Our Lord will never have to send a message to us, saying, "I am not feeling well today; therefore, I shall not be dealing with you today on the same basis as I dealt with you yesterday."
You may not be feeling well physically today. Have you learned to be thankful anyhow and to rejoice in the promises of God? God's eternal blessings do not depend on how you feel today. If my eternal hope rested on how I felt physically, I might as well begin packing for a move to some other region! Even if I do not feel heavenly, my feelings in no way change my heavenly hope and prospect.
I dare not relate even a fraction of my faith and hope to my emotions of the moment and to how I feel today. My eternal hope depends on God's well being--on whether God Himself is able to make good on His promises. And about that there is no doubt.
Now that I have brought up the subject of our human emotions, I should add this further word. I do not know how familiar you are with the ways of God and the tender movings of His Spirit. But I will tell you this quite frankly: God does not play on our emotions to bring us to the point of spiritual decision.
By A.W. Tozer
Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
TRUSTING GOD'S PROMISES BECAUSE OF HIS CHARACTER
Why do I insist that all Christians should search the Scriptures and learn as much as they can about this God who is dealing with them? It is because their faith will only spring up naturally and joyfully as they find that our God is trustworthy and fully able to perform every promise He has made.
This word concerning God's total faithfulness is a vibrant, positive message in the Hebrews letter. Those to whom it is primarily written were being persecuted. They were suffering. The enemy of their souls was busy planting doubts about God's plans for them and God's promises to them. Probably Satan was sowing doubts about the very character of God who had revealed Himself in a new covenant of grace, sealed in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Let me share a conclusion I have come to in my study of the Scriptures. I have come to believe that all the promises of God have been made to assure us weak and changeable humans of God’s never-ending good will and concern. What God is today He will be tomorrow. And all that God does will always be in accord with all that God is!
By A.W. Tozer
This word concerning God's total faithfulness is a vibrant, positive message in the Hebrews letter. Those to whom it is primarily written were being persecuted. They were suffering. The enemy of their souls was busy planting doubts about God's plans for them and God's promises to them. Probably Satan was sowing doubts about the very character of God who had revealed Himself in a new covenant of grace, sealed in the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Let me share a conclusion I have come to in my study of the Scriptures. I have come to believe that all the promises of God have been made to assure us weak and changeable humans of God’s never-ending good will and concern. What God is today He will be tomorrow. And all that God does will always be in accord with all that God is!
By A.W. Tozer
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
TURNING OVER OUR DOUBTS
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
-(Proverbs 3:5-6)
AFTER years of striving to walk with Christ, I arrived at a place in my spiritual journey where doubts and insecurities had become obstacles in my path. I found myself wondering if what I had believed all my life was in fact true. My mind and heart were full of questions like, "Is the Bible really the word of God?" and, "Does God really love me unconditionally?" I was desperate to believe again, but like the father in Mark 9:24 I had to accept that I needed the Lord's help with my unbelief. All of my striving would not remove these roadblocks to my faith.
With a graduate degree in the sciences, I had always relied on my ability to reason. However, feeling overwhelmed by doubt and confusion taught me a humbling lesson: There are some things that I just cannot figure out. Isn't that what faith is all about -- believing in something beyond our limited powers of observation and reason?
Like the father described in Mark 9, I had to become desperate enough to cry out, "Help my unbelief" (verse 24,) -- and in mercy, Christ has answered my cry.
By Diane Chambers
-(Proverbs 3:5-6)
AFTER years of striving to walk with Christ, I arrived at a place in my spiritual journey where doubts and insecurities had become obstacles in my path. I found myself wondering if what I had believed all my life was in fact true. My mind and heart were full of questions like, "Is the Bible really the word of God?" and, "Does God really love me unconditionally?" I was desperate to believe again, but like the father in Mark 9:24 I had to accept that I needed the Lord's help with my unbelief. All of my striving would not remove these roadblocks to my faith.
