It was the Middle Ages – time when the Black Plague swept over most of Europe. It was also a time when women were ruling countries such as England and Scotland. The Protestant Reformation had raised eyebrows with the Catholic church, which had great political influence over the European nations. It was a time of intrigue and turmoil – much like what is currently happening in our world. Yet within this chaos, a new world was slowly taking shape.  For centuries, the common people were governed by monarchies.  Democracy was non existent.  Truly, the only thing they had to hang on to in times of distress, was their religion.  The religion of the day had become corrupted over time, by the church itself and its many “fund raising” activities.

In Rome, artists like Michelangelo, Da Vinci and Raphael were focused on realism and employed the use of scientific study in anatomy to create works that would live on in time forever.  Architectural design included mathematical calculations and study of ancient building techniques to create newer and better edifices.  Da Vinci experimented with different types of mechanical devices. He chronicled his studies in medical dissection, water flow, movement and aerodynamics – all of which laid the groundwork for future study in those areas. The use of both the analytical and creative sides of the brain were being put into use.  The world was coming back to life after a deluge of disease and death.

There was an awakening in exploration and discovery with the expeditions of men like Columbus and scientists like Galileo and Copernicus, who went on to prove that the earth revolved around the sun and was part of a much larger universe.  Falling off the edge of the earth was no longer an option.

In England, a man was putting words together as had never been done before.  “What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god!” William Shakespeare – Hamlet.

In that same place, Henry the VIII was in the midst of his own fight with the church.  His battle had to do with divorce, which is what he needed in order to marry the woman he loved or lusted after – Anne Boleyn.  This led to a reformation and the establishment of the Church of England, which he would preside over instead of the pope.

In Germany, a man named Martin Luther struggled daily with the weight of his sin.  His conscience would not leave him alone.  No matter what he sacrificed, no matter how much he prayed or beat himself – his sin remained.  He knew that God was righteous and that’s what scared him.  During his lifetime he suffered with various physical ailments, including kidney stones, (another reason I can relate to this guy) constipation, bouts of depression and anxiety.  He was just a man – like you and me, but he changed the way the world thought and how they related to a righteous God, rather than a fearful judge. During this time. the invention of the printing press occurred. It was the tool of the day to get the word out – much like the Twitter of the Reformation.  We have even more sophisticated tools today to spread the truth of God’s Word. So, when you put it all together, the timing was perfect for change.

It’s time for another reformation – a revival of what once was – a return to the God of our fathers – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The truth of the matter lies in God’s Word and the honesty of it.  We can believe completely in the Bible, because it is the inspired Word of God and God does not lie.  The Old Testament shows us our sinful nature and the New Testament shows us God’s plan for our salvation – a Savior, Jesus, Christ.

We’re still coming out of a plague.  Staying isolated has given us new ideas, inventions, a new Renaissance spirit.  We need to look at where the church is going and if God’s truth is still evident in its teachings.  New technology makes it easier for us to study online.  Eventually the fellowship will return, but the main thing is that we don’t let the church and the purity of the Bible go into isolation too.  It’s time to get out the hammer and nails.  Let’s do this!

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR THIS TIME OF GRACE.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105