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  MINISTRY QUALIFICATIONS
  by A.W. Tozer
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Summary: A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of prayer and spiritual
qualifications for effective church leadership.

Topics: "Gods Holiness", "Divine Nature"
Scripture References: Psalm 36:9, Psalm 119:105, Isaiah 42:6, Matthew 5:14, John 1:4, Acts 26:18, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 John 1:5, Revelation 22:5

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DESCRIPTION
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Steven Cole delves into the profound truth that God is light,
emphasizing the purity, pervasiveness, and power of light as a metaphor
for God's holiness, knowledge, and freedom from darkness. John Piper
explains that in God, there is no darkness at all, signifying that
drawing near to God brings freedom, hope, and joy, with no hidden agenda
or disappointments. Robert Candlish beautifully describes God as the
Light invading the darkness of this world, taking upon Himself the
darkness of sin and offering the promise of eternal joy and safety. The
contrast between light and darkness in Scripture highlights the
essential nature of God as light, symbolizing moral purity, divine
illumination, and the absence of darkness or evil.

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CONTENT
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Leadership requires vision, and whence will vision come except from
hours spent in the presence of God in humble and fervent prayer? All
things else being equal, a praying woman will know the will of God for
the church far better than a prayerless man.

We do not here advocate the turning of the churches over to the women,
but we do advocate a recognition of proper spiritual qualifications for
leadership among the men if they are to continue to decide the direction
the churches shall take. The accident of being a man is not enough.
Spiritual manhood alone qualifies.

?Choose seven men from among you,? commanded the apostles, ?who are
known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this
responsibility over to them? (Acts 6:3). The men chosen as a consequence
of this directive became the first deacons of the church. Thus the
direction of certain church affairs was put into the hands of men
spiritually qualified. Should we not maintain the same standards today?

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/aw-tozer/ministry-qualifications/
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