A Transforming Vision of God
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Important messages
If A. W. Tozer was right,
stating that the Church was in Babylonian captivity in the middle of the 20th
Century, then where is it now? I was a young boy at that time and I can testify
today of a spiritual state that none of us in those days would have believed
possible. The Church is in a free-fall, tumbling rapidly towards total
apostasy. Tozer spoke of a low concept of God, but I, and others, are now speaking
about idolatry, worshiping gods conceived in the minds of individuals. Although
they may quote texts from the Bible, they have joined those texts with
psychological ideology, mixed in dreams and visions, and have conjured gods and
christs, who they can manipulate, foreign to the general tenor of Scripture.
Now, anyone can tear down
and destroy… and destruction of that which is built upon deceit and humanism is
necessary… but it takes an anointed man like Tozer to re-build. He offers hope
and demonstrates biblically how the walls can be restored! And we may do
likewise, for while the general trend of the visible church (Do not eliminate
Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Charismatics from that number!) today is downward,
God is calling forth an honest and sincere people, who are hungry for truth and
reality. The rapture may take place before too long and these are preparing for
the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. Let’s follow Tozer’s six steps to a knowledge
of the Holy God (because they are biblical steps) and experience in our times
another, and perhaps final, move of the Spirit of God.
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| A. W. Tozer |
Allow me to explain
briefly that the paragraphs copied below are excerpts from the final chapter of
The Knowledge of the Holy:
“When viewed from the perspective
of eternity, the most critical need of this hour may well be that the Church
should be brought back from her long Babylonian captivity and the name of God
be glorified in her again as of old… What can we plain Christians do to bring
back the departed glory? Is there some secret we may learn? Is there a formula
for personal revival we can apply to the present situation, to our own situation?
The answer to these questions is yes.
Yet the answer may easily
disappoint some persons, for it is anything but profound… The secret is an open
one which the wayfaring man may read. It is simply the old and ever-new
counsel: acquaint thyself with God. To
regain her lost power the Church must see heaven opened and have a transforming
vision of God.
Seeking the King of the Kingdom, chapter two
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Important messages
2. THE
CHRIST WHO SEES
“(Abraham) went in to
Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress
was despised in her sight. And Sarai said to Abram, ‘May the wrong done me be
upon you. I gave my maid into your arms, but when she saw that she had
conceived, I was despised in her sight. May the LORD judge between you and me.’
But Abram said to Sarai, ‘Behold, your maid is in your power; do to her what is
good in your sight.’ So Sarai treated her harshly, and she fled from her
presence. Now the angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the
wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. He said, ‘Hagar, Sarai’s maid,
where have you come from and where are you going?’ And she said, ‘I am fleeing
from the presence of my mistress Sarai.’ Then the angel of the LORD said to
her, ‘Return to your mistress, and submit yourself to her authority.’ Moreover,
the angel of the LORD said to her, ‘I will greatly multiply your descendants so
that they will be too many to count.’ The angel of the LORD said to her
further, ‘Behold, you are with child, and you will bear a son; and you shall
call his name Ishmael (God sees), because the LORD has given heed to your
affliction. He will be a wild donkey of a man, his hand will be against
everyone, and everyone’s hand will be against him; and he will live to the east
of all his brothers.’ Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her,
‘You are a God who sees’; for she said, ‘Have I even remained alive here after
seeing Him?’” Genesis 16:4-13
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| Taken from this book |
A WOMAN
BY A WELL
One of the most important
themes in the Holy Scriptures concerns the characteristics that exist in the
heart of a human being. The Scripture gives us a clear vision of what is inside
and it is surprising to discover that basically man has not changed at all.
Customs and culture are different from biblical times, but if we are honest, we
will recognize that his faults and features are still the same today.
Four thousand years ago,
a rich and important nomad, named Abram (converted later to Abraham) from
Mesopotamia, wandered in the territory of Canaan. The man had many cattle and
many slaves. His wife, Sarai (later called Sarah), was barren and therefore was
not able to give a descendant to her husband. In the culture of the time and
place where they lived, it presented a grave problem. Sarah desperately sought
a solution and found it in one of the slaves, an Egyptian named Hagar. She
offered her to Abraham, as a substitute for her own barren womb, to give him
the desired son. In this way, although difficult to understand in modern
society, it gave this poor girl an honor and dignity that she had never dreamed
of possessing in the culture of her day.
