On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther had no idea that he was about to become a world-changer. He wrote his 95 Theses simply to spark an intellectual debate among church scholars.

What he did was ignite a movement, after which the church and the entire world would never be the same. It is this crucial moment in history we celebrate today—the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

It is also the subject of a new book by prolific author Dr. R.T. Kendall titled Whatever Happened to the Gospel?, due out in February and published by Charisma House. You can preorder it here. Dr. Kendall and I discussed Luther’s life and how he fathered this movement during a recent podcast, which you can listen to here.

On what was more than likely an ordinary day 500 years ago, Luther nailed his 95 Theses, written in Latin, to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. He intended them to be read only by church theologians.

Without Luther’s permission, someone took the 95 Theses, translated them into German and printed them. To borrow a modern phrase, Luther’s ideas went viral, spreading like wildfire throughout the whole of Germany and causing a tremendous stir within the church and with the common people.

“Ordinary people didn’t know their Bible because they didn’t have Bibles,” says Dr. Kendall, an admirer of Luther’s and a student of Luther’s life and ministry. “The Roman Catholic Church did not want you to have Bibles. They just told you what the Bible said. Your faith [was] whatever the church believed. For Luther, it was deeper than that.”

In 1520, Luther stood trial before the German emperor, Frederick the Wise, and Cardinal Catejan, and was asked to recant his words. He didn’t, and while awaiting a possible execution, Luther was “kidnapped” by a group of friends, who took him to Wartburg, where he spent 10 months translating the Bible into the common German language.

“Martin Luther began to teach the Bible, and it really began to turn things upside down,” Dr. Kendall says. “People had never heard the Bible explained to them the way he did. They came in droves to hear him preach. And now, 500 years later, people have Bibles, but they don’t read them.”

Martin Luther changed things. He changed the world. The Protestant Reformation has affected an infinite number of lives, including those of modern-day believers.

I hope you will listen to the podcast with Dr. Kendall and get a sense of the historical and spiritual repercussions of the Protestant Reformation. Check out Monday’s Strang Report to get an even deeper understanding of this event.

As always, please share this with your social media friends and feel free to comment below. {eoa}

Many times, the last words of great people contain very important messages. They are often a summary of that person’s life. For example,

• “I see earth receding; heaven is opening. God is calling me.”—D. L. Moody
• “The best of all is, God is with us.”—John Wesley
• “I shall be satisfied—satisfied—satisfied—when I awake in Thy likeness!”—Charles Wesley
• “I go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school. I feel so strong in Christ.”—Adoniram Judson

Some of the apostle Paul’s last words were, “Don’t ever give up.” There was no tinge of bitterness, no measure of regret, no anguish, and no remorse. Paul obviously had kept short accounts in his life, so when the time came for him to die, he was ready.

Paul writes, “Godly sorrow produces repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10).

We can be prepared for the time when we meet Christ in heaven; it is only a heartbeat away. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.”

Paul lived his life in readiness. He was accountable to others and lived in peace. Even when he was imprisoned, he did not harbor bitterness toward his captors. Paul was forgiving. Those who harmed him, he forgave.

Are you keeping a short account? What will your final words be?

Prayer: Lord, I pray that my final words will one day be a reflection of the joy and peace I have found in You. May the words I speak as I live out my life point people to the love of Christ. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

“So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God” (Rom. 14:12). {eoa}

This article originally appeared on Leading The Way.

Indonesian Christians planning to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Protestant Christianity were forced to abandon a stadium event following threats from Muslim hardliners.

“For the sake of interreligious harmony … and to avoid acts of intolerance, the committee decided to call off the national prayer service to mark 500 years of Reformation,” the Reformed Evangelical Church of Indonesia said in a statement.

“It had the potential to become an arena of apostasy under the guise of mass healing,” a spokesperson from the Forum Ukhuwah Islamiyah (FUI), part of the Indonesian Ulema Council, told Catholic news agency UCAN.

The organizers of the event, which was to be held on October 20 at the Kridosono football stadium in Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, said the aim was prayer, not healing. Local police claimed the event had been cancelled due to permit issues.

The event was to be led by Rev. Tong, whose Christmas 2016 event in West Java was also cancelled following threats by hardliners.

A Muslim scholar told UCAN the cancellation was the latest proof of intolerance in Indonesia.

“It’s a sign that in our society it is difficult to accept people of different beliefs,” said Achmad Nurcholish. “Acts of intolerance will continue unless the government pays serious attention to it.”

