"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dewelleth not in temples made with hands" (Acts 17:24)
Church members may by necessity be scattered over the surface of the earth and separated... but in every true member of the Church is the homing instinct and the longing of the sheep for the fold and the Shepherd.
Give a few real Christians half a chance and they will get together and organize and plan regular meetings for prayer and worship. They will hear the Scriptures expounded, break bread together in one form or another according to their light, and try as far as possible to spread the saving gospel to the lost world.
Such groups are cells in the Body of Christ, and each one is a true Church, a real part of the greater Church. It is in and through these cells that the Spirit does His work on earth. Whoever scorns the local church scorns the Body of Christ.
The Holy Spirit's presence with the Church is better than the continued physical presence of the Lord Jesus would have been. For it is an internal and not an external presence and equally accessible to all God's people.
~A. W. Tozer~
_____________________
Free From the Flesh
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2)
When the Holy Spirit is ignored or rejected, religious people are forced either to do their own creating or to fossilize completely. A few churches accept fossilization as the will of God and settle down to the work of preserving their past - as if it needed preserving. Others seek to appear modern, and imitate the current activities of the world with the mistaken idea that they are being creative. And after a fashion they are, but the creatures of the creative skill are sure to be toys and trifles, mere imitations of the world and altogether lacking in the qualities of eternity - holiness and spiritual dignity. The hallmark of the Holy Spirit is NOT there.
It is hard to imagine a more painful disillusionment than to come to the judgment seat of Christ and find that all our earthly lives we had been striving after the flesh and never permitting the creative Holy Spirit to work in us that which was pleasing in His sight.
There is a way of release from the tyranny of the flesh. It is by the Cross of Jesus. That ends the bondage of the flesh. The power to live free from it comes from the Holy Spirit.
~A. W. Tozer~
Friday, August 21, 2015
The Power of Twos
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
A few summers ago, we wrote a Bible study on the Book of Ezra. I learned a lot like the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah used to be Ezra 1 and Ezra 2. These two men worked together for God’s common purposes. Ezra is not just about these two men though. There are multiple twos: Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ch 3 & 4) and Haggai and Zechariah (Ch 5 & 6). There are 3 sets of twos. This pairing is carried over to the New Testament as Jesus sent the disciples out by twos. How come we do not seem to promote the “twos” today? Husband and wife couples very promoted. There is a very popular church who believes that the husband’s calling is carried over to the wife (like a dual anointing). But after studying the book of Ezra, Moses & Aaron, Elijah & Elisha, Ruth & Naomi, we cannot biblically conclude that God has established husband and wife anointing only. Even in the New Testament, the example of couples in ministry like Priscilla and Aquila being good equalized out the couple of Ananias and Sapphira who represent the bad.
So, how come we do not see other groups coming together for the purposes of God? Pulling from my own experience, I really think because it is just plain hard. We already have spouses, children, obligations, extended families, neighbors and churches that our relationship box is maxed out. As I remember back 9 years ago, I said to a friend of mine, “I need a prayer partner that does not get too close. I am already maxed out with my family and my friends. I just need someone who is objective to pray with me and for me without any additional commitment or requirement on my part.” When I prayed about that person, the Lord brought Bobbye to mind. She is totally different than me and we don’t cross any of the same paths. Little did I know that God had a major plan for two women who were willing to pray together and be committed to Him more than to ourselves. Is it hard? Yes but with time, it gets easier.
Let’s get back to praying together, witnessing together, working together so the Lord may be glorified. We are put on this earth to be united for His purposes today like Ezra and Nehemiah were in the past.
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
Thursday, August 20, 2015
The Habitation of God
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20)
According to the Scriptures the Church is the habitation of God through the Spirit, and as such is the most important organism beneath the sun. She is not one more good institution along with the home, the state and the school; she is the most vital of all institutions - the only one that can claim a heavenly origin.
The cynic may inquire which church we mean, and may remind us that the Christian Church is so divided that it is impossible to tell which is the one true one, even if such a one exists.
Being inside the Church we are probably as well aware of her faults as any person on the outside could possibly be. And we believe in her nevertheless wherever she manifests herself in a world of darkness and unbelief.
The Church is found wherever the Holy Spirit has drawn together a few persons who trust Christ for their salvation, worship God in spirit and have no dealings with the world and the flesh.
