"Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 1:3-4
The argument of the apostles is that the man Jesus has been made higher than angels, higher than Moses and Aaron, higher than any creature in earth or heaven. And this exalted position He attained as a man. As God He already stood infinitely above all other beings. No argument was needed to prove the transcendence of the Godhead. The apostles were not declaring the preeminence of God, which would have been superfluous, but of a man, which was necessary.
Those first Christians believed that Jesus of Nazareth, a man they knew, had been raised to a position of Lordship over the universe. He was still their friend, still one of them, but had left them for a while to appear in the presence of God on their behalf. And the proof of this was the presence of the Holy Spirit among them.
One cause of our moral weakness today is an inadequate Christology. We think of Christ as God but fail to conceive of Him as a man glorified. To recapture the power of the Early Church we must believe what they believed. And they believed they had a God-approved man representing them in heaven.
Thought: The Risen Christ has not thrown aside His humanity. He is now the God Man and so intercedes for us. Our intercessor was tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). He fully understand our weakness.
By A.W. Tozer taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Showing posts with label A.W. Tozer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A.W. Tozer. Show all posts
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Limiting Christ's Lordship
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not what I say?" Luke 6:46
One of the most incredible phenomena in the world today is the immense and universal popularity of Jesus Christ.
Yet the teachings of Christ are wholly contrary to the beliefs of the modern world. The spiritual philosophy underlying the kingdom of God is radically opposed to that of civilized society. In short, the Christ of the New Testament and the world of mankind are so sharply opposed to each other as to amount to downright hostility. To achieve a compromise is impossible.
We can only conclude that Jesus is universally popular today because He is universally misunderstood.
Everyone admires Jesus, but almost no one takes Him seriously. He is considered a kindly idealist who loved babies and underprivileged persons. He is pictured as a gentle dreamer who was naïve enough to believe in human goodness and brave enough to die for His belief. The world thinks of Him as meek, selfless and loving, and values Him because He was what we all are at heart, or would be if things were not so tough and we had more time to cultivate our virtues. Or He is a sweet, holy symbol of something too fine, too beautiful, to be real, but something which we would not lose nevertheless from our treasure house of precious things.
Because the human mind has two compartments, the practical and the ideal, people are able to live comfortably with their dreamy, romantic conception of Jesus while paying no attention whatsoever to His words. It is this neat division between the fanciful and the real that enables countless thousands of persons to say "Lord, Lord" in all sincerity while living every moment in flat defiance of His authority.
Thought: Christ is only our Lord as we submit to His lordship. That means making Christ Lord of all areas of our life. Are we attempting to limit His lordship in our lives?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
One of the most incredible phenomena in the world today is the immense and universal popularity of Jesus Christ.
Yet the teachings of Christ are wholly contrary to the beliefs of the modern world. The spiritual philosophy underlying the kingdom of God is radically opposed to that of civilized society. In short, the Christ of the New Testament and the world of mankind are so sharply opposed to each other as to amount to downright hostility. To achieve a compromise is impossible.
We can only conclude that Jesus is universally popular today because He is universally misunderstood.
Everyone admires Jesus, but almost no one takes Him seriously. He is considered a kindly idealist who loved babies and underprivileged persons. He is pictured as a gentle dreamer who was naïve enough to believe in human goodness and brave enough to die for His belief. The world thinks of Him as meek, selfless and loving, and values Him because He was what we all are at heart, or would be if things were not so tough and we had more time to cultivate our virtues. Or He is a sweet, holy symbol of something too fine, too beautiful, to be real, but something which we would not lose nevertheless from our treasure house of precious things.
Because the human mind has two compartments, the practical and the ideal, people are able to live comfortably with their dreamy, romantic conception of Jesus while paying no attention whatsoever to His words. It is this neat division between the fanciful and the real that enables countless thousands of persons to say "Lord, Lord" in all sincerity while living every moment in flat defiance of His authority.
Thought: Christ is only our Lord as we submit to His lordship. That means making Christ Lord of all areas of our life. Are we attempting to limit His lordship in our lives?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sin's Sinfulness
"There is a sin that leads to death. . . . All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death." First John 5:16;150;17
A great preacher, now deceased, to whom I used often to listen with profit and delight, would sometimes shout dramatically, "God never classifies sin."
His words were intended as a protest against a careless attitude toward certain forms of sin, and in their context I agree with them. Nevertheless God does classify sin and so does the law of the land, and so does the conscience of every man.
As various serpents differ from each other in their power to kill, so various sins carry different kinds of venom, all bad, but not all equally bad, their power to injure depending upon the high or low concentration of iniquity they carry in them.
Within the precincts of religion are sometimes found certain sins which I want here to mention. These may be classified under three heads: Sins committed out of weakness, respectable sins more or less allowed by everyone, and sins that have been woven into the religious fabric until they have become a necessary part of it.
No sin is to be excused. Every sin carries its own penalty. But the sin committed on impulse or the sin committed out of weakness over the protests of the heart surely does not carry the same deadly charge as those done with brazen deliberation. From such a sin there is complete deliverance by the power of Christ; and from such there is more likely to be, since it is a grief to those who commit it.
Thought: John points out that all wrongdoing is sin. He goes on to say that there is sin that leads to death and there is sin that does not. That some sin is more damaging than other sin seems obvious. There is sin that not only seriously affects the sinner but has deadly effects on other people as well.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
A great preacher, now deceased, to whom I used often to listen with profit and delight, would sometimes shout dramatically, "God never classifies sin."
His words were intended as a protest against a careless attitude toward certain forms of sin, and in their context I agree with them. Nevertheless God does classify sin and so does the law of the land, and so does the conscience of every man.
As various serpents differ from each other in their power to kill, so various sins carry different kinds of venom, all bad, but not all equally bad, their power to injure depending upon the high or low concentration of iniquity they carry in them.
Within the precincts of religion are sometimes found certain sins which I want here to mention. These may be classified under three heads: Sins committed out of weakness, respectable sins more or less allowed by everyone, and sins that have been woven into the religious fabric until they have become a necessary part of it.
No sin is to be excused. Every sin carries its own penalty. But the sin committed on impulse or the sin committed out of weakness over the protests of the heart surely does not carry the same deadly charge as those done with brazen deliberation. From such a sin there is complete deliverance by the power of Christ; and from such there is more likely to be, since it is a grief to those who commit it.
