Celebrate Reformation Day!

This Sunday we will celebrate Reformation Day.

I can't help but hear an eery quiet....maybe a barn door creaks...as not a soul has anything to say in reponse. "What is Reformation Day?" someone eventually chirps. Well, I can tell you that whether you know what it is or not, my church will be celebrating it out at a layman's property in the wide open spaces. We will have deep fellowship, worship, and all listen to my pastor expound on the rich life of one great reformer John Wycliffe. What a joy to walk in brotherhood with men of like mind; men who have a burning for the glory of God; men who are zealous for His sovereignty. Let me tell you there will be much rejoicing of the heart and exclamations of freedom in His grace, as we gather together over the day that the invisible church rose up against apostasy and demonism.
We celebrate the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenburg Cathedral thereby declairing to all that no longer would the lies of the catholic church be swallowed; no longer would men stand for clergy spitting in the face of Almighty God; no longer...would men and women sit idley by while entire populations of culture were enslaved and bled dry by demonic men who twisted scripture, added to it, and used grace for their filthy schemes.

Do you think that many Christians use grace as a liscense to sin today? Do you know that the Catholic church still operates in this mode with their doctrines of demons such as purgatory, indulgences, praying to the saints, iconic worship, and salvation by grace through faith plus works? Do you see a blurring of lines between what different faiths believe, say, and do? Does it matter to you that so many have crept in to pervert the gospel?
The Bible uses the term "Bride of Christ" to denote His church. You see, many folks speak of how much rampant sin there is in the church today, and how she looks just like the world. I am telling you that is not true. The Bride of Christ is chaste, holy, and waiting for her King. She has her failings, but she is not wayward and she is continuously filling her lamp and trimming her wick. The problem is, what we call the church is not the church at all. The visible church IS in fact sick. The visible church is trying with all its might to emulate the world so that it will be "liked". Guess what, you do not "like" people unto salvation. What is the gospel unto salvation?

The gospel is: Repent of your sins before a just and holy God who is absolutely right to send all to hell and ask Him for forgiveness. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who is your only hope for redemption as the perfect sacrifice for the eternal tresspass of your sin. Follow Christ and learn everything He has commanded so that you may become more like Him

Now, we must come to terms that God absolutely does all that good work in you. You could not repent, ask for forgiveness, believe, follow, or study Him unless He made it so, anymore than you could fly yourself to the moon. We all love to say how much we believe God is sovereign. Oh, but how we backpeddal when that awful, beautiful sovereignty gets applied to our lives. I do not see why anyone would want to worship a God who is not completely in control of everything He has made. A church that promotes a God like that has a name as well...the Whore of Babylon. Many people can make a sound case for the Roman Catholic Church being THE Whore of Babylon. I can assure you she is A whore at the least. Now, today in America everybody and their dog is a Christian with every piece of clothing sporting crosses and fishes. Rampant, man-centered ideologies and false doctrines plague evangelicalism. We call evil good and good evil and refuse to speak the truth to those who blaspheme the true Christ and shred scripture.

Much like the freedoms we have lost in this country, so we have sat with folded hands and droopy eyes as everything the reformers cried and bled for is laid waste around us. It's time to get up O Sons of God and Daughters of Jerusalem!! Let us hear three cheers for the Sovereign Free Grace of the Lord who sustains! His troops are marching on and we take refuge as one 'neath the sheltering walls of our Strong Tower.....It may be said that if you call yourself a Christian you can thank the Reformation that you do not attend mass at your local Catholic parish. Praise God for what He did through the reformers and give thanks in celebration of this momentous day!
Instead of a creeky barn door I can hear the deafening words of Martin Luther as he stood unwavering before the frothing beast of Romanism that demanded he bow and dared him to argue.........
‎"Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me." Martin Luther