October 25, 2021

Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.” John 17:15

For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. Acts 20:29-30

There are those who have gone before us who have prayed for us. Before we are born and while we are too small to pray for ourselves, God has graciously and providentially covered us with His feathers! (Psalm 91:4) His own dear Son prayed for us while on earth and intercedes for us this very minute! There is no such thing as having too much prayer in one’s life. And, while the church should be the safest place in the world to be, Paul states clearly that our adversary not only dispatches his minions among the flock of God, but relentlessly seeks to divert the attention of true worshipers away from God.

Even though their paths did not cross, Ulric Zwingli and Martin Luther were born only a few weeks apart. Baby Ulric was born in a herdsman’s cottage in the Swiss Alps. Growing up with scenes of stunning grandeur, beauty, and sublimity, his young mind was deeply impressed with a strong sense of the majesty and power of God. His grandmother taught him what she knew of patriarchs and prophets, of shepherds keeping watch by night in Palestine as angels greeted them, of the Baby in Bethlehem, and the Man of Calvary.

Young Ulric’s mind developed quickly, and like Martin Luther’s father, Zwingli’s father desired a good education for his son. He sent Ulric at age 13 to Bern to be taught at the best school in Switzerland. The boy’s bright mind came to the attention of the friars. A rivalry quickly ensued between the Dominican and Franciscan monks. Both groups attempted to allure him by the showy ornamentation of their churches, pompous ceremonies, famous relics, and “miracle-working” statues. Flattery and deception were their tools of influence. In God’s providence, Ulric’s father received word of the designs of the friars. He directed his son to return home at once! To be continued…

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 20-23