Tozer Devotional

Devotions » Tozer Devotional

“What I believe about God is the most important thing about me.”

A. W. Tozer, a modern day prophet, was a key figure in The Christian and Missionary Alliance. His legacy reaches through time and has impacted countless millions. A prolific author and pastor, Tozer was known for his emphasis on the deeper life movement. His message, informed as it was by A.B. Simpson the founder of The Alliance, brought the missionary call to a massive audience. A series of his sermons are available as audio files.

His books have been published around the world and in many languages.

bookThe Warfare of the Spirit

Chapter 16 - Laboring the Obvious

Mired in First Principles

The vast majority of our Bible conferences are dedicated to the obvious. Each of the brethren (usually advertised as "widely sought after as a conference speaker") ranges afar throughout the Scriptures to discover additional passages to support truth already known to and believed by ninety nine percent of his hearers. If the speaker can show that some elementary truth had been hidden in an Old Testament "type" and not before noticed, he is hailed as a profound Bible scholar and eagerly invited back next year.

This engrossment in first principles has an adverse effect upon the evangelical church. It is as if an intelligent child should be forced to stay in the third grade five or six years. The monotony is just too great. The mind cannot remain alert when the elements of surprise and disclosure are missing. Personally I sit through the average orthodox sermon with the same sense of bored frustration one might feel who was reading a mystery story through for the 12th time.

Our tendency to repeat endlessly a half dozen basic doctrines is the result of our lack of prophetic insight and our failure to meet God in living encounter. The knowledge of God presents a million facets, each one shining with a new ravishing light. The teacher who lives in the heart of God, reads Scriptures with warm devotion, undergoes the discipline and chastisement of the Holy Spirit and presses on toward perfection is sure every now and again to come upon fresh and blessed vistas of truth, old indeed as the Word itself, but bright as the dew on the grass in the morning. The heart that has seen the far glimpses of advanced truth will never be able to keep quiet about them. His experiences will get into his sermons one way or another, and his messages will carry an element of surprise and delight altogether absent from the ordinary Bible talks heard everywhere these days.

Verse

Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1–2

Thought

Featuring repetition of elementary teachings with generous resort to stories, humor and entertainment caters to the flesh but it doesn't provide the solid food required for spiritual maturity.

Prayer

Spirit of God, teach me and through me teach others, that we Your people may may move on from elementary teachings and awesomely grow in You.

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