Pilgrims and Church History

The first recorded Thanksgiving feast in the United States was in 1621 at the village of Plymouth, Massachusetts. In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England. The ship carried 102 passengers; pilgrims in search of religious freedoms, and the possibility of land and financial prosperity in the New World. It's a familiar story.

But did you know that the pilgrims hold an important place in church history? The pilgrims were Calvinists who had separated themselves from the Church of England. They were reformers, holding fast to a copy of the Geneva Bible as they boarded the Mayflower. It was the pilgrims that brought God's Word to American shores and subsequently laid the foundation for what was to become the United States. 

Watch our latest video to learn more!

Drive-by Church History

Just over a year ago the vision God put in the heart of David Parsons to form Truth Remains became reality. The mission is simple; we exist to promote and proclaim God's written Word, thereby stimulating greater devotion to the Incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, in His church. We do that primarily through exposing believers to the history of the English Bible, and teaching about the great sacrifices that were made throughout church history so that we might have access to the Word of God. We believe the church needs to be reminded of her past and called back to the authority and sufficiency of Scripture in all things.

Ken Ham said it well:

"Just as there was a need for the Reformation in the 1500s to call us back to the authority of Scripture alone, today we need a reformation – one that will call the Church back to God’s Word as the absolute authority."

As the Lord allows, we hope to develop and produce more and more resources that effectively bring our rich history to life (watch our 4-part documentary on the history of the English Bible here). But from time to time we also want to share with you select resources from likeminded ministries that we believe are particularly excellent and relevant to our mission. One such resource is Drive-by Church History from Todd Friel at Wretched Radio. Drive-by Church History is essentially a crash course survey of church history, neatly delivered in 47 brief lectures (around 15 min each) on Mp3. It is very well done and exceedingly helpful for believers who desire to learn more about their history and be equipped to defend the faith. Listening to just one lecture a day will give you a basic handle on the history of the church inside a couple of months. That is pretty fantastic. There is even a study guide and curriculum available for those interested in using it for study material.

We commend this resource to you as something that is well worth your time. Sure, a seminary course on church history is going to be much more comprehensive. But for the majority of us who won't have that opportunity, Todd Friel has given us a tool that is very valuable indeed. 

God's Word is the absolute authority. And while we recognize that church history is not authoritative, it is wise to learn from our past. We should frequent the halls of faith. We need to study the insights of the believers God called to live and die in defense of the written and Incarnate Word throughout the centuries. We need to learn from their counsel as we endeavor to live accordingly in these evil days.

As Nathan Busenitz has said:

"When we study church history we are reminded that some truths are worth fighting for (and dying for). We remember that we are part of something bigger than ourselves. And like those who have come before us, we too have a responsibility to faithfully guard the treasure of biblical truth and sound doctrine that has been entrusted to us, being careful to pass it on to those who will follow us."

Amen and amen! May we be faithful stewards of the truth.

 

The Bells of Reformation

In 1536, protestants fled the persecution of the crown and found refuge in Geneva under the ministry of John Calvin. Many of these believers had witnessed friends and family tortured and killed for the sake of the gospel.

As they made their way through the cobblestone streets of Geneva, the bells of Saint Peter's cathedral echoed through the city. It was the sound of freedom. Freedom to sing to the glory of Jesus Christ. Freedom to hear the Word of God preached. Freedom to worship in Truth. Almost 500 years later, those bells still ring today.

"Show us Christ!"

This past week, Truth Remains was hosted by Dr. Steve Lawson and Christ Fellowship Baptist Church in Mobile, AL at the 2013 Expositors' Conference. Our founder, David Parsons, was invited to speak at one of the general sessions. His charge to the pastors who attended was to preach the gospel with courage and carry on in the legacy of William Tyndale and John Rogers.

If you have never heard the incredible story of how God worked through William Tyndale and John Rogers, take the time to listen to this session and be encouraged!

You can find the audio and video from David Parsons' session here.

“Pastor, we are struggling under your cowardly, weak, shallow, pathetic preaching. We do not need our ears tickled. Show us Christ!”

— David Parsons