Thought: John points out that all wrongdoing is sin. He goes on to say that there is sin that leads to death and there is sin that does not. That some sin is more damaging than other sin seems obvious. There is sin that not only seriously affects the sinner but has deadly effects on other people as well.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Freedom to Live as Servants of God
"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God." First Peter 2:16
Every man in a free society must decide whether he will exploit his liberty or curtail it for intelligent and moral ends. He may take upon him the responsibility of a business and a family and thus be useful to the race, or he may shun all obligations and end on skid row. The tramp is freer than president or king, but his freedom is his undoing. While he lives he remains socially sterile and when he dies he leaves behind him nothing to make the world glad he lived.
The Christian cannot escape the peril of too much liberty. He is indeed free, but his very freedom may prove a source of real temptation to him. He is free from the chains of sin, free from the moral consequences of evil acts now forgiven, free from the curse of the law and the displeasure of God. Grace has opened the prison door for him, and like Barabbas of old he walks at liberty because Another died in his stead.
All this the instructed Christian knows and he refuses to let false teachers and misguided religionists rivet a yoke of bondage upon his neck. But now what shall he do with his freedom? Two possibilities offer themselves. He may accept his blood-won freedom as a cloak for the flesh, as the New Testament declares that some have done, or he may kneel like the camel to receive his voluntary burden. And what is this burden? The woes of his fellowmen which he must do what he can to assuage; the debt which he along with Paul owes to the lost world; the sound of hungry children crying in the night; the church in Babylonian captivity; the swift onrush of evil doctrines and the success of false prophets; the slow decay of the moral foundations of the so-called Christian nations and whatever else demands self-sacrifice, cross-carrying, long prayer vigils and courageous witness to alleviate and correct.
Thought: The limited freedom that is ours we may exercise as a cloak for evil or to serve God. Beneath the cloak sin chains form again. Serving God results in growing assurance of faith in Christ (1 Timothy 3:13). How are you using your freedom?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Every man in a free society must decide whether he will exploit his liberty or curtail it for intelligent and moral ends. He may take upon him the responsibility of a business and a family and thus be useful to the race, or he may shun all obligations and end on skid row. The tramp is freer than president or king, but his freedom is his undoing. While he lives he remains socially sterile and when he dies he leaves behind him nothing to make the world glad he lived.
The Christian cannot escape the peril of too much liberty. He is indeed free, but his very freedom may prove a source of real temptation to him. He is free from the chains of sin, free from the moral consequences of evil acts now forgiven, free from the curse of the law and the displeasure of God. Grace has opened the prison door for him, and like Barabbas of old he walks at liberty because Another died in his stead.
All this the instructed Christian knows and he refuses to let false teachers and misguided religionists rivet a yoke of bondage upon his neck. But now what shall he do with his freedom? Two possibilities offer themselves. He may accept his blood-won freedom as a cloak for the flesh, as the New Testament declares that some have done, or he may kneel like the camel to receive his voluntary burden. And what is this burden? The woes of his fellowmen which he must do what he can to assuage; the debt which he along with Paul owes to the lost world; the sound of hungry children crying in the night; the church in Babylonian captivity; the swift onrush of evil doctrines and the success of false prophets; the slow decay of the moral foundations of the so-called Christian nations and whatever else demands self-sacrifice, cross-carrying, long prayer vigils and courageous witness to alleviate and correct.
Thought: The limited freedom that is ours we may exercise as a cloak for evil or to serve God. Beneath the cloak sin chains form again. Serving God results in growing assurance of faith in Christ (1 Timothy 3:13). How are you using your freedom?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Saturday, January 09, 2010
Living with Christ
"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him." Romans 6:8
Another reason that our religion must interfere with our private lives is that we live in the world, the Bible name for human society. The regenerated man has been inwardly separated from society as Israel was separated from Egypt at the crossing of the Red Sea. The Christian is a man of heaven temporarily living on earth. Though in spirit divided from the race of fallen men he must yet in the flesh live among them. In many things he is like them, but in others he differs so radically from them that they cannot but see and resent it. From the days of Cain and Abel the man of earth has punished the man of heaven for being different. The long history of persecution and martyrdom confirms this.
But we must not get the impression that the Christian life is one continuous conflict, one unbroken irritating struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. A thousand times no. A heart that learns to die with Christ soon knows the blessed experience of rising with Him, and all the world’s persecutions cannot still the high note of holy joy that springs up in the soul that has become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
Thought: There is that conflict between our sinful nature and the Spirit. But as we submit to the Spirit's control, there is also the peace of Christ (John 14:27) and His joy (John 15:11) to calm and brighten our way, because having died with Christ we may also live with Him.
By A.W. Tozer taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Another reason that our religion must interfere with our private lives is that we live in the world, the Bible name for human society. The regenerated man has been inwardly separated from society as Israel was separated from Egypt at the crossing of the Red Sea. The Christian is a man of heaven temporarily living on earth. Though in spirit divided from the race of fallen men he must yet in the flesh live among them. In many things he is like them, but in others he differs so radically from them that they cannot but see and resent it. From the days of Cain and Abel the man of earth has punished the man of heaven for being different. The long history of persecution and martyrdom confirms this.
But we must not get the impression that the Christian life is one continuous conflict, one unbroken irritating struggle against the world, the flesh and the devil. A thousand times no. A heart that learns to die with Christ soon knows the blessed experience of rising with Him, and all the world’s persecutions cannot still the high note of holy joy that springs up in the soul that has become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
Thought: There is that conflict between our sinful nature and the Spirit. But as we submit to the Spirit's control, there is also the peace of Christ (John 14:27) and His joy (John 15:11) to calm and brighten our way, because having died with Christ we may also live with Him.
By A.W. Tozer taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Fix Your Eyes on Jesus!
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith." Hebrews 12:2
Every man has some contribution to make to your life if you know how to receive it; certain men will astonish you with their ability to answer your unexpressed question and tell you what is in your heart. But never attach yourself to any man as a parasite. Adopt no man as a guru. Apart from the inspired writers of Holy Scriptures no man is worthy of such confidence. The sweetest saint can be mistaken.
I repeat, never let any man become necessary to you. Christ alone is necessary. Apart from Him we are completely wretched; without Him we cannot live and dare not die. Our need of Him is real and vital and will outlast time and go on into eternity. That deep and desperate need is met by Christ so completely that when we have Him we need no one else. We may receive help from our fellow Christians as they from us, but our need for them is relative and fleeting. Let anyone become spiritually indispensable to us and we have deserted the Rock to build on shifting sand.
