The Greatest Reformer

Again and again it is a special kind of experience to think about what happened there on the cross

Being a Reformer - a Hot Job!

You may know some of the names of reformers.

For example:

Martin Luther

who, thanks to his connection to the greatest reformer, has achieved significant success in the German-speaking world.

Huldrych Zwingli

who found his field of activity mainly in the area of ​​German Switzerland (born in Wildhaus SG).

Jean Calvin

fled from France to Switzerland (Geneva), where he exerted a great influence.

Martin Luther is known to many for his uncompromising attitude towards the word of God. He translated it into German and was thus able to make the Bible readable for the common people. SOLA SCRIPTURA was one of his catchphrases. ONLY THE SCRIPTURE - that should also be our slogan when it comes to finding the truth! Too many rely on their traditions and relationships without thinking deeply.

Reformers Introduce Reforms

Who of us likes reforms? We like it when everything stays the same, don't we?

There are types of people (especially the following temperament) who shy away from reforms. But it is something different to lead reforms, to be responsible for them, and that still in the Middle Ages !!

What is a Reformation?

A reformation describes a systematic reorganization of existing relationships, systems, ideologies or beliefs in politics, religion, economy or society.

A religious reform is aimed at the reform of a doctrine of the faith. It is to be distinguished from a reform of the organization of a religious community, which, however, is mostly the result of a reform of its religious doctrine.

Personality Study

Jesus Christ is a name that polarizes, unites or can also separate people. HE is a person who has shaped history like no other. Jesus is ranked number 1 among the 100 most important personalities of all time (recently published study by the University of Campridge).

Interesting: Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) ranks second on this list. Then follows William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and Mohammed (570-632). Martin Luther (1483-1546) occupies 17th place.

Who gives his life for his friends shows that they are extremely important to him. Just imagine - as Son of God and controller of the micro- and macrocosm, Jesus did not spare his own life, but gave it for you and me so that we both have the opportunity to receive an eternal life one day.

Jesus - the Greatest Reformer

How is it that Jesus has the greatest influence on our humanity?

Jesus was no ordinary child. He was born without a human father. His father was the Creator God himself. How did this father, who ruled the micro- and macrocosm, come up with the idea to send his dearest son to us on earth ??? Did he just want to introduce a new religion? NO - God was concerned with much more!

With Jesus Christ, HE sent someone to the people who turned everything upside down, that is, introduced real reformations. It is interesting that God did not send his Son to earth as king, but as one of the lowest, which suggests that with our Creator God the lowest are the highest. HE has revolutionized our understanding of LOVE.

His main call was:

LOVE GOD WITH WHOLE HEART AND LOVE YOUR COUNTRIES AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF.

Jesus showed humanity how deep, high, wide and long the dimensions of real love can go. Such reformers can sometimes meet with resistance. So it was with Jesus. He was classified as a popular agitator. His own people crucified him. He was executed as a blasphemer.

But after three days his father woke him from death. We Christians celebrate this victory over death today at Easter. The question remains, why did God the Father brutally murder his son Jesus?

Could that be a striking sign that

God hasn't given up on people because HE wants to offer them a second chance?

A look back:

When God created people, He gave them free will. For HIM this is an important part of his understanding of love. We can decide for ourselves. So the first people did not decide according to God's plans, but allowed themselves to be influenced by God's enemy to lead their own direction. This brought them into ominous distance from God and was the basis for the development of fear and destruction.

Human history began. Joy and sorrow, fear and love, punishment and affection, war and peace - everything had been given a place in her life.

But our creator God has not given up on us humans. He offers us a second chance:

He sent his own Son Jesus Christ to us as a human being to overcome this humanly insurmountable gap to God. JESUS ​​paid for it with his life.

My Prayer:

Heavenly Father

I thank you that you like me and offer me your friendship. I realized I haven't really asked about you yet. I hurt many people unnecessarily in my life. I'm really sorry for that. Thank you very much for forgiving me.

Lord, you can change and improve me now, just as you like. You know best what I need most in my life.

Help me to become the person you made up for me. I am so happy that my life with YOU makes sense and joy.

Amen

The prophecies in the Bible that speak of Jesus' return and describe the time when He will come suggest that this crucial step may be soon. It is worth being prepared for it.

