During the month of October each year, it is good to remember the spark that ignited the Reformation 496 years ago. It was October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed ninety-five theses to the Castle Church door of Wittenberg. That church had over 1900 relics of dead saints on display. Catholics were granted indulgences for the remission of sins if they viewed the relics and made a confession. Luther became the center of a great controversy when his theses were copied and distributed throughout Europe. His initial protest exposed the pope's abominable practice of selling salvation from purgatory's fire for the price of indulgences. Many evangelicals today have either forgotten the Reformation or believe it was a mistake to divide the church. Others are denying that his first thesis, affirmed by Scripture, is not necessary for salvation. Luther's first thesis was: "When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said 'Repent', He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance." 

Seven years earlier in 1510, Luther was sent to Rome. While there, he climbed Pilate's staircase on his knees, believing each step would take away one year in purgatory. Then God's Word gave him understanding of the Scripture, "The just shall live by faith." Eventually Luther's study of Scripture led him to oppose Roman Catholicism on issues pertaining to the supreme authority of Scripture and the doctrine of Justification. Catholic bishops had perverted the way a sinner can be made right with God by denying it is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Luther rebuked them with the clear teaching from God's Word. Justification, which is God's declaration that believers are forgiven of sin and counted righteous in His sight, occurs at the moment God imputes the righteousness of Christ to the believer (2 Cor. 5:21). 

In August of 1518, Luther was pronounced a heretic without a defense. On the same day he was accused, judged and condemned by the so-called "Holy Father," the only supreme, infallible authority in church or state! Indeed the true spirit of popery was on display. Not a trace of Christian principle, or even of common justice, was witnessed in the process. In October of that year, Luther's trial began at Augsburg, and Cardinal Cajetan ordered Luther to recant his views on indulgences and papal infallibility. If he refused, he was to be excommunicated and share the same brutal fate as Jon Huss. Luther frustrated the Cardinal by answering all objections using Scripture as his authority. Needless to say, the large assembly of people had the opportunity to compare the two men, and to judge the spirit manifested in them. What a stark contrast! Luther was humble, firm and steadfast in the strength of God and with truth on his side. The Cardinal was self-important, overbearing, haughty, and unreasonable, without a single argument from Scripture. 

In March of 1521, the emperor called Luther to the Diet of Worms to plead his case. Knowing his life would be in danger, Luther responded, "I place the matter in the Lord's hands. If He will not save me, my life is of little consequence. Let us only prevent the Gospel from being exposed to the scorn of the wicked, and let us shed our blood for it, for fear they should triumph. It is not for me to decide whether my life or my death will contribute most to the salvation of all. You may expect everything from me except flight and recantation." A month later at the Diet of Worms, Charles V asked Luther to recant his heretical doctrines. He responded, "I cannot submit my faith either to the Pope or to the Councils, because it is clear as day, they have frequently erred and contradicted each other. Unless therefore, I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture...I cannot and will not retract. Here I stand, I can do no other. So help me God, Amen." Read entire article.

In a wide-ranging interview published last month, Pope Francis said the church is not to "interfere spiritually" in the lives of gays and lesbians. In the interview, he brushed off critics who say he should be more vocal about fighting abortion and gay marriage. Moreover, if the church fails to find a "new balance" between its spiritual and political missions, the pope warned that its moral foundation will "fall like a house of cards." The interview, released by Jesuit magazines, offers an expansive view of Francis' vision for the Roman Catholic Church. When asked if he approves of homosexuality, he replied, "Tell me, when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?"

Clearly, this pope is not thinking biblically when he makes these statements because all sinners are condemned by God until they repent and believe His Gospel. Only then is their legal status before the holy Judge changed from condemnation to justification. Listen to Mike's 20 minute interview on the Janet Mefferd Show. Read more of Mike's comments from his interview with Christian News Network. Read Jerome Corsi's article for WND Faith, "Is the Pope Catholic?"

