Every person needs heroes of the faith. Over the years various theologians, teachers, leaders, and officials have become people that I admire and hope to model in my own life in various ways.
As we come to Halloween I want to mention one man that is a hero to me and should be to all of us who claim the name of Christ. A hero is defined as “a man distinguished for exceptional courage, fortitude, or bold enterprise.”
I think of Dr. Martin Luther, who led the protestant Reformation back about 500 or so years ago. When the gospel was diluted, even almost extinct in regard to the masses of people, when the light of Christ was hid, when the souls of thousands were lost, hell bound, and when hope, faith, and love was dwindling Luther led a movement to restore faith, hope, and love to display the greatness of Christ and his love for his bride, the church.
On october the 31st, in 1517 Dr. Luther laid forth his rightous proclamation that revealed the main errors of the church in his area of that day. For it he led people to Christ though he was marked as a criminal, rebel, and heretic by the established church and civic leaders of his day.
Oh that we would have more fathers, mothers, and parents today to teach their children of the great heros of the faith of our past. What Luther did in his day was not only unsafe theologically but it was also unsafe for him physically.
The leaders wanted him excommunicated from the church and the civic leaders wanted him jailed. but with courage and conviction and confidence Luther marched ahead and continued to make disciples of the Lord.
His faith in that day led to thousands upon thosaunds coming to his home to sit as his table to hear him lecture and dialogue and talk about the Bible, the Lord, and life in the Lord. Sometimes he had so many people coming to him for discipleship that his wife Katie sometimes had trouble finding food and beds for all of them.
Oh that we would long for such a day to occur again when the talk around our table would be to make disciples of the Word of God and thus of Christ. What a glorious day it would be for parents to teach their children church history at the dinner table so they could instill courage into their children to live for Christ even if it meant giving their life for the cause of the Savior who gave his life.
Dear parent, this halloween share with your children about the great sacrifices made of someone in church history like a Luther. All the devils, ghosts, and demons of hell will tremble for sure when you give to your children the great knowledge of great men of church history! Go grab your pots and bags of candy, go have loads of fun at the festivals, the parties, and the events of the season, but for sure make sure to impart to your children some serious lesson about true men and women who fought with the devil and his angels with the sword of Christ!
Serving You,
Keith Sherlin; DD; Th.D
