Pathways Press.com

Written by John Mark Comer, a contemporary pastor and author. This is an excerpt from his course on Practicing the Way.

As you are going about your ordinary life, live with your eyes wide open to see what the Father is doing, all around you, and then to partner with him…Jesus had this uncanny ability to see people—to see what God was doing in them, right then, right there—and to unleash God’s power and purposes for them in each moment. To see like Jesus will likely require that we slow down, that we become present to the moment, that we breathe. And as we breathe, we look for where the Father is at work and join in.

Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. [John 5:19]

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Written by Maria Skobtsove (1891-1945), known as Mother Maria of Paris. She was a Russian noblewoman, poet, nun, and member of the French Resistance during World War II.

The bodies of our fellow human beings must be treated with more care than our own. Christian love teaches us to give our brethren not only spiritual gifts, but material gifts as well. Even our last shirt, our last piece of bread must be given to them. Personal almsgiving and the most wide-ranging social work are equally justifiable and necessary. The way to God lies through love of other people, and there is no other way. At the Last Judgment I shall not be asked if I was successful in my ascetic exercises or how many prostrations I made in the course of my prayers. I shall be asked, did I feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and the prisoners: that is all I shall be asked.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. [Matthew 25:35-36]

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Written by Kallistos Ware (1934-2022), an English Eastern Orthodox bishop and theologian. This is an excerpt from his book “The Orthodox Way.”

In the [Apostles] Creed we do not say, “I believe that there is a God;” we say, “I believe in one God.” Between belief that and belief in, there is a crucial distinction. It is possible for me to believe that someone or something exists, and yet for this belief to have not practical effect on my life. I can open the telephone directory for Wigan and scan the names recorded on its pages; and, as I read, I am prepared to believe that some (or even most) of these people actually exist. But I know none of them personally, I hae never even visited Wigan, and so my belief that they exist makes no particular difference to me. When, on the other hand, I say to a much-loved friend, “I believe in you,” I am doing far more than expressing a belief that this person exists. “I believe in you” means: I turn to you, I rely upon you, I put my full trust in you, and I hope in you., That is what we are saying to God in the Creed. Faith in God, then, is not at all the same as the kind of logical certainty that we attain in Euclidean geometry. God is not the conclusion to a process of reasoning…To believe in God is not to accept the possibility of his existence because it has been “proved” to us by some theoretical argument, but it is to put our trust in One whom we know and love. Faith is not the supposition that something might be true, but the assurance that someone is there…Faith signifies a personal relationship with God.

And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. [Hebrews 11:11]

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Written by Theodyssey, an organization that helps people encounter God and be radically changed by the truth of His love. This is an excerpt from their study “When We Pray.”

Whether we realize it or not, we all live under the influence of a kingdom. Something – or someone – shapes our choices, directs our desires, and governs what we pursue. Everybody worships . . . the only choice is what to worship.Even those who love God can still find their hearts pulled toward other allegiances – success, comfort, approval, control. These desires may begin as good things, but they can quietly become ultimate things. And they start to rule us – and without realizing it, we’ve built our own cage. There is no avoiding the fact that we live at the mercy of our ideas. This is never more true than with our ideas about God.Our inner world governs our outer life. What we believe about God and ourselves — and about what makes life worthwhile — shapes the kind of people we become. The Kingdom of God reorders our loyalties. It is radically upside-down. Jesus redefines greatness as servanthood, blessedness as spiritual poverty, and wholeness as dependence. His Kingdom isn’t built on striving or status, but on surrender. That’s why this can’t just be about trying harder — we must ask God to change our hearts. It’s why we must repent and change the way we think. Every day, we choose — and we live according to what we believe matters most…Many of us long for the fruit of the Kingdom – justice, peace, mercy – but struggle with the cost of surrendering to the King. But we cannot have the Kingdom without the King.

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. [Matthew 6:24]

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Written by Meg Bucher, a contemporary writer.

