It may have been long since the Holy Spirit awoke us from our sleep of death. Into that same deep sleep we know that we shall never fall again. He who awoke us will keep us awake until Jesus comes. In that sense we shall sleep no more.
But still much of our drowsiness remains. We are not wholly awake, and oftentimes much of our former sleep returns. Dwelling on the world’s enchanted ground, our eyes close, our senses are bewildered, our conscience loses its sensitiveness, and our faculties their energy; we fall asleep even upon our watchtower, forgetful that the night is far spent, and the day is at hand.
While thus asleep, or half‑asleep, all goes wrong. Our movements are sluggish and lifeless. Our faith waxes feeble; our love is chilled; our zeal cools down. The freshness of other years is gone. Our boldness has forsaken us. Our schemes are carelessly devised and drowsily executed. The work of God is hindered by us instead of being helped forward. We are a drag upon it. We mar it.
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The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.
The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.
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I was recently at a large church outreach event, where the music was wonderful, the testimonies were powerful, and the harvest for salvation was ripe. As I listened to the invitation to come to Jesus, something didn’t feel right. I had seen altar calls so many times, and heard the familiar words so frequently, a year ago I would have missed it. The call for the people to come to Jesus went something like this:
“Today is like no other. You are here tonight by a divine appointment. Some of you here tonight are looking for peace inside. Some of you are looking for a way out of your drug and alcohol addictions. Some of you are silently suffering in a failing marriage. And some of you feel an emptiness inside your soul, and just need to know for sure that you are loved. My friend … you are. I love you, and God loves you, and He has a wonderful plan for your life. He didn’t create you to be in pain and suffering, but to know Him and be filled with peace, love, joy, happiness, and lasting fulfillment. He simply wants a personal relationship with you because He knows that what you need to be truly happy. Read the rest of this entry »
INSTRUCTIONS: After reading the following quotes by A.W.Tozer, ponder the Scripture passages that follow, and then ask yourself if you really are in an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Is He is the supreme desire of your life? Are you pursuing Him for who He is, or just for what He offers? Are you pursuing Him at all?
“Within the fold of conservative Christianity there are to be found increasing numbers of persons whose religious lives are marked by a growing hunger after God Himself. They are eager for spiritual realities and will not be put off with words, nor will they be content with correct “interpretations” of truth. They are athirst for God, and they will not be satisfied til they have drunk deep at the fountain of Living Water.” – A.W. Tozer
“Current Evangelicalism has laid the altar and divided the sacrifice into parts, but now seems satisfied to count the stones and rearrange the pieces with never a care that there is not a sign of fire upon the top of lofty Carmel. But God be thanked that there are a few who care. They are those who, while they love the altar and delight in the sacrifice, are yet unable to reconcile themselves to the continued absence of fire. They desire God above all. They are athirst to taste for themselves the “piercing sweetness” of the love of Christ, about whom all the holy prophets did write and the Psalmists did sing.” – A.W. Tozer
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The Church invisible, the true company of the redeemed, finds expression in the companies of Christians who constitute the visible Church today. But what is the trouble with the visible Church? What is the reason for its obvious weakness? There are perhaps many causes of weakness. But one cause is perfectly plain–the Church of today has been unfaithful to her Lord by admitting great companies of non-Christian persons, not only into her membership, but into her teaching agencies.
It is indeed inevitable that some persons who are not truly Christian shall find their way into the visible Church; fallible men cannot discern the heart, and many a profession of faith, which seems to be genuine, may really be false. But it is not this kind of error to which we now refer.
What is now meant is not the admission of individuals whose confessions of faith may not be sincere, but the admission of great companies of persons who have never made any really adequate confession of faith at all and whose entire attitude toward the gospel is the very reverse of the Christian attitude. Such persons, moreover, have been admitted not merely to the membership, but to the ministry of the Church, and to an increasing extent have been allowed to dominate its councils and determine its teaching.
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“…every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.” Lev. 27:28
Devotion. What does it mean?
Devotion: Appropriated by vow; solemnly set apart or dedicated; consecrated; addicted; given up; doomed; consigned. – Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Devoted thing: The primary meaning of the Heb. word חרם chērem is something cut off, or shut up. Its specific meaning in the Law is, that which is cut off from common use and given up in some sense to Yahweh, without the right of recall or commutation. – Albert Barnes Notes on the Bible
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Tags: church, consecration, count the cost, disciple, holiness, martyr
John Tetzel is not as famous as his counterpart, Martin Luther, but his role in the Reformation, though insidious, can be enlightening and a helpful warning to us all. Tetzel was Rome’s chief fundraiser and one of its most politically savvy and influential lobbyists. Money earned in the arena of faith owned his heart. Truth mixed with error dominated his message and he profited from it significantly.
We are at a similar crossroads in our day. Faith is now big business; from publishing to Christian music money dominates the scenery, which must produce big profits due to its almost exclusive secular ownership and executive management. Money–not ministry, is the passion of the hour.
Some very critical and important questions are facing us today: Has the evangelical church in America today unwittingly fallen prey to the methods and techniques of Mr. Tetzel? Does the contemporary church resemble more Tetzel’s Rome than the New Testament? Has money become a prerequisite for ministry? Are we guilty of charging others for the gospel, worship, counseling, discipleship, reconciliation, music, Bible study, evangelism, etc.?
Let’s take an honest look together at these important and revealing questions.
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