Pathways Press.com

Written by Louie Giglio, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker.  This is an excerpt from his book “Seeing God as a Perfect Father.”

A marker of spiritual maturity is that we’re called to adopt the behavior and character of God. We model after Him. This means we pattern after Him, copy Him, emulate Him, shadow Him, echo Him, mirror Him. We model after Him and model after Him again. Through the close relationship we have with God through Christ, we constantly study how God works and moves, and then we study Him some more. The change doesn’t happen all at once. It happens bit by bit through the trueness of our walk with Him. This progression actually takes pressure off of us, knowing our lives are transformed bit by bit. We don’t learn from our earthly fathers all at once, and our heavenly Father doesn’t expect us to figure everything out immediately either. In our spiritual walks, we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The key word is grow. And growth is gradual. If you are new in Christ, the adventure of your new life and identity waits before you. God promises to accompany you every step of the glorious path. And as you awaken, accept, and adopt His perfect and powerful ways, you will discover the majesty of His abundant goodness. Your journey has only begun! 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. [2 Peter 3:18]

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Written by Mark Roberts, a contemporary author.

Gracious God, thank you for the example of Jesus. Thank you for how he called the twelve to be with him in a special way, to share in life and work together. Thank you, Lord, for calling me into relationship with you and into your ministry. Help me to “be with you” even as your first disciples were with you. By your grace, may I discover how to know you better as I live my life in relationship with you. May I also follow your example by living and working in community with others. I thank you for those who share life and work with me: my family, colleagues, friends, and church community. As we follow you, may we share in your kingdom work and grow in mutual love and understanding. Amen.

He [Jesus] appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach. [Mark 3:14]

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Written by Christine Caine, a contemporary author. This is an excerpt from her book “Permission to Dream.”

When the unexpected strikes, we find ourselves perched on a thin precipice with an abyss on either side. That’s when we have a decision to make. We can choose to fall into the abyss of despair on one side or into the abyss of hope on the other. Both look like scary choices, but when we choose to fall into hope, we soon find ourselves wrapped in the arms of a loving God — a God who always catches us and always promises to carry us from the precipice of despair into the wide-open space of new life. That’s where we find the new opportunities and experiences that get us beyond our disappointments and disillusionments. It is a place of freedom where we let go of what we once wanted in exchange for what we never expected — a new adventure. But we can’t get there by ourselves.  Only God can catch and carry us into the new life we never imagined and take us to places we never considered going. 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:13]

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Written by Michael Okuneye, a contemporary missionary and leadership trainer.

Learning to love ourselves is a journey that requires acceptance and embracing of who we are, just as God accepts and loves us. We must avoid comparing ourselves to others and hating ourselves for our weaknesses. Instead, we can work on changing and improving ourselves. The devil may try to convince us otherwise, but we must remember that God’s love for us is unconditional. We are new creations in Christ, forgiven and loved. By going back to God, we can find the strength to love ourselves and embrace our uniqueness.

For if a man belongs to Christ, he is a new person. The old life is gone. New life has begun. [2 Corinthians 5:17]

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Written by Matthew Dickerson, a contemporary author.

Although our outer selves (our visible actions and audible words) reflect the reality of our (invisible) inner lives, our inner selves are not transformed simply by focusing on superficial appearances. Transformation requires getting at the heart, which only God can do. Yet, though the transformational work can only be done by God, and not by our own willpower, we are called both to surrender to that work and to participate in it, which may prove painful as well as joyful. In the imagery of C.S. Lewis, it took the claws of Aslan to remove Eustace’s dragon skin.

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!  [Psalm 139:23-24]

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Written by Daniel Maritz, a contemporary writer. This is an excerpt from his book “Bold Pursuit.”

