves unless they renounced Christianity. All Christians' clergy and Church officials were to be imprisoned. All imprisoned leaders must sacrifice to the gods or be mutilated by endless tortures. All Christians must sacrifice to the gods or face imprisonment or severer punishment.

Diocletian resigned the emperor's office in 305 as did Maximian in the West. Galerius succeeded Diocletian but fell seriously ill in 311. He died five days later after he ordered the persecutions to be stopped. His Caesar, Maximian, however reinstated the persecution, but after six months, due to political pressure and civil war, was forced into publishing an edict of toleration. He died three months later. Diocletian died a miserable death in December 316 with great loneliness and bitterness in spirit.


End of Persecution During Roman Regime
Constantine was born around 288. His father was Constantius Chlorus who in 293 became Caesar of Maximian, Augustus of the West. After Maximian and Diocletian abdicated, Constantius and Galerius took their places. Constantine was then held as a hostage in Galerius' court to guarantee Constantius' loyalty.

In 306, Constantius became ill and Constantine left Galerius' court without permission. At Constantius' death, Constantine was proclaimed his successor. In 307, Galerius made his friend and fellow soldier, Licinius the Augustus.

In 323, Constantine prepared for battle against Licinius. Constantine defeated Licinius and killed him a year later. With this conquest, he became the sole emperor and made Christianity the official religion of the empire.

Constantine and his mother, Stelena, led the way to more costly structures of the Church. By 400, there were forty large churches in the city of Rome alone. The masses that entered the church were pleased with the beauty and its ceremony that most did not understand the meaning of attending church. Constantine, in 321, decreed that Sunday be the official day of worship. This laid the basis for the universal recognition of Sunday as a day of rest.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Barker, W P (1977). Who's Who in Church History. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan.


• Boer, H R (1976). A Short History of the Early Church. Wm B Eerdmans Publishing, Michigan.


• Kuiper, B K (1995). The Church in History. Wm B Eerdmans Publishing, Michigan.


• Latourette, K S (1975). A History of Christianity. HarperCollins Publishers, New York.


• Renwick, A M and D.Litt, D D (1966). The Story of the Church. Inter-Varsity Fellowship, London.

Serving the Lord Online

I always advocate the need for Christians to reach out to the world through serving the Lord online, especially with so many communities for relationship building, such as MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube.

Many of us know relationships built on the Net are not always healthy, and as believers, I believe we should play our part in harvesting these netizens for the Lord. While it may be true online resources may be used by the devil, we can use the same tool to turn the tables around. Please note however that unless we are firm in the faith, we must be very careful when dealing with such online communities, because the draw is very real and we can be swayed away from our faith!

If our calling is clear, let us then begin by first praying and building relationships in Christian online communities such as YourChristianSpace, FaithWriters, AllAboutGOD, ChristiansUnite and GodTube.

According to a missions article by ChristianToday, "Dozens of churches around the world are planning to participate in a special missions trip that involves bringing Christ and His message to a huge community where the Gospel is not the most popular subject." "Pre-trip training on how to effectively get messages about Christ out using social networks began on Sunday [January 11, 2009] and will continue until January 31."

Prayer for the Sick

The last few days have been very difficult, especially for my brother's family. My sis-in-law has been hospitalized for brain tumor, diagnozed with likelihood of malignancy, and my brother and nephew are in a state of devastation. Surgery has been performed and report for the tumor analysis is yet to be out.

I have been praying for the family alongside with some online Christian community friends. May God comfort this family.

Dear Lord, be merciful to this family! Help them stay strong in the face of desperate times. Lead them Lord to you and help them recognize the urgent need for salvation. Show me Lord how I can help and what I must do. Lead me by Your Holy Spirit to know the right time to say the right thing without giving false hopes nor lacking confidence in the Lord.

For more information and progress update, please read Journal of a Prayer.

HappY NeW YeaR

Wishing All Friends of Living Water ...

