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About the Book
"Christ the Lord Out of Egypt" by Anne Rice follows the story of a young Jesus as he grapples with his identity and powers after discovering the truth about his divine heritage. Set in Egypt during the time of King Herod's reign, the novel explores Jesus' journey of self-discovery and his realization of his destiny as the Son of God. Through vivid storytelling and historical accuracy, Rice delves into the religious and supernatural elements surrounding Jesus' early life.
Henry Alline
Henry Allineâs early years
He was born and received his early education in Newport, Rhode Island and his family moved to Nova Scotia in 1760, when he was 12 years old. When he was nine he began to read theological works and became somewhat mystical, but after years of soul-searching and spiritual conflict he was powerfully converted in 1775, simultaneously receiving a call to the ministry.
Alone and desperate he prayed untilâŚâredeeming love broke into my soul⌠with such power that my whole soul seemed to be melted down with loveâŚand my will turned of choice after the infinite God. A year later he began to preach.
His preaching career
His preaching career lasted until his death eight years later. He was an itinerant preacher in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island in an ever-widening circuit, beginning what became known as the âNew Lightâ movement and which is still the greatest revival that Canada has ever seen. He preached the new birth powerfully and effectively and his admirers compared him to George Whitefield and John the Baptist.
Considered an emotional and dangerous fanatic by some and a âravager of congregations,â the Congregationalists withdrew his right to preach in their churches, so he spoke in barns, houses and the open air. In all he began eight âNew Lightâ Congregational churches based on his non-Arminian but anti-Calvinist views of free-will and predestination, and his strong rejection of outward religious form.
Ironically, despite his indifference regarding baptism, his major 19th century influence was amongst the Baptists of eastern Canada, many of whom were his converts.
Despite possibly unorthodox views and methods, his ministry was without doubt that of an extraordinary revivalist.
Allineâs sermon style was always simple and extemporary, using a few simple, understandable points to help the unchurched to grasp the simple truths of the gospel. As with other itinerant revivalists, his objective was to lead the hearers to a point of decision â to accept or reject Christ as Saviour and Lord, which opened the door to the ânew birth.â
Doubtless, his sermons were repeated over time, but he was never in one place long enough for his listeners to notice.
Alline also employed the ministry of prayer and of singing, writing many hymns which were helpful in communicating the gospel. A collection was gathered after his death and was reprinted at least four times in the United States, and several were included in the standard hymnals of the 19th century.
walk in his providence - how god opens doors for you
When the master in Jesusâs parable gave talents to his servants and went away, two got busy multiplying their masterâs money, and one hid his talent in the dirt. Something similar can happen when people like us hear about the providence of God. On the one hand, few doctrines have inflamed more holy ambition in the hearts of Godâs people. When some hear that God rules over galaxies and governments, over winds and waves, and over every detail in our little lives (Ephesians 1:11), they get busy doing good. Christians gripped by providence have built hospitals, ended slave trades, founded orphanages, launched reformations, and pierced the darkness of unreached peoples. On the other hand, few doctrines have been used more often to excuse passivity, sloth, and the sovereignty of the status quo. When some hear that God reigns over all, they reach for the remote, kick up their feet, take sin a little less seriously, bury their talents six feet under. They may do good when the opportunity arises, when the schedule allows, but they will rarely search  for good to do. How could the all-pervasive providence of God energize some and paralyze others? How could it cause some to blaze boldly into the unknown, and others to putter on the same tired paths, rarely dreaming, never risking? Waiting for an Open Door When William Carey, the pioneering missionary to India, first proposed the idea of sending Christians to unreached places, an older pastor reportedly protested, âSit down, young man, sit down and be still. When God wants to convert the heathen, he will do it without consulting either you or me.â Such an application of Godâs providence is simplistic, unbiblical, irresponsible â and yet also understandable. Though many of us would never make such a statement, we have our own ways of allowing providence to lull us into passivity. Consider the common language of waiting or praying for âan open door.â The phrase âopen doorâ comes from the apostle Paul (Colossians 4:3â4), yet many of us use the phrase in ways the apostle didnât. Paul prayed for open doors, yes, but then he vigorously turned handles (compare 1 Corinthians 16:8â9 with Acts 19:1â10). Many of us, on the other hand, sit in the hallway of life, waiting until a divine hand should swing a door open and push us through it. Too often, by saying, âThere was no open door,â we mean that there was no obvious, divine orchestration of events that made our path unmistakable. âI didnât share the gospel because no one seemed interested.