It requires deep consecration, I admit, and complete detachment from earthly interests to reach such a place of independence. And it is only after we become completely dependent upon God that we can walk without leaning on men. It takes much prayer and quiet contemplation to maintain the nice balance that will permit us to receive help from our fellow Christians and at the same time be sweetly independent of them. But we should not despair; it is not beyond the possibilities of grace. Not even for such weak Christians as we are.
Thought: God ministers to us through other believers whom He has gifted. We can be aided by others who are more mature than are we. But it is on Christ our eyes are to be fixed. He is the author and perfecter of our faith, as well as our perfect example.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: John 19-21
Old and New Testaments Together: Jer. 51-52 & Hebrews 9
Historical: Mark 15-16
Chronological: Matthew 27 & Mark 15
Blended: I Chron. 4-6 & LUke 1:1-20
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Every man has some contribution to make to your life if you know how to receive it; certain men will astonish you with their ability to answer your unexpressed question and tell you what is in your heart. But never attach yourself to any man as a parasite. Adopt no man as a guru. Apart from the inspired writers of Holy Scriptures no man is worthy of such confidence. The sweetest saint can be mistaken.
I repeat, never let any man become necessary to you. Christ alone is necessary. Apart from Him we are completely wretched; without Him we cannot live and dare not die. Our need of Him is real and vital and will outlast time and go on into eternity. That deep and desperate need is met by Christ so completely that when we have Him we need no one else. We may receive help from our fellow Christians as they from us, but our need for them is relative and fleeting. Let anyone become spiritually indispensable to us and we have deserted the Rock to build on shifting sand.
It requires deep consecration, I admit, and complete detachment from earthly interests to reach such a place of independence. And it is only after we become completely dependent upon God that we can walk without leaning on men. It takes much prayer and quiet contemplation to maintain the nice balance that will permit us to receive help from our fellow Christians and at the same time be sweetly independent of them. But we should not despair; it is not beyond the possibilities of grace. Not even for such weak Christians as we are.
Thought: God ministers to us through other believers whom He has gifted. We can be aided by others who are more mature than are we. But it is on Christ our eyes are to be fixed. He is the author and perfecter of our faith, as well as our perfect example.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Warfare of the Spirit"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: John 19-21
Old and New Testaments Together: Jer. 51-52 & Hebrews 9
Historical: Mark 15-16
Chronological: Matthew 27 & Mark 15
Blended: I Chron. 4-6 & LUke 1:1-20
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Reality not Rituals
"But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." John 14:26
When we find repetition in the pages of our Bibles as we do in these early chapters of Hebrews, we know there is a purpose behind it. As Christian believers, we have learned to trust the divine wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit knows that we do not quickly apprehend divine truth. We must read or hear it more than once. God's method of instruction is "Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there" (Isaiah 28:10)—until we have received and learned and benefited.
In this process of learning, God has some problems with us. One problem is that we get bored. Thankfully, God is faithful and persistent. He is not disposed to let us go. He keeps telling us to go on learning, to go on believing, to go on rejoicing in His Word. He is God and we can trust Him as He leads us and reveals His will to us.
Now, on God's side I speak with reverence but with plainness when I say that God became tired of those Old Testament rituals and sacrifices. It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can purge away sin. God says as much through the prophet Isaiah:
'The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?' says the Lord. 'I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to meet with me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?' (Isaiah 1:11–12).
In effect, Isaiah was saying to the people of Israel, "God grows weary of your sacrifices and offerings when your hearts and minds are not in tune with Him!" Probably if we are sufficiently thoughtful and concerned, this same message would cause us to reassess a popular notion among us. We presume we are impressing high heaven by attending churches in large numbers. Surely God is still asking, "Who told you to do this? When you come before Me, who has required this of you? Bring no more vain oblations!"
Thought: Unless they express our whole heart, God is not impressed with our oblations—our acts of worship, our good works, our giving. As we open ourselves fully to Him, the Spirit will teach us and keep on teaching us.
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Matthew 27-28
Old and New Testaments Together: Isaiah 43-44 & I Thess. 2
Historical: 1 Cor. 9-11
Chronological: Matthew 13 & Luke 8
Blended: I Samuel 4-6 & Eph. 4
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
When we find repetition in the pages of our Bibles as we do in these early chapters of Hebrews, we know there is a purpose behind it. As Christian believers, we have learned to trust the divine wisdom and the leading of the Holy Spirit of God. The Spirit knows that we do not quickly apprehend divine truth. We must read or hear it more than once. God's method of instruction is "Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there" (Isaiah 28:10)—until we have received and learned and benefited.
In this process of learning, God has some problems with us. One problem is that we get bored. Thankfully, God is faithful and persistent. He is not disposed to let us go. He keeps telling us to go on learning, to go on believing, to go on rejoicing in His Word. He is God and we can trust Him as He leads us and reveals His will to us.
Now, on God's side I speak with reverence but with plainness when I say that God became tired of those Old Testament rituals and sacrifices. It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can purge away sin. God says as much through the prophet Isaiah:
'The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me?' says the Lord. 'I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to meet with me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?' (Isaiah 1:11–12).
In effect, Isaiah was saying to the people of Israel, "God grows weary of your sacrifices and offerings when your hearts and minds are not in tune with Him!" Probably if we are sufficiently thoughtful and concerned, this same message would cause us to reassess a popular notion among us. We presume we are impressing high heaven by attending churches in large numbers. Surely God is still asking, "Who told you to do this? When you come before Me, who has required this of you? Bring no more vain oblations!"
Thought: Unless they express our whole heart, God is not impressed with our oblations—our acts of worship, our good works, our giving. As we open ourselves fully to Him, the Spirit will teach us and keep on teaching us.
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Matthew 27-28
Old and New Testaments Together: Isaiah 43-44 & I Thess. 2
Historical: 1 Cor. 9-11
Chronological: Matthew 13 & Luke 8
Blended: I Samuel 4-6 & Eph. 4
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Friday, September 18, 2009
God in Three Persons is for Us
"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31
The Scriptures tell us the whole story. Not only have we sinned, but our moral revolt has alienated us from God.
Some people still like to protest God's right to banish the transgressor from His presence forever. They insist upon forming and holding their own humanistic views of God. For that reason I say, let's clear away some of these weeds!
First, there is the old idea that Jesus Christ, the Son, differs from God the Father. People conceive Christ to be a loving Jesus on our side while an angry Father God is against us. Never, never in all of history has there been any truth in that notion. Christ, being God, is for us. The Father, being God, is for us. The Holy Spirit, being God, is for us! That is one of the greatest thoughts we can ever hope to think. That is why the Son came to die for us. That is why the risen Son, our great High Priest, is at the right hand of the Majesty on high, praying for us.
