Prayer

"Prayer and praise are the oars by which a man may row his boat into the deep waters f the knowledge of Christ."

Charles Spurgeon

Pastor Trey preached another excellent sermon Sunday night at The Church of Pecan Creek. One of the things I appreciate most about Pastor Trey is his exegesis and expository preaching. Currently, he is teaching us through the book of Ephesians.

He did not break to have a sermon regarding the latest cultural change but covered Ephesians 3:14-21 just as he would have if last week had just been another, uneventful week. Yet, the passage still spoke to our current situation. When a person teaches or preaches the full counsel of God, it will address whatever we are in at the moment.

Verse-by-verse, expository preaching is by far the most affective, efficient, and Biblical form of preaching, in my opinion. As a person preaches, verse-by-verse, you get the entire message, in context. With other forms, such as topical, it is common to have verses ripped out of context and twisted to fit into the topic the preacher has chosen to speak on that week. Also, with verse-by-verse preaching, you may address many topics in one passage rather than just one topic. Now, there is a time and place for topical preaching and, yes, there can be abuses in verse-by-verse preaching, but, on a whole, it is the safest and most beneficial for addressing the whole counsel of God. In addition, I doubt you will ever hear of a verse-by-verse expositor saying they have "run out of things to preach about."

This past weeks sermon touched on many topics but one topic especially resonated with me this week and it may be partly due to having thought about the subject a lot over the last few month. That topic was prayer. Not just that actual act or that we never do it enough, but what we really should be praying.

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-21)

Paul stresses many times in his epistles praying for his and other brothers and sisters in the Faith spiritual health. Many times, in churches today, the prayer list reads like a list of diseases a physician my address. Not that we shouldn't pray for the health of each other, we absolutely should, we are to bare one another's burdens (James 4:14). However, what is so much more important is the persons spiritual health, his sanctification. While we should not neglect the praying for our friends and families health, it is vitally more important to pray that their faith is strengthened. 

The best place to learn how to pray, is the Bible. I have found it most helpful to look at the opening and closing paragraphs of just about any epistle. Here are a few I have found especially instructive recently:

"And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who was qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light." (Colossians 1:9-12)

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23) 

"Finally brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-5) 

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

"I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ." (Philemon 1:4-6) 

"Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:20-21)

"Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul." (3 John 1:2)

We are also instructed to pray for the leaders of our country, state, county, city, church, etc... This may not always be the easiest of tasks but no one ever said the Christian life was the easy life. 

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quite life, godly and dignified in every way." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Here are some quotes by some wonderful men of God. 

"Pray, and let God worry."

Martin Luther

"You are close to people who are far from God -- will you beg God for their soul? Will you give them the gospel?"

Josh Buice

"Fear not because your prayer is stammering, your words feeble, and your language poor. Jesus can understand you."

JC Ryle

"Let us resolve by God's grace that however poor and feeble our prayers may seem to be, we will pray on."

JC Ryle

"Grant, Almighty God...[that we may] learn to elevate our minds higher, and so make continual advances in your spiritual service."

John Calvin

If you have the desire to read some of the most beautiful prayers written outside of the Bible, I would highly recommend purchasing"The Valley of Vision." It is a collection of Puritan prayers that will humble you and teach you how to separate yourself from our physical desires and seek God's will for our spiritual sanctification. Anthony and I try to read one prayer before bed each night. We fail more than we succeed but it is always a humbling and encouraging experience when we do. Here is one prayer, the prayer in which the book received it's name:

The Valley of Vision

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, 

Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, 

     where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights; 

     hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold they glory. 

Let me learn by paradox 

     that the way down is the way up, 

     that to be low is to be high, 

     that the broken heart is the healed heart, 

     that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, 

     that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, 

     that to have nothing is to possess all, 

     that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, 

     that to give is to receive, 

     that the valley is the place of vision. 

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, 

     and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; 

Let me find Thy light in my darkness, 

     Thy life in my death, 

     Thy joy in my sorrow, 

     Thy grace in my sin, 

     Thy riches in my poverty, 

     Thy glory in my valley."

