A PRAYER FOR OUR NATION
by Dr. Frank Walker
"ALMIGHTY LORD and sovereign ruler of all nations, who dost from thy throne behold all dwellers upon earth and so governeth the kings of the world that they inescapably do thy will; grant us, the American people, not the President we deserve, who hast waged war against thee and thy Son by condoning the reckless murder of unborn children and failing to recognize thy creation of all men as male and female, and in many other ways callest evil good, and good evil; and in all these things increaseth thy just judgment against us. But by thy mercy, grant us the President we need, who, though beset with sin as all men are, nevertheless seeketh to establish laws more in accord with thy holy Word, that righteousness might once again exalt our nation and people.
And if this be not thy will, we beg thee to so control the hearts of our national leaders that they, contrary to their own desires, might obey thy commandments, which alone are good and right. Replenish them with thy grace and Spirit; regenerate them and give them a true sense of their humility before thee. All this we ask knowing that thy purpose in all things is to advance the kingdom of thy dear Son, to whom thou hast given all authority and promised the nations of the world. Hear our prayer, which we now make in the name of the King of all kings, who, with the Father and Spirit, reigneth eternally as one blessed God. Amen."
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THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
“The entrance of Your Word gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.”
—Psalm 119:130
BY NATURE, ALL people walk in darkness (Eph. 2), and “dwell in the land of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4). Wherever the Word of God enters, there is light and life and peace and joy. Where the Word of God does not come, there is darkness, despair, death, and damnation. At the time of the Reformation, it had become very dark. The Word of God was neglected. Commandments of men were substituted for the Word of God, and all kinds of errors, abuses, and corruption prevailed in the Church. But in His mercy, God raised up men (Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, and others) who called the people back to the Word of God, and who preached the doctrines of salvation with boldness, faith, and courage.
ON OCTOBER 31, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses (pronouncements against errors and abuses) on the door of the Castle Church at Wittenberg, Germany. Luther’s students then took the Ninety-Five theses, made copies and distributed them throughout Germany. This was the catalyst that sparked the Protestant Reformation. The main emphasis of the Reformation was to bring the deformed church back to the teaching of Scripture, especially regarding the doctrine of justification. We are justified by grace through faith, as Scripture declares, “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28). “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). The Reformers understood the Bible to be the very Word of God and therefore the Bible alone can instruct us concerning every issue of faith and life. They proclaimed the sovereignty of God, preached the doctrine of justification by grace through a God-wrought faith, and maintained the priesthood of all believers. Believers have no need of a priest, a Bishop, or a Pope, nor of Mary, the mother of Jesus. “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” And we are perfect in Him. It was from this understanding of Scripture that the Reformers set out to reform the church, and from this presupposition the five Latin “Solas” of the Reformation were developed.
SOLA SCRIPTURA: The Bible is the only authority in faith and life. This opposed the Roman Catholic doctrine of church tradition and the authority of the Pope (Matt. 4:4; John 12:48).
SOLA FIDE: We are justified through faith alone, not faith plus works (Eph. 2:8-10).
SOLA GRATIA: We are saved by God's grace alone, not because of anything we have done. Salvation is simply according to God’s good pleasure. (Eph. 1:5, 2:8-9).
SOLA CHRISTO: We are saved by the person and work of Jesus Christ alone; not Christ plus the sacraments or Christ plus good works, but by Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5).
SOLI DEO GLORIA: All things are to be done unto God's glory alone (1 Cor. 10:31).
AS PROTESTANT CHRISTIANS, it’s important to realize that each of these “Solas” is under attack today, and not just in liberal churches, or in the secular world, but these five “Solas” are being undermined even in the “evangelical church.” And if we lose the “Solas” we lose biblical Christianity, because without the “Solas” we lose the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
ONE SLOGAN DURING the Protestant Reformation period was “Post Tenebras Lux.” This Latin phrase means “After Darkness Light”, and it’s inscribed on the 300 ft. long wall behind the monument pictured above. The phrase was taken up by the followers of Luther and Calvin to describe their heartfelt gratitude toward God for the recovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Praise God for raising up faithful men who fearlessly proclaimed the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ despite all the opposition of Satan and wicked men. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH” (Romans 1:16-17).
The Protestant Reformation – Thursday, October 31, 2024
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
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**IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN**
Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, November 3. Therefore, be sure to turn your clocks BACK 1 hour on Saturday night, November 2.
Daylight Saving Time Facts
Most western nations advance the clock ahead one-hour during the summer months. We call this period Daylight Saving Time. Benjamin Franklin originally suggested the idea. He wanted to take advantage of the additional daylight time in the summer when many people were sleeping. The United States did not adopt Daylight Saving Time until World War I, and today every state but Arizona, Hawaii, and part of Indiana observes Daylight Saving Time.
Daylight Saving Time lasts from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October in the United States. It begins one week later in Canada and Mexico, except in Saskatchewan, Canada, which does not observe the period. The nations of the European Union observe Daylight Saving Time, but they call it the summer time period.
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THE SIN OF COMPLAINING, PT. 3
“And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what are we, that you complain against us?" Also Moses said, "This shall be seen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the LORD."
—Exodus 16:7-8
God saved our wretched souls by His grace and imputed all our sins to Christ in exchange for Christ’s righteousness being imputed to us. He provides us with great abundance everyday and has not given us what our sins deserve, yet we murmur and complain when things don’t go our way. Crops are not good enough, we don’t have enough rain, we have too much rain, it’s too cold, it’s too hot, it’s too windy, it’s not windy enough, worship is too long, sermon is too long, prayers are too long, I don’t have this or that, etc. We do the same things we criticize the Israelites for doing. Did you ever think that maybe the Lord withholds rain and abundance because of all the complaining of His people? Complaining is a vile sin so many Christians fail to repent of! The Lord will often give men over to their desires. Psalm 81:11-12, “But My people would not heed My voice, and Israel would have none of Me. So, I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.” Be careful about the sin of complaining. Open your mouth in prayer and praise to beat back the sinful habit of complaining.
—Pastor S. Henry
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"He that rejects the Word of God, rejects God, and with Him, his soul's salvation."
~Pastor Henry Huenemann
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