Posts Tagged Prayer
Lessons I Learned from Francis Schaeffer No. 10
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in Christianity, Church, Lifestyle on March 5, 2009
Lesson 10. “God calls some to leave, and some to stay, and I am not the Holy Spirit.”
In January of 1979, I returned to a Bible-believing faith in Christianity and Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. My denomination’s teachings began to turn me away from trusting the Bible and my common sense as I was leaving high school and began attending the university. After graduating from seminary in 1973, I struggled to conduct ministry in three different churches without the Bible-believing faith that I had been raised to rely on in serving God and others.
Francis Schaeffer’s discussions and finally his film series How Should We Then Live? (enabled by the Holy Spirit) led me to a saving, biblical faith in January of 1979. Afterwards, I discussed with Dr. Schaeffer whether or not I should stay in my liberal denomination or leave. He said to me, “God calls some to leave (these liberal denominations), and some to stay in them (where they must continue to remain faithful), and I am not the Holy Spirit.” He also went on to say that if he had stayed in his liberal denomination that he would not have been able to be as creative as he had been. He also insisted that if I stayed in that I would need to remain faithful to Christ and stand up and speak up regarding my faith and the Bible’s teachings. Another statement he made I found to be true in my subsequent experiences staying in the liberal denomination. He said, “The theological liberals would rather destroy the church than have it go conservative.”
The first thing I did in early 1979, was tell my congregation that I had now become a Bible-believing Christian and what that meant and how that differed from what my denomination taught. Three families wanted me to leave the church after I told the congregation that from now on I was going to be preaching the Bible as the true word of God. These three families called in the regional minister of my denomination who in a congregational meeting wanted me to resign from the church, but I refused. I continued to serve that church, and it grew, for another 9 years before moving from Rochester, MN back to Edmond, OK. I believe I followed the Holy Spirit in staying, in continuing to learn from Francis and Edith Schaeffer as I stayed in Rochester, and in returning to Oklahoma. The liberals finally killed that congregation about 20 years after I left, and it no longer exists in Rochester, MN.
As I conclude the 10 Lessons I learned from Francis Schaeffer, I will add a more humorous note, with serious consequences. After becoming a Bible-believing Christian in 1979, I remember telling Fran that I would need to re-learn everything, and I asked him how I was going to do it. He replied, “I don’t know.” What God did do, as I became teachable, was lead me to read all I could of Fran and Edith’s works as well as the works of Charles G. Finney. In April of 1979, I was reading Finney’s Lectures on Revivals of Religion and I believe the Holy Spirit inspired me to compile and edit Finney’s Principles of Prayer from that book.
Later, as I continued to learn, I compiled and edited 16 volumes of Finney’s works. Most recently, I have begun a new Finney’s Principles Series of Finney’s lectures and sermons on Romans, the first being, Principles of Righteousness.
So, even though Fran did not know how I was going to re-learn everything, the Holy Spirit did know and I have continued to learn ever since.
You might also like to learn more about Francis Schaeffer from two of his biographies, now online for you to read for free at http://www.labri.net .
Copyright 2009 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
International Bible Lessons
Prayer Steps to Serenity
Serenity Groups
A Psalm and A Prayer
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Lessons I Learned from Francis Schaeffer No. 6
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in Christianity, Church, Lifestyle, Prayer on February 3, 2009
Lesson 6. God is not mechanical, but personal. God is the Infinite-Personal God.
When Jesus prayed for His disciples in John 17:1-3, He “looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’”
Francis Schaeffer insisted that unlike some gods that were finite; such as, the gods of the Greeks and Romans, the true God is infinite. Furthermore, unlike some of the gods of the philosophers and some of the gods of the liberal theologians, the true God is personal. Schaeffer often referred to the true God as the Infinite-Personal God. Jesus closely tied eternal life to knowing the true God, “the only true God” and to knowing “Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Since the only reason to be a Christian is because Christianity is true; certainly, eternal life depends on knowing the true God, the truth about the true God, and knowing the true God personally, Whom we come to know through knowing Jesus Christ. To those who followed Him, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him” (John 14:6-7).
