The Half-Converted Cowboy

The Half-Converted Cowboy
(A.W. Tozer)

Psalm 29:2, "Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness."

There is grief in my spirit when I go into the average church, for we have become a generation rapidly losing all sense of divine sacredness and reverence in our worship. God has been abridged, reduced, modified, edited, changed and amended--until He is no longer the high and lifted up God whom Isaiah saw! We've reduced the God of Abraham and Jacob, to a "stuffed God" that can be appealed to by anybody at any time. The religious clown on the radio can break into his fun and say, "Now we will have a minute of prayer." In the religious concert, the half-converted cowboy dressed like an idiot will say after he's twanged out some catchy numbers, "Now I'll do a holy number for you."

Inane Things

Yeah... that word nails it for me. It means, “lacking significance, meaning, or point: silly, empty, insubstantial; devoid of qualities that make for spirit and character, a lack of any significant or convincing quality.” ~Merriam-Webster

Inane things... the conversation of the world.

IS ANYONE POINTING A FINGER AT YOU?

We should not finger-point, unless we are using that finger to point out scripture. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works"  2 Tim. 3:16-17.

Or, to point the way to salvation, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me" John 14:6.

CARNAL OR SPIRITUAL?

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace”.
Rom. 8:6 is my opening text, but for anyone desiring “context” I would suggest reading at least chapters 1-8. And then read also 1 Cor. chapters 1, 2 and 3. I would even go further to say that IF you are not studying the WHOLE Word of God, then you will seriously be lacking “context”.

ESSENTIALS AND NON-ESSENTIALS

"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love" ~Rupertus Meldenius, (circa 1627).
A pseudo-truism. Another axiom of ecumenism, frequently tossed out in an effort (no doubt) to "justify" everyone and achieve "balance". A false balance is abomination to the LORD  Prov. 11:1.

This slogan  is familiar to many, although there is some debate about authorship. Augustine was a great "promoter" of it. Such slogans can be misleading and should be avoided. ESPECIALLY when used to divide Christians, for such is what it does. This statement has misled many in the past and is still doing it today. The only part Rupertus got right is "In all things, love."

SO THAT WAS CHRISTMAS

There’s a song in which we find the lyrics... “So this is Christmas, and what have we done?” 
Many opinions on Christmas, most, probably, of no ultimate consequence. However, in the present, there is strife.

MERRY CHRISTMAS - Part 5

Most people who call themselves Christians "do not agree"  with my previous essay on Christmas. That's the polite way of saying you prefer to believe the world's version… the lies. I did not present my "opinions," but the information of the ages.

Why do we resist the truth? Difficult to accept isn't it? The "anti" Christmas message is that which would tear families apart. Isn't that amazing, (shameful, really). The fact that Christmas should have more of a divisive factor in families than Christ does, is a condemnation on us all. Jesus said He would be the divisive factor… not a "holiday".

Do we make are own rules up?