The following are five vignettes originally posted in 2009 from a book referenced at the end of the following post. Following these vignettes are five of my own.
If you have followed these posts for any amount of time you may be tired of this anecdote; Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew for certain that the Lord Jesus was to return the very next day. Luther's answer was "I'd plant a tree." It would be irresponsible to our families not to plan for the future and it would be irresponsible as citizens not to pray for wisdom and discernment...and strength....in at least attempting to elect wise and honorable leaders but there is also reality to face.
Our nation and society are utterly collapsing. Surely...surely even conservatives who are pumped up over a President Donald Trump are once again becoming unnerved at how despotically corrupt this former administration was and is in its what is being referred to as 'Deep State' revolutionary mode. Please pay particular attention to Hugh Latimer's comment on what England's "well-being" depended, that is if you read that far. I wrote in 2014 as a preface to the following post..."It is the height of absurdity for us look to this year's elections or next year's presidential election as if they hold the key to our survival. It's beyond presumption to think that we can stop our fall or even defend ourselves against our enemies without national repentance and God's mercy upon us. But we, as a general consensus anyway, no longer attribute our existence to Him.
Difficult days are ahead and that is even with God's mercy. Yes, plant that tree...make those plans.... always adding "should the Lord will it," but be prepared also for God's judgement upon our nation for we have gone beyond tempting Him to punish us....to goading Him and mocking the mere mention of His righteous judgement upon a nation.
These vignettes occurred only a few short years before two calamities devastated London. The first was in 1665 when an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague killed 15% of England's population. The second disaster occurred a year later in the Great Fire of London that destroyed four-fifths of the city but had a purifying effect in the disease ridden neighborhoods.
Of No Worldly Tyrant Be Thou Dread........2009
John Hooper was a bishop in the Anglican church during the reign of Henry VIII and the glorious reign of Edward VI. He lived through the beginnings of the English Reformation and struggled, preaching often three and four times a day, against the forces that worked against the Gospel. He was burned at the stake for his faithfulness in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary. He is attributed with writing this poetry with a piece of coal on the wall of his jail cell:
Content thyself with patience
With Christ to bear the cross of pain;
Who can or will recompense
a thousand-fold, with joys again.
Let nothing cause thy heart to fail:
Launch out thy boat, hoist up thy sail,
Put from the shore;
And be thou sure thou shall remain
For evermore.........
Do not despair;
Of no worldly tyrant be thou dread;
Thy compass, which is God's Word, shall thee lead,
And the wind is fair.
Rowland Taylor was a pastor during the same period and was called to account as a villain for preaching the Gospel. When friends advised him not to report his response was: What will ye have me do? I am now old, and have already lived too long, to see these terrible and most wicked days. Fly you, and do as your conscience leadeth you. I am fully determined, with God's grace, to go to the Bishop, and to tell him, to his beard, that he doth naught. God shall hereafter raise up teachers of His people, which shall, with much more diligence and fruit, teach them than I have done. For God will not forsake His church, though now for a time He trieth and correcteth us, and not without just cause. Rowland Taylor was also burned at the stake.
Bishop Hugh Latimer wrote: My wish is, that men may write on their hearts that the well-being of England depends not on commerce, or clever politicians, or steam, or armies, or navies, or gold, or iron, or coal, or corn, but on the maintenance of the principles of the English Reformation. Before being burned at the stake he turned to another martyr and famously said: Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.
In 1552 John Bradford wrote of his time period as similar to that of Noah and often forewarned the people of the plagues which would be brought to pass. He also was martyred and wrote: When I consider the cause of my condemnation, I cannot but lament that I do no more rejoice than I do, for it is God's verity and truth.
Nickolas Ridley was a chaplain to Henry VIII and later the Bishop of London and also ran afoul of Queen Mary for preaching the Gospel. In a farewell letter to prisoners he wrote: Farewell, dear brethren, farewell! And let us comfort our hearts in all troubles, and in death, with the Word of God: for heaven and earth shall perish, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever.
I wrote this post as encouragement to myself as well as anyone else! In order to secure our blessings today we must know what transpired in the past, and we ignore the sacrifices of others to our own peril. How trivial are the entertainments of today when compared to the sacrifices and most of all the faithfulness of those who came before us.
Referenced: Five English Reformers......19th century Anglican Preacher in England J. C. Ryle. Available at www.cvbbs.com
Addendum:
Pastor John Doe lived through the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and now is in the glorious administration of Donald Trump. He is known for his personal prayer ministry with this as his ministry plea.....
'As soon as the 'contribute now' button pings....the iPhone in your pocket rings.'
Pastor Wanabee lived through the same period and was called to be a guest of the lady's on The View. Being advised against appearing he said..."What will you have me do....I'm 55 years old and this is my last chance at a major television ministry.?
Pastor Shirley wrote...My wish is, that men may write on their hearts that the well-being of America depends on the stock market, and Republican politicians, Facebook, gold, silver...and on the maintenance of the principles of the Reagan revolution.
If you have followed these posts for any amount of time you may be tired of this anecdote; Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew for certain that the Lord Jesus was to return the very next day. Luther's answer was "I'd plant a tree." It would be irresponsible to our families not to plan for the future and it would be irresponsible as citizens not to pray for wisdom and discernment...and strength....in at least attempting to elect wise and honorable leaders but there is also reality to face.