A Life with JESUS? Wow!!

Marriage and love quality

Maybe you are married. Hopefully happy. It is clear: If you get so close to a person, sleep in the same room and are actually ready to share everything - at least in the infatuation phase - then you have the privilege of having a deeper relationship than is generally the case. You can even get so close that closeness can hurt, right?

How deep can a relationship go? Although the divorce rate is over 50% these days, there are still happy couples. Hopefully you know of such. What is the difference between them and the divorced? So there has to be a quality of relationship, many of which have no idea that it exists at all. Unfortunately.

Such a high quality relationship can also be called the conscious decision to go through life with JESUS every day.

Do you believe in a god?

It is obvious that believing in a God is not for everyone. However, if you take your life seriously, worry about the beginning and end of your life, then you might wonder: thanks to the microcosm we know that a caterpillar can become a butterfly without a designer. Where else can all this information come from. Lets remember the DNA - the most complex program ever - why can it function at all. A thinking person might ask the question of the origin like this.

Creation or Evolution?

It is a bigger challenge to form an objective opinion on this topic and not to look at tradition and people, but only at clean scientific facts. The history of our nature shows us the way.

Doesn't the belief in evolution or in a rationally impossible coincidence have to be greater than a belief in a creator god? Why do so many people find it difficult to believe? Perhaps because of our convenience, tradition, or educational quality. For me it is a scientifically logical consequence that a creator must have created this universe. Not all questions have been answered, but the tendencies and structures of life are given and fascinate me.

Let us assume that this creator god is a lovable God who knows all the absolutely necessary components that are needed for life to be possible in the universe at all. And He created it just for us little earth.

What kind of motivation would it take for this immensely intelligent God to send his son to this earth, as a human being without divine or at least human privileges such as noble family or wealth? Would you be willing to go as an ant into a disaster-stricken anthill to help them solve their problems?

Universal history

Scripture reports such a problem: sin. A highly talented angel, called Lucifer, is said to have been no longer satisfied with his status and wanted even greater privileges, yes to be like God. Through persuasion - arguments are found for every idea - he is said to have persuaded a third of his fellow angels.

Well, he tried the same with us humans and was successful. Since then we have been caught up in the struggle between good and evil. Some are bigger victims, others get away a little better. Anyone who can get an overview of the state of the world today and understands where abuse and destruction of body and soul occurs, will understand why this problem of sin requires a solution. It cannot go on like this, otherwise humanity will destroy itself.

What is love?

So this wise God has decided to send His own Son to us humans, to give relief from this dilemma to all who seek access to His love and want to accept His offer. A gift that corresponds to the result of an extremely great, universally significant love that cannot be found in humans.

It is this love that can drive us to broaden our own understanding of love that we have received with our upbringing until we can have a marriage relationship in a happy community.

Love doesn't compel. This is an important universal concept that God wants to share with us. It is a loving offer that we are offered in the person of JESUS ​​to accept His efforts to restore our relationship with God and heal fears and deficits. What an opportunity! Universal uniqueness! Those who are interested in real love cannot help but be fascinated by such a quality of love.

What is real love? Are they just good feelings? Or is it more of a consistently positive character, who wishes the best in the long term for his fellow human beings and himself and who works for the good?

JESUS ​​offer

It is this love that frees us from misfortune, makes us independent of circumstances, redeems us from sinful causes. That's why Jesus died for us, for you. HE would like to invite you to accept his offer. He wants to make it clear to all of us that if I am interested in love, in His love, He wants to give us a new life, a new life with Him. This is a step into a relationship with JESUS ​​that breaks our human limits and enables divine dimensions.

JESUS ​​is the personified LOVE of God. Thanks to JESUS, we have been given the opportunity to enter into an eternal love community after resolving this sin problem. Eternal life is a gift with which our dear God wants to make us happy for all our experienced and self-made sins.

The problem of sin, personified in Lucifer and his demons, will be solved. Everyone is responsible for their lives. Everyone has to take responsibility for their actions. A divine judgment will restore justice to all who have chosen HIM and will compensate, liberate and reward everyone. What an offer! Do you want to accept it too?

