Category: Missional
-
Antithesis Manifesto
Several years ago a now defunct web-based organization, Antithesis or ChristianCounterCulture.com, published a manifesto that prophetically challenges contemporary Evanglicalism. It resonated with me then and, with the exception of the dating in the opening paragraph, it remains timely. From time to time I re-read, what I call, the Antithesis Manifesto to refresh my thoughts. As I reflect…
-
On My Reading Table: The Tangible Kingdom
Recent travel has made it difficult to get to a number of things – like posting on this blog. I have one more trip to make this week, then I should be settled in for the better part of the Summer. Posting on the blog is not the only thing that has been put on…
-
The Mark of the Christian (part 6)
by Francis Schaeffer Love In Practice Let me give two beautiful examples of such observable love. One happened among the Brethren groups in Germany immediately after the last war. In order to control the church, Hitler commanded the union of all religious groups in Germany, drawing them together by law. The Brethren divided over this…
-
Building a House of Prayer
As the officers of our church and I work through our vision and philosophy of ministry process, there are two simple and fundamental truths that serve as a foundation and shape my thinking. First, Jesus says: “I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) And the psalmist says: “Unless the Lord builds the house the laborers…
-
The Mark of the Christian (part 5)
by Francis Schaeffer When Christians Disagree What happens, then, when we must differ with other brothers in Christ because of the need also to show forth God’s holiness either in doctrine or in life? In the matter of life, Paul clearly shows us the balance in I and II Corinthians. The same thing applies in…
-
The Mark of the Christian (part 4)
by Francis Schaeffer True Oneness In John 13 and 17, Jesus talks about a real seeable oneness, a practicing oneness, a practical oneness across all lines, among all true Christians. The Christian really has a double task. He has to practice both God’s holiness and God’s love. The Christian is…
-
Happy Belated Earth Day!
Earth Day 2008 just passed me by yesterday. The day came and went with barely my notice. And what little notice I did take came when I saw a blip on the news around 11pm. The day was almost done in the East. That’s a little disappointing because, quite honestly, a few months…
-
Studies in 1 John: Compassion Among Brothers
In my study through 1 John I had to pause and go back over one verse this week. Having preached from 1 John 3:11-18 last week, and John’s assertion that Christians are to be characterized by love for one another if Christ is in actuality alive in them, I am struck by v. 17:…
-
The Beauty of Human Relationships
by Frances Schaeffer This is the fourth of four posts in a series titled Two Contents, Two Realities. These posts are slightly edited excerpts of a paper delivered by Dr. Francis Schaeffer as part of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland. ********* The second reality is the beauty of human relationships. True Christianity produces beauty as well as’…
-
True Spirituality
This is the third of four posts in a series titled Two Contents, Two Realities. These posts are slightly edited excerpts of a paper delivered by Dr. Francis Schaeffer as part of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland. ******* The first reality is spiritual reality. Let us emphasize again as we have before: we believe with all our…
-
Honest Answers to Honest Questions
This is the second of four posts in a series titled Two Contents, Two Realities. These posts are slightly edited excerpts of a paper delivered by Dr. Francis Schaeffer as part of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland. ******* The second content is that Christianity is truth, and we must give honest answers…
-
Rooted in Sound Doctrine
This is the first of four posts in a series titled Two Contents, Two Realities. These posts are slightly edited excerpts of a paper delivered by Dr. Francis Schaeffer as part of the 1974 International Congress on World Evangelization in Lausanne, Switzerland. As is often true for Schaeffer, his insights are timeless, and as pertinent today as they were a generation ago. …