With a graduate degree in the sciences, I had always relied on my ability to reason. However, feeling overwhelmed by doubt and confusion taught me a humbling lesson: There are some things that I just cannot figure out. Isn't that what faith is all about -- believing in something beyond our limited powers of observation and reason?
Like the father described in Mark 9, I had to become desperate enough to cry out, "Help my unbelief" (verse 24,) -- and in mercy, Christ has answered my cry.
By Diane Chambers
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
JESUS - OUR MODEL MAN
Jesus is not said to be the victorious God—God is always victorious. How could the sovereign God be anything but victorious? Rather, we take our position with those earliest Christian believers who saw in Jesus a Man in the heavenlies. He is a victorious man, and if we are in Him, we too can be victorious.
Through the new birth, the miracle of regeneration, we have been brought by faith into the kingdom of God. As Christians we should recognize that our nature has been joined to God's nature in the mystery of the incarnation. Jesus has done everything He can to make His unbelieving people see that we have the same place in the heart of God that He Himself has. He does so not because we are worthy of it, but because He is worthy and He is the Head of the Church. He is the representative Man before God, representing us.
Jesus is the Model Man after which we are patterned in our Christian faith and fellowship. That is why He will not let us alone. He is determined that we will have eyes to see more than this world around us. He is determined that we will have eyes of faith to see God in the kingdom of heaven, and Himself—our Man in glory—seated there in victorious control!
By A.W. Tozer
Through the new birth, the miracle of regeneration, we have been brought by faith into the kingdom of God. As Christians we should recognize that our nature has been joined to God's nature in the mystery of the incarnation. Jesus has done everything He can to make His unbelieving people see that we have the same place in the heart of God that He Himself has. He does so not because we are worthy of it, but because He is worthy and He is the Head of the Church. He is the representative Man before God, representing us.
Jesus is the Model Man after which we are patterned in our Christian faith and fellowship. That is why He will not let us alone. He is determined that we will have eyes to see more than this world around us. He is determined that we will have eyes of faith to see God in the kingdom of heaven, and Himself—our Man in glory—seated there in victorious control!
By A.W. Tozer
Monday, August 10, 2009
CRIES FOR HELP
The psalmist wrote, "In the day of my trouble I call on you, for you will answer me."
-Psalm 86:7
MY sister has schizoaffective disorder, a chronic mental condition with symptoms of both mood disorder and psychosis. Despite regular medication and follow-up visits to the psychiatrist over the past 30 years, she still experiences periods of extreme mood swings. We as family members have to take care of her, and that has brought us much suffering in her times of trouble.
Over the years, I have come to trust in the Lord completely. When my sister seems out of control, I kneel beside my bed and earnestly pray for the Lord to let the Holy Spirit fill her. Realizing that during these moments of agony no medication can help her any further, I also pray for the Lord's healing power and guidance, to give me wisdom to communicate with her at the right time. Often after a moment my sister calms down, and the outcome of these episodes is usually better than I expect.
As children of God, we are blessed to know that God does hear our prayers. Sometimes we may panic when there is a crisis. However, if we call out in prayer, we will find that God is always there to help us and give us peace.
Doris Yeung
-Psalm 86:7
MY sister has schizoaffective disorder, a chronic mental condition with symptoms of both mood disorder and psychosis. Despite regular medication and follow-up visits to the psychiatrist over the past 30 years, she still experiences periods of extreme mood swings. We as family members have to take care of her, and that has brought us much suffering in her times of trouble.
Over the years, I have come to trust in the Lord completely. When my sister seems out of control, I kneel beside my bed and earnestly pray for the Lord to let the Holy Spirit fill her. Realizing that during these moments of agony no medication can help her any further, I also pray for the Lord's healing power and guidance, to give me wisdom to communicate with her at the right time. Often after a moment my sister calms down, and the outcome of these episodes is usually better than I expect.
As children of God, we are blessed to know that God does hear our prayers. Sometimes we may panic when there is a crisis. However, if we call out in prayer, we will find that God is always there to help us and give us peace.
Doris Yeung
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