The Church was never intended to be a natural and intellectual organization, but a supernatural instrumentality wholly dependent upon the power of God.
~A. W. Tozer~
_________________________
A Hard But Glorious Way
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23)
To enter into the deeper life, seekers must be ready to accept without question the New Testament as the one final authority on spiritual matters. They must be willing to make Christ the one supreme Lord and ruler in their lives. They must surrender their whole being to the destructive power of the cross, to die not only to their sins but to their righteousness as well as to everything in which they formerly prided themselves.
If this should seem like a heavy sacrifice for anyone to make, let it be remembered that Christ is Lord and can make any demands upon us that He chooses, even to the point of requiring that we deny ourselves and bear the cross daily.
The mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit that follows will restore to the soul infinitely more than has been taken away. It is a hard way, but a glorious one. Those who have known the sweetness of it will never complain about what they have lost. They will be too well pleased with what they have gained.
The one misery of man is self-will, the one secret of blessedness is the conquest over our own wills. To yield it up to God is rest and peace.
~A. W. Tozer~
According to the Scriptures the Church is the habitation of God through the Spirit, and as such is the most important organism beneath the sun. She is not one more good institution along with the home, the state and the school; she is the most vital of all institutions - the only one that can claim a heavenly origin.
The cynic may inquire which church we mean, and may remind us that the Christian Church is so divided that it is impossible to tell which is the one true one, even if such a one exists.
Being inside the Church we are probably as well aware of her faults as any person on the outside could possibly be. And we believe in her nevertheless wherever she manifests herself in a world of darkness and unbelief.
The Church is found wherever the Holy Spirit has drawn together a few persons who trust Christ for their salvation, worship God in spirit and have no dealings with the world and the flesh.
The Church was never intended to be a natural and intellectual organization, but a supernatural instrumentality wholly dependent upon the power of God.
~A. W. Tozer~
_________________________
A Hard But Glorious Way
"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23)
To enter into the deeper life, seekers must be ready to accept without question the New Testament as the one final authority on spiritual matters. They must be willing to make Christ the one supreme Lord and ruler in their lives. They must surrender their whole being to the destructive power of the cross, to die not only to their sins but to their righteousness as well as to everything in which they formerly prided themselves.
If this should seem like a heavy sacrifice for anyone to make, let it be remembered that Christ is Lord and can make any demands upon us that He chooses, even to the point of requiring that we deny ourselves and bear the cross daily.
The mighty anointing of the Holy Spirit that follows will restore to the soul infinitely more than has been taken away. It is a hard way, but a glorious one. Those who have known the sweetness of it will never complain about what they have lost. They will be too well pleased with what they have gained.
The one misery of man is self-will, the one secret of blessedness is the conquest over our own wills. To yield it up to God is rest and peace.
~A. W. Tozer~
The Trap of Discouragement
Do you feel stuck in discouragement? If so, you are not alone.
At some point everyone experiences dashed hopes. Disappointment—an emotional response to a failed expectation—is the normal initial reaction. But allowed to linger, it can turn into discouragement, which hovers like a dense cloud. When that’s the case, there is no sense of joy or contentment, no matter what you do.
The circumstances that trigger these emotions may be unavoidable, but the way we respond is a choice. We can either let sadness overwhelm our souls or face the situation with courage and bring it before the One who can help us.
Living in discouragement will divide the mind, making it hard to focus on anything besides our pain. Then as anger becomes habitual, we’ll look for someone to blame—whether God, people around us, or ourself.
Frustration that isn’t handled well may develop into depression, which in turn can estrange us from others—people do not enjoy the company of someone who’s bitter and defeated. This isolation leads to a low self-esteem. Finally, in a fog of discouragement, we can make poor decisions based on crushed emotions instead of truth. Obviously, choosing this self-destructive path is not God’s best for our lives.
Though we’ll all face disappointment from time to time, believers are not to wallow in it. Instead, God wants us to trust Him with everything—even our unmet expectations and deepest sadnesses. Remember, there is divine purpose for everything He allows to touch His children’s lives (Rom. 8:28).