Christ is our advocate above. The Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts is the advocate within. There is no disagreement between Father, Son and Spirit about the Church, the body of Christ.
Thought: God is for us! God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. But He has not made us robots. We may respond to His love or reject it. It is the Triune God who reaches out to us.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Daniel 10-12
Old and New Testaments Together: Proverbs 30-31 & 2 Cor. 11:1-15
Historical: I Chron. 13-15
Chronological: Ezra 1-3
Blended: Amos 4-6 & John 7:28-53
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
The Scriptures tell us the whole story. Not only have we sinned, but our moral revolt has alienated us from God.
Some people still like to protest God's right to banish the transgressor from His presence forever. They insist upon forming and holding their own humanistic views of God. For that reason I say, let's clear away some of these weeds!
First, there is the old idea that Jesus Christ, the Son, differs from God the Father. People conceive Christ to be a loving Jesus on our side while an angry Father God is against us. Never, never in all of history has there been any truth in that notion. Christ, being God, is for us. The Father, being God, is for us. The Holy Spirit, being God, is for us! That is one of the greatest thoughts we can ever hope to think. That is why the Son came to die for us. That is why the risen Son, our great High Priest, is at the right hand of the Majesty on high, praying for us.
Christ is our advocate above. The Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts is the advocate within. There is no disagreement between Father, Son and Spirit about the Church, the body of Christ.
Thought: God is for us! God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. But He has not made us robots. We may respond to His love or reject it. It is the Triune God who reaches out to us.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Daniel 10-12
Old and New Testaments Together: Proverbs 30-31 & 2 Cor. 11:1-15
Historical: I Chron. 13-15
Chronological: Ezra 1-3
Blended: Amos 4-6 & John 7:28-53
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Monday, August 31, 2009
Christ Our Mighty Mediator
"But because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." Hebrews 7:24–25
After Jesus' resurrection from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. He invited Thomas to feel the wound marks in His flesh. What blessed meaning there is in His words to the fearful disciples: "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Whether modern men and women agree on the exaltation of the Man Christ Jesus, we in the family of God have heard His words and we know the New Testament witness: "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear" (Acts 2:32–33).
The apostle Paul told Timothy, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men" (1 Timothy 2:5). This should be counted as a great victory for Christian believers in our day. Jesus is a Man and He is enthroned at God's right hand. That is significant!
Thought: Not only did Christ die for our sins, He rose again and always lives to intercede for us. We have a mighty mediator!
By A.W. Tozer
Beginning to End: Ezek. 5-8
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 132-234 & I Cor. 11:17-34
Historical: Daniel 7-8
Chronological: Ezek. 16-17
& Blended: Psalm 132-134 & 2 Cor. 10
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
After Jesus' resurrection from the dead, He appeared to His disciples. He invited Thomas to feel the wound marks in His flesh. What blessed meaning there is in His words to the fearful disciples: "Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). Whether modern men and women agree on the exaltation of the Man Christ Jesus, we in the family of God have heard His words and we know the New Testament witness: "God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear" (Acts 2:32–33).
The apostle Paul told Timothy, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men" (1 Timothy 2:5). This should be counted as a great victory for Christian believers in our day. Jesus is a Man and He is enthroned at God's right hand. That is significant!
Thought: Not only did Christ die for our sins, He rose again and always lives to intercede for us. We have a mighty mediator!
By A.W. Tozer
Beginning to End: Ezek. 5-8
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 132-234 & I Cor. 11:17-34
Historical: Daniel 7-8
Chronological: Ezek. 16-17
& Blended: Psalm 132-134 & 2 Cor. 10
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Friday, August 07, 2009
Our Model for Christian Living
"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you." John 13:15
The message to First Century Hebrew Christians was precise and direct: Let Jesus Christ be your motivation to love righteousness and to hate iniquity. In our present century our spiritual obligations and responsibilities are no different. The character and attributes of Jesus, the eternal Son, have not changed and will not change.
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above
your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" (Hebrews 1:8–9).
There is a tendency for people to relegate everything in the realm of righteousness or iniquity to deity, whatever their concept of deity may be. For the true Christian, however, our risen Lord made a promise to us before His death and resurrection. That promise effectively removes our excuses and makes us responsible:
When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you (John 16:13–15).
I will readily admit that we are not God. We cannot do in ourselves what God can do. But God created us as human beings, and if we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives, we should be able to do what Jesus, the Son of Man, was able to do in His earthly ministry.
Thought: Christ did not set an example for us without providing enablement for us to follow that example.The indwelling Holy Spirit is that enablement. Let's appropriate that empowerment today!
By A.W. Tozer
Beginning to End: Isaiah 45-48
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 72-73 & Romans 9:16-33
Historical: Job 6-9
Chronological: Jeremiah 1-3
Blended: Psalm 72-73 & Acts 26
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
The message to First Century Hebrew Christians was precise and direct: Let Jesus Christ be your motivation to love righteousness and to hate iniquity. In our present century our spiritual obligations and responsibilities are no different. The character and attributes of Jesus, the eternal Son, have not changed and will not change.
But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above
your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy" (Hebrews 1:8–9).
There is a tendency for people to relegate everything in the realm of righteousness or iniquity to deity, whatever their concept of deity may be. For the true Christian, however, our risen Lord made a promise to us before His death and resurrection. That promise effectively removes our excuses and makes us responsible:
When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you (John 16:13–15).
I will readily admit that we are not God. We cannot do in ourselves what God can do. But God created us as human beings, and if we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit and His presence in our lives, we should be able to do what Jesus, the Son of Man, was able to do in His earthly ministry.
Thought: Christ did not set an example for us without providing enablement for us to follow that example.The indwelling Holy Spirit is that enablement. Let's appropriate that empowerment today!
By A.W. Tozer
Beginning to End: Isaiah 45-48
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 72-73 & Romans 9:16-33
Historical: Job 6-9
Chronological: Jeremiah 1-3
Blended: Psalm 72-73 & Acts 26
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Seeing God in Christ
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, . . ." Hebrews 1:1–2a
I have always felt that when we read and study the Word of God we should have great expectations. We should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Person, the glory and the eternal ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps our problem is in our approach. Perhaps we have simply read our Bibles as we might read a piece of literature or a textbook.
In today's society, great numbers of people seem unable to deal with God's revelation in Christ. They run and hide, just as Adam and Eve did. Today, however, they do not hide behind trees but behind such things as philosophy and reason and even theology—believe it or not! This attitude is hard to understand.