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy director of the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace, told UCAN: “Unfortunately, local governments back [hardliners] by cancelling such events under the pretext of maintaining security.” {eoa}

This article originally appeared on World Watch Monitor.

Scientists in Belgium have found sugars can stimulate the growth of cancerous tumors.

They believe certain types of sugar can essentially make cancer cells grow even faster, though they’re not sure why it happens.

The scientists say the link between sugar and cancer has sweeping consequences and requires more research.
 
They say the findings could help create new diet plans for cancer patients.

CBN News Health Reporter Lorie Johnson has reported for years about the link between sugar and cancer.

Scientists are increasingly discovering a clear relationship between sugar and cancer, which has led them to two conclusions: sugar use contributes to cancer, and going without it can slow the growth of the disease.

You can find more of our in-depth cover about this link below:

Beating Cancer: How Cutting Sugar Reversed One Man’s Death Sentence {eoa}

Copyright The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., All rights reserved.

The pale green horse of sickness and death is riding now, Jim Bakker says.

“So I looked, and there was a pale horse, and the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed him. Power over a fourth of the earth was given to them, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth,” according to the Revelation 6:8 prophecy.

“How many news stories have we read the last few months about the plague going all over the world?” Bakker says.

Watch the video to see.

I met Katherine, Megan and Nick several years ago, the day I became Megan’s voice teacher. Until that time, I’d never interacted with a family affected by autism. I gained fresh understanding as our second lesson began.

Megan had brought her guitar so she could play a song she wrote. When she opened the case, however, she burst into tears.

Her brother, Nick, is a runner. While he loves to ride in the car and do errands, the autistic teen also loves to take off before getting into the car. Megan had chased after him that morning and lugged him back to the car where he kicked and flailed in protest. Somewhat bruised herself, she didn’t notice the crack in the instrument until she opened the soft case in my presence.

Tears overflowed. But as she explained what happened, she also expressed forgiveness toward her brother, knowing he hadn’t intentionally hurt her prized possession. Instead, he acted on a warped instinct, as many autistic children do, and fought for freedom when he needed protection.

Katherine, Megan’s mom, later shared, “Most of the time we’re so busy when we’re out that we don’t notice he’s a spectacle. But I get it. He’s a 16-year-old in a harness with headphones to help his sensory issues. We have little privacy.”

Once while in a store during Nick’s Elmo faze, it took him over 20 minutes to return a video to the shelf. Even though they owned a copy at home, he always wanted another. Trembling hands finally did the right thing, and that day a passer-by complimented Katherine, “You have the patience of a saint.”

But many others stare, point and make fun of Nick. Some have even gone so far as to tell Katherine she needs to beat him more.

With 1 in every 57 children diagnosed with autism, learning to respect those with non-neurotypical expressions remains an important cultural challenge—for adults and children alike.

How can we help?

• “Just ask,” Katherine said. “There’s obviously something different about us. Don’t stare. Just ask. I’ll tell you.”
• Katherine well remembers both times women complimented the way she handled Nick in public, so dare to cross the divide and offer a kind word. Those matter.
• Invest your time in a family affected by an autistic child’s limitations. Learn their needs. Accept their child’s unpredictable behavior. Integrate their family with your own—even if it’s uncomfortable for a time.

As a well-oiled female emotion machine, I find it enlightening to remember that God created people on the autism spectrum—people who weren’t designed to experience whims like me. Learning from them and seeing the world from their perspective enhances my own. {eoa}

Susan Schreer Davis lives with her husband, their cat named Eggs and the challenging effects of mitochondrial disease. She leans on humor, her dysfunctional family and faith the size of a mustard seed to maintain hope. Learn more about Susan, her latest book and many songs at .

This article originally appeared at .

When people hurt, do you notice? I want to get better at being aware and fully present. I don’t want to turn away or walk away. And I want people’s pain to affect me. What about you? Are you good at this? Are you able to feel people’s pain? Willing to feel it? Prepared to feel it?

There’s so much pain. It feels like it’s everywhere sometimes. Much of the time. I ache, and sometimes I don’t want to. It’s hard because I wish I could just fix things. Fix people.

What can we do? What should we do?

The Book of Job Is Helpful

My pastor is teaching from Job during his Wednesday Bible study. He chose the book for us to study because of a corresponding sermon series about pain and suffering.

This is truth he shared while talking about a section of chapter 2. I want to remember this. I want to do this. Be this.

