"That every Christian can be and should be filled with the Holy Spirit would hardly seem to be a matter for debate among Christians. ... I want here boldly to assert that it is my happy belief that every Christian can have a copious outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a measure far beyond that received at conversion, and I might also say, far beyond that enjoyed by the rank and file of orthodox believers today.

It is important that we get this straight, for until doubts are removed, faith is impossible. God will not surprise a doubting heart with an effusion of the Holy Spirit, nor will He fill anyone who has doctrinal questions about the possibility of being filled.

In light of this, it will be seen how empty and meaningless is the average church service today. All the means are in evidence; the one ominous weakness is the absence of the Spirit’s power. ... The power from on high is neither known nor desired by pastor or people. This is nothing less than tragic, and all the more so because it falls within the field of religion, where the eternal destinies of men are involved.

Fundamentalism has stood aloof from the liberal in self-conscious superiority and has on its own part fallen into error, the error of textualism, which is simply orthodoxy without the Holy Ghost. Everywhere among conservatives we find persons who are Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They conceive truth to be something which they can grasp with the mind.

If a man holds to the fundamentals of the Christian faith, he is thought to possess divine truth. But it does not follow. There is no truth apart from the Spirit. The most brilliant intellect may be imbecilic when confronted with the mysteries of God. For a man to understand revealed truth requires an act of God equal to the original act which inspired the text. ... "Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things which are freely given us of God.”

For the textualism of our times is based upon the same premise as the old line rationalism, that is, the belief that the human mind is the supreme authority in the judgment of truth. Or otherwise stated, it is confidence in the ability of the human mind to do that which the Bible declares it was never created to do and consequently is wholly incapable of doing.Philosophical rationalism is honest enough to reject the Bible flatly. Theological rationalism rejects it while pretending to accept it and in so doing puts out its own eyes.

Few there are who without restraint will open their whole heart to the blessed Comforter. He has been and is so widely misunderstood that the very mention of His name in some circles is enough to frighten many people into resistance.

It is no use to deny that Christ was crucified by persons who would today be called fundamentalists. This should prove to be disquieting if not downright distressing to us who pride ourselves on our orthodoxy. An unblessed soul filled with the letter of truth may actually be worse off than a pagan kneeling before a fetish. We are saved only when our intellects are indwelt by the loving fire that came at Pentecost. For the Holy Spirit is not a luxury, not something added now and again to produce a deluxe type of Christian once in a generation. No. He is for every child of God a vital necessity, and that He fill and indwell His people is more than a languid hope. It is rather an inescapable imperative.

Now the Bible teaches that there is something in God which is like emotion. ... God has said certain things about Himself, and these furnish all the grounds we require. “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). This is but one verse among thousands which serve to form our rational picture of what God is like, and tell us plainly that God feels something like our love, like our joy, and what He feels makes Him act very much as we would in a similar situation; He rejoices over His loved ones with joy and singing.

Here is emotion on as high a plain as it can ever be seen, emotion flowing out of the heart of God Himself. Feeling, then, is not the degenerate son of unbelief that is often painted by some of our Bible teachers. Our ability to feel is one of the marks of our divine origin. We need not be ashamed of either tears or laughter. The Christian stoic who has crushed his feelings is only two-thirds of a man; an important third part has been repudiated. Holy feeling had an important place in the life of our Lord. “For the joy that was set before Him” He endured the cross and despised its shame. He pictured Himself crying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

The work of the Holy Spirit is, among other things, to rescue the redeemed man’s emotions, to restring his harp and open again the wells of sacred joy which have been stopped up by sin.

Aiden Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897–May 12, 1963) was an American Christian pastor, preacher, author, magazine editor and spiritual mentor. This article is an excerpt from The Divine Conquest"
http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/41471-an-open-letter-to-john-macarthur-from-a-w-tozer-he-being-dead-yet-speaketh

Very good!

_________________
Cliff

A.W. Tozer on the Azusa St. Revival of 1904 -

"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."

A.W. Tozer "Mystery of The Holy Spirit"

FYI --- A.W. Tozer himself did not speak in tongues.

Hi Savannah,

When Tozer says "I have known and studied these dear brethren." can we agree that Tozer accepted many of those in the "tongues movement" as "dear, beloved, sweet Christians" , genuinely born again Christians ?

Is that the feeling that "The strange fire conferences" are giving ?


The issue with Macarthur and the others with the strange fire conference is that it feels that they have not drawn a clear line in their attacks between a radical prosperity gospel such as benny hinn teaches, and that of a genuine Christian such as AB Simpsons teachings on Divine Healing.