In Jesus' death for our sins, God is offering far more than escape from a much-deserved hell. God is promising us an amazing future, an eternal future. We do not see it and understand it as we should because so much is wrong with our world. The effects of sin are all around us. The eternal purposes of God lie out yonder. I often wonder if we are making it plain enough to our generation that there will be no other revelation from God except as He speaks it through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thought: God speaks to us, reveals Himself to us by His Son. That Son is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of Godness. The more we gaze on Christ as seen in Scripture and in worship, the more we learn of God, the final revelation. - Jesus, Our Man in Glory Chapter 2 - Jesus, God's Final Revelation
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Proverbs 27-29
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 31-32 & Acts 23:16-35
Historical: Psalm 120-132
Chronological: Isaiah 28-30
Blended: Psalm 31-32 & Acts 16:1-21
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
I have always felt that when we read and study the Word of God we should have great expectations. We should ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the Person, the glory and the eternal ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Perhaps our problem is in our approach. Perhaps we have simply read our Bibles as we might read a piece of literature or a textbook.
In today's society, great numbers of people seem unable to deal with God's revelation in Christ. They run and hide, just as Adam and Eve did. Today, however, they do not hide behind trees but behind such things as philosophy and reason and even theology—believe it or not! This attitude is hard to understand.
In Jesus' death for our sins, God is offering far more than escape from a much-deserved hell. God is promising us an amazing future, an eternal future. We do not see it and understand it as we should because so much is wrong with our world. The effects of sin are all around us. The eternal purposes of God lie out yonder. I often wonder if we are making it plain enough to our generation that there will be no other revelation from God except as He speaks it through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thought: God speaks to us, reveals Himself to us by His Son. That Son is the radiance of His glory, the exact representation of Godness. The more we gaze on Christ as seen in Scripture and in worship, the more we learn of God, the final revelation. - Jesus, Our Man in Glory Chapter 2 - Jesus, God's Final Revelation
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Proverbs 27-29
Old and New Testaments Together: Psalm 31-32 & Acts 23:16-35
Historical: Psalm 120-132
Chronological: Isaiah 28-30
Blended: Psalm 31-32 & Acts 16:1-21
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Lamb of God
"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29
That ancient priestly system was not perfect. It was only the shadow of a perfect, eternal priesthood to be brought about by the Savior-Priest, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son. Every priest in the order of Levi knew only too well his own sin. This was the point of the breakdown. When that priest stood before God in the holiest place to present an atonement for the sins of the people, he was face-to-face as well with the reality of his own failures and shortcomings.
In our own day, we recognize what this means to us as liberated and forgiven believers. Singing the hymnody of Isaac Watts, we revel in Christ's atonement and God's forgiveness:
Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain, Could give the guilty conscience peace, Or wash away the stain.
But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, Takes all our sins away A sacrifice of nobler name, And richer blood than they.
The Old Testament priest knew that the ritual of sacrifice could not completely atone for sins or change man’s sinful nature. In that priestly system, God "covered" the sin until the time when Christ would come. Christ, the Lamb of God, would completely bear away the sin of the world.
Thought: All sacrifices in the Levitical system pointed ahead to the eternal sacrifice of God, the Lamb of God. Observance of the Lord's Supper points back to that sacrifice. The sins of you and me and all the world are heaped upon Him who takes all our sins away.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "Jesus, Our Man in Glory" (Chapter 1)
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Psalm 86-89
Old and New Testaments Together: Job 17-19 & Acts 10:1-23
Historical: Psalm 21-25
Chronological: 2 Chron. 19-23
Blended: Deut. 10-12 & Acts 3
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
That ancient priestly system was not perfect. It was only the shadow of a perfect, eternal priesthood to be brought about by the Savior-Priest, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son. Every priest in the order of Levi knew only too well his own sin. This was the point of the breakdown. When that priest stood before God in the holiest place to present an atonement for the sins of the people, he was face-to-face as well with the reality of his own failures and shortcomings.
In our own day, we recognize what this means to us as liberated and forgiven believers. Singing the hymnody of Isaac Watts, we revel in Christ's atonement and God's forgiveness:
Not all the blood of beasts On Jewish altars slain, Could give the guilty conscience peace, Or wash away the stain.
But Christ, the heavenly Lamb, Takes all our sins away A sacrifice of nobler name, And richer blood than they.
The Old Testament priest knew that the ritual of sacrifice could not completely atone for sins or change man’s sinful nature. In that priestly system, God "covered" the sin until the time when Christ would come. Christ, the Lamb of God, would completely bear away the sin of the world.
Thought: All sacrifices in the Levitical system pointed ahead to the eternal sacrifice of God, the Lamb of God. Observance of the Lord's Supper points back to that sacrifice. The sins of you and me and all the world are heaped upon Him who takes all our sins away.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "Jesus, Our Man in Glory" (Chapter 1)
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Psalm 86-89
Old and New Testaments Together: Job 17-19 & Acts 10:1-23
Historical: Psalm 21-25
Chronological: 2 Chron. 19-23
Blended: Deut. 10-12 & Acts 3
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Friday, June 12, 2009
Forgiven or Unforgiven
"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." Romans 4:7-8
A generation ago when the deity of Christ was under attack from several directions at once and was being stoutly defended by Bible-believing Christians everywhere, a little aphorism was often heard uttered with emphatic finality: “It’s not the sin question, it’s the Son question!”
This was a short way of saying that the great problem before the human race was not its sin but its opinion of Jesus Christ, and that the disposition of the individual soul on the final day would be based not upon its relation to sin but upon its having accepted the deity of Christ as an article of faith.
If we take into consideration that this saying was a blunt sword forged for the heat of theological battle we can understand its popularity and sympathize with those who swung it so boldly against the enemies of truth; nevertheless we need not overlook its weakness nor accept it as a complete truth, which it certainly is not.
One count against this aphorism is that it is an aphorism. If great truth could be compressed into an epigram we have several hundred pages of Scripture to account for that need never have been written. I shy away from every effort to expound difficult doctrine by means of a pious quip; it’s just too neat and at best can present only one facet of the truth, leaving the other two or ten or fifty facets hidden from view.
We’ll pass over the alliteration, which is of course wholly artificial and only one degree removed from a pun, and state simply that the whole thing is false to the facts. Granted that solid truth might once in a rare while get itself crammed into an epigram, and even that the epigram might conceivably contain a pun, this “not the sin question but the Son question” is still not true. It dismisses too lightly something that God takes mighty seriously; viz., the fact of human sin and the solemn responsibility of every man for the sins he has committed.