“Meet people at their emotion before trying to move them through the emotion.”

So I need just to wait. Feel. Be present. Because it’s not about me being uncomfortable. It’s about people getting comfortable. And in their own time.

In the context of my pastor’s teaching, this applies to people’s pain. Hurt. Heartache. Brokenness. Does this concept work when people are experiencing joy? It’s the same truth. Absolutely!

If I’m not others-centered and fully present to joyful people around me, I can be guilty of wanting them to push through their joy. Get to the other side, people! Enough of this happiness!

It’s true. I’m a thinker before I’m a feeler, so sometimes lots of laughter and joy makes me uncomfortable. I don’t know what to do. If I’m not careful, I’ll say something or ask something because I want people to move from their emotions to their thoughts.

But it’s not about me being comfortable. It’s about others not being uncomfortable. It’s about people being. Just being.

Romans 12:15 is relevant. I’m grateful the Holy Spirit brings it to my mind often.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

So look at this next verse. Wow! Job shares it after his “friends” start the long debate with him about why he is suffering.

I need this instruction. The world needs this instruction. I pray it may bless you today. Let’s act on it.

“A despairing man should be shown kindness from his friend, or he forsakes the fear of the Almighty” (Job 6:14). {eoa}

 Dr. Kathy Koch is the author of Screens & Teens: Connecting with Our Kids in A Wireless World.

This article originally appeared at .

My daughter was going to rehab. She had graduated from high school only a few months earlier. I didn’t want to believe it. I was so hard on myself. Guilt set up residence in my heart. When your child has a problem with alcohol or drugs, self-harm (an eating disorder, cutting and so forth), sexual promiscuity, same-sex identity, is incarcerated, has thoughts of suicide or a mental health issue, guilt is a common reaction. We, the parents, wonder if it’s somehow our fault.

There’s no rest from the questions that plague our minds:

“How could this happen to my child?” “Is it my fault?” “What did I do wrong? “What did I not do that I should have done?” “Could I have prevented this?”

The revolving door of What ifs and If onlys torments us. I could find no other way to answer these questions other than blaming myself. We tend to examine our parenting record, looking for that moment, the one mistake that flipped the switch. Why do we do this to ourselves? Guilt.

True or False Guilt?

Guilt is a natural response, yet it doesn’t solve anything. Our child’s issues remain the same and we feel hyper-responsible. But there’s one thing it does do very well: Guilt causes embarrassment that shames us into silence.

We erroneously believe if had we done a better job of parenting, our child would never have fallen into trouble or turned against God. That’s what I believed. We put all the blame on our heads, then we isolate, too embarrassed to let others know.

Mom, dad, if there is a valid reason for your guilt, then be honest with yourself, talk to someone about it—a trusted friend/pastor/counselor—then give it to God. He freely offers forgiveness to all who confess from a sincere heart.

Look what the Bible has to say about forgiveness:

“For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great” (Ps. 25:11, ESV).

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9, MEV) and

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1a).

If you’ve dealt with your guilt, but are still carry a heavy load of shame on your back, it’s false guilt. It’s from the devil, not God. He never expected us to be perfect. He knows we’re flawed people doing one of the toughest jobs on the planet—raising a child to adulthood in a fallen and sinful world. But we’re super-tough on ourselves, especially if we’re in ministry or a leadership role.

In some situations, we may need to ask our child to forgive us for things we’ve said, done or not done. This is by no means an excuse for their choices. Nor does it give them the right to put all the blame on us, but our humility and honesty may have a big impact on our relationship moving forward.

One word of caution: ask their forgiveness with no expectations of how they respond. Do it for the sake of your own soul, then leave the results with God. The benefit of this kind of forgiveness is for us–not for them.

Letting Go of Guilt

In one of our support groups, a mom shared, “We need to let our children own what is their part and we need to own what is ours. Beyond that, we need to refuse the rest! None of us were perfect parents, but we did the best we could!” She’s absolutely right. We must own what is ours, let them own what is theirs and refuse the rest.

I’m not where I once was in my struggle with guilt. Some days I relapse and torment myself again, wondering if there was something I could have done differently or not done that might have changed things. But I’ve dealt with what I believed was my part, asked God and my daughter to forgive me and am learning to be kind to myself. From now on, I’m refusing the rest and letting go of guilt.

