Search Me...

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
try me, and know my anxieties;
and see if there is any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
--Psalm 139:23-24

"I suppose my suggestion will not receive much serious attention, but
I should like to suggest that we Bible-believing Christians announce
a moratorium on religious activity and set our house in order
preparatory to the coming of an afflatus from above. So carnal is the
body of Christians which composes the conservative wing of the
Church, so shockingly irreverent are our public services in some
quarters, so degraded are our religious tastes in still others, that
the need for power could scarcely have been greater at any time in
history. I believe we should profit immensely were we to declare a
period of silence and self-examination during which each one of us
searched his own heart and sought to meet every condition for a real
baptism of power from on high. "
-AW Tozer



*

Happy Thanksgiving!

It seems more true this year than ever before that I am truly blessed and have so much to be thankful for. The Lord has kept me from harm, He has guided me on the path that He has for me, He has blessed me beyond belief with this life here in Romania.

Tonight we had such a great time, it was a big group of us from America, Germany, Canada and Romania.

We had such a wonderful turkey dinner, the food and dessert were fabulous! The time spent talking and hanging out were great. The community of friends here in Brasov is such a blessing. Everyone is such a servant here. Sure we are all human and no one is perfect, but honestly I can’t believe how great the atmosphere is here. It’s great to be surrounded by good friends who want to serve the Lord and the kids here in Romania and who give so much to make Brasov feel like a Home and like family.

It’s always a little sad to be away from friends and family back in the States on holidays, but today was truly blessed for me, and I am thankful to my Lord and Savior for all He has done to bring me to this place and to this point in my life.

Truthfully I almost feel most thankful for the fact that He has not left me alone, that He did not allow me to settle for a different life in Cali, but that He drew me here, that He kept prompting me back to Romania, and that He has provided for me all the way, and has shown me the goodness of who He is….such a loving Father we serve!

Anyway friends, just really resting in how great our God is tonight…

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving as well!!

Grace and Peace,
Rachel






*

AW Tozer Devo

Day 38 - 2 Corinthians 4:6
Originally uploaded by rachel_titiriga

Evangelism: Only the Spirit Can Give Sight

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
--2 Corinthians 4:3-4

The uncomprehending mind is unaffected by truth. The intellect of the hearer may grasp saving knowledge while yet the heart makes no moral response to it. A classic example of this is seen in the story of Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield. In his autobiography Franklin recounts in some detail how he listened to the mighty preaching of the great evangelist. He even walked around the square where Whitefield stood to learn for himself how far that golden voice carried. Whitefield talked with Franklin personally about his need of Christ and promised to pray for him. Years later Franklin wrote rather sadly that the evangelist's prayers must not have done any good, for he was still unconverted....

The inward operation of the Holy Spirit is necessary to saving faith. The gospel is light but only the Spirit can give sight. When seeking to bring the lost to Christ we must pray continually that they may receive the gift of seeing. And we must pit our prayer against that
dark spirit who blinds the hearts of men. Born After Midnight, pp. 62-63

Pretty Harsh...But Sadly...Too Often True...

My AW Tozer devo for today...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The business of the Church is God. She is purest when most
engaged with God and she is astray just so far as she follows
other interests, no matter how "religious" or humanitarian they
may be.

The Set of the Sail, 80.


July 8

The Church: Activities

Til I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
--1 Timothy 4:13

In an effort to get the work of the Lord done we often lose contact
with the Lord of the work and quite literally wear our people out
as well. I have heard more than one pastor boast that his church
was a "live" one, pointing to the printed calendar as a proof--
something on every night and several meetings during the day. Of
course this proves nothing except that the pastor and the church are
being guided by a bad spiritual philosophy. A great many of these
time-consuming activities are useless and others plain ridiculous.
"But," say the eager beavers who run the religious squirrel cages,
"they provide fellowship and they hold our people together."

To this I reply that what they provide is not fellowship at all, and
if that is the best thing the church has to offer to hold the people
together it is not a Christian church in the New Testament meaning
of that word. The center of attraction in a true church is the Lord
Jesus Christ....

If the many activities engaged in by the average church led to the
salvation of sinners or the perfecting of believers they would
justify themselves easily and triumphantly; but they do not. My
observations have led me to the belief that many, perhaps most, of
the activities engaged in by the average church do not contribute in
any way to the accomplishing of the true work of Christ on earth. I
hope I am wrong, but I am afraid I am right.

.