Slow Leak

A few weeks ago, I had printed off some recipes and had separated them into categories on the carpet in our living room. The next day, I picked them up and noticed they felt like they had been in a damp environment. Not wet, just kind of soft feeling. I felt the carpet where they had been sitting & it felt damp. I moved a book case and the carpet under it was soaked and mold had starting growing. I knew instantly we had a big problem. 

We called a plumber who had to cut into our wall to find the leak. He originally thought it was a leak in the slab which would have been very expensive to fix. Luckily, the leak was higher up and he was able to fix it. It was still pretty expensive but better than he originally thought. He said we had a fairly decent amount of water damage and suggested we call a water restoration company. Thankfully, God was protecting us once again and the man from the company told us "I am not in the business of robbing people. My fees start at $800 and you don't have $800 worth of damage here." He then instructed us how to clean up the mess ourselves.

We ended up having to purchase a new book shelf, patch the wall, and we will have to replace a section of the carpet pad and shampoo the carpet when we are done with everything. All in all, a little hole in a small pipe that has been slowly dripping for at least a year is going to end up costing us quite a bit of money and effort that we would have preferred spending in other ways.

That concept had me thinking today. Here we have a house, with lots of pipes, wires, wood, brick, concrete, etc and our whole life was turned upside down for a tiny little hole in one small pipe. This small, drip over the span of at least a year, ended up causing so much damage. 

I've been relistening to the Strange Fire Conference hosted by Grace Community Church in California in 2013. This conference addressed some of the false teachings that have slipped into the church, have been tolerated, accepted, and finally practiced by much of the church today. It had me thinking about how a small leak of bad theology has grown into a full movement and has infiltrated most of what claims to be "Christianity."

Galatians 5:9 says, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." A little false teaching can bring down an entire church and even a whole denomination and eventually taint the reputation of the universal church to where what most "Christians" claim to be the Gospel is actually no gospel at all. 

Justin Peters says that many false teachers today do teach quite a bit of truth, but there is just enough false teaching that it becomes deadly. He compares it to putting a tiny drop of strychnine in a glass of water. The contents of the glass may be 99% healthy, beneficial water but that tiny fraction of poison will kill whoever drinks from it. 

We must address false teachings when we hear them. Even if they don't seem like a big deal or like something most Christians would fall for. We cannot let even one small drip, one small grain of yeast to exist in the church. We must root it all out. 

The best way to do this is to not neglect daily reading the Word of God.

This was part of Jesus' prayer to the Father for all those whom would become Children of God:

"I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate Myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." (John 17:14-19)

This leak also got me to thinking of the Christian life. How much "damage" can a small leak of good theology, of Truth, do to the enemy, to the false religions of the world. The small, constant, dripping of one voice can begin to eat away at a big conglomeration. A small leak is typically silent and can go on unnoticed for a long time, it usually isn't noticed until substantial damage has taken place.

Yes, the loud voices, "the burst main lines," are needed in the church today. Those who make dramatic differences in the world today. Missionaries, preachers, debaters, authors, speakers, etc. But it is the sheep within the church, the ordinary man, the layman, the "silent slow leak" that really causes a whole change in trajectory of a group, church, city, state, country, world. 

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 says we should "aspire to live quietly" in order that we will "walk properly before outsiders." Teaching a correct view of God and worldview leads to people being saved and equipping them to go out and do the same. A group of a thousand protesters usually does little than just upset those who are on the other side of whatever movement the protesters are upset about. I'm not saying their isn't a place for protesting but much more is done by the changing of the worldview of the masses. 

We must pray for our leaders, political and spiritual. We must pray for each other as well. Not merely prayers of addressing felt needs (health, family, finances, etc) but prayers for wisdom, discernment, to be protected from falling into sin, to remain faithful to God, and, above all else, to bring glory to God's name. 

If you need help knowing what and how to pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ, check out the openings and closings of the epistles. These are letters from the Apostles to the churches. They often open with how they thank God for them in certain ways and then close telling the church how they will pray for them in specific ways and then tell the church how they can pray for writers in specific ways.

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." (Philippines 1:3-5)

"We always thank God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you," (Colossians 1:3)

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

"We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing." (2 Thessalonians 1:3)

"Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one...May the Lord direct your heads to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3, 5)

"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all." (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

We must also pray for a real revival in the church, not a manufactured, emotional high type revive, but a true drawing close to God.