Our nation and society are utterly collapsing. Surely...surely even conservatives who are pumped up over a President Donald Trump are once again becoming unnerved at how despotically corrupt this former administration was and is in its what is being referred to as 'Deep State' revolutionary mode. Please pay particular attention to Hugh Latimer's comment on what England's "well-being" depended, that is if you read that far. I wrote in 2014 as a preface to the following post..."It is the height of absurdity for us look to this year's elections or next year's presidential election as if they hold the key to our survival. It's beyond presumption to think that we can stop our fall or even defend ourselves against our enemies without national repentance and God's mercy upon us. But we, as a general consensus anyway, no longer attribute our existence to Him.
Difficult days are ahead and that is even with God's mercy. Yes, plant that tree...make those plans.... always adding "should the Lord will it," but be prepared also for God's judgement upon our nation for we have gone beyond tempting Him to punish us....to goading Him and mocking the mere mention of His righteous judgement upon a nation.
These vignettes occurred only a few short years before two calamities devastated London. The first was in 1665 when an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague killed 15% of England's population. The second disaster occurred a year later in the Great Fire of London that destroyed four-fifths of the city but had a purifying effect in the disease ridden neighborhoods.
Of No Worldly Tyrant Be Thou Dread........2009
John Hooper was a bishop in the Anglican church during the reign of Henry VIII and the glorious reign of Edward VI. He lived through the beginnings of the English Reformation and struggled, preaching often three and four times a day, against the forces that worked against the Gospel. He was burned at the stake for his faithfulness in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary. He is attributed with writing this poetry with a piece of coal on the wall of his jail cell:
Content thyself with patience
With Christ to bear the cross of pain;
Who can or will recompense
a thousand-fold, with joys again.
Let nothing cause thy heart to fail:
Launch out thy boat, hoist up thy sail,
Put from the shore;
And be thou sure thou shall remain
For evermore.........
Do not despair;
Of no worldly tyrant be thou dread;
Thy compass, which is God's Word, shall thee lead,
And the wind is fair.
Rowland Taylor was a pastor during the same period and was called to account as a villain for preaching the Gospel. When friends advised him not to report his response was: What will ye have me do? I am now old, and have already lived too long, to see these terrible and most wicked days. Fly you, and do as your conscience leadeth you. I am fully determined, with God's grace, to go to the Bishop, and to tell him, to his beard, that he doth naught. God shall hereafter raise up teachers of His people, which shall, with much more diligence and fruit, teach them than I have done. For God will not forsake His church, though now for a time He trieth and correcteth us, and not without just cause. Rowland Taylor was also burned at the stake.
Bishop Hugh Latimer wrote: My wish is, that men may write on their hearts that the well-being of England depends not on commerce, or clever politicians, or steam, or armies, or navies, or gold, or iron, or coal, or corn, but on the maintenance of the principles of the English Reformation. Before being burned at the stake he turned to another martyr and famously said: Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.
In 1552 John Bradford wrote of his time period as similar to that of Noah and often forewarned the people of the plagues which would be brought to pass. He also was martyred and wrote: When I consider the cause of my condemnation, I cannot but lament that I do no more rejoice than I do, for it is God's verity and truth.
Nickolas Ridley was a chaplain to Henry VIII and later the Bishop of London and also ran afoul of Queen Mary for preaching the Gospel. In a farewell letter to prisoners he wrote: Farewell, dear brethren, farewell! And let us comfort our hearts in all troubles, and in death, with the Word of God: for heaven and earth shall perish, but the Word of the Lord endureth forever.
I wrote this post as encouragement to myself as well as anyone else! In order to secure our blessings today we must know what transpired in the past, and we ignore the sacrifices of others to our own peril. How trivial are the entertainments of today when compared to the sacrifices and most of all the faithfulness of those who came before us.
Referenced: Five English Reformers......19th century Anglican Preacher in England J. C. Ryle. Available at www.cvbbs.com
Addendum:
Pastor John Doe lived through the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations and now is in the glorious administration of Donald Trump. He is known for his personal prayer ministry with this as his ministry plea.....
'As soon as the 'contribute now' button pings....the iPhone in your pocket rings.'
Pastor Wanabee lived through the same period and was called to be a guest of the lady's on The View. Being advised against appearing he said..."What will you have me do....I'm 55 years old and this is my last chance at a major television ministry.?
Pastor Shirley wrote...My wish is, that men may write on their hearts that the well-being of America depends on the stock market, and Republican politicians, Facebook, gold, silver...and on the maintenance of the principles of the Reagan revolution.
Pastor Ripley of the Believe It Or Not Church was the chaplain to the United States Congress but ran afoul of Stephen K. Bannon and wrote upon his departure...."Farewell Congressman Ryan...trouble not your heart... Obamacare may be over but Ryancare will go on forever.
And then there is the Reverend Billy Graham who was roundly scoffed at for forewarning America of God's imminent judgements upon it. He wrote this, the last three words of which are the title of his last book......."When I die, tell others, that I've gone to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ-that's Where I Am."
