Foundational Missions

by A. W. Tozer

Some people object to taking vows, but in the Bible you will find many great men of God directed by covenants, promises, vows, and pledges. The psalmist was not averse to the taking of vows. He said, “Thy vows are upon me, 0 God, I will render my praises unto thee” (Psalm 56:12).

My counsel in this matter is that if you are really concerned about spiritual improvement – the gaining of new power, new life, new joy, and new personal revival within your heart -you will do well to make certain vows and proceed to keep them. if you should fail, go down in humility and repent and start over. But always keep these vows before you. They will help harmonize your heart with the vast powers that flow out and down from the throne where Christ sits at the right hand of God.

A carnal man refuses the discipline of such commitments. He says, “I want to be free. I don’t want to lay any vows upon myself; I don’t believe in it; it is legalism.” Well, let me paint a picture of two men. Continue reading “Five Vows to Make and Keep / Tozer”

Five years ago I interviewed a friend of a friend who had just completed The World Race.   You may have heard of it or known someone who has been on it… you know, 11 countries in 11 months.  If you don’t know, google it.  There’s a lot out there on it.  I had been down to visit the founder and some of the directors of the program prior to that, but wanted to get a perspective of someone who didn’t work for Adventures in Missions (the organization who runs The Race).  I was thankful for Samara’s transparent feedback.  If you want to read that interview, click here….

This time we didn’t catch up over Skype, like the time before.  We sat down in Chiang Mai for a face to face, and even though I knew Samara a little better over the time in between, this was my first time to meet her in person.  I was thankful for the opportunity. Continue reading “Samara Marie…. 5 years later”

If my life is so unremarkable, why the idle chatter and incessant neediness? Are we attempting to be coddled in the ambiance of indifference, from the echoes of our own voice and those who sound just like us? Let’s all live down to the averages or below, and spew idle and persistent encouragement to our comrades in chains, snared in uselessness and blind wandering. Will we ever grow sick of ourselves? i hope so.

Why do we set our eyes, hopes (and fears) on everything that surrounds us, and not lift our gaze to the only One who imbues with transforming power? Or should we go on and continue to let our circumstances define us, drawing our identity from mediocrity?

We seem to have gone so long on the road of the nominal – keeping within expectations – that we are trying to make it a more comfortable passing, instead of rising above it. Perhaps we prefer all of this underwhelming existence to the risk required to break free? And yet, even with a hint of hope that breaking free is possible, it lingers just outside our grasp. How can we summon the courage necessary for change?

Phooey, and utter contempt on the low living of the averages. I was born, you were born, to overcome. Continue reading “My Unremarkable Life”