Reformation Day [October 31] holds profound significance for us as Christians, not only as a historical event but as a call to ongoing transformation. Martin Luther’s quote, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me,” captures the very heart of the Reformation: the Word of God actively working to transform and guide us. Luther and other Reformers sought to expose corruption and reclaim the truth of Scripture in the face of misleading teachings within the church, such as the belief that penance and good works were necessary for salvation. Luther’s deep study of the Bible led him to discover that faith in Jesus alone grants us righteous standing with God—without any work of our own. Reformation, by its very nature, means improvement and liberation from oppression. W. Robert Godfrey echoes this ongoing need for change, stating, “Since Christians are always sinners, the church will always need reform.” Just as the church in Luther’s day needed realignment with Scripture, each of us is called to constant reform—examining our lives, confessing sins, and seeking a closer walk with Christ. Reformation Day, then, is not only a historical commemoration but a reminder of the living Word’s power to free us, transform us, and shape us closer to Christ as we continue toward eternity.

I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” [Galatians 2:21]

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Written by Kara Stout, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from her book “Untroubled Heart.”

God is doing so much behind the scenes that we may never know about or see in this life. John Piper captured this so well when he said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” We cannot even scratch the surface of grasping all that is in His control, both in our lives and the entire universe… In life, God knows the big picture and exactly how all the pieces will perfectly fit together. We are shown only a few pieces, giving us glimpses of the puzzle He is intently and affectionately completing. So pause and ask yourself: Can I be satisfied that only God knows what the final masterpiece is? Can I be content with just seeing a few pieces of the puzzle? Can I make peace with not knowing all He is doing behind the scenes, trusting He is in control of the bigger picture? As His children, we take one day at a time with our Father, abiding in His sovereignty. We cannot see the whole picture, so we seek the guidance and wisdom of the One who does.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. [Proverbs 19:21]

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Written by Anselm (1033-1109), Archbishop of Canterbury.

O Lord Our God, grant us grace to desire you with our whole heart, that so desiring we may seek and find you; and so finding you we may love you; and loving you we may hate those sins from which you have redeemed us; for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. [John 17:22-23]

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Written by Brian Morykon, a contemporary writer.

The truly good life is a long game. It is a life of continual surrender and returning to Jesus, moment by moment until the moments have made a life worth living. All day long, we’re being pitched substitutes and shortcuts for this life of continual surrender to the one who loved us into being. Don’t buy them. Don’t hold back little parts of yourself for fear of what God will do with them. God will be good to all of you and will resurrect glorified any part of you that needs to be crucified. Maybe you’ve been following Jesus for a long time. Maybe you’re tempted to check out or be on cruise control. Maybe you’re tempted to be on full control—to take by force what God hasn’t seen fit to give you yet. Take a breath. Christ is near. Surrender again. Listen to the quiet voice, and if you can’t hear it listen to the silence. Live as if God is real. Live as if God is capable of taking care of you. Live as if you didn’t have to manage your own safety, security, and reputation. Live as if God thinks you are worth dying for. Don’t take matters into your own hands. Don’t make a deal with the devil to get the good you have coming to you before God wants to give it to you. The good life is a long game. Trust the process. Christ is the process.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. [Psalm 91:1]

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Written by Gary Thomas, a contemporary minister and  author. This is an excerpt from his book “Devotions for a Sacred Marriage.”

The wide, biblical concept of mercy includes forgiveness but also has roots in loyalty. One commentator notes, “This steady, persistent refusal of God to wash His hands of wayward Israel is the essential meaning of the Hebrew word which is translated loving-kindness [or mercy].”This is a loyalty and forgiveness seasoned with graciousness and kindness — particularly to those who don’t deserve it. It is one of the most beautiful words in the English language and certainly one of the most precious truths in the Christian faith. What does it mean to fall in love with mercy? It means I am to become mercy’s biggest fan. Having received mercy from God, I am to walk in assurance and thankfulness, using my own gift of mercy as the lens through which I view anyone else’s sin… Seek to understand what a gift you’ve been given in God’s mercy. And then, from that foundation, explore the riches of extending this same mercy to others.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead [1 Peter 1:3]

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Written by John Ortberg, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.

Pay attention to your pain. Instead of reacting with anger or avoidance, pause and offer it to God as a sacrifice of love. When you encounter pain of any kind (physical, emotional, or spiritual) take it as an invitation to pray, ask for help.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. [James 1:2-3]

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