What about you? {eoa}

Dena Yohe is the author of You Are Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids (2017). Co-founder of Hope for Hurting Parents, she is a blogger, former pastor’s wife and CRU affiliate staff. She and her husband, Tom, have been guests on “Family Talk With Dr. James Dobson,” “Family Life” with Dennis Rainey” and “Focus on the Family” with Jim Daly. A proud mom of three adult children, she loves being Mimi to her grandchildren. Find out more at .

This article originally appeared at .

Jesus came to earth to show us the love of God, and to give His life so we could have eternal life. He was perfect—sinless—and He willingly took our sin upon Himself on the cross to pay the price for our salvation. God’s love for us is so amazing!

Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV) says Jesus came “to proclaim good news to the poor … to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners … to comfort all who mourn … to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

And Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Jesus wants to heal our wounded souls, give us His joy, and work through our lives to help others discover same restoration and hope that we have!

My Story

I’ve had a lot of experience in this area. I used to be such a mess on the inside—in my soul. The pain of years of abuse caused me to become a miserable, bitter, angry, emotionally unstable woman. I didn’t trust anyone and I believed I had to take care of myself because nobody else would. I was afraid if anyone really knew me—the real me—they wouldn’t like me or accept me.

For years I lived this way, and I didn’t understand why. But when I got serious about my relationship with God and started really studying His Word, I discovered His amazing love and how I needed Him to heal my wounded soul.

Once I had this revelation, I made a decision that I was going to go all the way through the healing process with God, and I refused to live with the pain, secrets and regrets from my past. By God’s grace, I have experienced healing and wholeness in my soul in many ways. And now I am passionate about sharing my story and helping others find the love, healing and hope they need so they don’t live trapped in pain from their past.

Everyone Has a Story

We all go through hard things in this life, and we all experience wounds in our soul. Those wounds cause pain that can then cause us to hurt others. I like to say it like this: Hurting people hurt people.

Your soul is the inner part of you—your mind, will and emotions. And the condition of your soul is felt by those who are in relationship with you.

Maybe you struggle to have healthy relationships because of fear of rejection and insecurity based on past disappointments or betrayals of your trust. Or you may be angry and have bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart because of what someone has done to you. There are many reasons people have wounds in their soul.

Living with this kind of pain makes a person unstable emotionally and hard to get along with. I remember when Dave and I were first married and I was like this. I’m speaking from experience when I say there is nothing worse than being controlled by your feelings, angry and unhappy when things don’t go your way.

But there is hope because Jesus can heal us everywhere we hurt! And God’s Word contains the power to save our souls.

The Key to Genuine Soul-Healing

James 1:21 (AMP) says, “So get rid of all uncleanness and all that remains of wickedness, and with a humble spirit receive the word [of God] which is implanted [actually rooted in your heart], which is able to save your souls.”

Through a serious commitment to study God’s Word and spend time with Him every day in prayer, God has radically changed my life. My mind has been renewed by God’s truth (Rom. 12:2), and I don’t live by my feelings anymore. My will has also been transformed; I can actually want what God wants now more than what I want.

It took time for me to get a major breakthrough in this area, and it wasn’t easy. But being healed and having real peace, joy and love in my heart are so much better than living with pain of a wounded soul.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is let God heal you on the inside and restore the brokenness in your life. Then you can be example of God’s amazing love and grace, helping them see that if He can do it for you, He can do it for them, too.

The truth is you don’t have to stay broken, living in self-pity, hating yourself, burdened by regret, shame or fear every day of your life. I promise that if you will make a determined decision to trust God and believe His Word more than anything else—more than your thoughts, past experience, feelings or what others say—then you will experience healing in your soul.

Many people have asked, “Where is heaven?” We are not told in the Scripture where heaven is. Some students have tried to take some Scriptures and put them together and say that heaven is in the north. They quote Psalm 48:2, “The joy of the whole earth is … on the sides of the north.” The magnetic needle points north. Perhaps the Celestial City is in the north. We do not know. But no matter where heaven is, it will be where Christ is.

Many people ask, “Do you believe that heaven is a literal place?” Yes!

Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” The Bible teaches that Enoch and Elijah ascended in a literal body to a literal place that is just as real as Los Angeles, London or Algiers! The Bible also teaches that heaven will be a place of beauty. It is described in the Bible as “a building of God,” “a city,” “a better country,” “an inheritance” and “a glory.”

The Bible also indicates that heaven will be a place of great understanding and knowledge of things that we never learned down here.

Read: “5 Answers from Billy Graham on Heaven.” {eoa}

© 2017 BGEA