~Shaking Trees with Luther~

Sunday, October 29th, the Church will thank God that 500 years ago His Spirit stirred men’s hearts to turn once again to His Word. The thirty-one short biographies in Here We Stand are a sober, yet inspiring reminder of the cost and joy of abiding in God’s Word.  Our minds may turn first to Martin Luther and his ninety-five theses, but opening comments of the series remind us: “The Reformation was not about one or two big names — Luther, Calvin, Zwingli — but about a massive movement of Christian conviction, boldness, and joy that cost many men and women their lives — and scattered the seeds that are still bearing fruit in the twenty-first century.” At the very center, they found God’s Word to be their life and priceless treasure. We sense our debt to their conviction and perseverance! We can take heart that their flaws and sin did not hinder our Lord in using them mightily for His glory. Are you feeling the cost and yet experiencing the joy of keeping God’s Word close? You shouldn’t miss these life sketches, gathered in one place; a gem to encourage and admonish alike.

This Fall you may visit a Berkshire orchard with family or friends. When you finally get back to the kitchen and stand peeling red apples for pie, reflect on these simple, yet profound words of Martin Luther.

“I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest might fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf. “I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb—study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters when they do not break the sense. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings.”

Charles Spurgeon was so right when he said, “The word of God is always most precious to the man who most lives upon it.” May it be so for us today!
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.” John 6:68