The Acts of Christ
The Acts of Christ
The former two treatises that our brother Luke wrote to you, O most excellent Theopholis, of all that Jesus and His Apostles began both to do and to teach I now write to you also, though not in his inspired authority, to inform you of the spread of His kingdom these last two thousand years. First let me tell that all of the men who were Jesus' disciples met their deaths at the hands of either the Jews or the Romans. The last of them was John, the Beloved, who outlived the others, as Jesus foretold.
After John's death the church continued to grow. The Spirit never tires of His work. Though many of us were put to the sword, we stood firm and, by His grace, refused to deny Him who saved us. As the followers of Jesus multiplied, Rome determined that it would be to their advantage finally to allow us to worship openly. There was even an Emperor who publicly professed that Jesus is Lord. This, however, was short lived. He embraced the doctrine of the heretic Arius, and again, we found ourselves under persecution. The church held numerous councils to deal with the issue, to answer the question, "Is Jesus God?" I know it is shocking O Theopholis, that such ever be questioned. A group committed to God's Word eventually won the day and the church proclaimed Jesus to be vere homo, vere Deus, very man and very God. Athansius was our earthly champion. You would have liked him, a bulldog for the truth.
Other heresies reared their ugly heads over the years. Blasphemers came proclaiming "doctrines of demons taught by seducing spirits." Sabellius, who denied the trinity, Marcion who argued that the God of the Old and New Covenants were not the same, Nestorius who argued that Jesus was two persons, and Eutyches who blurred the two natures.
Although we won these battles, another greater enemy soon followed. It is difficult to describe. Too many of us began to take for granted the truths God had revealed. We began to be conformed to the image of this world. Rome adopted a new strategy, to win us over with peace, and merge our faith with the pagans. These syncretizers invaded our ranks, pretending to be sheep, while inwardly they were the very "ravenous wolves" of which Paul warned us. Before we knew it the Word was translated into a strange tongue that only the scholars knew. We were cut off from the live-giving Word. Our elders became corrupt. The clergy set their eyes on money, power and prestige. One of these "men" went so far as to declare himself the "Vicar of Christ on earth" and the "Supreme Pontiff."
Many of us, still dedicated to the ministry handed down to us by Christ, did what we could to proclaim the Gospel. But when caught teaching about Jesus, the so called leaders of the church either declared us heretics, or put us to death. Some of these champions were Waldo, a pious man who led a group called the Waldenses. John Wycliff and William Tyndale, by the power of the Holy Spirit, rendered God's Word into the language of the common man. John Hus and George Wishart proclaimed the Good News and refused to be silent, though their faithfulness led them to the stake.
Do not be discouraged O Theopholis. God is sovereign. During this time our Lord raised up a young man much like John the Baptist. His name was Martin Luther. He stood against the evil of his day, and called the church back to the Bible as the only standard of life and faith. Soon others followed, reclaiming the Gospel of our Lord. Through the labors of men such as John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli and John Knox orthodoxy once more stood firm. The power of Rome was again shaken. They reacted again by hunting us down, putting us o death. In France over 70,000 of our brothers and sisters were slain. Please, O most excellent Theopholis, do not forget to tell future generations of the price these saints paid. And remember also that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The more they persecuted us, the more we grew.
A new land was born a few years later. At first she looked promising indeed. Some called her a "city shining on a hill." Her founders, for the most part, were men dedicated to God's Word. Her laws and judgements were just. She produced godly men and women who went into all the world with the Gospel, even discipling the nations as we were commanded. She gave birth to missionaries and evangelists. One such man was used in a mighty way, Jonathan Edwards. When he calmly told the people they were but sinners in the hands of an angry God, they responded with Spirt-born repentance. Thousands entered the kingdom under the preaching of this one faithful man. Believe me when I tell you, truth is more powerful than rhetoric.
Sadly, in the earliest parts of America's history the seeds of her destruction were sown, and the church again began to compromise. The adage, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it," has come to fruition with a vengeance. Many of this nation's once great churches are apostate. Some hold and permit heresies that make Arius and his ilk look like schoolboys. These people have no shame. They deny the very Lord who they say bought them. They don't bother to hide their apostasy, but wear it as a badge of pride. If God does not soon send reformation, America will be but a byword among the nations. But do not worry Theopholis, for "All power in Heaven and Earth has been given unto Him" and we have His promise not only that "the gates of Hell will not prevail against the church", but that He is with us always.