Tag: A.W. Tozer

Posted in Lessons from the Holy Bible, The Power of Prayer, Time for Sharing, Trusting God

Is Something Missing in Your Armor?

Posted on by Streim

I read in an article this morning written by K.P. Yohannan, founder and president of Gospel for Asia, he shares an alarming statistic.  “Studies show pastors spend about 12 minutes in prayer a day, and the average Christian spends on eight.  At the same time, they don’t mind engaging at length other Christians activities, such as… concerts, retreats, charity work.  Why does prayer come last on our list of priorities?  Could it be that the enemy succeeded to convince us that all those other activities are easier and produce better results than prayer?  The truth is the devil knows the Almighty God restricted Himself to act on the prayers of His people.”   (Read 2 Chronicles 7:14; John 14:13-14)

When our Lord Jesus Christ lived on this earth in human form… prayer was His highest priority!
(few examples–Matt. 26:41 & 53; Mark 6:46; Mark 14: 32 & 38; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:28; John 14:16; John 17:9,15,20)

We need to do the same.  We all know the verses about putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6)… however, as you can read for yourself below that the armor needed for our spiritual warfare includes fervent PRAYER for the Church.

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  
Ephesians 6:10-18

A. W. Tozer said  “The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos; the church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption. The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray.” 

My prayer for each of you who reads this will ask themselves this question “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” (Corrie Ten Boom).  May this post bless you and increase your growth in our Lord Jesus Christ.  It definitely has impacted me.  ♥ Streim

Posted in Lessons from the Holy Bible, Living in Today's World, Poetry and Quotes, The Joy of His Love

Passion

Posted on by Streim

PASSION~ FALLING IN LOVE WITH OUR GOD!

*desiring to be with Lord daily in His Word and prayer  

*excited when in that quite place with the God of Creation

*joyful, joyful, joyful… ever rejoicing in His love and Truth

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“I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”  A.W.Tozer

Posted in Living in Today's World, Seeking Truth?, The Gospel

A Whole Lot of Hatin’ Goin’ On

Posted on by Streim

After being away from my blog site for several days, I returned today to find some wonderful posts.  I also found some that I must comment on, and if there are those of you who disagree with me… then say so.  There seems to be a “whole lot of hatin’ goin’ on” in our society today.  The saddest part, is there is a lot coming from those who claim the name of Christ!  How are we are able to show the lost and dying the reality of redemption through Jesus Christ if we’re busy hating, trying to change the laws of the land, jumping on anti-everything band wagons?  It’s not going to happen! 

Some Christian leaders are using the Word of God  to bring on the hate; which makes me sad and angry!  Is that the purpose of the Word–is that what God intended when He inspired the writers?  It’s hearing the Word, then allowing the Holy Spirit to work that people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! 

Romans 10:12-17 “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved .  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ?  And how shall they preach , except they be sent ? as it is written , How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith , Lord, who hath believed our report?  So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

What is the Gospel?  Isn’t it good news to the lost sinners of the world?  Whom, by the way Jesus Christ died for?  How did you learn the Gospel message?  Did someone come up to you one day and start attacking, hatefully your sinful life and character?  I pray not.

When Jesus met the woman at the well found in John 4:7-42 , this disgusting lady had to retrieve her daily water supply in the afternoon because none of the other women in the village wouldn’t allow her to go with them in the morning, after all she was filth to them.  Did Jesus start criticizing her as being an unholy, fornicating harlot?  NO!!!   Read it for yourself….

Gentle, compassion for the lost is what we need to reach the world (our own little world-where God has placed us) with the Good News of salvation.  Hating, pointing fingers, telling people they’re going to hell if they don’t change their ways is doing nothing more than pushing them away from God.  These things I just mentioned do not come as “fruit of the Spirit”, but rather from the ‘vanity of self–anchored with the flesh and fed by the enemy himself’!  If we are to carry out the commandment of our Lord Jesus… we MUST spend time daily in the Word, with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit as our discerner (John 14:26).  The more we understand and know our Savior, personally, the greater our passion will be to share the Gospel in love not hate— in deed not just words.

Igniting your faith requires time, energy and the firm commitment to be obedient unto the One who loved us, before we loved Him!  Are you willing to go the full mile, or just trot along the hoping you’ll stay on the right path?

It is my sincere prayer that every member of the Body of Christ grow, effectively into the person God is calling us to be.  In Ephesians 6 we read “put on the whole armor of God…” the final thing Paul tells us after explaining the pieces if the armor, is in verse 18.

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

A. W. Tozer said “I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”