Fire In the Bush

"But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare ... to Israel his sin" (Micah 3:8)

The greatest proof of our weakness these days is that there is no longer anything terrible or mysterious about us. We now have little that cannot be accounted for by psychology and statistics.

In that early Church thy met together on Solomon's porch,and so great was the sense of God's presence that "durst no man join himself to them" (Acts 5:13). The world saw fire in that bush and stood back in fear; but no one is afraid of ashes!

Today they even slap the professed bride of Christ on the back and get coarsely familiar. If we ever again impress unsaved men with a wholesome fear of the supernatural we must have once more the dignity of the Holy Spirit; we must know again that awe-inspiring mystery which comes upon men an churches when they are full of the power of God.

The Holy Spirit is pure, for He is the Holy Spirit. He is wise, for He is the Spirit of wisdom. He is true, for He is the Spirit of truth. He is like Jesus, for He is the Spirit of Christ. He is like the Father, for He is the Spirit of the Father. He wants to be Lord of your life.

~A. W. Tozer~

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Getting Rid of Handles

"There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth" (Luke 15:10)

In the things-which-God-cannot-do category is this: God cannot do our repenting for us. In our efforts to magnify grace we have so preached  the truth as to convey the impression that repentance is a work of God. This is a grave mistake. God has commanded all men to repent. It is a work which only they can do. It is morally impossible for one person to repent for another. Even Christ could not do this. He could die for us, but He cannot do our repenting for us.

God in His mercy may "incline" us to repent and by His inworking Spirit assist us to repent; but before we can be saved we must of our own free will repent toward God and believe in Jesus Christ.

Repentance involves moral reformation. The wrong practices are on man's part, and only man can correct them. Lying, for instance, is an act of man, and one for which he must accept full responsibility. When he repents he will quit lying. God will not quit for him; he will quit for himself.

Any place where a person sins, he pus handles on his soul for satan to grasp. Repentance get rid of the handles!

~A. W. Tozer~