Christmas Tree of Life

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

According to the University of Illinois Extension, "Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States since about 1850. Until fairly recently, all Christmas trees came from the forest. In 2002, Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, New York, and Virginia were the top Christmas tree producing states. Oregon was the leading producer of Christmas trees—6.5 million in 2002."¹

Christmas trees have long been associated with Christianity. One of the earliest writings about Christmas tree dates back to the year 722 in Germany, which tells of a Saint Boniface who has met some pagans who were about to sacrifice a child in worship to a huge oak tree. In wanting to prevent the sacrifice, Saint Boniface cut down the tree and was surprised to find a fir tree sprung up from its roots. On seeing the evergreen tree pointing up to the heaven and the child saved from pagan sacrifice, Saint Boniface took it as a sign of the Christian faith, a symbol of Christ's great sacrifice and His promise of eternal life.²

Today, many households celebrate Christmas with decorated Christmas trees. What these trees symbolize to different people will bear different meanings. Some may see the Christmas tree as a symbol representing the gifts of joy and gladness. Others may think of it as a preparation for the coming of Santa and his reindeers. Few however will understand or comprehend the price that was paid by One who sacrificed His all to be hung on a tree, the Cross, to save us all.

Let us all therefore know and understand the true meaning of the tree of the One who sacrificed His life to bring us Christmas joy, blessings and glad tidings. It is this tree, the Cross, that the curse of the Law was removed that everyone who receives Jesus as Lord and believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life.

O how much it pains the One to see sinners lost, to love us so much as to give us His all, in coming down from heaven to save the earth and to redeem us all. Jesus alone is the One, and without Him, there is no Christmas, no blessing or salvation for the world, nor the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:13-14). He is the One who had come down from heaven to earth, the Emmanuel, the Prince of Peace, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is Almighty God.

To him who overcomes, I [Jesus] will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7b)

Thank you Lord for redeeming us from the curse of the Law and for taking upon Yourself to be hung on a tree, the Cross, for our sakes, in order that we may receive Your salvation by grace, and the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit in us. Grant us Lord to see the Christmas tree as a symbol of Your love and of Your great sacrifice for us that we may understand and comprehend the price You have paid to give us eternal life.

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All Scriptural references in this article are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

¹ University of Illinois Extension, Christmas Trees & More (Accessed December 20, 2008).
² Christmas Tree Farm Network, Traditions: Christmas Trees and Ornaments (Accessed December 20, 2008) & AllAboutGOD.com, Origin of the Christmas Tree (Accessed December 20, 2008).

Demystifying the Claus of Christmas

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14 NAS)

"Tis the season to be jolly," so says the Christmas song, Deck the Halls. But what is in this season for us to be jolly? Is it the receiving of gifts, the festivities of Santa Claus coming to town, or is it the gathering of a mass of people together to celebrate the birth of Christ? Here's taking a look at the origins of Santa Claus to understand the reason for this Christmas season.

Santa Claus is known by many names, including Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or just Santa. He is the figure in most of Western cultures described as the one bringing gifts on the eve of Christmas Day. Saint Nicholas is believed to be the youngest bishop in the history of the church who was well known for his benevolence in the 4th century as the one who cared for needy children and poor maidens. He was persecuted and imprisoned with many other Christians during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian and was released and honored when Constantine the Great established the Christian Church as the official religion.

Two hundred years after his death, Saint Nicholas became a great figure in Christian Legend, and Justinian, the last Roman emperor in the East, built a church in honor of Nicholas in Constantinople. A day was set aside to celebrate the feast of Nicholas in honor of his benevolence on December 6, naming it as Saint Nicholas Day. In certain countries, this festival has been assimilated to Christmas, partly because Saint Nicholas Day is very near to Christmas and partly because of some Protestant hostility toward the worship of the saints in some parts of the world. After the feast of Saint Nicholas had been moved forward and identified with Christmas, some of these countries felt the real patron of the day and Giver of gifts should be Christ Himself, hence the birth of Kris Kringle in popular German, meaning Christ Child. Among some of the German people in America, however, the legend of Santa Claus continued to survive, and Kris Kringle evolved into a combination of Santa Claus and the Christ Child.

In the 19th century, political cartoonist Thomas Nast of the United States popularized Santa Claus as the fat jolly man in red coat and trousers with white cuffs and collar, and a black leather belt with boots. This portrayal of Santa was reinforced through song, radio, television, and films. In the American version, Santa was said to be living in the far north or the North Pole. In the United Kingdom of Europe, however, Father Christmas was said to live in Lapland. Blending local folklore from Nordic countries, Saint Nicholas was also said to be bringing gifts with the Yule Goat, which gradually became the elves, the ones said to be responsible for making the toys of Santa.

