Stuck in a rut?!

My book delivery finally arrived yesterday- a bit like Christmas not happening until the 28th December. Anyway, one of the books that I got was a book called 'Preachers who made a difference.' Basically it is short biography and quotes on number of preachers- in reality it's a nice book to have, pop in and read a short biography and be inspired by some of their preaching although you could probably get most of the content and significantly more off the internet it maybe gives you some ideas of what to chase. I spent some time reading the chapter on A. W. Tozer who's books I enjoy very much and who's preaching I have heard via sermonindex.net. Some great quotes in this chapter that I thought I might share here-'

When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut. The routine dictates and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but what will occur next month and if things do not improve what will take place next year. Then we have reached the place where what has been determines what is, and what is, determines what will be. That would be perfectly right and proper for a cemetery. Nobody expects a cemetery to do anything but conform... But the church is not a cemetery and we should expect much from it...''

'All unanounced and mostly undetected there has come in modern times a new cross into popular evangelical circles. It is like the old cross, but different: the likenesses are superficial; the differences fundamental....The new cross does not slay the sinner, it redirects him. It gears him into a cleaner and jolier way of living and saves his self-respect. To the self-assertive it says, 'come and assert yourself for Christ.' The Christian message is slanted in the direction of the current vogue in order to make it acceptable to the public. The philosophy back of this kind of thing may be sincere but its sincerity does not save it from being false. It is false because it is blind. It misses the whole meaning of the cross. The old cross is a symbol of death. It stands for the abrupt violent end of a human being... We who think who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and gteh world... We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.'