February 26 – March 4 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
February 26
Psalms 17:1-5
1.
Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer,
that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things
that are equal.
3.
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou
hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not
transgress.
4.
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from
the paths of the destroyer.
5.
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
David’s prayer is righteous, because he
prayed in the will of God. Having nowhere else to go but to God, David cried, “Hear… attend…give ear.” He speaks from
his heart and is honest with God.
He is open to receive whatever sentence
the Lord will decree. His spirit is blameless and unafraid. “He that doeth truth cometh to the light
that his deeds might be manifest that they are wrought in God.” God has
visited him in the night with trials, which uncovered David’s heart. He is
confident in the work that God has done and that it has removed the dross. Down
deep things are right, but the more superficial things are prone to be
influenced by the environment. Therefore, he purposes to keep his mouth from
evil and is determined to bring it into subjection.
He speaks first of his heart,
then of his mouth, and finally of his feet. Coming from the spiritual realm, he
now deals with men. The Word of God always runs crosscurrent to the ways or
works of men. Through the attention and obedience given to God’s word, he has
been kept from the destructive paths of men. Obedience to divine order,
requires divine assistance. He cannot make it alone. The way of God is a
precarious path, unless He upholds us. “Save
me, Lord, or I perish”, cried Peter and the Lord rescued him.
An Invitation to Mercy's Banqueting Table
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Important messages
Paul had a clear revelation of the incomparable value of the benefits that Christ purchased for those that believed in Him. It made Paul a fiery enemy of every obstacle and deceit that would rob the Christian of anything that God has for him. “I betrothed you to one husband,” he said, “so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin” (1 Co.11:2) Therefore, he sharply rebuked the Galatians: “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you… Are you so foolish?”
In the last century, there was a man, who also chided with the church, because of its unspiritual tactics and its reliance upon the efforts and abilities of mere men. This man’s name was A. W. Tozer and he, like Paul, was a man, who knew the riches in Christ Jesus and the supreme uniqueness and sovereign majesty of Almighty God.
However, when it came time to speak about God’s incomparable love and mercy, Tozer spoke, with a tenderness that few others possessed and an anointed eloquence, as he laid these attributes before his listeners or readers:
Seeking the King of the Kingdom, chapter one
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Important messages
1. A CHRIST WHO IS NOT ETERNALLY THE SAME
TRUTH
IS UNCOMFORTABLE
|
| The chapter is taken from this book |
Of all the attributes
that deal with God and the gospel, which is the most difficult for us to face?
It seems to me that there can be no doubt that truth is the most troublesome
for us. Taking into account all that the good news has to offer, we find much
that is highly attractive and desirable. For that reason, the crowds always
wanted to get close to Jesus and His apostles. There are multitudes today, who
want to be counted among Christians, if they find it convenient; at least they
want to bear the name Christian. It is a rare person who does not want
to love and be loved. Who would not choose peace, instead of fear, and joy over
sadness? People seek faith in place of distrustfulness and hope to avoid
depression. Generally, they will support justice and even demand it - but truth
is an element that bothers us and makes us feel uncomfortable. However,
without the girdle of truth as the central piece of the whole Christian
armor, it all comes untied and falls to the ground. Over the centuries, the
defenders of truth have battled against a deceived majority. The reformers
preferred to accept death, rather than to renounce or recant the truth that had
been revealed to them. For them, it was of incomparable and incalculable value.
February 19 – 25 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
February 19
Psalms 14:4-7
4.
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as
they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD.
5.
There were they in great fear: for God is in the generation of the
righteous.
6.
Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out
of Zion! when the LORD bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall
rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.
The children of men are at enmity with the
children of God and there is no ground for relationship. They mock and refuse
the counsel, which the poor – that is, those who are poor in worldly wisdom –
receive from the Lord. They cannot understand or tolerate the ones who belong
to Him. They chew him up, as though he exists for them to feed upon.
