Following D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones quote the other day on the Gifts of the Spirit, here is a quote by A.W. Tozer on the Azusa St. Revival of 1904. Dr. Tozer's insight on this is well rounded and filled with compassion and grace. I like the line where he states "I do not want to hurt anybody's feelings; and if you think this is not true, then you can call me up, come to see me, bring your proof....we've all got to smile and say thank God for the truth no matter whether it hurts or not." Tozer is right, we must always adhere to the Truth in Scripture, and consistently check ourselves and the movements that we see all around us, whether they be evidenced in God's word or not, and once the truth of scripture has been revealed, we must hold to it and esteem it above opinions or anything else.....
"Why is it that we do not cast our lot in with the tongues movement because they believe this? Well now, I have known and studied these dear brethren. I've preached to them for a long, long time and I've studied them; and I know them pretty well, and I'm very sympathetic with them, and I love them in all love and charity,I'd like to say there are some good sweet Christians among them. And I happen to know some dear, beloved, sweet Christians that are in this movement. Also, there are some churches that are very sane, beautiful, godly and good, but a number of things that I want to name have characterized the movement itself.
I do not want to hurt anybody's feelings; and if you think this is not true, then you can call me up, come to see me, bring your proof. If it's true, and as Christians and members of the body of Christ, we've all got to smile and say thank God for the truth no matter whether it hurts or not. The movement itself has done this. It has magnified one single gift above all others and that one gift, as Paul said, was the least. Now, that does not cause me to have great confidence in the movement that would do that. Then there is an unscriptural exhibition of that gift, which incidentally began in the United States about 1904."
From A.W. Tozer's "Mystery of The Holy Spirit"
2 comments:
I was on my lunch break in my work vehicle at a city park and I read a Christian book about speaking in tongues . Suddenly I looked in my rear view mirror and my lips were moving and a torrent of words came out of my mouth and I was speaking in another language and I was praising Him in English also . It truly was the happiest day Ive ever experienced in my entire life . I am 72 now and I was 30 then. I think I could’ve been truly joyful for a long time but well meaning ministers and other believers immediately told me that even pagans could speak in “ tongues”. I’ll never understand how wonderful it was that day . It was like God himself touched me with his finger . I have on repeated occasions prayed and sang in tongues when I did not know how to pray in desperate situations when I underwent divorce and financial loss. God delivered me out of those dire situations after he had me read psalm 34.
Yes! It’s not just real, it’s essential to our walk and to evangelize with power and demonstration. It’s arrogant to think we don’t need the gift God gave us to be His witnesses.
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