Articles

Lesson from history - God's Resources · August 02, 2006

By Hal Mayer

When John Wycliffe was protested abuses of the church, he specifically pointed to the mendicant friars who claimed that they had papal authority to forgive sins, past, present and future. He also showed how that the papal claim to authority was against both scripture and reason. Every time Rome tried to deal with Wycliffe, they were thwarted.

The prelates were anxious to condemn burn him, but he had powerful friends in the royal court and the noble princes that protected him when he stood trial before the local bish0ps. The Pope issued three papal Bulls against him and condemned him and his writings, and ordering him arrested to stand trial. It seemed that Wycliffe was headed for the stake. Before anything could be done about the bulls the Pope died, and the bishops and cardinals all had to go to Rome to elect a new pope. Instead of Wycliffe being the one to die, the pontiff did.

When Wycliffe was sick and thought to be on his death bed, the representatives of four religious orders came to hear his confession and recantation, thinking he would repent of all the damage he had done to them when faced with death. Instead, Wycliffe lifted himself up on his elbow and declared, “I shall not die, but live, and again declare the evil deeds of the friars.”

Continually Wycliffe was under the threat of papal vengeance, but he relied upon God, and God protected his servant until his earthly work was done. Even some of the very tools that the papists used to oppose his work, God used to increase it. For example, every attempt they made to forbid the people from reading his works, only added interest to what Wycliffe taught. The people were getting tired of the papal abuses.

Wycliffe’s translation of the Bible made an enormous impact on the people and greatly frustrated the designs of pope and priest. Reform was just beginning. Rome was to descend from the throne. Wycliffe was the morning star of the Reformation.

Do you think that God still has hidden resources to promote and protect His work? The Last Generation will see the same kinds of miracles and divine power in its final effort to give the last message.

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Comment

1. Nothing can be said against the truth but for the truth

   — Ryan Haynes · Thu Sep 2, 01:27 PM · #

2. Powerful and Encouraging!

   — Sam Merritt · Fri Aug 20, 09:23 PM · #

3. God is good

   — meli tamani · Thu Nov 27, 03:35 AM · #