If you have chosen JESUS ​​as your life partner, then another, indeed an exciting life begins. JESUS ​​is always good for a surprise. Precisely because He knows the micro and macro cosmos so well that He wants us to share in their advantages. This is shown, for example, in miracles, in the understanding of His healing laws, in the knowledge of His conditioned and unconditional love (LINK) and in a new quality of life. He says that whoever cares about His wisdom should only ask HIM. Then he would receive it. Nice, is it not?

Imagine a young family who understands this love and applies it every day. Isn't it a pleasure to see how this family is a light in this mostly dark world?

Be a master of circumstances

"Rejoice always," Paul wrote to the Philippians (4: 4). By holding on and hoping for a life afterwards, it is actually possible to become master of your own, sometimes awkward, circumstances. After numerous beatings on the back, Paul and Silas were able to sing praises in a Roman prison.

Whoever knows that he/she is a child of God and can call God his father - this person lives in another world. All self-worth problems (LINK) have been solved. You no longer have to be afraid. Just be free from all the fear of loss and self-worth complexes. God is a uniquely sensational Father who takes his function so seriously that He wants to educate us to be strong, lovable people who will also fit into His eternal community. What hope! Don't you want to be there too?

How to get to know JESUS ​​better?

Those who want to get to know JESUS ​​better can do so by reading the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). There you meet JESUS, how he dealt with people of his time. His statements are eternal. Very interesting.

There is no good argument against real love. Anyone who wants to get to know LOVE is best served by JESUS.

What JESUS also appreciates if you want to have contact with HIM, is conversation. What I mean with that is known as prayer. He is happy when we talk to HIM and He wants to tackle our challenges. Try it. He will answer, sometimes by his word (Bible), sometimes with impressions, dreams, ideas, sometimes also with other people, whom He uses as His children. It doesn't always go as quickly as we would sometimes like. But it enables HIM to give us a gift as listed in the book to Galatians 5: 22-23. These include: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, FRIENDLINESS, BENEFITS, FAITH, HUMILITY, SELF-DISCIPLINE. That is considered the fruit of His spirit. It's a great offer, isn't it?

If you have any questions, just get in touch. I like to receive such emails. (ernst.zwiker@yahoo.com)

The Paradox of Prayer

Even today, in the 21st century, there are still people who pray. Maybe in secret, alone, maybe when they are in trouble or worried about something. They may be believers or non-believers. The desire for help or strength from One who is all-powerful is often greater than our own convictions.

A Longing for Something Higher

In German, the word “longing” is “Sehnsucht”. The first part, “Sehn” means to want something that seems good and proper, but not be able to have it at the moment. The second part, “Sucht” translates “addiction”.  So those who have a longing are looking for something they think they need and cannot do without. They are searching for a way to satisfy either real or perceived needs.

Do you agree that we humans have a place inside us reserved for something higher, let’s say, divine? When we stand on top of a mountain or gaze into a clear, star-studded night sky, many feel drawn to something or someone awesome, to the power of creation or a Creator greater than we can wrap our minds around. It’s understandable that one might like to be able to communicate with that Higher Power. We call this communication prayer.  

This is the biggest mountain near us, Säntis. It is always an awe-inspiring view, to see its beauty and imagine the power that put it there. Amazing! The view from the top is even better! With optimal visibility you can see 6 countries. 

The Meaning of Prayer

The idea of Christian prayer requires the recognition of a benevolent Higher Power. As Christians, we believe in a personal God who is pleased to hear and answer our prayers. This is a faith not found in many other religions. He must be present when we pray; thus, the term “omnipresence” is used to express one of His special qualities.

If God had the power to create people, it would be reasonable to assume that He might want to communicate with those He created. One way He can do that is through nature. He also gifts  some people with special wisdom and knowledge, so they can be a blessing for those around them.

Such were those who were chosen to write His Book, the Bible. The more you read it, the more you are amazed at how this Book, which was written over a period of about 1500 years by so many different authors, could demonstrate such precise harmony in its messages and principles. 

Isn’t it understandable that human beings in their limitedness would like to connect with their Creator, the One who controls the micro- and macrocosm, as well as time and space? Of course we would like to take our worries and cares to Him! With Him, there’s always hope. With Him, we can experience a change for the better.

