Ironically, it was the father's blessing that actually "financed" the prodigal son's trip away from the Father's face! and it was the son's new revelation of his poverty of heart that propelled him back into his Father's arms. Sometimes we use the very blessings that God gives us to finance our journey away from the centrality of Christ. It's very important that we return back to ground zero, to the ultimate eternal goal of abiding with the Father's in intimate communion. (pg. 243)
Tommy TenneyThere have always been dreamers. Men and women who catch a glimpse of something beyond themselves who dare to reach for goals and visions. .. Yet no earthly dreamer can match the greatest of them all, the Dreamer who died on the cross to make His dream a reality. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word." The literal meaning of logos, the original Greek term translated as "Word," is idea, thought or blueprint. It is an ancient Greek theatrical term describing the work of a playwright as he conceives, or dreams up, the plot of a play. So we could say, "In the beginning was the dream".
Tommy TenneyA true God chaser is not happy with just past truth; he must have present truth. God chasers don't want to just study from the moldy pages of what God has done; they're anxious to see what God is doing.
Tommy TenneyIt takes the glory of God to conceal a matter. It takes the honor of the king to seek out for it.
Tommy TenneyThe difference between the truth of God and revelation is very simple. Truth is where God's been. Revelation is where God is. Truth is God's tracks. It's His trail, His path, but it leads to what? It leads to Him. Perhaps the masses of people are happy to know where God's been, but true God chasers are not content just to study God's trail, His truths; they want to know Him. They want to know where He is and what He's doing right now.
Tommy TenneyGod doesn't hide Himself from you so that He can't be found; He hides Himself from you so that He can be found.
Tommy TenneyGod literally moves his throne from heaven. When this happens the church is building a chair, a seat, a place for God to come.
Tommy TenneyWorship and spiritual hunger make you so attractive to God that your circumstances cease to matter anymore. He will move heaven and earth to find a worshiper. When you begin to worship with all your being and desire, your heart turns Him toward you. You capture His attention and attracts His affection.
Tommy TenneyWe think revival means a silver-tongued preacher, some good music, and a few folks who decide they're going to join the church. No! Real revival is when people are eating at a restaurant or walking through the mall when they suddenly begin to weep and turn to their friends and say, I don't know what's wrong with me, but I know I've got to get right with God.
Tommy TenneyFire doesn't fall on empty alters. There has to be a sacrifice on the alter for the fire to fall. If you want the fire of God, you must become the fuel of God.
Tommy TenneyBy studying the Bible one can at best know about God. There is a vast difference between knowing God and knowing about God. Knowing God comes through direct power encounters and through biblical study. These power encounters are usually of a variety which cannot be found within the context of the dusty moldy pages of God's past tracks.
Tommy TenneyMary was a virgin and he Bible says that she 'found favor' - that means there must have been others in the race. What quality did she have that made a depository of the royal seed? She was a virgin - a clean place - he looks for clean places to deposit truth & she was open to this unique & unusual move of God.
Tommy Tenney