Francis Schaeffer: Pastor, Evangelist, Apologist, Prophet

  | By: Douglas Groothuis

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In the fall of 1976, I bought a medium-sized paperback book with an odd abstract cover in the University of Oregon bookstore in Eugene. I was back in school, trying to get my intellectual bearings as a fledgling and intellectually confused Christian. The book was The God Who Is There: Speaking Christianity into the Twentieth Century by Francis Schaeffer. He courageously ranged over philosophy, theology, painting, poetry, and all things cultural to demonstrate that the Christian worldview offers the best answers to life’s deepest questions. This was Christianity with backbone, brain, muscle, guts, and heart.

It is no cliché to say the book changed my life for the better and helped define my calling. This smallish man with a high-pitched voice was the mentor I never met. The history of evangelicalism in the twentieth century cannot be written without careful attention to his body of work.

The God Who Is There was published when Schaeffer was fifty-six years old. It was the first of more than twenty books he would write before he died in 1984 at age seventy-two. These books were timely, biblical, and compelling. Through his writing, preaching, and counseling, Schaeffer left a deep, wide, and true mark on the world. Humans make ripples that go on for eternity. Schaeffer was no mere pebble dropped into a pond but a huge boulder thrown into the great lake of human history. We feel the waves of his influence still through those influenced by him, including Os Guinness, Nancy Pearcey, Willian Edgar, Michael Card, John Whitehead, and many others.

This wide man cannot be narrowly categorized. Schaeffer was large in gifts and ministry and heart. Before finding the right descriptions for Francis Schaeffer, let us consider the outlines of his life.1

Schaeffer was an only child born in 1912 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, to working-class stock. He attended a liberal church in his youth, but saw that the theology had neither weight nor substance. Being intellectually honest (as he always was), he stopped attending and became an agnostic.

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An Old Preacher Was Dying! ~ 😎

An old preacher was dying. He sent a message for his banker and his lawyer, both church members, to come to his home.

When they arrived, they were ushered up to his bedroom. As they entered the room, the preacher held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The preacher grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled, and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.

Both the banker and lawyer were touched and flattered that the preacherwould ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled; the preacher had never given them any indication that he particularly liked either of them. They both remembered his many long, uncomfortable sermons about greed, covetousness, and avaricious behaviour that made them squirm in their seats.

Finally, the banker said, “Preacher, why did you ask us to come?”

The old preacher mustered up his strength and then said weakly, “Jesus died between two thieves, and that’s how I want to go.”

The Cuba Edition ~ Mark

Our Family in a Havana Street Scene with 1957 Ford Fairlane ~ March 2018

...The Cuba Edition
This week Andrea and I got back from our March-break vacation with two of our boys.  We had so much fun together in our adventures in this tropical country!  Besides enjoying tanning on beautiful palm-lined beaches, we swam, snorkeled, and jet-skied across the waves.  We dodged bats while exploring natural caves, rode bikes, ate lots of good food and even tried to learn to Salsa. What warm and beautiful people live there and as well it's a geographically-pleasing place!  Little wonder Columbus reported that it was the most "beautiful place human eyes have seen".

From it's early tribal history to Spanish Colonialism and later it's subsequent transition from an American Mafia-ruled stronghold into Castro's Revolution, Cuba's place in history and turbulent geopolitical happenstance has always been an enigma to me.  This country has been characterized by conflict and ever-agitated by outside influences. Throughout it's history, various entities have sought to excerpt their control and influence over Cuba's residents. Cuba has for centuries often been exploited economically for it's commodities.  It's history bears many human scars during the years it took to break from it's ugly African slavery past.  To date, it's citizens are "island-prisoners", prohibited from freely exiting this island, except for special state-approved circumstances.

It was through the Cuban Church that much needed medicine and sometimes food for Cuba's population was obtained!

