Classic bit of Tozer on worship

Taken from an excellent book 'The worship driven life' by A W Tozer.

'First, worship is to feel in the heart

I use that word 'feel' boldly and without apology. I do not believe we are to be a feelingless people. I came into the kingdom of God the old fashioned way. I believe I know something of the emotional life that goes with being converted, so i believe in feeling. I do not think we should follow feeling but I believe that, if there is no feeling in our hearts, we are dead. If you woke up in the morning and suddenly had no feeling in your arm, you would call a doctor. You would dial with the left hand because you right hand was dead. Anything that has no feeling it you can be quite sure is dead. Real worship, among other things, is a feeling in the heart.

Worship is to feel in the heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe. worship will humble a person as nothing else can. the egotistical, self important person cannot worship God any more than the arrogant devil can worship God. there must be humility in the heart before there can be worship.

When the Holy Spirit comes and opens heaven until people stand astonished at what they see and in astonished wonderment confess his uncreated loveliness in the presence of that most ancient mystery, then you have worship. It is is not mysterious, there can be no worship; if I can understand God then I cannot worship God.'

I love that, and hope it spurs you on to worship HIM, and out of that worship, the gospel burns ever brighter in and through you to a lost and hurting world

God bless you as you go and tell the world

Mark

Just had to rush this one out before the weekend arrives and we get too busy with guests arriving and all that, for our 40th wedding anniversary

A great quote from William Booth

'Not call!' did you say?

'Not heard the call' I think you should say.

Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin.

Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help.

Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and siters, and servants and masters not to come there.

And then look Christ in the face, whole mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.'

Something for us to ponder - are you, am I, really publishing his mercy to the world?

Grace and truth

Well, heard a guy from Fuller Seminary, Doug McConnell, speak at my church on Sunday about grace and truth. Reminded me that telling the truth is very important - and also much neglected as people tell a 'happy come to Jesus gospel' rather than the true gospel. Also reminded me that we have to flavour the truth with grace, and treat people graciously, love them, and so on. Just as the Lord showed grace to us, we should show grace to others.

But, but but........ do not compromise the truth in an effort to be loving, gracious and caring - for as Romans 1:16 says 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek'

Note quickly - it is the gospel. The whole gospel. Do not omit sin, personal responsibility for sin, the need for people to be convicted by the Holy Spirit of sin, and the need to repent. Turning to Jesus for a better life, or promises of other stuff - no no no..... that is not the gospel. That sort of gospel produces false conversions.

Please proclaim it truthfully, lovingly, graciously and see the Lord transform lives

OK - all I have time for right now. Hope this is some sort of encouragement to you

Mark