A.W. Tozer wrote,

Again, the experience of the Spirit's fullness coming upon the believer's heart is often judged by the amount and quality of emotional charge that accompanies it. Some go so far as to declare bluntly that no one is filled with the Spirit who has not experienced certain physical phenomena, particularly the act of speaking in unidentified tongues. Others will settle for an increased degree of joy or more effectiveness in their service.

All this is wrong, both scripturally and psychologically. It is the result of a misunderstanding of the nature of man's soul and of the relation of the spirit of man to the Spirit of God.

The workings of God in the hearts of redeemed men always over flow into observable conduct. Certain moral changes will take place immediately in the life of the new convert. A moral revolution without will accompany the spiritual revolution that has occurred within. As the evangelists tell us, even the cat will know it when the head of the house is converted. And the grocer will know it too, and the old cronies in the haunts where the man used to hang out will suspect that something has happened when they miss the new Christian from his accustomed place. All this is collateral proof of the validity of the man's Christian profession. But it is in no sense evidence to the man's own heart. It is not the witness of the Spirit.

___________________________________________________________

And as for A.B. Simpson...among other things notable,he wrote in his diary dated October 6, 1912 as follows:

"Five years have passed since these mem. were written. Much has come and gone. God has been ever with me and wrought for me. No extraordinary manifestation of the Spirit in tongues or similar gifts has come. Many of my friends have received such manifestations, but mine has still been a life of fellowship and service. At times my spirit has been open to God for anything He might be pleased to reveal or bestow. But he has met me still with the old touch and spiritual sense, and in distinct and marked answers to believing prayer in my practical life."

Although A.B. Simpson was favorable toward all these gifts and manifestations he did speak to the differences between “true and false fire” and “fervor and fanaticism,” in an article in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Weekly titled, “Fervor and Fanaticism” as a deterrent to much error which was mixed in with the times.

In the Christian and Missionary Alliance Weekly, Simpson also called the “initial evidence” doctrine regarding the baptism in the Holy Spirit, one of the “evils of the apostolic age” which Paul wrote against. He claimed that the exaltation of the gift of tongues was responsible for a movement fraught with “extravagance,” “excess,” “serious error,” “wildfire,” and “fanaticism.” He also claimed in an article, "The Signs of the Times" that there is not to be an overemphasis on this one gift and that one should not be guilty of exalting a “mere manifestation of the Holy Ghost” above the Spirit’s “higher ministry of grace.”
(words in quotes are the very words Simpson used).

For the record it ought to be noted again, that neither Tozer nor Simpson ever spoke with tongues.

Savannah,

You wrote: "For the record it ought to be noted again, that neither Tozer nor Simpson ever spoke with tongues."

This is true, but to quote you, this is the point "Although A.B. Simpson was favorable toward all these gifts and manifestations he did speak to the differences between “true and false fire” and “fervor and fanaticism,” in an article in the Christian and Missionary Alliance Weekly titled, “Fervor and Fanaticism” as a deterrent to much error which was mixed in with the times."

To keep quoting Tozer and AB Simpson as if they in someway agree with John McArthur rather misses the point. Both although against the extremes were NEVER cessationists.
In addition they accepted the true believers with whom they disagreed on this issue with.
According to his biography, Leonard Ravenhill also never spoke in tongues, but refused to agree with those who said it had ceased as a gift.

I do think that there is a valid discussion to be had about what constitutes the valid gift of tongues as opposed to much of what we see and hear today being exercised. I personally agree with people like Zac Poonan that much of what is declared the gift of 'tongues' is not genuine (but who can prove it). There needs to be a sound assessment based on scripture of all the gifts by those who are not cessationists. Only then will we get back to a sound understanding and practise.
I listened to Ray Stedman on the gift of tongues and he does give a very good balanced teaching. Not cessationist, but not agreeing with much of the then (1960s) new charismatic manifestations.
For Ray Stedman's teaching see here: http://www.raystedman.org/thematic-studies/questions-and-answers/the-true-gift-of-tongues

_________________
Dave

This short video (less than 10 minutes long ) gives a balanced look at the Azusa Street Revival with direct quotations from brother Seymore the founder.

http://youtu.be/cMyh63k39is

_________________
Fifi

UntoBabes,

Thank you for posting the Azuza Street Revival video link. It was a great blessing. Oh, if our services and lives were filled with the power and holiness portrayed there! We may still be ridiculed but not for emulating the world as we see so much of today.

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17).

_________________
Rick