A. W. Tozer Articles

[selah]

Hi Selah,

That's wonderful, how the Lord answered your prayers and sustained you through the whole ordeal!
He certainly is merciful.

I agree! Thank you for praying even though you didn't know the details then. Yes, our Lord is merciful. (I would not have wanted to do the extraction without a pain shot! After submitting my story, I began to consider how no-pain-shot would have changed my pre-surgery thoughts!!! And certainly it would have effected my experience of the extraction!!! If there is anything analogous to this aspect of the story, it would be that American's have an opportunity for "pain-less" Christian sacrifice. In other words, we're blessed!)

When I first read the bit about extracting the tooth with blood and in agony, I pictured the scene from Castaway with Tom Hanks. (If you haven't seen it, you may not want to).

I have not seen it but would like to, now that you mention it.

I know the Lord is extremely patient with us, but I think our self-will often hangs on for dear life; and I don't know that crucifixion can ever be entirely painless. I heard someone say that living sacrifices on the altar tend to try and squirm away! -

Yes, I must agree. I think the analogy that A.W. Tozer used must have been in context of no--or very little--anesthetic. You know, I've also been thinking that pain can be known in many different forms, and I admit to squirming a time or two.

(Gal 5:17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these things oppose each other, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

(Gal 5:24) And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts.

Gal 5:24 reminds me of 2 Cor. 4:11 "...we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh."

[TK]

I think Tozer wasnt really stressing the pain aspect of wrenching a tooth from the jaw but rather the violence of it- he also talked about ripping a plant out of the ground by the roots.

As we know, a tooth will not extract itself (too bad for the Castaway!) nor will a plant take itself out by the roots.

At the close of this chapter in The Pursuit of God, Tozer includes a prayer:

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

TK

[Suzana]

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Amen.

[TK]

In the essay that Darin noted- "The Waning Authority of Christ in the Chruches," Tozer makes the following observation:

In the conduct of our public worship where is the authority of Christ to be found? The truth is that today the Lord rarely controls a service, and the influence He exerts is very small. We sing of Him and preach about Him, but He must not interfere; We worship our way, and it must be right because we have always done it that way, as have the other churches in our group.

My wife and I are at a crossroads at our current chruch and feel that God may be calling us out of the church for the exact reasons expressed in this quote.

I am sure we are all familiar with the following type of order of service: 1) everyone enters the sanctuary 2) the worship team sings or plays some sort of introductory song while people are getting settled 3) we are asked to greet each other - the "group hug" moment 4) three praise and worship songs 5) announcements 6) offering 7) sermon.

This seems to be so set in concrete ay my church that quite frankly I am not sure how the Lord is controlling anything. It is very unsettling.

So my question is this: What would a church service look like that IS letting the Lord control the service? (and you can't answer "like the early church"-- that's too easy). By the way, I have been in churches where it is clear the Lord is in control- so I do know what it looks like, but I want to her all your thoughts on the matter.

TK

[selah]

As we know, a tooth will not extract itself (too bad for the Castaway!) nor will a plant take itself out by the roots.

Good point. I had not thought of it this way.

I had thought what it is like pulling roots from dry crusty earth, so I considered it important to be like a tree planted by the water. Becoming uprooted from moisture is much easier.

TK quoted A.W. Tozer:

Father, I want to know Thee, but my coward heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from Thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling, but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have become a very part of my living self, so that Thou mayest enter and dwell there without a rival. Then shalt Thou make the place of Thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for Thyself wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night there. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Thank you for posting this. I prayed something like it before my extractions, so now A. W. Tozer's prayer means much to me. (I must have echoed his prayer...amen.)

I think I will have to read more of Tozer. Thanks!

Selah*

[selah]

In the essay that Darin noted- "The Waning Authority of Christ in the Chruches," Tozer makes the following observation:

I am sure we are all familiar with the following type of order of service: 1) everyone enters the sanctuary 2) the worship team sings or plays some sort of introductory song while people are getting settled 3) we are asked to greet each other - the "group hug" moment 4) three praise and worship songs 5) announcements 6) offering 7) sermon.

This seems to be so set in concrete ay my church that quite frankly I am not sure how the Lord is controlling anything. It is very unsettling.

So my question is this: What would a church service look like that IS letting the Lord control the service? (and you can't answer "like the early church"-- that's too easy). By the way, I have been in churches where it is clear the Lord is in control- so I do know what it looks like, but I want to her all your thoughts on the matter.

TK

When I first became a believer, I thought Christians were worshipping the Lord in every thought and action. One day while attending a churched congregation, I learned "worship" means "the worship team sings or plays some sort of introductory song...(then) three praise and worship songs."