Thought: How blessed is the person whose sin is forgiven and will never count against him or her. But what about unconfessed, unforgiven sin--ours?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Size of the Soul"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Job 38-39
Old and New Testaments Together: Ezra 3-5 & John 20
Historical: Ezek. 42-43
Chronological: I Kings 5-67 & 2 Chr. 4
Blended: Jeremiah 20-21 & Matthew 24:1-28
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
A generation ago when the deity of Christ was under attack from several directions at once and was being stoutly defended by Bible-believing Christians everywhere, a little aphorism was often heard uttered with emphatic finality: “It’s not the sin question, it’s the Son question!”
This was a short way of saying that the great problem before the human race was not its sin but its opinion of Jesus Christ, and that the disposition of the individual soul on the final day would be based not upon its relation to sin but upon its having accepted the deity of Christ as an article of faith.
If we take into consideration that this saying was a blunt sword forged for the heat of theological battle we can understand its popularity and sympathize with those who swung it so boldly against the enemies of truth; nevertheless we need not overlook its weakness nor accept it as a complete truth, which it certainly is not.
One count against this aphorism is that it is an aphorism. If great truth could be compressed into an epigram we have several hundred pages of Scripture to account for that need never have been written. I shy away from every effort to expound difficult doctrine by means of a pious quip; it’s just too neat and at best can present only one facet of the truth, leaving the other two or ten or fifty facets hidden from view.
We’ll pass over the alliteration, which is of course wholly artificial and only one degree removed from a pun, and state simply that the whole thing is false to the facts. Granted that solid truth might once in a rare while get itself crammed into an epigram, and even that the epigram might conceivably contain a pun, this “not the sin question but the Son question” is still not true. It dismisses too lightly something that God takes mighty seriously; viz., the fact of human sin and the solemn responsibility of every man for the sins he has committed.
Thought: How blessed is the person whose sin is forgiven and will never count against him or her. But what about unconfessed, unforgiven sin--ours?
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Size of the Soul"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Job 38-39
Old and New Testaments Together: Ezra 3-5 & John 20
Historical: Ezek. 42-43
Chronological: I Kings 5-67 & 2 Chr. 4
Blended: Jeremiah 20-21 & Matthew 24:1-28
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Monday, May 11, 2009
Superstitious Shadows
"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly." I Timothy 4:7
Faith honors God by accepting the biblical revelation of the divine character. Faith lets God be what He says He is and adjusts its concepts accordingly. Superstition degrades the reputation of God by believing things unworthy of Him. One rests upon fact and the other upon fancy.
As I said before, there is probably a streak of superstition in everyone, even in the genuine Christian. Any notions we may have of God that have not been corrected and purified by the Word and the Spirit are likely to have some element of error in them, and the religious beliefs resulting from them will of necessity contain a certain amount of superstition. The Christian who flares indignant at such a statement as this and denies that it describes him is not therefore free from superstition; he merely compounds his faults by adding bigotry and anger to the rest.
But if superstition dishonors God, is it not an evil thing and is not the Christian who harbors it guilty of serious sin against the Majesty in the heavens? . . .
Thought: Faith accepts God as He is revealed in Scripture and changes thought and action accordingly. Superstition seeks to change God to fit superstitious thought and action.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Size of the Soul"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: 2 Chron. 2-5
Old and New Testaments Together: 2 Kings 13-14 & John 2
Historical: Isaiah 54-58
Chronological: 2 Samuel 10, I Chron. 19 & Psalm 20
Blended: Jonah & Matthew 5:27-48
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Faith honors God by accepting the biblical revelation of the divine character. Faith lets God be what He says He is and adjusts its concepts accordingly. Superstition degrades the reputation of God by believing things unworthy of Him. One rests upon fact and the other upon fancy.
As I said before, there is probably a streak of superstition in everyone, even in the genuine Christian. Any notions we may have of God that have not been corrected and purified by the Word and the Spirit are likely to have some element of error in them, and the religious beliefs resulting from them will of necessity contain a certain amount of superstition. The Christian who flares indignant at such a statement as this and denies that it describes him is not therefore free from superstition; he merely compounds his faults by adding bigotry and anger to the rest.
But if superstition dishonors God, is it not an evil thing and is not the Christian who harbors it guilty of serious sin against the Majesty in the heavens? . . .
Thought: Faith accepts God as He is revealed in Scripture and changes thought and action accordingly. Superstition seeks to change God to fit superstitious thought and action.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Size of the Soul"
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: 2 Chron. 2-5
Old and New Testaments Together: 2 Kings 13-14 & John 2
Historical: Isaiah 54-58
Chronological: 2 Samuel 10, I Chron. 19 & Psalm 20
Blended: Jonah & Matthew 5:27-48
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Danger of Modifying the Good News
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."Colossians 2:6-7
Our constant effort should be to reach as many persons as possible with the Christian message, and for that reason numbers are critically important. But our first responsibility is not to make converts but to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen man. No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God. They who degrade or compromise the truth in order to reach larger numbers, dishonor God and deeply injure the souls of men.
The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may "accept" Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll resist it with every power at our command. To yield can only result in a weak and ineffective Christianity in this generation, and death and desolation in the next.
Thought: Receiving Christ as Lord and continuing to live in Him is the way to life transformation. To preach Him and receive Him as less than Lord is to seriously modify the Good News.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: 2 Kings 9-11
Old and New Testaments Together: 2 Samuel 19-20 & Luke 18:1-23
Historical: 2 Kings 12-14
Chronological: Psalm 43-45, 49, 84-85 & 87
Blended: Eccles. 4-6 & Revelation 11
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Our constant effort should be to reach as many persons as possible with the Christian message, and for that reason numbers are critically important. But our first responsibility is not to make converts but to uphold the honor of God in a world given over to the glory of fallen man. No matter how many persons we touch with the gospel we have failed unless, along with the message of invitation, we have boldly declared the exceeding sinfulness of man and the transcendent holiness of the Most High God. They who degrade or compromise the truth in order to reach larger numbers, dishonor God and deeply injure the souls of men.
The temptation to modify the teachings of Christ with the hope that larger numbers may "accept" Him is cruelly strong in this day of speed, size, noise and crowds. But if we know what is good for us, we'll resist it with every power at our command. To yield can only result in a weak and ineffective Christianity in this generation, and death and desolation in the next.