In the weeks prior to travelling there, I studied Cuba's fascinating history.  Early in Cuba's colonization, it embraced Roman Catholicism through the Spaniards, yet this faith appeared to fade to the preferences of Castro's atheistic socialism. The first irony I found, was that Castro was raised "very-Catholic" under the influence of the Jesuits.  In post-Cold War times, Cuba was embraced, then later dismissed by Russia during the diminishing Soviet-era, particularly during the 90s,  As the Soviet system began it's decline, Russia was forced to distance themselves from their outposts, leaving Cuba in a world of great pain.  There was little love left for their former dependent ally.  The other irony I learned about, was that in this sad Godless state-sponsored atheist system, it was through the Cuban Church that much needed medicine and sometimes food for Cuba's population was obtained to sustain them until they found alternate ways of sustaining themselves.  It seems God was keeping an eye on them when they just couldn't help themselves!  Today they have found a new dance partner in Venezuela, who supplies them with much needed oil in exchange for diplomatic services that Cuba provides in return.

It seems God was keeping an eye on them when they just couldn't help themselves!

Isn't that just like God!  When we have exhausted ourselves and are seemingly at the end of ourselves, He steps in only like He can!

Pray with me for Cuba and the christians there who are not free there to do whatever they want.  The government wants to tear their buildings down.  Attached here is a news report from CBN news about christian's freedom in Cuba.

 "Ask of me, and I will give the nations as an inheritance for you" ~Psalms 2:8 

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No More Religious Freedom: 

The Crisis Threatening Cuba's Christians

Cuba's communist regime is cracking down on Christians by destroying churches, stealing property, and imprisoning pastors.

According to a Christian Solidarity Worldwide report, the Cuban government has launched a major crackdown against churches and has seized and demolished at least 1,400 church buildings. The government claims the churches are unregistered, and therefore, illegal.

The government regime's war on religious freedom has intensified over the last year.

The report cites more than 1,000 cases of religious freedom violations, including the "destruction of church property, arbitrary detention and other forms of harassment, in particular seizure of religious leaders' personal belongings."

More than 1,000 churches were officially confiscated between January and July of this year, with 100 of those churches under the threat of demolition.

Christians are often "violently dragged away by security agents as they leave their homes or upon arriving at church services."

So far, CSW has documented at least nine incidents this year where pastors were harassed and detained as government officials demolished their church buildings.

In one of the most serious cases, Rev. Marion Felix Lleonart Barroso was arrested on March 20, just hours before U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Cuba on an official visit.

When government demolition teams leave Christian churches in ruin, often Christians will continue to worship in the piles of rubble.

"CSW is alarmed by the escalation of freedom of religion or belief violations throughout Cuba, but humbled by the courage and perseverance of the many religious communities who continue to peacefully resist government pressure," CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said.

Thomas urges the United States and other Western countries to pressure Cuba to stop violating human rights.

Meanwhile CSW says Christians around the world should pray for the protection of Cuba's pastors, the health of the ones who are already locked up in Cuba's prisons, and that Christians would be treated fairly at the hands of their government.

3 ~ ...To the Church in Pergamum

Related:

To the Church in Ephesus   To the Church in Smyrna

"...He that has ears, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches" ~ Rev. 2:17

 Revelation 2 begins a series of brief letters to seven churches that existed during the apostle John’s time in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Each of these messages includes information apropos to each church, and from these messages we can draw lessons applicable to our own lives today. 

 Revelation 2:12-17 continues with the third of seven messages to the churches of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) during the apostle John’s time. Each of these messages includes a specific word to a specific church, but there are also lessons applicable to the lives of believers today. This third letter is to the believers in Pergamum (or Pergamos), which was a beautiful and art-filled city in the province of Asia built along two tributaries of the Caicus River. Pergamum was a center for the worship of Dionysus, Zeus, and other pagan gods.

The message to the Pergamene church was from the Lord Jesus Christ, specifically addressed to the “angel” (or “messenger”) of the church: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword’” (Revelation 2:12). This was not John’s message to the believers at Pergamum; it was a message from Jesus Christ. The depiction of Jesus holding a sharp, two-edged sword refers to the Lord’s readiness to bring judgment (cf. Revelation 1:16).

First, Jesus affirms the church’s positive actions: 

“I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives” (Revelation 2:13). 