"We cannot organize revival, but we can set ourselves to catch the wind of heaven." ~ G Campbell Morgan

"We must set our hearts to treasure the God who describes Himself in Scripture, never again be satisfied with His absence. It is His name which is at stake. It is also our everlasting joy to have Him near." ~ John Snyder (Behold Your God, p. 263)

"Regardless of the spiritual and moral decline, it is never so dark that God, the Eternal Light, cannot expel the darkness." ~ John Snyder (Behold Your God, p. 262)

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you." (James 4:7-10)

April 2015

March wasn't super eventful. However, it was a month of personal realizations. Most of what went on in March is personal and not really something to put out for the world to read...and be bored with. It isn't anything serious or world rocking, just normal life things.

For example, both of our birthdays are in April, so like a lot of people, the last month of the year, you seem to reassess where you have been and where you are going. It seems that the whole world usually does this in December with January being the "month that I change my life." However, for me, that has always come in the March/April transition. It seems like most of my big life changes have occurred in March/early April. When I lost a lot of weight several years ago, I started in March/April; I quit my job and became a stay-at-home/work-at-home/small business owner in March last year; I got married in March. So, this year wasn't much different. It is just a look at where I am, where I want to be, where I'm afraid I may end up. It is turning my fears over to God and praying about what I need to do next. Most of that is just a very personal journey that my be very impactful for me but probably really boring to the world. ;)

The best thing about March was that Anthony and I celebrated our third anniversary. I cannot believe it has been three years. It feels like we just got married a few weeks ago but at the same time, I feel like we have always been together. We were told so many times before we got married that marriage is hard and especially the first few years, getting use to living with each other. I fully expected that to happen but it didn't. We have had a few bumps such as me being stressed about work and crying a lot and him having to comfort me; Anthony learning I get a little crazy from time to time, especially in the kitchen when I mess something up and him learning to calm me down; learning how to share a queen size bed. However, nothing really that I would call "hard." I've done hard things and the first three years of our marriage has not been one of them. In fact, I really can't think of anything I've done in my life that has been easier than marrying Anthony. We may have had a few struggles like having issues with getting pregnant, but it isn't as difficult when you are doing it with your best friend. Our burdens aren't as heavy when two people are carrying them together. 

Our marriage and relationship is a testimony to the work of God in our lives. I was thirty when I met Anthony, he was twenty-eight. We both thought God had forgotten about us. I had heard people say that God was preparing my future husband for me. So, I use to pray, "Lord, hurry up & finish fixing him so we can get on with this!" Little did I know that He was working on both of us. There are things that if I had met Anthony even three months earlier, I may not have been as interested in him. And, he tells me that if he had met me earlier, he was in no place emotionally to be starting a serious relationship. 

God is truly YHWH-Yireh, Jehovah-Jireh, "The LORD Will Provide." He does provide, and He does so in His own, perfect timing. I look back now on my life and wouldn't have changed a thing. We also know that if He ever sees fit to bless us with children, it will be in His perfect timing and in His perfect way. 

It is half-way through April now and it has been a busy month and it doesn't look like it is going to let up for a while, but I'll write about that more next month. ;) 

March 2015

Well, February wasn't that busy. The last weekend, I went to a conference with my friend Tara. It is called The Art of Homemaking and is presented by the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth. We had a great time. Next year, I hope to get a fairly decent size group to go. I have been to several very bad women's retreats, so I wanted to check this one out before inviting a bunch of people. I wouldn't say it was the best conference I've ever been to but it was the best women's conference I've ever been to. I dream of hosting a women's conference one of these days & I would do a lot of things differently but this one is still one I would highly recommend. Next year it will be in the fall, so we have to wait almost 18 months for the next one but it will be worth it. :)

On Valentine Day, Anthony got up early and made me breakfast in bed. It was so wonderful. Red roses, heart shaped biscuits, man, I am one blessed woman!

I said in my last two posts that I was going to talk about my goals for 2015. I am going to be really general because I have a very, very long list that speaks of the specifics of each goal so there is no need to address that here. So, here I go.