This combination provides a summarized idea of how Saint Nicholas became Santa Claus from the earliest times, and the birth of the elves. The mystification of Santa flying through the sky with reindeers on a sleigh is therefore a concept not of Christian origins, but of stories belonging to countless fairy tales about elves, gnomes, spirits, and hobgoblins.

In understanding Christmas, we must return to the origins of Christmas celebration. The Bible states it clearly, that the reason for this season of Christmas is the birth of God the Word, Who became flesh and dwelt among us, the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Christmas is therefore about Christ-mass, the gathering of a mass of people to celebrate Christ's birth.

Teach us therefore O Lord not to celebrate Christmas as just a season to be jolly. Help us Lord to put our perspectives right in understanding the origins of Santa Claus and the true reason for the Christmas season. Stir our hearts Lord to be forever grateful to You for coming down to earth as a child to be born of a woman to save us all from sin and death, and to grow up as a Man that we may understand You better. Draw us near O God our Creator for we acknowledge You as our Lord and Savior. Thank You Lord for Christmas!

Christmas Home Coming

not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NAS)

If we are expecting someone we love coming home for Christmas, we will be filled with joy as we looked forward to the day drawing near. What a joy it will be when we meet our love ones face to face once again!

Home coming for Christmas is a great joy to many, yet to some, it may be a chore, a yearly routine of time wasted in meaningless discussion, or a gathering of memories of things past, of good and bad, happy and sad, pleasant and unpleasant all mingled together.

A family get together during Christmas is like a big family reunion where all of us who have been too busy with our lives and our own conjugal families come together to spend time with each other. Gathering together to meet each other during occasions such as this, however, is not what is most important, for physical presence alone, with minds absent or miles away is as good as being far away. Coming home for Christmas is therefore about giving attention to one another to encourage and to catch up with each other.

The Bible in Hebrews 10:25 teaches us not to forsake our own assembling together, but to encourage one another, all the more as we see the day drawing near. This scriptural verse has been used many times to encourage Christians to attend church services regularly. While there is no doubt about the importance of meeting together in church regularly to worship God as a congregation and to fellowship, the question remains however whether our minds are set on honoring Him when we are physically present in such services. Are we giving our heart, mind and soul to the Lord in worshipping Him, or are we miles away even while in the presence of the Lord?

As we return home for Christmas this year, may we remember what the word ‘Christmas’ truly means. Christmas is 'Christ mass', the gathering together of brothers, sisters, parents and children in Christ, much like a spiritual family reunion. Many of us have heard the inspirational words, "Christ is the Head of this house; the Unseen Guest at every meal; the Silent Listener to every conversation" by an unknown author. In a sense, this is true. Christ is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23), so Christ ought to be the Head of the house as well. He is the unseen Guest and God whom we worship, not just during meals at home, but also in our lives while we are awake or asleep, every moment and wherever we may be. God is the Listener to every of our conversation, at home, in church and everywhere else. He is always present to listen to us, but are we talking the right things when we gather together? Are our conversations what God wants to hear?

Let us all therefore not complain about the chores or the difficulty of travel when we go home this Christmas. Home is where our hearts should be, whether it is our own homes or the homes of our parents or siblings. We should therefore above all remember what is most important in such gatherings is our attention, our presence beyond the physical, just as God is always present with us beyond the physical. We should also encourage one another to express our love one for another.

Dear Lord, help us not to have our minds wandering away while we gather together for Christmas at home and in church. Help us understand how You feel when we come together to meet up with You and with members of our family with minds far away. Teach us to love You and to love one another, just as You love us so much that You died on the Cross for us even while we were far away from You. Forgive us Lord for neglecting our assembling together while we busy ourselves with our own lives. Bring us closer to You Lord as we purpose once again to be faithful in returning home for Christ mass to worship You every Lord’s Day.

Christmas Gifts of Blessings

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11 NAS)

It all began with the Magi who brought gifts of gold, incense and myrrh to the Child in worship to the newborn King of the Jews. Since then, giving Christmas gifts has become a common practice to people who celebrate the season. In the 4th century, Saint Nicholas who was said to be a wealthy and generous man, rekindled the spirit of giving during Christmas when he gave heartily to children, especially those who were deprived and in need. This act of generosity by Saint Nicholas consequently became a tradition of exchanging gifts, leading to the myth of Santa Claus.

