Verse of the week - Romans 8:9,10
So often God brings me to an issue from numerous angles at once. Sometimes this softens the blow, sometimes it intensifies.
First scenario: Small group, Tozer's the Pursuit of God, chapter 3. Tozer speaks of the veil outside the Holy of Holies that God rent in two at the crucifixion. He also speaks of a veil that remains intact in too many Christians' lives. The veil of self.
He says this self "can live unrebuked at the very altar. It can watch the bleeding Victim die and not be in the least affected by what it sees. It can fight for the faith of the reformers and preach eloquently the creed of salvation by grace and gain strength by its efforts. . . Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us."
This of course followed a rather lackluster week in my quiet times, aside from a riveting look at Ezekiel (more on that over at 66 books).
God had more to say on my spiritual state of affairs. Apparently, had I given a State of Self address this past week Self would have had a pretty favorable report. (Not a good thing in the eternal perspective of things)
Second attack: Radio blurb while running errands, Moody Radio. Chris Fabry shared a segment from Corrie Ten Boom. She gave a vivid illustration of a flashlight. We become a Christian and one battery slips in place, but then we try to fill the rest of the flashlight with rags(self, pride, etc.), which obviously does not produce light. I need to get all that other stuff out, and allow GOD ALONE to "power" my life. To hear the broadcast in full, check out the Chris Fabry Live website (part 2 here - this is where Corrie Ten Boom actually shares the flashlight illustration -- it was a treat just to hear her real voice after enjoying the Hiding Place earlier this year).
These brought me to Romans 8, verses 9 and 10, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
Me= dead
God's Spirit= alive
I've got to be there everyday. Confess my sinful state and necessary reliance on God's righteousness. Daily dying to self, resting in His Spirit.
First scenario: Small group, Tozer's the Pursuit of God, chapter 3. Tozer speaks of the veil outside the Holy of Holies that God rent in two at the crucifixion. He also speaks of a veil that remains intact in too many Christians' lives. The veil of self.
He says this self "can live unrebuked at the very altar. It can watch the bleeding Victim die and not be in the least affected by what it sees. It can fight for the faith of the reformers and preach eloquently the creed of salvation by grace and gain strength by its efforts. . . Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us."
This of course followed a rather lackluster week in my quiet times, aside from a riveting look at Ezekiel (more on that over at 66 books).
God had more to say on my spiritual state of affairs. Apparently, had I given a State of Self address this past week Self would have had a pretty favorable report. (Not a good thing in the eternal perspective of things)
Second attack: Radio blurb while running errands, Moody Radio. Chris Fabry shared a segment from Corrie Ten Boom. She gave a vivid illustration of a flashlight. We become a Christian and one battery slips in place, but then we try to fill the rest of the flashlight with rags(self, pride, etc.), which obviously does not produce light. I need to get all that other stuff out, and allow GOD ALONE to "power" my life. To hear the broadcast in full, check out the Chris Fabry Live website (part 2 here - this is where Corrie Ten Boom actually shares the flashlight illustration -- it was a treat just to hear her real voice after enjoying the Hiding Place earlier this year).
These brought me to Romans 8, verses 9 and 10, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."
Me= dead
God's Spirit= alive
I've got to be there everyday. Confess my sinful state and necessary reliance on God's righteousness. Daily dying to self, resting in His Spirit.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
~Romans 8:9,10~
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