~Dr. Charles F. Stanley~
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Breathless Adoration
"There is no God like thee ... which ... shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts" (2 Chronicles 6:14)
The theory [of impromptu service planning] is that if the meeting is unplanned the Holy Spirit will work freely, and that would be true if all the worshipers were reverent and Spirit-filled. But mostly there is neither order nor Spirit, just a routine prayer that is, except for minor variations, the same week after week, and a few songs that were never much to start with and have long ago lost all significance by meaningless repetition.
In the majority of our meetings there is scarcely a trace of reverent thought, no recognition of the unity of the body, little sense of the divine Presence, no moment of stillness, no solemnity, no wonder, no holy fear.
The whole Christian family stands desperately in need of a restoration of penitence, humility and tears. May God send them soon.
we would do well to follow our old-fashioned forbears who knew what it was to kneel in breathless, wondering adoration in the presence of God.
~A. W. Tozer~
________________________
The Holy Spirit in Creation
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26)
God is creative. He has not relinquished His place as Creator, even though the specific work of forming the first heaven and earth has long been completed.
The Holy Spirit as one of the blessed Godhead is also creative. He is forever bringing new things into being, forever giving out and setting in motion, forever making "all things new." Wherever He is at work, the effects will be creative rather than conservative, though we should know that He also conserves whatever He creates. To create and not conserve would be to waste the creative act. But the whole psychology of the Spirit is toward the creation of new things rather than toward the cautious preservation of what has been created.
It should be said that the Holy Spirit always creates in accord with His character as very God of very God. He stamps whatever He does the the mark of eternity. It has upon it the quality of everlastingness - the dignity and holiness of the Deity set it apart.
Christ makes the difference between death and life, always and everywhere. He is the Prince of Life, and whatever He touches lives.
~A. W. Tozer~
The theory [of impromptu service planning] is that if the meeting is unplanned the Holy Spirit will work freely, and that would be true if all the worshipers were reverent and Spirit-filled. But mostly there is neither order nor Spirit, just a routine prayer that is, except for minor variations, the same week after week, and a few songs that were never much to start with and have long ago lost all significance by meaningless repetition.
In the majority of our meetings there is scarcely a trace of reverent thought, no recognition of the unity of the body, little sense of the divine Presence, no moment of stillness, no solemnity, no wonder, no holy fear.
The whole Christian family stands desperately in need of a restoration of penitence, humility and tears. May God send them soon.
we would do well to follow our old-fashioned forbears who knew what it was to kneel in breathless, wondering adoration in the presence of God.
~A. W. Tozer~
________________________
The Holy Spirit in Creation
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26)
God is creative. He has not relinquished His place as Creator, even though the specific work of forming the first heaven and earth has long been completed.
The Holy Spirit as one of the blessed Godhead is also creative. He is forever bringing new things into being, forever giving out and setting in motion, forever making "all things new." Wherever He is at work, the effects will be creative rather than conservative, though we should know that He also conserves whatever He creates. To create and not conserve would be to waste the creative act. But the whole psychology of the Spirit is toward the creation of new things rather than toward the cautious preservation of what has been created.
It should be said that the Holy Spirit always creates in accord with His character as very God of very God. He stamps whatever He does the the mark of eternity. It has upon it the quality of everlastingness - the dignity and holiness of the Deity set it apart.
Christ makes the difference between death and life, always and everywhere. He is the Prince of Life, and whatever He touches lives.
~A. W. Tozer~
Things To Come
Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; and concerning the work of My hands, you command Me. Isaiah 45:11
It has taken most of my life, my Christian life, to finally realize that if I want to know something from the Lord, then I just need to ask Him. Sounds kind of like a no-brainer, but for some reason, I spent most of my time with the Lord dealing with my personal requests. I have prayed pretty much my whole life. I have prayed very specifically at times and I have prayed in the bigger picture at times, but I have always prayed. What I did not necessarily pray about, though, were of "things to come." I think many of us tend to pray about the “here and now” issues, or the things that we want "to come," not necessarily asking the Lord to reveal what He is doing "concerning the work of My hands."
Why is this so important to understand? When I see verses that say to "ask" the Lord for something, then I know that must be His will. Today's verse even says, "you command Me." Instead of just focusing on the issues in our immediate path, let's ask the Lord about what He is doing down the road. I have been immensely blessed and have had huge increases in my own level of faith because I have learned to ask the Lord "of things to come" and have seen Him answer through circumstances or situations that have come to pass. My role is to ask, then to pray for wisdom and discernment in how to go forth in what He shows me.
