Great Exploits

There is a letter in which Paul wrote to Titus, Paul’s son in the Gospel. I want to share a part of scripture of the letter from Paul’s communication with Titus. It’s ‘Titus 2:2’ the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, and patience.’ There’s one phrase that I want to share, it’s ‘sound in faith.’ Faith is believing who God is and what He has said. In order to be sound in faith, you have to know who God is and what He is like. The facts about God’s essential character have to be known. Dan.11:32  ‘They that know their God will do great exploits.’

Back in the fourteenth century there was a man name John Wycliffe who was ‘sound in faith’. He knew his God. Wycliffe was a Biblical scholar and Pastor who spoke out against the false teaching of the Catholic Church. He testified that the Catholic Church was not the authority, the Bible was. But the common people had no idea about what the Bible said because the Catholic Church made sure it was in Latin and made only available to Church officials. So Wycliffe translated the Bible in common language so it could be read and understood throughout England. He organized a group of poor Christians knows as Lollards, ho would travel throughout the countryside reading the Bible to villagers and anyone who would listen.  The Catholic Church attacked him and tried to have Wycliffe removed from his position at Oxford. But powerful people stood with him and protected him form every attack.   John Wycliffe died in 1384, but he was so hated that in 1428, his body was exhumed, and his bones were burned. They scattered his ashes in the River Swift.  But one writer commented that, ‘his ashes were scattered in to the Swift which eventually fed into the sea. And just as his ashes were carried by the sea around the earth, so was the power of his teaching.’ How could Wycliffe take the giant of the Roman Catholic Church on? Because, he knew God! Wisdom tells me that in order to display strength and take action in certain situations, one must know God.   Do you know God? If you do then you will do ‘great exploits.’ It’s definitely time that the Church came to know the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and John Wycliffe! Need I say more?   It’s a privilege to serve you,   Pastor Lloyd