Many of us look forward to receiving gifts during Christmas every year. This is because gifts are such a blessing, and they are always free. We need not pay a cent for it, and we know when we receive a gift, it means someone cares for us. We give gifts to express our care for others too, to show them our love and friendship. The difference, however, between a giver and a receiver of Christmas gifts is the price. Giving Christmas gifts is not free. Christmas gifts are paid with a price.

When our Lord came down from heaven to earth as a Child, He presented Himself as a gift, paid for with His all to be with us and to lead us to the way of salvation. Jesus gave up His glory to be born into a humble home, and on the day He was born, He was destined to die a cruel death. He came to earth only for one reason—to pay the price for our sins and to give us the free gift of eternal life and salvation. Such is the price of the true Christmas gift, where "greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). By grace we have been saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Christ is the ultimate Christmas gift sent by God to reconcile our relationship with Him, to set us free from the bonds of slavery.

This Christmas, as we look forward to receiving gifts, let us not forget to give good gifts generously, especially to the poor and needy. Let us in giving, not expect anything in return as in exchanging gifts, but rather give willingly and cheerfully, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:17). Let us with grateful hearts thank God for His ultimate Christmas gift of eternal life in Christ.

Remind us O Lord the price You paid to save us all in giving of Yourself and everything else to be born a Child on earth and to die on the Cross for us. Teach us Lord to give good gifts of love to help the poor and the needy. Help us be willing Lord to give without expectation of return, for we know You desire a cheerful giver.

Christmas Lights Shining Bright

"THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN DARKNESS SAW A GREAT LIGHT, AND THOSE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE LAND AND SHADOW OF DEATH, UPON THEM A LIGHT DAWNED." (Matthew 4:16 NAS)

According to HowStuffWorks.com, back in about 30 or 40 years ago, people used to decorate their houses and trees with lights using small 120-volt incandescent bulbs. Each of these bulbs was a 5- or 10-watt bulb like the bulb we find in a night light today. If half of all traditional Christmas bulbs were replaced with LED bulbs, it could yield savings of $17 billion a year in energy bills. Incandescent bulbs are therefore no longer common these days because they consume too much power and generate too much heat. With global warming now an area of great concern, it is no wonder alternatives such as LED bulbs are becoming very popular, as they consume less energy and emit less heat.

Long before the electric bulbs were invented and before lightings became a part of the decoration for the festivities during Christmas, there was another light that shone high above the sky to welcome Christmas and to guide the shepherds and wise men to Christ our Lord, the Emmanuel. It was the light of the star—the Christmas star. In the song 'Christmas Star' by John Williams, a stanza from the lyrics states:

Star light, shine bright
See me through the dark night
Light mine, half way;
Guide me home for Christmas Day

Star light shining bright, what a sight it must have been to see the star of ancient times that guided the way to the Child who is Christ our King! The people who were sitting in darkness certainly saw a great Light, and those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, upon them a light dawned (Matthew 4:16). Jesus is the Light of the world, and if we walk in the Light as He Himself is the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin (John 1:7). We are therefore not of night, nor of darkness, but the sons of lights and sons of day (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Christmas lights, in this sense, are all about the Light that shines through us. Jesus is the Light, our Lord and our God who dwells in us. He alone is above all lights and the reason for Christmas. He brightens every heart and enables every soul to see us through the dark. He is the One who drowns the darkness of all hallows evening and guides us home for Christmas Day.

O what a joy to celebrate the birth of our King with power not of lights from electric bulbs, but from the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. This Christmas, let us as lights of the world be the shining star of today that guides mankind to our Lord the King (Matthew 5:14). With our whole body full of light, let us dispel all the dark areas in our lives that we may like the lamp which illumines with its rays also be illumined, not only within ourselves but also to the world (Luke 11:36). Just as the light from the star guides the shepherds and the wise men, let us as lights also be God's chosen saints to guide and shine in the darkness to bring forth dawn to the land and shadow of death (Matthew 4:16).

Dear Lord, help us remember that as lights of the world, we are to shine and guide people to You. Use us therefore Lord, especially during this Christmas season, to lead people to the full understanding of the reason for Your birth on earth. Empower us Lord with lights that shine brightly even in the darkest night, to illuminate not only our surroundings, but also to the people around us. Enable us Lord to bring forth light like a lamp with its rays to reach out to all who are lost, that they may see the Light and be guided home for Christmas Day.