Are you a secret Christian? An answer in the 21st century and an answer in 17th century England would be different. Rather than trying to prevent others from knowing you are a believer in Christ, in the 17th century, a believer carried on three types of spiritual duties (Public – Fellowship with large numbers; Private – Fellowship with smaller numbers of persons; Secret – The spiritual duties/activities carried on by oneself in solitude.
This episode reviews these and looks to encourage us in the “secret duties”, not so much as to check off a spiritual activity list but with the mindset of taking time to commune with Christ and find rest for our souls.
The 17th century Puritans knew their theology along with having devoted hearts for Christ.
This episode shows one, great example.
It is a short prayer found in the writings of the English minister John Flavel (1627-1691). It sounds like the Eastern Orthodox Jesus Prayer. Yet it calls upon Jesus, whose name means, “God Saves” to be a Savior to His people.
This episode examines John 17:23. It is taken from Christ’s High Priestly prayer on the night before His death. In this verse, we discover something staggering.
The Lord is praying for those who would come to believe in Him. If we are believers, that’s us, now.
He prays that the outside world would perceive that the love which God the Father has for His Son is the same love He has for us.
This episode examines how we seek spiritual comfort in the midst of sleepless nights. It is even reflected in our online searches. Spiritual counsel is given for looking to re-align our worried thoughts with a godly perspective. Psalms 121 and 139 can be of particular comfort. The episode closes with a prayer for those seeking the peace of Christ in dark nights.
This episode contains the reading of a prayer from the eighth century. It is a treasure of our Christian past and gives us insight into the prayer life of our ancestors in the faith.
Exploring the themes of Christ and light as found in the Bible
