William Tyndale, the man who translated the Bible into English and was burnt alive at the ridiculous young age of 42 years old, for his efforts. (Google Foxe's book of Martyrs.)

Nearly 500 years ago, this week, William Tyndale, fondly called 'Father of the English Bible' was strangled and burned at the stake after being tried and convicted of heresy and reason for translating the Bible into English.

HIS OFFENSE!
He translated the Greek Bible into English.

That you have a Bible in a language you can read is largely due to his labours, and many of the very phrases you read in it retain the flavour of his understanding of the Greek and Hebrew.

A graduate of Oxford and Cambridge, Tyndale had a powerful desire to make the Bible available even to the common people in England, in order to correct the 'Biblical ignorance of the priests.' At one point Tyndale told a priest, "If God spares my life, are many years pass, I will cause a boy that driveth the plow, shall know more of the Scriptures than thou dost."

Today, 90% of the King James Version of the Holy Bible and 75% of the Revised Standard Version are from the translation made by Tyndale, a man to whom you owe more than you'll ever know.

A nice dream, but how was Tyndale to accomplish his task, when translating the Bible into English was ILLEGAL at the time?'

He went to London to ask Bishop Tunstall if he could be authorised to make an English translation of the Bible, but the Bishop would not grant his approval.

However, Tyndale would not let the disapproval of men stop him from carrying out what seemed so obviously God's will. With encouragement and support of some British merchants, he decided to go to Europe to complete his translation, then have it printed and smuggled back into England.

In 1524 Tyndale sailed for Germany. In Hamburg, he worked on the New Testament, and in Cologne, he found a printer who would print the work. However, news of Tyndale's activity came to an opponent of the Reformation who had the press raided.

Tyndale himself managed to escape with the pages already printed and made his way to the German city Worms where the New Testament was soon published.

Six thousand copies were printed and smuggled into England.

The Bishops did everything they could to eradicate the Bibles. Bishop Tunstall had copies ceremoniously burned at St. Paul's; the Archbishop of Canterbury bought up copies to destroy them. Tyndale used the money to print improved editions!

Tyndale continued hiding among the merchants in Antwerp and began translating the Old Testament while the King's agents searched all over England and Europe for him.

A copy of Tyndale's "The Obedience of a Christian Man" fell into the hands of Henry VIII, providing the king with the rationale to break the Church in England from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534.
In 1535, Tyndale was arrested and jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) outside Brussels for over a year.

Tyndale’s work was denounced by authorities of the Roman Catholic Church and Tyndale himself was accused of heresy.

Tyndale, 42 was finally found by an Englishman who pretended to be his friend but then turned him over to the authorities. After a year and a half in prison, he was brought to trial for heresy -- FOR BELIEVING, among other things, IN THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS and that THE MERCY OFFERED IN THE GOSPEL WAS ENOUGH FOR SALVATION. In August 1536, he was condemned and was executed [burned alive at the stake] publicly on October 6, 1536, in a small town in Belgium.

As he burnt to death, Tyndale reportedly said "Lord, open the king of England's eyes."

WAS HIS PRAYER ANSWERED?

YES! The prayer was answered first in part when three years later, in 1539, Henry VIII required every parish church in England to make a copy of the English Bible available to its parishioners. Today, Tyndale's prayer is fully answered, not only are the King's eyes opened, but the Bible a universal instrument.

What is your favorite film about the Christian faith?
1.The Mission
2.Silence
3.The Passion of the Christ
4.Chariots of Fire

In 1986, The American Medical Association published an article titled "The Physical Death of Jesus Christ". It details the entire process of Jesus' trial to His death on the cross.

In Luke 22, before Jesus is arrested, it is written that He was in great distress & sweating blood. Although rare, it is recognized as Hematidrosis, caused by high amounts of stress.

At the time, the crucifixion was considered the worst death for the worst of criminals. But this is not all Jesus faced. He endured whipping so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. He was beaten so horribly that His face was torn & His beard ripped.

A crown of thorns, 2-3 inches long cut deeply into His scalp. The leather whip used to flog Him had tiny iron balls & sharp bones. The balls caused internal injuries while the sharp bones ripped open His flesh. His skeletal muscles, veins, & bowels are exposed, causing major blood loss. Most men do not survive this kind of torture. After Jesus was severely flogged, He was forced to carry His cross while people mocked & spat on Him.

Crucifixion was a process meant to instill excruciating pain, creating a slow & agonizing death. Nails as long as 8 inches were driven into Jesus' wrists & feet. The Roman soldiers knew the tendon in the wrists would tear & break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support Himself to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the courage...Jesus endured this reality for 3 hours!

The Gospel of John writes that after Jesus' death, a Roman soldier pierced His side with a spear & blood & water came out. Scientists explain that from hypovolemic shock, the rapid heart rate causes fluid to gather in the sack around the lungs & heart. The gathering of fluid in the membrane around the heart is called Pericardial effusion & the lungs, Pleural effusion.