I have categorized all of my goals into nine main groups: spiritual, physical, mental/educational, entertainment, emotional, family, social, home, and work. Because I'm a little bit crazy when it comes to making lists and outlines and organizing (despite my home not exactly evidencing that), I have subcategories & subsubcategories. Hehe. So, I'll only share a few of them with you and tell you how I'm doing on them so far, being that we are almost 1/4 of the way into 2015. :)

I. Spiritual

     A. Prayer

          1. Prayer journal - I am no where near consistent in setting aside time to pray. However, when I write my prayers out, I can concentrate better. I have also seen how my prayers often start out me-centered but end more God-centered. My husband and my mother-in-law both got me journals for Christmas that I am using as my prayer journal.

          2. Read a prayer from Valley of Vision each night together before we go to bed - I was doing this for a little while and then I stopped. I need to get back into this again. 

     B. Bible reading

          1. BSF - I am almost through my first BSF session. I'm looking forward to studying Revelation. I have different thoughts on eschatology than I did even four years ago so I'll be interested in seeing how they deal with the different viewpoints and it will be good for me to read through Revelation slowly now that my presuppositions have altered somewhat.

          2. Daily Bible reading with Anthony - We have been doing this since we got married. We miss days/weeks every so often but it is a definitely a habit we want to always be a part of our marriage.

          3. Behold Your God study - I am almost finished going through this with my friends. Wow! What an amazing study! It will reprogram your mind to think of God differently, more Biblically. It is by far the best book study I have ever participated in.

          4. Keep a list of what God says about Himself - This was an idea I got from one of the pastors interviewed in the Behold Your God study. 

          5. After reading a passage, always ask, "What does this passage tell me about God?" - The Bible is not all about me, I need to remember that. Asking this question will help me to remember who the Bible really is about.

          6. Practice homiletics - No, I don't want to preach. However, I did take a one hour BSF seminar on homiletics and I can see how it really helps you in studying a passage. I haven't practiced this much but I really want to work on it this year. Plus, I one day want to write Bible studies for women and this will help me practice in doing that.

     C. Scripture memory - I've posted a verse to memorize by our door but I really don't see it that often so I think I'm going to put the same verse in our bathrooms as well so we see it more often. ;)

     D. Church

          1. Get involved - I have joined the audio visual team and Anthony is the hospitality person for our new church, The Church at Pecan Creek. What is great is that we can actually help each other out. Anthony is so gifted at understanding technology and has been helping me & the whole team get some things set up. The other night he was sick so I and another friend of ours took care of the hospitality stuff. I will say that this audio visual stuff is daunting but I'm learning a lot. We have the ability to control both the projector and the sound system from our iPads, allowing us to sit in the audience rather than in a sound booth. 

               a. Audio Visual team

               b. Hospitality

               c. Women's ministry - I want to get a women's ministry going eventually at our new church. We aren't quite there yet but I definitely want to be involved with it.

II. Physical

     A. Exercise

          1. Wii Fit - I got a Wii Fit for Christmas and I love it. I need to be more consistent about doing 20-30 mins every morning, which means I need to get up earlier (another goal further on).

          2. Work up to 10,000 steps a day - I got a pedometer that connects to the Wii Fit so I'm keeping track of this. I didn't realize how sedentary I really am. Very depressing. The other day I walked almost three miles and still didn't even get close to 10,000 steps. I never realized how much walking that actually means. :)

          3. Thirty min move after every meal - Last week I came up with the idea to try to take a 30 min exercise of some sort (gardening, walking, wii) after every meal. I haven't done this yet but I think it is doable and healthy.

     B. Food

          1. Monthly menues - I've been consistent with this for a year; I just want to keep doing so and hopefully be better at sticking to it this year. :)

          2. Try more healthy recipes - I've researched a few new recipes I want to try including cooking with spring rolls, quinoa, and cauliflower, all things I've never experimented or even tasted. 

          3. Keep a food journal - I'm a member of SparkPeople and keep up with my nutrition through their app. I just started back at this last week and I've been pretty good at keeping up with it, with a few meals missed.

          4. Water - I am an avid water drinker however, over the last couple of years, I've gotten into a bad habit of not drinking as much as I use to. I need to be better at getting my water in each day.