They know no lordship, but their own
cravings and ambitions. Their ignorance of God is voluntary and persecution
stems from their hatred of Him. The righteous upset their godless peace, as the
only reminder that they have a Creator. They see and fear the reality of God in
their lives.
Here is a plea for the revival of the
righteous. The Psalmist prays for God Himself to deliver an Israel, which is
bound, and set him free from the persecuting enemies. Oh Jesus, Emmanuel, come
by the Holy Spirit in fresh manifestation to your people. Set them free from the bondages of
the world around them and cause them to live in the lofty heights of Mt. Zion.
The Fear of God versus Modern-Day Flippancy
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Important messages
I am enjoying a daily devotional given to us by our son,
Dave. It is called, “How Great Thou Art”, compiled by Steve Halliday and
William Travis (Multnomah Publishers). Whereas I have often had to move back a
generation or two and look outside of America to find someone with a proper
concept of God, this book includes excellent writers, modern and historic, from
different parts of the world.
I have often deplored the exaggerated familiarity that
translates “Daddy” for the endearing Aramaic
term, “Abba”. Have you heard people
address God as Daddy in their
prayers? Please allow me to quote a devotional taken from the modern author and
teacher W. Bingham Hunter (Phoenix Seminary) and then go on to another by John
Daniel Jones of Wales (1865-1942).
“Go into the rocks, hide
in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty.” Isaiah 2:10
Christian appreciation
for God’s astounding gift of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation in Christ
has been allowed to consume the awesome reality of His terrible holiness… We
have turned statements about freedom to speak openly during prayer (what the
New Testament calls ‘boldness’) into license for flippancy… We have forgotten
that Jesus, who taught us to call God Abba
(Dear Father), also called Him Holy Father,
Righteous Father and Lord of heaven and earth.
A Word about True Love for February 14
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Important messages
It is February 14. Instead of turning like idolaters to
the false love of a heathen god (Cupid) today, let's see what the wisdom of God
has to say to us about true love...
"Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an
enemy." (Pr.17:6) or "He who rebukes a man will afterward find more
favor than he who flatters with the tongue." (Pr.28:23).
For those who misinterpret "tough love", let
me quote to you from a man, whose love for the church and the individual
Christian was often misinterpreted. But, when he turned to comfort and encourage, his lips and his pen dripped with tenderness and understanding for the struggles and pain of the human heart. A. W. Tozer: “To us who have fled for
refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us in the gospel, how
unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us
completely. No talebearer can inform on us, no enemy can make an accusation
stick; no forgotten skeleton can come tumbling out of some hidden closet to
abash us and expose our past; no unsuspected weakness in our characters can
come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew
Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against
us. ‘For
the mountains may be removed, and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness
will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’
says the Lord who has compassion on you’
Seeking the King of the Kingdom, introduction
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Important messages
A week ago, I posted the
introduction to the series of books entitled, Seek the Kingdom of God.
What we have below is the introduction to the first book in the series, Seeking
the King of the Kingdom. We find the King in the Old Testament, very
clearly in the New Testament, and we also find Him today, risen from the dead
and alive to claim His kingdom in the hearts and lives of His people. He has
lost nothing. He is as true to His name and character, as He ever was before. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today
and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD
Of course, the theme,
which concerns the personality of the King, is immense. I imagine that after
10,000 years in heaven still we will be involved with it. A single verse of scripture
about the person of Jesus should be enough for our present study. This
particular verse, Hebrews 13:8, has inspired songwriters, preachers and the
personal thoughts of many individuals. It has offered faith and comfort. I hope
that what I present here could be a beginning towards the discovery of many
more mysteries concerning Him, hidden in the pages of the Old and New
Testament, for the person who desires to continue the study on his own.
| |||
| You are reading the introduction to this book |
TIMES CHANGE…
A good number of months
ago, I took a trip by airplane from Spain to Romania. I had my laptop open to a
Bible program on the seat next to me, preparing to give a message at a wedding,
which would be celebrated the next day. My thoughts went back many years, to
when we were missionaries in a very primitive area of Mexico. I rode horseback
from one village to another and, because I had many places to tend, I prepared
messages as I rode with an open Bible on the wide, Mexican-style, saddle horn.