The Pergamene believers lived in a difficult place, surrounded by pagan influences, yet they held fast to Christ’s name and did not deny Him during difficult times.

One Christian in Pergamum named Antipas is mentioned as a “faithful witness.” Church tradition says that Antipas was a physician suspected of secretly propagating Christianity. The Aesculapians (members of the medical guild) accused Antipas of disloyalty to Caesar. Upon being condemned to death, Antipas was placed inside a copper bull, which was then heated over a fire until it was red-hot.

The church was not perfect, however, and Jesus took note of their sin: 

“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans” (Revelation 2:14-15). 

The “teaching of Balaam” is explained in the context, as Christians were eating food that had been sacrificed to idols (religious compromise) and committing sexual immorality (moral compromise). The original Balaam’s deceitful work is described in Numbers 25:1-3 and Numbers 31:15-16. The Nicolaitans are mentioned only in this letter and in the letter to the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:6). They were likely a group similar to those who held the teachings of Balaam, though the exact nature of their doctrine and practice is unknown.

Jesus then issues a clarion call to repent of their sin: “Repent therefore!” (Revelation 2:16). Our Lord hates religious and moral compromise. He calls His people to live differently.

Jesus notes the judgment that would take place if the church of Pergamum did not repent: “I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth” (Revelation 2:16b). The Nicolaitans and those who were teaching Balaam’s error would be destroyed, along with their followers, from the congregation at Pergamum. Jesus desires purity among His people, and we have a responsibility to remove false teachers from the church.

Jesus makes a final promise to the believers in Pergamum: “To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it” (Revelation 2:17). The three blessings are hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The precise explanation of these three items is disputed; however, all three blessings must concern the believer’s victorious reign with Christ, consistent with the blessings bestowed on the other six churches of Revelation 2–3. The “hidden manna” is likely an allusion to the manna hidden in the Ark of the Covenant, representative of God’s faithful presence and sustenance. The “white stone” could be a reference to the stones used for entrance into temple events in ancient times or to one of the stones on the high priest’s breastplate (Exodus 28:21), although the exact meaning of the stone is uncertain.

What A Saviour ~ Ernie Haase & Signature Sound

The Pew

He Will Not Remember ~ Robin Mark

This Is Why Women Live Longer Than Men ~ #61

Winston Churchill Statement 5 years BEFORE Hitler's Fall ~ DETERMINATION!

How Do You Deal With Painful Truths? LEFT v.s. RIGHT #4 ~ Dennis Prager

Editor's Note:     As a Follower of Christ and a disciple, it is critical how you think on a variety of societal issues. The Bible tells us that we as Christians are "ARE IN THE WORLD", but "NOT OF THE WORLD", yet still we are astounded by our culture's rapid LEFT-Wing agenda that threatens to challenge and change everything we know to be Good and True as presented in scripture.  How can two people-groups so culturally similar have such radically-different and opposing viewpoints?  You may be wondering where exactly some of your Conservative viewpoints as a christian were formed?   ... or more likely ask yourself after years of observing our country (and world) and it's continually progressive Liberal drift, "Why am I so frustrated with those liberal/left-wing thinkers who always get it so wrong?   

Talk Show host Dennis Prager has a series of thought-provoking videos discussing LEFT VS. RIGHT viewpoints.  I challenge you as a christian to objectively listen to each of his presentations which give us some clues into origins of our typically Christian Conservative viewpoints readily opposed by Liberal thinkers. 

In 2009, Prager started a website, Prager University, offering five-minute videos on various subjects such as the Ten Commandments, the minimum wage, the Middle East, Global warming, and happiness with a conservative perspective.  To be very clear, Mr. Prager is NOT a Christian, but has his roots as an Orthodox Jew, thus his videos do not necessarily view scripture exactly as Christians view scripture, nonetheless there are many general parallels between.  Here is another video in this series:

The Left and Right perceive the world differently. One side sees it as it exists, accepts fundamental truths and facts--even if they are painful--and then adopts a worldview. The other side adopts a vision, and then views the world through that prism. Which side sees the world as reality? And which as it imagines?