On July 16, 1505, Martin Luther, then a student at the University of Erfurt, invited his friends and acquaintances to a farewell supper. He wished to see them about him for the last time before his approaching retirement to the cloister. “The bright, cheerful young fellow,” as his later pupil, Mathesius, calls him, was a favourite in his own circle. Those assembled to bid him farewell, amongst whom were also “honest, virtuous maidens and women,” were doubtless somewhat taken aback at their friend’s sudden determination to leave the world; but Luther was outwardly “beyond measure cheerful” and showed himself so light of heart that he played the lute while the wine-cup circled round. On the following morning—it was the feast of St. Alexius, as Luther remembered when an old man—some of his fellow-students accompanied him to the gate of the Augustinian monastery and then, with tears in their eyes, saw the doors close upon him. The Prior, who was already apprised of the matter, greeted the timid new-comer, embraced him, and then, in accordance with the Rule, confided him to the Master of Novices to be initiated into the customs of the community. In the quiet monastic cell and amid the strange new surroundings the student was probably able little by little to master the excitement which, though hidden from outsiders, raged within his breast; for the determination to become a monk had been arrived at under strange, soul-stirring circumstances. He was on his way back to Erfurt, after a visit to his parents’ house, when, near Stotternheim, he was overtaken by a thunderstorm, and as a flash of lightning close beside him threatened him “like a heavenly vision,” he made the sudden vow: “Save me, dear St. Anne, and I will become a monk.” He appears also at that very time to have been reduced to a state of great grief and alarm by the sudden death of a dear comrade, also a student, who had been stabbed, either in a quarrel or in a duel. Thus the thoughts which had perhaps for long been attracting his serious temperament towards the cloister ripened with overwhelming rapidity. Could we but take a much later assertion of his as correct, the reason of his resolve was to be found in a certain vexation with himself: because he “despaired” of himself, he once says, therefore did he retire into the monastery.

"Contains material originally published in single magazine form as The Strange Talent of Luther Strode #1-6, The Legend of Luther Strode #1-6 and The Legacy of Luther Strode #1-6."--Title page verso.

David Pawson provides pointers for the reforms needed in the twenty-first century. He writes: "In countries where the church is in decline, what are we going to pray for and what are we going to do about this? I find that Christians fall into two camps: those who are waiting for God to do something and those who believe God is waiting for us to do things.... "Luther was not comfortable with the whole Bible; that was one of the roots of his inconsistency. The second failure, which came from that, was his failure to apply scripture to every part of the Christian life and the church life of his day. There were areas that he did not touch. I believe that God is calling us now ... to complete that Reformation and take the whole scripture and apply it to the whole Christian life, the whole of our preaching and the whole of our church structure."

Collects THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE # 1-6 plus Bonus Materials! Luther Strode is just your average geek until he sends for an exercise course from the back of an old comic book. What he gets is the instruction manual from a murder cult as old as mankind that does everything that it promised and more.

Martin Luther had one goal: peace with God. He didn't find it in the holy relics and indulgences of the church or in life as an obedient monk. Luther discovered God's treasure of truth buried under human laws and regulations. He discovered the Gospel in the Word of God. Luther took his stand on that Word, defying the highest authorities in the church and state. In so doing, he started the oldest continuing evangelical movement in history. This is Luther's dramatic story. Book jacket.