     C. Checkups - working on these

III. Mental/Educational

     A. Reading

          1. Read 10 books this year (not including the Bible) - I am currently reading two books. So, I'm already behind but as long as I'm consistently working toward this goal, I'm happy.

              a. Women's Ministry in the Local Church by Ligon Duncan & Susan Hunt - I'm 65% (according to the Kindle app) of the way done with this and I can say it is a wonderful book. I highly recommend it to all women and all leaders (including the men) in a church to read this book.

              b. Everyone's A Theologian by RC Sproul - I'm only a couple of chapters in but this book is so great. It is an intro to systematic theology and is a book that every Christian should read.

               c. 

     B. Sewing - I haven't done these yet.

          1. Learn to make a skirt

          2. Learn to make PJ pants with pockets for Anthony

          3. Learn to make toys

          4. Learn to make window treatments (cornice, drapes)

IV. Entertainment

     A. TV time

          1. Limit TV time to two hours a day (except when sick and doing laundry) - We are actually pretty good at doing this right now. Many nights we don't even turn on the TV. The problem is that when we do, it is very difficult to turn it off.

     B. iPhone/iPad games 

          1. Delete the time wasting games - Done. I had some games on my iPad that I realized one day I was spending hours on and wasting much of my day. They are now gone. I feel so free now; I didn't realize what a slave I had become to them. I still have a couple of games that only take a min to make a move before waiting for the next person to move so those don't suck my time away. I also still have Sudoku but I usually only play that while watching TV.

V. Emotional

     A. Time management

          1. Get up by 6 am - I am so not good at this. I have got to get better at this. If this is the only thing I get in the habit of doing this year, I will cut it a good year. :)

          2. Create and stick to a daily schedule - I have done this several times but I finally think I have created one that works for me. I have been pretty consistent at sticking to it as well...at least most of it...still need to work on getting that exercise in as one of the first things in the morning...hence needing to get up at 6 am. 

          3. Prep dinner in the morning - When I don't do this, I can sometimes dread having to stop what I'm doing to spend the next two or more hours cooking & then cleaning up from cooking. When I get most of the prep work done in the morning, I know if I need anything in time to go to the store, I can know the meat is thawed/marinated, and I usually end up saving myself a lot of frustration and time. Another reason for needing to be out of bed by 6 am.

VI. Family

     A. Family archival - I'm still working on this. I was really consistent of doing this for a while but there was a few weeks that I couldn't and just never got back in the habit. I cleaned off my desk on Sunday so that I would have room to get back at this again.

VII. Social

     A. Game group - We want to create a gaming group that meets fairly consistently. Right now there are four of us but we would like to invite a few other people to join in with us. We are working on this one. :)

     B. Have people over at least once a month - We do this fairly often already but I want to start inviting people who we don't have over that often.

VIII. Home

     A. Major projects

          1. New garage door opener - done

          2. New roof & gutters - I need to call the insurance company to see if they can come take a look at the roof.

     B. Minor projects

          1. New tires - done

          2. Fix door panels - done

          3. Fix fence - not done yet...the weather & our busy weekends had been impeding this. 

IX. Work

     A. Kapp's Kitchen

          1. Make one batch of cookies a day - I'm not doing this consistently yet.

          2. Work the Denton County Community Market - We are trying to get our application in for this but we have a question that hasn't been answered yet, so we are kind of in limbo at this point.

     B. A Narrow-Minded Woman

          1. Research/write 1-2 hrs a day - I am not consistent in this, yet.

          2. Publicly publish the site - Not quite ready yet. I have all the pages up and ready but I want to get at least 10 articles written before I start posting.

          3. Post 2-3 articles a week

     C. COO of the Kapp Family

          1. Create a home management binder - I have created several printables and I am working on more. I have been enjoying a few of the ones I have created so far. One of these days I may put them online for purchase. 

          2. Organize & clean office - I cleaned part of my desk off on Sunday, does that count? ;) Granted, much of this is directly proportional to how far along in the family archiving I am. 

So that is part of what I'm working on this year. Ha. Like I said, I like making lists. It makes me feel calmer and less overwhelmed. Some of these are already complete, some are just habits I want to maintain, others may take many years or a lifetime to complete, and it is highly likely I'll add more to this list as the year goes along. There are a few other things that I didn't list either because they were a little more private or I just didn't want this list to get crazy. Ha. Fail there. ;)

Reformation Day

Today is a very important day in history. Possibly the most important day in in the last 500 years.  