â âI didnât have that hard conversation because we just never ran into each other.â âI didnât confess that sin because there didnât seem to be a good time.â Providence, if distorted, can excuse us from all manner of uncomfortable duties. When William Carey gazed toward India, he did not see what we might call an open door: fifty million Muslims and Hindus living half a world and two oceans away. Hence the pastorâs response. Yet Carey went anyway, believing that God, in his providence, could make a way where there seemed to be no way. And India is still bearing fruit from his faith. For Such a Time as This Carey found his inspiration, of course, from dozens of men and women in Scripture who ventured forth into discomfort and danger by the power of Godâs providence. Where did Jonathan find the courage to attack an army with only his armor-bearer at his side? Providence: âCome, . . . it may be that the Lord will work for us, for nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by fewâ (1 Samuel 14:6). How did Esther muster the courage to risk the kingâs fury? Providence: âWho knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?â (Esther 4:14). Why did David step toward Goliath with only a sling and five stones? Providence: âThe Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistineâ (1 Samuel 17:37). âGod has planned for some doors to open only as we push them.â Some hear, âGod reigns over all,â and think, âThen what difference could my effort make?â Others, like Jonathan, Esther, and David, heard, âGod reigns over all,â and thought, âThen God can use even my effort, small though it is.â And so, after thinking, weighing, and praying, they went forth â not always sure that God would prosper their plans, but deeply confident that, if he wanted to, no force in heaven or on earth could stop him. In other words, they knew their God ruled in heaven. They saw a need on the earth. And with âYour kingdom comeâ burning through the chambers of their hearts (Matthew 6:10), they dreamed up something new for the sake of his name. Act the Providence of God Perhaps, for some of us, the difficulty lies here: we expect to react to  the providence of God, but not to act  the providence of God. Some of us live as though providence were something only to react to . We wait for a clear, providential open door, and then we react to that providence by walking through the doorway. But as weâve seen, God has planned for some doors to open only as we push them. He has planned for us to act  his providence. Paul gives us the clearest biblical expression of this dynamic in Philippians 2:12â13: âWork out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.â Notice: Our work does not follow  Godâs work. Rather, our work is the simultaneous effect  of Godâs work. Or as John Piper writes, âWhat Paul makes plain here is how fully our own effort is called into action. We do not wait for the miracle; we act the miracleâ ( Providence , 652). Sometimes, to be sure, God is pleased to place some good work right in our lap. Perhaps someone really does ask about the hope that is in us, or the hard conversation we need to have opens easily and naturally. In moments like these, we do indeed react to Godâs providence. But God can be just as active in us when our effort is fully involved: when we invite a neighbor over to study the Bible together, or when we arrange a time and place for the difficult talk. We need not wait for something unmistakably divine, something unquestionably providential, before we work out our salvation in all kinds of obedience. Instead, we need only see some good work to do, entrust ourselves to God through earnest prayer, work hard in conscious dependence on him, and then, once finished, turn around and say with Paul, âIt was not I, but the grace of God that is with meâ (1 Corinthians 15:10). And thus we act  the providence of God. Imagine Good In his providence, God has prepared good works for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10). But many of them will not come as we passively drift beneath Godâs providence. They will come to us, instead, as we strain our renewed minds, bend our born-again imaginations, and fashion possibilities in the factory of our new hearts â knowing that every good resolve is a spark of his providence. âYou are who you are, what you are, where you are, because of the all-pervasive providence of God.â So look around you. Nothing about your life is an accident. You are who you are, what you are, where you are, because of the all-pervasive providence of God. He has given you whatever talents you have, in his wisdom, for such a time as this â so that you would add a stroke to the canvas in front of you, chisel away at the statue you see, speak and act in the drama youâre in, so that this world looks a little more like the work of art God is redeeming it to be. There are neighbors to befriend, children to disciple, churches to plant, crisis-pregnancy centers to serve, and a thousand tasks at our jobs to do with excellence and love. And how will we know if God, in his providence, has opened a door for any of these opportunities? We will pray and turn the handle.