Thought: Receiving Christ as Lord and continuing to live in Him is the way to life transformation. To preach Him and receive Him as less than Lord is to seriously modify the Good News.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: 2 Kings 9-11
Old and New Testaments Together: 2 Samuel 19-20 & Luke 18:1-23
Historical: 2 Kings 12-14
Chronological: Psalm 43-45, 49, 84-85 & 87
Blended: Eccles. 4-6 & Revelation 11
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Faithless Action and Actionless Faith
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead." James 2:26
Rightly understood, faith is not a substitute for moral conduct but a means toward it. The tree does not serve in lieu of fruit but as an agent by which fruit is secured. Fruit, not trees, is the end God has in mind in yonder orchard; so Christlike conduct is the end of Christian faith. To oppose faith to works is to make the fruit the enemy to the tree; yet that is exactly what we have managed to do. And the consequences have been disastrous.
A miscalculation in laying the foundation of a building will throw the whole superstructure out of plumb, and the error that gave us faith as a substitute for action instead of faith in action has raised up in our day unsymmetrical and ugly temples of which we may well be ashamed, and for which we shall surely give a strict account in the day when Christ judges the secrets of our hearts.
Thought: Action without faith is directionless and empty. Faith without action is comatose or dead. What does our action (or lack of it) reveal about your faith and mine?
By A. W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Josh. 1-4
Old and New Testaments Together: Deut. 13-15 & Mark 12:28-44
Historical: Josh. 1-4
Chronological: Deut. 1-2
Blended: Job 14-16 & I Cor. 6
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Rightly understood, faith is not a substitute for moral conduct but a means toward it. The tree does not serve in lieu of fruit but as an agent by which fruit is secured. Fruit, not trees, is the end God has in mind in yonder orchard; so Christlike conduct is the end of Christian faith. To oppose faith to works is to make the fruit the enemy to the tree; yet that is exactly what we have managed to do. And the consequences have been disastrous.
A miscalculation in laying the foundation of a building will throw the whole superstructure out of plumb, and the error that gave us faith as a substitute for action instead of faith in action has raised up in our day unsymmetrical and ugly temples of which we may well be ashamed, and for which we shall surely give a strict account in the day when Christ judges the secrets of our hearts.
Thought: Action without faith is directionless and empty. Faith without action is comatose or dead. What does our action (or lack of it) reveal about your faith and mine?
By A. W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Josh. 1-4
Old and New Testaments Together: Deut. 13-15 & Mark 12:28-44
Historical: Josh. 1-4
Chronological: Deut. 1-2
Blended: Job 14-16 & I Cor. 6
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Sharpening the Axe
"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that your have. But do this with gentleness and respect . . ." I Peter 3:15
I have never subscribed to the doctrine that we Christians should live in an intellectual vacuum, refusing to hear what the world has to say. A faith that must be "protected" is no faith at all. If I can retain my faith in Christ only by closing my mind against every criticism, I give proof positive that I am not well convinced of the soundness of my position. The soul that has had a saving encounter with God is sure beyond the possibility of a doubt. His happy testimony will be, "To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side" (Psalm 3:4-6). Such a man will not need to shield himself from the classics nor from comparative religions or philosophy or psychology or science. The Spirit bears witness to Christ deep within his consciousness. His heart knows, though his reason my not yet have caught up with his heart.
When a very young minister, I asked the famous holiness preacher, Joseph H. Smith, whether he would recommend that I read widely in the secular field. He replied, "Young man, a bee can find nectar in the weed as well as in the flower." I took his advice (or, to be frank, I sought confirmation of my own instincts rather than advice) and I am not sorry that I did.
John Wesley told the young ministers of the Wesleyan Societies to read or get out of the ministry, and he himself read science and history with a book propped against his saddle pommel as he rode from one engagement to another. Andy Dolbow, the American Indian preacher of considerable note, was a man of little education, but I once heard him exhort his hearers to improve their minds for the honor of God. "When you are chopping wood," he explained, "and you have a dull axe you must work all the harder to cut the log. A sharp axe makes easy work. So sharpen your axe all you can."
Thought: With full commitment to Christ we may sharpen the axe by judicious reading so that we have understanding of worldviews and, in that context, can gently and respectfully give the reason for our hope.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Numbers 1-2
Old and New Testaments Together: Leviticus 11-12 & Matthew 26:1-25
Historical: Numbers 1-2
Chronological: Exodus 36-38
Blended: Isaiah 50-52 & Mark 12:28-44
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
I have never subscribed to the doctrine that we Christians should live in an intellectual vacuum, refusing to hear what the world has to say. A faith that must be "protected" is no faith at all. If I can retain my faith in Christ only by closing my mind against every criticism, I give proof positive that I am not well convinced of the soundness of my position. The soul that has had a saving encounter with God is sure beyond the possibility of a doubt. His happy testimony will be, "To the LORD I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side" (Psalm 3:4-6). Such a man will not need to shield himself from the classics nor from comparative religions or philosophy or psychology or science. The Spirit bears witness to Christ deep within his consciousness. His heart knows, though his reason my not yet have caught up with his heart.
When a very young minister, I asked the famous holiness preacher, Joseph H. Smith, whether he would recommend that I read widely in the secular field. He replied, "Young man, a bee can find nectar in the weed as well as in the flower." I took his advice (or, to be frank, I sought confirmation of my own instincts rather than advice) and I am not sorry that I did.
John Wesley told the young ministers of the Wesleyan Societies to read or get out of the ministry, and he himself read science and history with a book propped against his saddle pommel as he rode from one engagement to another. Andy Dolbow, the American Indian preacher of considerable note, was a man of little education, but I once heard him exhort his hearers to improve their minds for the honor of God. "When you are chopping wood," he explained, "and you have a dull axe you must work all the harder to cut the log. A sharp axe makes easy work. So sharpen your axe all you can."
Thought: With full commitment to Christ we may sharpen the axe by judicious reading so that we have understanding of worldviews and, in that context, can gently and respectfully give the reason for our hope.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Numbers 1-2
Old and New Testaments Together: Leviticus 11-12 & Matthew 26:1-25
Historical: Numbers 1-2
Chronological: Exodus 36-38
Blended: Isaiah 50-52 & Mark 12:28-44
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Monday, January 26, 2009
Being Who We Are
"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Galatians 6:14
This need for external support for our sagging faith accounts for the introduction into religious activities of that welter of shoddy claptrap that has become the characteristic mark of modern Christianity. . . .
To guarantee immunity to this disease of the heart, we must cultivate a spirit of faith and humility. This works as an antibody to destroy the moral bacteria that cause bloat and distention.