On this day, 497 years ago, in the town of Wittenberg, Germany, a German monk, Martin Luther, nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church. 

Now, most people picture this angry man stomping up to the church door, pulling out a railroad spike, & nailing his letter to the door using a giant mallet. This couldn’t be further from the truth. At this time, it was customary to post writings on the door of the church almost like we would to a bulletin board these days. Using a nail was the method of doing so. I’m sure the local door maker loved this custom…maybe he even started the tradition. 

Martin Luther was a teacher at the university. He had been teaching through Paul’s letter to the Romans when God saved him. He wrote of his salvation: 

My situation was that, although an impeccable monk, I stood before God as a sinner troubled in conscience, and I had no confidence that my merit would assuage him. Night and day I pondered until I saw the connection between the justice of God and the statement 'the just shall live by faith.' Then I grasped that the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy God justifies us through faith. Thereupon I felt myself to be reborn and to have gone through open doors into paradise. The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning...This passage of Paul became to me a gate to heaven.

I love that testimony so much. It is very similar to mine, as well, especially the “The whole of Scripture took on a new meaning.”

As Luther continued teaching through Romans, he began to see the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. He wrote his Ninety-Five Theses in a response to the errors that he saw in the Catholic church and theology. He nailed one copy to the door of the church, sent another copy to the archbishop Albert of Mainz and Magdeburg, and sent a third copy to the bishop of Brandenburg (his superior). He wasn’t intending to be disrespectful or challenge the church. His intention was to invite the scholars of the day to debate these ninety-five issues. 

None of what Luther believed was new. However, this particular paper really set fire to people. Martin Luther was condemned by the Pope and he and his followers were viewed as criminals deserving death by the Roman Catholic Church. 

In one of the most loved scenes of Luther’s life, he is brought to Worms, Germany to stand before an assembly of the Holy Roman Empire and either renounce or reaffirm his work. This is referred to as The Diet of Worms. I know it sounds hilarious, however it is pronounced “Deet of Vorms.” A diet is a council.

Johann von Eck asked Luther if the 25 writings Eck had presented were his and if he was ready to renounce them as heresies. At this point, movies have shown a confident Luther boom in a loud voice his reaffirmation of all he had written. However, that is Hollywood and no where near the truth. Luther’s response to Eck was to ask to consider the question over night. Luther no long resembles the brave hero but more like me…scared, intimidated, unsure if what I am doing it the right thing. 

That night, Luther prays. He had been promised safety but is not sure if that promise will be honored. He doesn’t know if he will be executed, imprisoned, or allowed to return home safely. His prayer that night is one of the most honest and beautiful prayers I have ever read outside of the Bible.

O God, Almighty God everlasting! how dreadful is the world! behold how its mouth opens to swallow me up, and how small is my faith in Thee! . . . Oh! the weakness of the flesh, and the power of Satan! If I am to depend upon any strength of this world - all is over . . . The knell is struck . . . Sentence is gone forth . . . O God! O God! O thou, my God! help me against the wisdom of this world. Do this, I beseech thee; thou shouldst do this . . . by thy own mighty power . . . The work is not mine, but Thine. I have no business here . . . I have nothing to contend for with these great men of the world! I would gladly pass my days in happiness and peace. But the cause is Thine . . . And it is righteous and everlasting! O Lord! help me! O faithful and unchangeable God! I lean not upon man. It were vain! Whatever is of man is totering, whatever proceeds from him must fail. My God! my God! dost thou not hear? My God! art thou no longer living? Nay, thou canst not die. Thou dost but hide Thyself. Thou hast chosen me for this work. I know it! . . . Therefore, O God, accomplish thine own will! Forsake me not, for the sake of thy well- beloved Son, Jesus Christ, my defence, my buckler, and my stronghold. Lord - where art thou? . . . My God, where art thou? . . . Come! I pray thee, I am ready . . . Behold me prepared to lay down my life for thy truth . . . suffering like a lamb. For the cause is holy. It is thine own! . . . I will not let thee go! no, nor yet for all eternity! And though the world should be thronged with devils - and this body, which is the work of thine hands, should be cast forth, trodden under foot, cut in pieces, . . . consumed to ashes, my soul is thine. Yes, I have thine own word to assure me of it. My soul belongs to thee, and will abide with thee forever! Amen! O God send help! . . . Amen!