Sin interferes with your relationship with God. It doesn’t change your status as His child. That’s important to understand. If you’ve accepted Christ as your Savior, you’ve been declared righteous… Being declared righteous isn’t the same as being perfect. You still have a sinful nature inside you. Sometimes that nature will get the better of you. Sometimes you’ll lose the battle against temptation. That doesn’t mean you have to become spiritually reborn again; it only happens once. Justification happens once. God put His Spirit in you… Sin does, however, create a wall between you and God, and keeps you from enjoying everything God has to offer. And it keeps you from living the life He intends for you. That’s why the Holy Spirit makes His grieving known. He acts stronger than your conscience. He lets you know when something’s not right inside you — when there’s a temporary blockage in your relationship with God. He makes you feel bad about what you’ve done — not to ruin your self-esteem but to compel you to take care of the problem. When the Holy Spirit convicts you of a sin, you should ask God’s forgiveness immediately—never put it aside until later. 

Let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us. [Hebrews 12:1]

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Written by Dallas Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher and author on Christian spiritual formation.   This is an excerpt from his book “The Divine Conspiracy.”

We should, to begin with, think that God leads a very interesting life, and that he is full of joy. Undoubtedly, he is the most joyous being in the universe. The abundance of his love and generosity is inseparable from this infinite joy. All of the good and beautiful things from which we occasionally drink tiny droplets of soul-exhilarating joy, God continuously experience in all their breadth and depth and richness.

For the joy of the Lord is your strength [Nehemiah 8:10]

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Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996), a Dutch priest, professor, writer, and theologian.  This is an excerpt from his book “Way of the Heart.”

Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self. Jesus himself entered into this furnace. There he was tempted with the three compulsions of the world: to be relevant (“turn stones into loaves”), to be spectacular (“throw yourself down”), and to be powerful (“I will give you all these kingdoms”). There he affirmed God as the only source of his identity (“You must worship the Lord your God and serve him alone”). Solitude is the place of the great struggle and the great encounter — the struggle against the compulsions of the false self, and the encounter with the loving God who offers himself as the substance of the new self.

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.  [Matthew 14:23]

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Written by Brian Friedrich, a contemporary pastor and President of Concordia University.

That was different! Of burials I’ve attended, hurrying quickly away has not been the case. Lingering, longing, and lasting are the usual descriptors—one more tear, one more rose petal dropped, one more mourner’s hug, one more memory. One more. Even when the funeral directors announce it’s “time to leave and go to the luncheon,” some stay. But not so on the first Easter morning. When the angel announces to the women gathering at the grave site: “He is not here,” the faithful, believing women run, they hurry, they race! They have Good News! The Dead One is raised. Fear is gone. Hope is here. The resurrection is real. The time to tell is now. The victory to celebrate has dawned. Jesus is alive! The abundant joy of resurrection realized cannot be contained! The words “He is Risen” echo through time and eternity so that the first disciples would, and all people everywhere will know that death is done, sin is conquered, and the grave cannot hold us. Forever and for always resurrection power is ours because Jesus lives and He always will! Today, do as the women did on Easter morning: run; rejoice; retell. Jesus Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

The women ran quickly from the tomb!  [Matthew 28:1-10]

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Written by Divinah Nyabera, a contemporary writer.  

After his fall from the Garden of Eden, man was condemned to death. God, in His fullness of love and mercy, set out a plan to save, redeem, and exalt the fallen humankind…Jesus left the glory of heaven to die so that man could be saved.  Jesus preached the gospel to the poor, healed the brokenhearted, set the captives free, and caused the blind to see and the lame to walk. Love, mercy, and compassion were His way of life. He became a man that He might reach man’s needs. Jesus on His earthly journey always spoke the truth, but in love. He was never rude, nor did He utter a severe word to a sensitive soul… It was in His mission to save humankind that Jesus lived, suffered, and died. God permitted His beloved son to come down from the Heavenly glory to a sinful world darkened with the shadow of death. The son of God took upon Himself the burden of sin. He felt a separation from His father in heaven. The burden of sin broke the heart of the son of God. God made this great sacrifice because of the great love for man. His begotten son was the medium through which He could pour His infinite love for fallen humankind … The agony of Gethsemane, the death on Calvary, the heart of infinite love, paid the price of salvation…What matchless love!

For God loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life [ John 3:16]

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