God once spoke through the mouth of an ass. I will tell you straight what I think. I am a Christian theologian and I am bound not only to assert, but to defend the truth with my blood and death. I want to believe freely and be a slave to the authority of no one, of a council, a university, or pope. I will confidently confess what appears to me to be true whether it has been asserted by a Catholic or a heretic, whether it has been approved or reproved by a council.

In all other things I will yield to any one, but I neither can nor will forsake and deny the word.

I cannot choose but adhere to the word of God, which has possession of my conscience; nor can I possibly, nor will I even make any recantation, since it is neither safe nor honest to act contrary to conscience! Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God! Amen.

Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you "turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . ." (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.

Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.

You can lose it all, but nothing can take life from you, because what defines life is simply not for the taking.

And this went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival taunted her until she wept and would not eat.

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will not accept it.” And although Naaman urged him to accept it, he refused.

Yet I am not silenced by the darkness, by the thick darkness that covers my face.

You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open.

My hand will sustain him; surely My arm will strengthen him.

I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.