Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” — Genesis 3:9
Although the human mind stubbornly resists and resents the suggestion that it is a sick, fallen planet upon which we ride, everything within our consciousness, our innermost spirit, confirms that the voice of God is sounding in this world—the voice of God calling, seeking, beckoning to lost men and women!… Sacred revelation declares plainly that the inhabitants of the earth are lost. They are lost by a mighty calamitous visitation of woe which came upon them somewhere in that distant past and is still upon them. But it also reveals a glorious fact—that this lost race has not been given up! There is a divine voice that continues to call. It is the voice of the Creator, God, and it is entreating them. Just as the shepherd went everywhere searching for his sheep, just as the woman in the parable went everywhere searching for her coins, so there is a divine search with many variations of the voice that entreats us, calling us back…. (A.W. Tozer).
“Thank You, Father, for Your grace that continues to call so patiently. Lord, You’re calling some today with whom I could have the privilege of sharing the Gospel. Give me a sensitivity today to opportunities where I might be Your human voice, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
00Philip Holderhttp://www.hoperoadnazarene.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/hrn-logo-520x140-1.pngPhilip Holder2015-08-14 03:21:592015-08-14 03:21:59CALLING US BACK
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
Three times: “Have mercy,” “according to your steadfast love,” and “according to your abundant mercy.”
This is what God had promised in Exodus 34:6–7: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty. David knew that there were guilty who would not be forgiven. And there were guilty who by some mysterious work of redemption would not be counted as guilty, but would be forgiven. Psalm 51 is his way of laying hold on that mystery of mercy. We know more of the mystery of this redemption than David did. We know Christ. But we lay hold of the mercy in the same way he did.
The first thing he does is turn helpless to the mercy and love of God. Today that means turning helpless to Christ.
00Philip Holderhttp://www.hoperoadnazarene.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/hrn-logo-520x140-1.pngPhilip Holder2015-08-12 03:05:172015-08-12 03:05:17HAVE MERCY ON ME O GOD…
“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” —John 4:30
Spiritual experiences must be shared. It is not possible for very long to enjoy them alone. The very attempt to do so will destroy them.
The reason for this is obvious. The nearer our souls draw to God the larger our love will grow, and the greater our love the more unselfish we shall become and the greater our care for the souls of others. Hence increased spiritual experience, so far as it is genuine, brings with it a strong desire that others may know the same grace that we ourselves enjoy. This leads quite naturally to an increased effort to lead others to a closer and more satisfying fellowship with God….
The impulse to share, to impart, normally accompanies any true encounter with God and spiritual things. The woman at the well, after her soul-inspiring meeting with Jesus, left her waterpots, hurried into the city and tried to persuade her friends to come out and meet Him. “Come, see a man,” she said, “which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” Her spiritual excitement could not be contained within her own heart. She had to tell someone. (Tozer)
“Lord, we have so much more! We’ve seen Your goodness. We’ve tasted Your blessing. We’ve come to love you. Yet how seldom are we that impelled to tell anyone. Direct me even today to someone with whom I can share the glorious news of the Gospel in Jesus’ name, Amen”
00Philip Holderhttp://www.hoperoadnazarene.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/hrn-logo-520x140-1.pngPhilip Holder2015-08-11 00:44:392015-08-11 00:44:39SHE HAD TO TELL SOMEONE
CALLING US BACK
/in Steadfast HopeThen the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” — Genesis 3:9
Although the human mind stubbornly resists and resents the suggestion that it is a sick, fallen planet upon which we ride, everything within our consciousness, our innermost spirit, confirms that the voice of God is sounding in this world—the voice of God calling, seeking, beckoning to lost men and women!… Sacred revelation declares plainly that the inhabitants of the earth are lost. They are lost by a mighty calamitous visitation of woe which came upon them somewhere in that distant past and is still upon them. But it also reveals a glorious fact—that this lost race has not been given up! There is a divine voice that continues to call. It is the voice of the Creator, God, and it is entreating them. Just as the shepherd went everywhere searching for his sheep, just as the woman in the parable went everywhere searching for her coins, so there is a divine search with many variations of the voice that entreats us, calling us back…. (A.W. Tozer).
“Thank You, Father, for Your grace that continues to call so patiently. Lord, You’re calling some today with whom I could have the privilege of sharing the Gospel. Give me a sensitivity today to opportunities where I might be Your human voice, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
HAVE MERCY ON ME O GOD…
/in Discipleship, Steadfast HopeHave mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)
Three times: “Have mercy,” “according to your steadfast love,” and “according to your abundant mercy.”
This is what God had promised in Exodus 34:6–7: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty. David knew that there were guilty who would not be forgiven. And there were guilty who by some mysterious work of redemption would not be counted as guilty, but would be forgiven. Psalm 51 is his way of laying hold on that mystery of mercy. We know more of the mystery of this redemption than David did. We know Christ. But we lay hold of the mercy in the same way he did.
The first thing he does is turn helpless to the mercy and love of God. Today that means turning helpless to Christ.
SHE HAD TO TELL SOMEONE
/in Steadfast Hope“Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” —John 4:30
Spiritual experiences must be shared. It is not possible for very long to enjoy them alone. The very attempt to do so will destroy them.
The reason for this is obvious. The nearer our souls draw to God the larger our love will grow, and the greater our love the more unselfish we shall become and the greater our care for the souls of others. Hence increased spiritual experience, so far as it is genuine, brings with it a strong desire that others may know the same grace that we ourselves enjoy. This leads quite naturally to an increased effort to lead others to a closer and more satisfying fellowship with God….
The impulse to share, to impart, normally accompanies any true encounter with God and spiritual things. The woman at the well, after her soul-inspiring meeting with Jesus, left her waterpots, hurried into the city and tried to persuade her friends to come out and meet Him. “Come, see a man,” she said, “which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” Her spiritual excitement could not be contained within her own heart. She had to tell someone. (Tozer)
“Lord, we have so much more! We’ve seen Your goodness. We’ve tasted Your blessing. We’ve come to love you. Yet how seldom are we that impelled to tell anyone. Direct me even today to someone with whom I can share the glorious news of the Gospel in Jesus’ name, Amen”