If we have faith, we will be concerned only with what God thinks of us. We can smile off man's opinion, whether it be favorable or unfavorable, and go our God-appointed way in complete confidence. The excited devotees of the twin gods Publicity and Reputation will race past us with no more than a pitying glance. The self-acknowledged Great of the kingdom, the Eminent, the Outstanding will ignore us or patronize us or perhaps seek to cultivate us for their ends. We in the meantime will step neither to the right hand nor to the left. We will honor all men, be courteous to everyone, love our Christian brothers, glorify God and fear nobody.
It takes a lot of courage and independence of mind to insist upon being just what we are, and no more. But when the Lord comes, we will not have cause to regret that we did.
Thought: Doing can never substitute for being. Worthwhile doing flows out of wholesome being.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Exodus 25-27
Old and New Testaments Together: Exodus 14-15 & Matthew 17
Historical: Exodus 25-27
Chronological: Genesis 41-42
Blended: Isaiah 11-13 & Mark 4:1-20
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
This need for external support for our sagging faith accounts for the introduction into religious activities of that welter of shoddy claptrap that has become the characteristic mark of modern Christianity. . . .
To guarantee immunity to this disease of the heart, we must cultivate a spirit of faith and humility. This works as an antibody to destroy the moral bacteria that cause bloat and distention.
If we have faith, we will be concerned only with what God thinks of us. We can smile off man's opinion, whether it be favorable or unfavorable, and go our God-appointed way in complete confidence. The excited devotees of the twin gods Publicity and Reputation will race past us with no more than a pitying glance. The self-acknowledged Great of the kingdom, the Eminent, the Outstanding will ignore us or patronize us or perhaps seek to cultivate us for their ends. We in the meantime will step neither to the right hand nor to the left. We will honor all men, be courteous to everyone, love our Christian brothers, glorify God and fear nobody.
It takes a lot of courage and independence of mind to insist upon being just what we are, and no more. But when the Lord comes, we will not have cause to regret that we did.
Thought: Doing can never substitute for being. Worthwhile doing flows out of wholesome being.
By A.W. Tozer
Bible Reading Guide:
Beginning to End: Exodus 25-27
Old and New Testaments Together: Exodus 14-15 & Matthew 17
Historical: Exodus 25-27
Chronological: Genesis 41-42
Blended: Isaiah 11-13 & Mark 4:1-20
The Bible reading guides will be taken from Back to the Bible
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Changing Times and Unchanging Thirst
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:38
There is a well-known saying which I think originated with the French, that the more things change the more they remain the same.
The wisdom of this saying may be seen in almost every department of human life, the reason probably being that of all the things that change and still remain unchanged, there is no better example than human nature itself.
And when do we see the unchanging quality of human nature more perfectly than at Christmas-time? Consider the radical difference between today's world and the world into which the Baby Jesus was born. Compared with our twentieth-century civilization, everything surrounding the wondrous Child was crude and primitive. Jesus was born in a stable, not in a hospital; His mother was attended by a midwife, not by a skilled scientist; His baby face was lighted by a tallow candle, not by an electric bulb; He traveled into Egypt on the back of the lowly burro, not by auto or streamlined train.
Thought: Our great grandparents lived in a radically different world than ours. So shall our great grandchildren. But all of us have intense heart-thirst and find it satisfied only in Christ!
By A.W. Tozer
There is a well-known saying which I think originated with the French, that the more things change the more they remain the same.
The wisdom of this saying may be seen in almost every department of human life, the reason probably being that of all the things that change and still remain unchanged, there is no better example than human nature itself.
And when do we see the unchanging quality of human nature more perfectly than at Christmas-time? Consider the radical difference between today's world and the world into which the Baby Jesus was born. Compared with our twentieth-century civilization, everything surrounding the wondrous Child was crude and primitive. Jesus was born in a stable, not in a hospital; His mother was attended by a midwife, not by a skilled scientist; His baby face was lighted by a tallow candle, not by an electric bulb; He traveled into Egypt on the back of the lowly burro, not by auto or streamlined train.
Thought: Our great grandparents lived in a radically different world than ours. So shall our great grandchildren. But all of us have intense heart-thirst and find it satisfied only in Christ!
By A.W. Tozer
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Best Seller or Bread of Life?
''How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!'' Psalm 119:103
Of the millions of Bibles bought during the last few years there is no certain way to discover how many are being read. But there is a pretty sure way to discover how many readers obey them. Total committal of a few hundred thousand persons to the message of the Bible anywhere in the world would work a moral revolution that would affect for good every facet of modern life. Since no such revolution has occurred we can only conclude that the Best Seller is not being read, or at least not being obeyed.
In a time of disaster such as earthquake or flood first-aid information and the instructions of the medical authorities are often matters of life or death. What would we think of a man if we found him at such a time comfortably reclined reading this material for its literary beauty? He might feel an aesthetic thrill at the terse, concise language and still die of typhoid, for his life depends not upon his admiration of the words of the official directives but upon his obedience to them.
As preposterous as such conduct would be, yet something like it is practiced constantly in a sphere where the consequences are far more weighty. Men who have but a little while to prepare themselves for the eternal world read the only book that can tell them how--not to learn how, but to enjoy the literary beauty of the book. Only the blindness of heart occasioned by sin would permit men so to do.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Set of the Sail" - Chapter #45 (The Proper Use of the Bible)
Of the millions of Bibles bought during the last few years there is no certain way to discover how many are being read. But there is a pretty sure way to discover how many readers obey them. Total committal of a few hundred thousand persons to the message of the Bible anywhere in the world would work a moral revolution that would affect for good every facet of modern life. Since no such revolution has occurred we can only conclude that the Best Seller is not being read, or at least not being obeyed.
In a time of disaster such as earthquake or flood first-aid information and the instructions of the medical authorities are often matters of life or death. What would we think of a man if we found him at such a time comfortably reclined reading this material for its literary beauty? He might feel an aesthetic thrill at the terse, concise language and still die of typhoid, for his life depends not upon his admiration of the words of the official directives but upon his obedience to them.
As preposterous as such conduct would be, yet something like it is practiced constantly in a sphere where the consequences are far more weighty. Men who have but a little while to prepare themselves for the eternal world read the only book that can tell them how--not to learn how, but to enjoy the literary beauty of the book. Only the blindness of heart occasioned by sin would permit men so to do.
By A.W. Tozer, taken from "The Set of the Sail" - Chapter #45 (The Proper Use of the Bible)
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