Yes, things change; the world reels wildly and moral values have turned
upside-down. We have no idea what the future might bring, but one thing that
should not change is the message about the person of Jesus, because He is the
only One who has remained permanently stable over the ages. Only He can give us
a firm base, upon which we can always stand.
Presenting Paul Washer
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Important messages
Paul Washer is a man with a burdened heart. Those kind of people often say things that cut deeply and make us uncomfortable, but I think you will see, as he begins this message, that his heart is also tender, not wishing to condemn or whip God's true people.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53P-L7wu4h0&list=TLlTxKkm6S8BOW5dZYqOMLYBki_1iXhgbL.
February 12 - 18 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
February 12
Psalms 12:2-3
2. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
3. The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:
How much of what is called fellowship today is actually what the Psalmist called vanity? What do you hear when church people gather in fellowship halls around a cup of coffee? The double-minded man’s hobby is Christianity, but most of his thoughts, time and energy are involved in worldly pursuits. Is it any wonder he seldom speaks of God, even when in company with his fellow Christians? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Double-mindedness and flattery are brothers. The one, whose mind is stayed on Christ, speaks the truth to his neighbor. He, who looks for earthly advantage, flatters to gain his end.
Flattery is the art of speaking well of our fellow man for selfish motives. I recall a young flatterer who used to visit us, but was looking for a place of ministry. The flattery ceased once it was clear that no opening would be given. Then, he turned to slander. The flatterer will build your ego, while he uses you to satisfy his. It is flesh reciprocating flesh and there is much of it today, but God hates the exaltation of flesh. Flattery is like a condemned tree. Let every Christian separate himself from its shade, lest it fall on him.
Seek the Kingdom of God: Introduction to the series
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Important messages
We just finished posting the last chapter of the book, “Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom”. That was actually the second in a series of three books entitled, “Seek the Kingdom of God”. The first in the series is, “Seeking the King of the Kingdom” and the third is, “Seeking the Spirit of the Kingdom”. Here is the introduction to all three. Read it to see if the subject interests you. Perhaps you would like this series in book form for your own study or perhaps you have someone in mind, who could benefit from it. Please feel free to contact us by dropping a note in the comment space.
SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Three basic studies for the Christian life:
● Seeking the King of the Kingdom
● Seeking the Truth of the Kingdom
● Seeking the Spirit of the Kingdom
Introduction to the three studies
In just one afternoon, Jesus revealed three immense truths concerning Christianity to a Samaritan woman. First of all, He caused her to understand that the way to give glory to God the Father is by worshiping in spirit and in truth. Worship requires these two necessary ingredients: “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn. 4:23-24). Then she received the revelation above all revelations; it is the revelation that transforms lives and brings them into a whole new sphere of living. She was shown that the One, who personally met with her that day, was the promised Messiah, the eternal Christ. She confessed her conviction that He was the one, who could teach her and everyone else all that there is to know about the Kingdom of God: “The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming, (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He” (vs.25-26). Anyone, who is searching for the significance of his existence, must experience what that woman experienced.February 5 - 11 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
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Daily Meditations
February 5
Psalms 10:1-2
1. Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
David asks questions in his prayer. Though his feeling is deep, he is not demanding, but is open to better understanding. He realizes that God is all wise, therefore he questions: Why do you stand afar off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble?
One of the reasons is for the creation of this Psalm. The dealings of God press down and imprint, not only upon David’s heart, but also on paper, to become an eternal word of the Holy Spirit for the benefit of all God’s people. Deep trouble and turmoil produce long-lasting impressions, which in turn help the afflicted one later to minister to God’s people.
David presents His case. He knows that pride is one of the seven cardinal sins and that the Lord abhors it. He contrasts the pride of the wicked with the lowliness of those who trust in the Lord, in order to stir God to move on behalf of His people. Above all, it is pride that causes the sinner to justify his sin and ultimately condemns him.
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