The Man - Schaeffer

Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984) was “among the most influential conservative evangelical leaders in recent decades.” His 23 books were translated into more than 25 languages. He lectured throughout Europe and the U.S. at major secular and Christian universities.

His “unique gift was his ability to proclaim biblical truth and the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that combined spiritual and intellectual integrity with practical loving care.”

Many time I wonder what he would be saying today, with all the "stuff" that is happening in the Emergent Church movement.

Born in Philadelphia, he grew up attending a liberal Presbyterian church, but actually became an agnostic during high school. After reading widely in philosophy he turned to the Bible and discovered that it is truth “and the only adequate source for answers to life’s basic questions.”“Perhaps the most prominent theme in Francis Schaeffer’s life and work was his emphasis on ‘the Lordship of Christ in the totality of life’….If Jesus Christ is indeed Lord, He must be Lord of all, in every area.

We are missing the mark in our lives today. It is not just a Baptist "thing." It is not a church "thing." It is a Jesus "thing." it is Jesus in our lives conforming us to Himself. It is not just "giving our hearts to Jesus". It is a total emersion of ourselves into to Him. 

This is the only way that we can become "like Him."

What is your reason for not doing that? That doesn't like a good reason to me!

 

Reference: “Francis Schaeffer and L’Abri”, by David Porter, in Great Leaders of the Christian Church;

Who is the false prophet of the end times?

The false prophet of the end times is described in Revelation 13:11-15. He is also referred to as the “second beast” (Revelation 16:13, 19:20, 20:10). Together with the Antichrist and Satan, who empowers both of them, the false prophet is the third party in the unholy trinity. 

The apostle John describes this person and gives us clues to identifying him when he shows up. First, he comes out of the earth. This could mean he comes up from the pit of hell with all the demonic powers of hell at his command. It could also mean he comes from lowly circumstances, secret and unknown until he burst on the world stage at the right hand of the Antichrist. He is depicted as having horns like a lamb, while speaking like a dragon. The horns on lambs are merely small bumps on their heads until the lamb grows into a ram. Rather than having the Antichrist’s multiplicity of heads and horns, showing his power and might and fierceness, the false prophet comes like a lamb, winsomely, with persuasive words that elicit sympathy and good will from others. He may be an extraordinary preacher or orator whose demonically empowered words will deceive the multitudes. But he speaks like a dragon, which means his message is the message of a dragon. Revelation 12:9 identifies the dragon as the devil and Satan.

Verse 12 give us the false prophet’s mission on earth, which is to force humanity to worship the Antichrist. He has all the authority of the Antichrist because, like him, the false prophet is empowered by Satan. It is not clear whether people are forced to worship the Antichrist or whether they are so enamored of these powerful beings that they fall for the deception and worship him willingly. The fact that the second beast uses miraculous signs and wonders, including fire from heaven, to establish the credibility of both of them would seem to indicate that people will fall in line behind them in adoration for their power and message. Verse 14 goes on to say the deception will be so great that the people will set up an idol to the Antichrist and worship it. This is reminiscent of the huge golden image of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3) before which all were to bow down and pay homage. Revelation 14:9-11, however, describes the ghastly fate that awaits those who worship the image of the Antichrist.

Those who survive the terrors of the tribulation to this point will be faced with two hard choices. Those who refuse to worship the image of the beast will be subject to death (v. 15), but those who do worship him will incur the wrath of God. The image will be extraordinary in that it will be able to “speak.” This doesn’t mean it will come to life—the Greek word here is pneuma meaning “breath” or “current” of air, not the wordbios (“life”)—but it does mean that it will have some kind of ability to breathe forth the message of the Antichrist and the false prophet. Along with being the spokesman for them, the image will also be used to condemn to death those who refuse to worship the unholy pair. In our technological world, it is not hard to imagine such a scenario where a statue could be animated and appear to come to life.

Whoever and whatever the false prophet turns out to be, the final world deception and the final apostasy will be great and the whole world will be caught up in it. We must not be led astray by the small-time deceivers and false teachers we see today who are the forerunners of the Antichrist and the false prophet. These people abound, and they are moving us toward this final satanic kingdom. We have to be faithful to proclaim the saving gospel of Jesus Christ while it is still possible to do so and rescue the souls of men and women from the coming disaster.


www.gotquestions.org

Could God be Judging Our Nation

With the official repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" less than a month away, members of the military can expect to see a new gay-themed magazine available at military exchange stores on Sept. 20, the same day the repeal goes into effect. The gay-advocacy group OutServe launched the magazine last Spring and has already produced two editions that will be available for free at select Army and Air Force bases.

The new September edition will feature a photo spread of nearly 100 people who are both active duty service members and members of OutServe, and will be the first time these individuals have made their sexuality known among the military ranks.

"Our first objective with the magazine is to let all the gay, lesbian, bi, and trans members currently serving know that they are not alone," OutServe's co-director, an active-duty officer who goes by the pseudonym JD Smith said in a written release. "And we also want to communicate to all troops that there are capable gay military members serving honorably, and that accepting that and moving on will make our military stronger."

I wonder how much longer God will allow our nation to fall into debauchery before bringing judgement.

Perilous Times Ahead

Israel is in more danger today than any time in her recent history, but if you are a follower of Prophecy and the prophetic scenario for the final days of this Age, this information comes as no surprise for you. 

The threats to Israel will continue to increase until great war erupts around her. Eventually, Jesus Christ Himself will return to this earth to stop the carnage and restore the earth to its fullness. 

We are still admonished to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. . 

This month, September, the Arab League and the Palestinians plan to ask the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem (including the Temple Mount) as the sovereign nation of Palestine. The amazing part is that The General Assembly has no standing to make such a declaration legal

The Palestinians also want to ask the Security Council -- which in essence, is the real United Nations and does have some legal teeth -- to formally recognize Palestine. President Obama has stated that the US will veto such a resolution, but then he and his administration turn around and use the possibility of a non-veto to bludgeon Israel into following his dictates. 

One of those dictates is that Israel must apologize to Turkey for interdicting the blockade-busting "humanitarian flotilla" in June, 2010. When the Israelis boarded the Mavi Marmara, they were attacked by Turkish thugs and hired mercenaries. Though the Israeli commandos were armed mostly with non-lethal weapons, in the ensuing battle, nine members of the flotilla were killed. 


The United Nations and the West eventually confirmed that the Israeli-Egyptian naval blockade of Gaza was legal and the Israelis acted within their rights. But President Obama is siding with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan in demanding that Israel apologize. Erdogan wants them to apologize so he can use it to further delegitimize Israel in the eyes of the world and enhance his own standing in the Arab/Muslim world. 

The American administration is publicly hinting that if Israel doesn't apologize, then, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the White House might suddenly "find itself unable to continue building opposition to a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood at the UN...." 


Is it any wonder that we are heading for "perilious times".