We need to know that the Lord is more than willing to reveal things to us, if we are seeking Him with all of our hearts. As we grow in our walk with Christ, He will teach us His ways and mold our character into more of His image. When we spend time in His Word, we begin to see how verses like Isaiah 45:11 take on a completely new meaning to us personally. When the Holy Spirit impresses a verse upon your heart, take it to prayer and seek the Lord in what He is saying to you. Maybe God wants to reveal something to you—maybe even "of things to come."
~Daily Disciples Devotional~
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Looking for Higher Ground
"As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee" (Psalm 42:1)
Too many want the Holy Spirit in order that they may have the gift of healing. Others want Him for the gift of tongues. Still others seek Him so that their testimony may become effective. All of these things, I will grant, are a part of the total pattern of the New Testament. But it is impossible for us to make God our servant. Let us never pray that we may be filled with the Spirit of God for secondary purposes.
God wants to fill us with His Spirit in order that we should know Him first of all and be absorbed in Him. We should enter into the fullness of the Spirit so that God's Son may be glorified in us.
I try to bathe my soul in the writings and the hymns of the devoted saints of God. I wonder why we ever stoop to read or sing or quote anything but that which is elevated and divine, noble and inspiring.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He lifts our minds to new ideals and gives us conceptions of things so much in advance of our present experiences that we long for higher ground.
~A. W. Tozer~
_______________________
Who Is Praying?
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26)
The spiritual quality of a prayer is determined not by its intensity but by its origin. In evaluating prayer we should inquire who is doing the praying - our determined hearts or the Holy Spirit? If the prayer originates with the Holy Spirit, then the wrestling can be beautiful and wonderful; but if we are the victims of our own overheated desires, our praying can be as carnal as any other act.
Two examples are given in the Old Testament, Jacob and the prophets of Baal. Jacob's wrestling was a real exercise, and at first it was not Jacob's doing. The wrestling became of divine origin, and the blessed results are known to every Bible student.
The other example does not turn out so well. The prophets of Baal wrestled also, much more violently than Jacob, but they wrestled in the flesh. Their writhings were born of ignorance and superstition and got them nowhere. They were wrong in spite of their zealous praying. Only the Spirit can pray effectively.
This is the spirit of prayer - sincere, humble, believing, submissive. Other prayer than this the Bible does not require - God will not accept.
~A. W. Tozer~
Too many want the Holy Spirit in order that they may have the gift of healing. Others want Him for the gift of tongues. Still others seek Him so that their testimony may become effective. All of these things, I will grant, are a part of the total pattern of the New Testament. But it is impossible for us to make God our servant. Let us never pray that we may be filled with the Spirit of God for secondary purposes.
God wants to fill us with His Spirit in order that we should know Him first of all and be absorbed in Him. We should enter into the fullness of the Spirit so that God's Son may be glorified in us.
I try to bathe my soul in the writings and the hymns of the devoted saints of God. I wonder why we ever stoop to read or sing or quote anything but that which is elevated and divine, noble and inspiring.
When the Holy Spirit comes, He lifts our minds to new ideals and gives us conceptions of things so much in advance of our present experiences that we long for higher ground.
~A. W. Tozer~
_______________________
Who Is Praying?
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Romans 8:26)
The spiritual quality of a prayer is determined not by its intensity but by its origin. In evaluating prayer we should inquire who is doing the praying - our determined hearts or the Holy Spirit? If the prayer originates with the Holy Spirit, then the wrestling can be beautiful and wonderful; but if we are the victims of our own overheated desires, our praying can be as carnal as any other act.
Two examples are given in the Old Testament, Jacob and the prophets of Baal. Jacob's wrestling was a real exercise, and at first it was not Jacob's doing. The wrestling became of divine origin, and the blessed results are known to every Bible student.
The other example does not turn out so well. The prophets of Baal wrestled also, much more violently than Jacob, but they wrestled in the flesh. Their writhings were born of ignorance and superstition and got them nowhere. They were wrong in spite of their zealous praying. Only the Spirit can pray effectively.
This is the spirit of prayer - sincere, humble, believing, submissive. Other prayer than this the Bible does not require - God will not accept.
~A. W. Tozer~
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