I must admit that when it comes to the Darfur region of Sudan in Africa, I don’t regularly pay attention to what is going on there. Not that I don’t care, but my prayers and energy are usually directed elsewhere.

Happily, we serve a Mighty God who knows what the needs of the world are and uses His people to spread the word on what is happening north, south, east and west. I stand in awe in how God’s hand moves across the earth, ready to intercede as we pray for help.

The Challenges of Darfur

Darfur is one of the most challenging areas in the world, a region that has been going through a brutal conflict since 2003. Various ethnic and religious groups as well as political factions have been battling since then, creating what most are calling a humanitarian catastrophe. Indeed, hundreds of thousands of people have died with more than two million displaced.

Humanitarian, religious and political groups have spoken out on behalf of Darfur for several years now and have had a hand in quelling some of the oppression while lending critical support to the afflicted. Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief and gospel sharing organization, has gained government favor to offer relief and is one of the few organizations that is able to do so at this time.

An Appeal From Samaritan’s Purse

To that end, Mr. Graham sent out an appeal to Samaritan’s Purse supporters, a snippet of which I will share here:

By God’s grace, Samaritan’s Purse has been allowed to stay in Darfur, where we have been feeding over 200,000 victims of the fighting. Now, as help runs out, we are stretching our resources and trusting God to allow us to meet overwhelming needs in the Name of Jesus Christ. We need your prayers and your support.

There is more to the article which you can find here and if so inclined learn how you can a financial contribution. Whether you choose to give to Samaritan’s Purse or some other organization is up to you, but your prayers are coveted.

Photo Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse

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Paul was a better man for his thorn (page 66).

If you have never heard of Dr. A.W. Tozer, then you have missed out on one of the greatest Christians minds of the 20th century.

Tozer, who was a Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) pastor for decades, died in 1963, but has had a lasting and profound impact in helping shape the lives of Christians since then through his numerous writings. Indeed, many years after his death, his books are still selling quite well.

Tozer Called Christians To Live Holy Lives

Dr. Tozer was a leading voice of his time who called Christians to holiness. In 1985, a friend (Mike S.) gave me a copy of one of his most popular books, “The Pursuit of God.”  A few years later I became friends with a young man, Steve S., whose favorite writings outside of the Bible were from Tozer.

I used to tease Steve about his Tozer obsession, but if you’re going to follow a man in this life, Tozer was someone who pointed people directly to our Lord Jesus Christ — not to himself.

I’m not sure what happened to my copy of “The Pursuit of God” other than thinking I must have passed it on to someone over the years. But, I do still have “Gems From Tozer” which is a collection of his most profound sayings, an example which I’ll include here:

True faith commits us to obedience. That dreamy, sentimental faith which ignores the judgments of God against us and listens to the affirmations of the soul is as deadly as cyanide (page 55).

Some Churches Today Would Be Uncomfortable With Tozer

Tozer wasn’t always well received by people due to his unswerving commitment to encourage believers to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ without reservation. These days, I think that much of what he stood for would be rejected by many churchgoers. Then again, there are entire congregations who exist solely to tickle the ears of its members, serving up another gospel, one far removed from what the apostles delivered.

Even during the mid-20th century, Tozer saw the breaking down of holiness creeping into the church. No, I’m not talking about so-called holy lives where Christians dress and speak a certain way. Rather, lives where people truly are pursuing a deep relationship with God, set apart from this worldly mindset.

The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still (page 36).

One thing about reading Tozer is this: every book has something to impart, a true gem worth pulling out and polishing from time to time.

See also — Better Dads, Stronger Sons

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