Thank you so much for your newsletter. I continue to be pleased with the excellent Scriptural documentation you have with all your resources. We have been very concerned with all the "easy-believism" of American Christianity. It is so refreshing to see your emphasis on the need for repentance and the need for the blood of Jesus for our redemption. Whenever I have heard world news about the Pope, I have always asked my husband, "I wonder what Mike Gendron thinks of this." And then I got your newsletter which addresses these concerns! I plan on listening to your weekly broadcasts. We have invited a Catholic couple for dinner who are willing to talk about spiritual things. I will be praying that the Lord gives to us a great love for this couple, and yet, at the same time incisive words from Scripture to address any issues they bring up. Who knows, we might end up with a neighborhood Bible study for Catholics as you and your wife had!?" H & S. E, Raleigh, NC

Do you have so much pride that you can't see the tree because of the forest of your own making? You might influence a million people but the Catholic Church influences over a billion. God has kept the Catholic Church going for 2000 years, yet you condemn people who don't believe like you do. Are you the judge and jury of all people who don't accept your interpretation of the Bible? Such arrogance and pride! You might get to heaven because of God's mercy, but He won't be happy with you for all of your lies. When you die, we should investigate your life to see if you are a saint. I don't think you will make it. I am willing to study great men of God through out the history of the Church, not Johny-come-lately people like you. D. J.

The answer is given from God's Word through a powerful message by Pastor Jesse Barrington of Grace Life Church of Dallas. The issue is not whether you believe in Jesus, because even false converts believe in Jesus. The critical issue is what kind of faith do you have? Is it genuine faith that gives evidence of a new life in Christ, or is it dead, spurious faith that produces no evidence. Listen to the message here and see the notes here. 

Recently we received an email from a faithful evangelist that has been dialoguing with a few students at a university Catholic center. After going through the Gospel, it became clear to him that these young Catholics had a very different interpretation of Scripture. He sent us an email requesting more information on the history of Catholic hermeneutics. His hope was that, if he could get to the root of the problem of where Rome strayed, he could clearly point it out to them. While the history of how Rome came to adopt different positions is an interesting study, I believe it is a distraction from our primary focus.

According to the American Bible Society's "State of the Bible 2013" study, 66 percent of Americans agreed that "the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life," while 58 percent said "they don't want wisdom and advice from the Bible," and 57 percent said they read it "fewer than five times per year." "There is a difference between believing something is beneficial and opening up your heart, mind and life to let that beneficial thing in," Geof Morin, chief communications officer for the American Bible Society (ABS), wrote in a Thursday statement to The Christian Post. He explained that some people "view reading the Bible as taking your medicine" rather than a life-changing encounter with God. But it isn't just a lack of motivation, Morin argued. Sixty-one percent of adults wish they read the Bible more. "It seems that many Americans are letting other priorities get in the way of them opening the pages of the Bible." Read more.

The Master's Seminary is now livestreaming its Chapel messages each Tuesday and Thursday during the fall and spring semester. You can hear the faculty preach, along with invited guest speakers and TMS alumni. Mike Gendron will be speaking on the Reformation Tuesday morning, Oct. 29 and Thursday morning, Oct. 31. To listen live at 9:30 a.m. Pacific time, go to www.tms.edu and click on the link "Live Chapel Stream" right in the middle of the home page.  

Pope Francis bowed before Queen Rania of Jordan, who was visiting with her husband, King Abdullah II, breaking the protocol that requires visitors to bow to him. Up until the 19th century visitors would kiss the pope's shoes, and the tradition is still that all visitors, women included, bow to him, but Francis behaves as he did before he became pope and is not interested in protocol. Francis apparently did not bow toward her husband, the king. A few months ago, he caused a ripple through the Catholic faithful by washing the feet of a woman - a Serbian Muslim inmate at a prison in Rome - a day before Good Friday. Read more. 

Millions of people, irrespective of culture and religion, flocked to participate at a Marian novena in Bangalore, India in September. "The Virgin Mary is the Mother of God and also our heavenly mother, and thus people tend to venerate her motherly affection and dress her in local culture as their mother," said Father J. Sandhayagu. The statue of Mary found in the basilica is daily dressed in an elaborate sari, often laced with gold thread and jewelry, offered as a fulfillment of vows. Read more.

Roma Downey, the co-creator of History Channel's mega-success "The Bible," is praising the pope's pro-gay comments. "I think the Pope is a real blessing to the world," she said at The Hollywood Reporter's soiree to celebrate the Emmys. "He's brought in some new hope, healing and grace with his desire to focus on loving each other and surely that is what Jesus taught us. I think he's a Pope of Hope." This should not surprise us, considering the many doctrinal errors and inconsistencies with Scipture in the series. Downey, along with her husband Mark Burnett, lined up their own finances to produce the highly successful mini-series "The Bible" for the History Channel. Read more.

During a prayer rally on the vigil of the birth of Mary, the Queen of Peace, Pope Francis said. "Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children!."