Blog

In Luke 9, Jesus teaches His disciples how to respond to rejection not with fire, revenge, or coercion, but with humility, love, and faithfulness. This post explores how Christ prepared their hearts for persecution, how that teaching was lived out in church history through the Anabaptist martyr Dirk Willems, and how believers today are called to follow Jesus with obedience and love, even when it costs everything.

On January 15, 1557, Elizabeth Dirks was drowned for her faith after refusing to recant her obedience to Christ. Her story confronts a hard truth: much of what passes for Christianity has never been tested. Elizabeth did not live for comfort, approval, or safety. She believed Jesus was Lord and that obedience mattered more than life itself. Her quiet faith still speaks to the church today.

Churches rarely lose spiritual life overnight. Decline happens slowly through neglect, misplaced priorities, fractured unity, and a shift from Christ-centered mission to personal preference. Drawing from Scripture, church history, and lived experience, this reflection exposes the subtle warning signs that weaken a local body and harm real people. This is not an attack on the church, but a call to repentance, renewal, and faithfulness to Christ, who alone sustains His body.

Discover Jesus’ warning in Luke 6 about building your life on the solid foundation of His words. This post explores the danger of a “lukewarm” Christianity, the blindness of false teachers, and why obedience is the true test of saving faith. Learn how the early church understood discipleship, holiness, and spiritual discernment.