To the world, Christianity is as foolish as it can get. They believe it's for the weak. But when you are confronted by the reality of the cross, it's clearly not a pretty sight. It is brutal & horrific.

This is the weight Jesus carried. The weight of the sins of the world, all so that we can live. God's wrath is fully satisfied in Jesus. This is what it took. Repent & believe! Jesus is “God among us” in the flesh. Jesus is our Savior. Jesus loves you so much, He went through this spiritual and physical punishment for your sins and mine.

Jesus is the LORD, Almighty God, Everlasting Father.

Thank You, Jesus.

THE GRACE OF A DOER | APOSTLE JOHN KIMANI WILLIAM | IMPARTATION FOR DOMINION CONFERENCE | KSF THIKA ROAD | CLIMAXING SESSION | FEB 16^TH 2025
✓ An average Christian knows more than they are doing.
~ If you were to do all that you know, there would be a total turn around of your destiny.
✓ Do you know you can be working in soap making industry but you are the most dirty person. It will take you effort to get the soap, apply it on your body and splash water on yourself that you may be clean.
✓ If you go to a doctor and get a prescription then you just go home and store it on the shelves, you are as good as dead!
No one was ever changed by a medicine they never used.
✓ No matter how authentic a prophetic word is, if you do not do your part, that prophetic word will not materialize.
THREE LEVELS OF DOING
1. Level of listening and doing
• James 1:22
✓ So many Christians are right now discouraged and tired of hearing the word because they thought the word will just help them by listening only.
NB: God's word can never benefit you unless you act on it.
NB: Every prophetic Word that comes from God is conditional.
• Heb 6:12 ESV Hebrews 6:11-12 ESV
[11] And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, [12] so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
✓ If you are only seeking quick and easy way of becoming, forget about destiny.
~ In pursuing your destiny, there's a place of continuing in working out your salvation, there's a place of fasting, prayers...
• James 1:24
✓ The word of God is like a mirror. It helps you notice where you need to work on in your life.
✓ Many just want the God part but they do not embrace their part.
~ God's promises are True. He is faithful on His part. Are you faithful on your part?
• Ezekiel 33:31-32 NLT
[31] So my people come pretending to be sincere and sit before you. They listen to your words, but they have no intention of doing what you say. Their mouths are full of lustful words, and their hearts seek only after money. [32] You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!
~ My people are so good in coming to meetings but they are very poor in doing what they hear.
• Joshua 1:8
✓ Success and prosperity is for doers.
~ Joshua was told to be careful to do all that is written in the law so that may succeed in all he was to do.
✓ Procrastination is an enemy of progress.
✓ God has exalted His word above His Name.
He cannot break the scriptures.
• John 10:35 "...and the scripture cannot be broken..."
~ God is merciful, not that He is not willing to help men, but He is always waiting for them to do their part then He can come through for them.
NB: God is only committed to you within he boundaries of His Word.
✓ Rich outpouring of the Spirit / Revival is preceded by the Grace to do.
~ Revival is birthed and sustained by diligence in prayer, purity, continuity in God's Word...
• 1 Corin 15:10
• Col 1:29
✓ Grace comes to help you labour.
~ There no such God as one who does everything for man.
~ Even in the garden of Eden, man had to till the land and work on it.
~ Success is not for the slack, it is not for the lazy.
✓ God teaches us how to profit.
~ He does not give the bread of idleness.
• Prov 31:27 KJV She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness.
✓ It's not all about impartation, there's also a place for being diligent on what you have received.
~ If you do not work on your gift, it will just be common like many others.
• Philip 2:12 KJV Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
✓ All that Jesus did on the cross was ingredients that you need to use and apply in your life for you to see change.
✓ Abraham, separate from Lot that you may receive the Grace to birth Kings.
BELIEVE GOD FOR A PORTION OF GRACE IN YOUR GIFT
• Eph 4:7
✓ Your impact is not in the title but the portion/measure of Grace that is upon your life.
~ It is the Grace of God upon somebody that brings efficiency in doing something.
There's Grace that makes men willing in your assignment. If You lack it, you become a burden to people.
✓ If you have the gift, what you need now is to grow in the Grace. Seek Grace for the gift upon you.
~ The difference in Graces upon men is what brings difference in works they manifest though they may have the same Title upon them.
NB: ITS GRACE THAT BRINGS THE DIFFERENCE IN DIFFERENT VESSELS.
~ As you grow in Grace, the manifestation of the Works of God upon your life also increases.
✓ The empowerment you receive from God is what determines the kind of results you command in your assignment.
NB: Abraham was not just made righteousness by faith alone but by also the steps or actions he took after hearing the word of the Lord.
Shalom