The next day, Luther was brought back to the assembly and, once again, asked to renounce his writings. Luther did respond and his speech is still talked about today and used as a battle cry of Christians being demanded to bow before man rather than God.

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand, I can do no other. May God help me. Amen.

While the council were deliberating what to do with Luther, he fled. The Edict of Worms read:

For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favour the said Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, whereupon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against the said Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work.

People were also banned from reading or owning any of his writings. Many people were executed, including being burned at the stake, for supporting Luther.

So what is the big deal with these ninety-five concerns? What are they exactly? 

Luther’s biggest concern with the Catholic Church was the selling of indulgences. An indulgence is where you can pay the Roman Catholic Church an amount of money to have your time in Purgatory lessened. Purgatory is a fictional place the Catholic Church teaches a Christian will go to burn off sins until they are purified enough to enter Heaven. During Luther’s time, the Pope sent Johann Tetzel to sell indulgences in order to raise money to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Tetzel is attributed with the creation of the slogan of indulgences, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.” Thus, the topic of selling indulgences is the main focus of Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses.

Most Protestants have never read Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses. They are essentially the Protestant birth certificate and I encourage you to read them. Some of the topics Luther references have long been rejected by Protestants (the papacy, Purgatory, indulgences, etc.) but are still important to know in the understanding of our history. 

You can read all ninety-five here but here are a few:

#5 The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law.

#8 The penitential canons apply only to men who are still alive, and, according to the canons themselves, none applies to the dead.

#10 It is a wrongful act, due to ignorance, when priests retain the canonical penalties on the dead in purgatory.

#13 Death puts an end to all the claims of the Church; even the dying are already dead to the canon laws, and are no longer bound by them.

#21 Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences.

#22 Indeed, he cannot remit to souls in purgatory any penalty which canon law declares should be suffered in the present life.

#27 There is no divine authority for preaching that the soul flies out of the purgatory immediately the money clinks in the bottom of the chest.

#32 All those who believe themselves certain of their own salvation by means of letters of indulgence, will be eternally damned, together with their teachers.

#36 Any Christian whatsoever, who is truly repentant, enjoys plenary remission from penalty and guilt, and this is given him without letters of indulgence.

#40 A truly contrite sinner seeks out, and loves to pay, the penalties of his sins; whereas the very multitude of indulgences dulls men's consciences, and tends to make them hate the penalties.

#43 Christians should be taught that one who gives to the poor, or lends to the needy, does a better action than if he purchases indulgences.

#44 Because, by works of love, love grows and a man becomes a better man; whereas, by indulgences, he does not become a better man, but only escapes certain penalties.

#45 Christians should be taught that he who sees a needy person, but passes him by although he gives money for indulgences, gains no benefit from the pope's pardon, but only incurs the wrath of God.

#62 The true treasure of the church is the Holy gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

#68 Nevertheless, they are not to be compared with the grace of God and the compassion shown in the Cross.

#72 On the other hand, let him be blessed who is on his guard against the wantonness and license of the pardon-merchant's words.

#76 We assert the contrary, and say that the pope's pardons are not able to remove the least venial of sins as far as their guilt is concerned.

#79 It is blasphemy to say that the insignia of the cross with the papal arms are of equal value to the cross on which Christ died.

#82 They ask, e.g.: Why does not the pope liberate everyone from purgatory for the sake of love (a most holy thing) and because of the supreme necessity of their souls? This would be morally the best of all reasons. Meanwhile he redeems innumerable souls for money, a most perishable thing, with which to build St. Peter's church, a very minor purpose.

#86 Again: since the pope's income to-day is larger than that of the wealthiest of wealthy men, why does he not build this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of indigent believers?

#90 These questions are serious matters of conscience to the laity. To suppress them by force alone, and not to refute them by giving reasons, is to expose the church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christian people unhappy.

#94 Christians should be exhorted to be zealous to follow Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hells.

#95 And let them thus be more confident of entering heaven through many tribulations rather than through a false assurance of peace.

In closing, I hope you remember Martin Luther's work and his humility when you sing the song he penned, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.