Pathways Press.com

Written by Kurt Selles, a contemporary editor and ministry director.

[Over five hundred years ago today], Martin Luther nailed 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, and set in motion a movement that rocked Europe. Though many other factors joined to launch the Protestant Reformation, God used a revival in Luther’s heart to start a revival of Chris­tianity in his time…Psalm 85 calls for a revival that begins with the Holy Spirit working in individual hearts, bringing a refreshing return to God with passion and zeal. Revival is not a random burst of energy and emotion but is based on truth found in the Bible. For Luther and other Reformers of the 16th century, the revival that came to be called the Protestant Reformation was based on five enduring principles. True Christian faith is based on Scripture alone, on salvation in Christ alone, by grace alone and through faith alone—and all of this is for glory to God alone. These five points summarize the key principles of the Reformation. Are these five lasting principles at work in our lives? As we ponder these teachings that were rediscovered long ago, may their truth work in our hearts to strengthen and revive us, making us agents of revival wherever God has placed us.

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. [Psalm 85: 6-7]

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Written by Robert Brizee, a contemporary author.  This is an excerpt from his book “Where in the World is God?”

God is actively present in each tiny human event persuading us by loving visions to transform ourselves continually. God is one of our constant relationships. God is in the midst of our deepest processes. Like one unique voice in a choir, one special instrument in an orchestra that blends with the many others, God is present persuading the many to become one in beauteous harmony.

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. [Psalm 46:7]

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Written by Carlo Carretto (1910-1988), an Italian writer and priest. This is an excerpt from his work “Why, O Lord?”

No, we shall not enter the kingdom until we have accepted the demands of love to the hilt, until we have desired to die for love of all our [brothers and sisters], until we have mounted the cross and ideally shed our last drop of blood! And you want to enter the kingdom with your thoughts greedily revolving round the money left in your cashbox, on your checkbook still on the table, with your clothes still smelling of tobacco, with your envelope of cocaine in your pocket? Or, worse, with hatred for your landlord or dislike of your husband in your heart? Before long the kingdom would grow ugly and the eternal banquet repulsive. No, my sisters and brothers, believe me: the exodus begins when you receive baptism, normally baptism with water; and ends when you are baptized with your own blood—every last drop of it. As happened to Jesus.

His state was divine, yet he did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself to assume the condition of a slave, and became as [we] are; and being as [we] are, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross, [Philippians 2:6-8]

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Written by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), a German-Dutch Catholic canon and the author of “The Imitation of Christ.”

Grant me, O Lord, to know what I ought to know, to love what I ought to love, to praise what delights thee most, to value what is precious in thy sight, to hate what is offensive to thee. Do not suffer me to judge according to the sight of my eyes, nor to pass sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant [people]; but to discern with a true judgment between things visible and spiritual, and above all, always to inquire what is the good pleasure of Thy will.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [1 John 3:2]

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Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader of the Methodism revival movement.

What would not every lover of God and his [or her] neighbor do, what would [they] not suffer, to remedy this sore evil, to remove contention from the children of God, to restore or preserve peace among them? What but a good conscience would [they] think too dear to part with, in order to promote this valuable end? And suppose we cannot “make (these) wars to cease in all the world,” suppose we cannot reconcile all the children of God to each other, however let [us] do what [we] can, let [us] contribute, if it be but two mites toward it.

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. [Ephesians 4:1-3]

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Written by Edward Farrell, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from his book “Gathering the Fragments.”

A disciple experiences a joy and peace so deep within that he or she is compelled to share it with others. When this hidden mission begins to emerge in us, we find other people who also know that they have been haunted by Jesus and are drawn to each other to grow together in him. When we begin to follow Jesus, we allow him to live more consciously in our lives. In surprising and simple ways, he is always speaking to us. He is at the heart of the world and at the heart of each of us, especially at the fragile center where we are afraid—of ourselves, of others, of God. Fragile people are such a revelation of God.

What they trust in is fragile; what they rely on is a spider’s web [Job 8:14]

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Written by Philipp Melanchthon (1495-1560), an educator and reformer.

O everlasting God, have mercy upon us. Through your Holy Spirit unite us with yourself. Illumine us with true light and inflame us with righteousness. Your Son’s words manifest to us your loving kindness, the gift of your Holy Spirit, and your ardent desire to assist us: “How much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”  Hence we know that you are willing to give us this good gift provided we ask for it. This makes us confident that you will hear our prayers and petitions. Amen.

 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! [Luke 11:13]

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Written by Chuck Swindoll, a contemporary evangelical pastor, author, educator, and radio preacher.

Paul, the brilliant, competent, gifted, strong leader honestly admits, “I don’t have everything wired.” Vulnerability includes more than this, however. Vulnerability means being willing to express personal needs, admitting one’s limitations or failures, having a teachable spirit, and especially being reluctant to appear the expert, the one with all the answers, the final voice of authority. Not only are these traits refreshing—they’re rare! If you’re the type of individual who needs to be right or always have the last word . . . if you must receive constant words of appreciation to bolster your self-perception, then you need to learn a lesson from Paul. Rest in the fact that you’ll never be perfect. The One who made you and calls you, forms His “perfection” in you. How? When you daily surrender to His will.

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. [Philippians 3:12-14]

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Written by Billy Graham (1939-2018), an American evangelist, minister, and civil rights activist.

Peace with God and the peace of God in a man’s heart and the joy of fellowship with Christ have in themselves a beneficial effect upon the body and mind and will lead to the development and preservation of physical and mental power. Thus, Christ promotes the best interest of the body and mind as well as of the spirit—in addition to inward peace, the development of spiritual life, the joy and fellowship with Christ, and the new strength that come with being born again. There are certain special privileges that only the true Christian can enjoy. There is, for example, the privilege of having divine wisdom and guidance continually.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. [James 1:5]

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Written by Oswald Chambers (1874-1917), a Scottish Baptist evangelist and teacher.

Isn’t it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus? As long as we have even the tiniest bit of spiritual rebellion inside of us, we long for God to ask us to do something grand and important. Instead, he tells us to do something infinitely simple: “Come.” Think of all the things you won’t come to the Lord about. If you want to know how spiritually real you are, test yourself with these words: “Come to me.” In every degree to which you are not real, you will argue rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come; you will do anything rather than present yourself, just as you are, to your Lord. “Come to me.” When you hear these words, you know that a change must happen inside you before you will come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do. He will show you that you must take an axe to the thing that is preventing you from getting through to the Lord. You will never get any further until you do. The Holy Spirit will locate the one unmovable thing in you, but he won’t budge it unless you let him. How often have you come to God with your requests and had the feeling that you’d achieved your goal, only to come away with nothing? And yet all the time, God has stood with outstretched hands, not only to take you but so that you will take him. Think of the invincible, unconquerable, untiring patience of Jesus as he says, “Come to me.”t your heavenly Father will achieve.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. [Matthew 11:28]

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