Jesus of Nazareth was the epitome of the image of a personal God. It seems to me to be the greatest sign of humility and love for God to deal with His creatures on their level the way He did in the Person of Jesus Christ. Because He became human, He cannot only SAY He understands us; He really understands and can speak to us in a way that we can comprehend. As we examine the historical figure of Jesus, we are able to discern who God is, how He thinks, and how He treats people. Jesus’ thoughts and actions as recorded in the Bible are like an interpreter, bringing “God’s language” within our grasp. 

Everything Jesus did in His life, the way He met challenges, took every need seriously and always helped those in distress, impresses me.

"Faith" is the hard and fast reception of Jesus’ modus operandi into one’s own life. His principles, including love, justice, kindness and forgiveness, are (or should be) valid for individual Christians, as well as for all Christianity. Paul wrote to the Romans, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another," (13:8), and in John 13:8 Jesus said, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have love you.” Love is the center of life and all our needs. This is where healing begins.

What happened at the cross, the abuse Jesus suffered for you and me in order to give us an escape route out of our miserable predicament, is of unfathomable universal significance. When He went through all that, love was redefined with much grander dimensions.

The Paradox

For many serious Christians, it is crystal clear that communication with our Creator is the key to a productive faith and an urgent necessity for a happy life here on earth and an amazing eternal life in the future. Contact with the Creator and Sustainer of life through prayer is the way through which strength and wisdom can be obtained. Galatians 5:22 recounts all the treasures He is waiting to give us: love, joy peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control. A veritable myriad of gifts that would revolutionize our characters!

Knowing all this, why don’t we pray more? Why don’t we act on our knowledge? Why do we want to, but can’t? Can’t we really?

Maybe we are tired of hearing our own selfish requests or experiencing a lack of answers. Do we perhaps pray that others will become better people, but keep ourselves out of it?

Or maybe it’s the postmodern program (BLOG) in our brain’s damaged learning center, which our educational system has trained to respond mostly only to external motivation (BLOG), making us helpless victims and dependent on outside factors?

Where are the strong men and women who stride through life, straight as an arrow, self-confident, just and warm-hearted, leaving the impression of a mature Christian, who have an active prayer life? Do you know anyone like that?

What is the point? Who is the point?

What are your favorite topics to pray for? Who is at the focal point? You or God? Do I pray that my spouse will be converted so my life will be more pleasant? Is it about having a comfortable life? Is health an important issue because we’re afraid of pain? Do we pray for success so we can be SOMEBODY? What is the root of our requests?

Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 that in order to be a NEW CREATION we need new insights. As long as we see others and circumstances from our human point of view, straight across, we will not make any progress. BUT as soon as we begin to see life from a vertical point of view, through God’s wisdom and Word, we will suddenly experience new life. The motivation that drives us to this new way of looking at things is our encounter with Jesus at the cross. That’s where we can pick up our new thoughts and feelings, our new modus operandi.

It is so wonderful that we don’t have to be afraid of our Creator!  How amazing that He calls Himself our Father and us His children! And when He says He’s our Father, He really means it! His understanding of LOVE includes FREEDOM, TRUTH, JUSTICE and GRACE. An unbeatable quintet!

What’s in it for me?

Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. He doesn’t need it in order to know how we are doing; we need it. Prayer doesn’t bring God down to us; it lifts us up to Him.

Luther once said he prayed more on the days he knew would be especially tough.

As post modern people, we are automatically inclined to ask, “What’s in it for me?” Prayer is about our relationship to our Creator God, whom  we may call Father. What a privilege! With prayer, we can leave this earth, mentally, and enter His territory. The closer we come to His wisdom, the clearer and more transparent life, with all its challenges, will appear. More and more, we will begin to see things as He sees them, our temporal priorities will begin to fade, and life will become much easier (in spite of trials) and more joyful. 

Additionally, in this way we actually come into contact with the source of love. Through His Son, God opened up whole new dimensions of love to the whole universe! If you would like to have a glimpse into this miracle of love, read the last several chapters of each of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

When we begin to meet with God regularly in prayer, we will begin to change. Our values and priorities change, and our relationships become more important. We get help with our problems, OR we receive comfort in our troubles. When I give God a chance to (re)form me into His likeness, I will experience an elevation of my personal standards and quality of life. There’s a LOT in it for me!