Knowing these truths, Schaeffer also insisted that evangelism needs to be personal and not mechanical. God is the personal God. God is one God in three persons. God created people in His image. People are finite-personal beings. Therefore, our evangelism must be personal and not mechanical. We should not think that we can approach everyone in exactly the same way, in a mechanical way; such as, presenting the Four Spiritual Laws to everyone in the same mechanical way on order to lead them to saving faith.
In addition, we all have different gifts from the Holy Spirit. Some are gifted at sowing the seeds of truth and reality into people’s hearts and minds. Some have the ability to see the little seed of spiritual life and salvation sprouting, and they have the gift of knowing how to water, when to water, and how much to water so the spiritual seed will continue to grow. Our knowing how to plant seeds and water is personal and not mechanical, as we work with people and not garden variety plants. Others have the gift of reaping, of welcoming people into the Kingdom of God. Many times, they are leading people to salvation who have had the seeds of truth planted into their lives many years before, and who have had others watering those seeds and little plants. Though we tend to think more highly of the reaper, who tends to get all of the praise, without planting and watering, there would be no reaping.
Since evangelism is personal and not mechanical, those seeking to share the gospel with others need to be personal in their approach. They need to take the time to get to know the person, their needs, and how best to share the gospel with them. If they have only a few minutes or hours with the person, they do not need to feel they must plant the seeds, water the seeds, and reap the harvest in the time they have.
Schaeffer said that if he had only one hour to be with a person (perhaps a non-Christian or Christian) that he would spend the first 55 minutes getting to know the person, asking and answering questions. Once he got to know the person and their needs and problems, he would spend the last 5 minutes trying to help them move to the next step (whatever that step might be). I take that to mean that he might plant some seeds, or water the plant, or perhaps hoe around the plant to break up the soil and help the plant grow, or perhaps harvest the plant and lead them to commit their lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Knowing the Infinite-Personal God should make a difference in the way we live, treat others created in God’s image, and share the gospel with them.
You might also like to learn more about Francis Schaeffer from two of his biographies, now online for you to read for free at http://www.labri.net .
Copyright 2009 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
International Bible Lessons
Prayer Steps to Serenity
Serenity Groups
A Psalm and A Prayer
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Lessons I Learned from Francis Schaeffer No. 1
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in Christianity, Lifestyle on January 26, 2009
Lesson 1. Teach the Truth in Love
Recently, I preached at the Installation Service of the Rev. Tom Sanders at Faith Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Tulsa, OK. Tom had studied the works of Francis Schaeffer, so I preached on “Ten of the Lessons I Learned from Francis Schaeffer.” I will post these lessons one at a time over the next few days and weeks, and perhaps share a few more than ten lessons. BTW: I did know Francis Schaeffer personally from 1978 until his death on May 15, 1984.
In Ephesians 4:15-16, the Apostle Paul wrote, “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”
Francis Schaeffer demonstrated and taught the life transforming power of speaking the truth in love. He spoke the truth of the Bible to others, especially moral and spiritual truths that might make some feel uncomfortable. But he spoke these truths with such love for others, such love for the individual person, that they knew he was teaching these truths from a heart of sincere love for them. The truths he spoke and the love he showed led them to take what he said seriously, and sometimes led them to make life transforming decisions — even decisions to bow before Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
Unfortunately, it is possible to speak the truth without love. If spoken without love, the truth can seem hard, harsh, and judgmental to the person hearing the truth. Just the spirit with which the truth is spoken can lead the person to reject the truth and not make the life-change that would make an eternal difference in their life.
Similarly, some think it is possible to love without speaking the truth. However, I think this is a misconception. If someone is involved in life-destructive behavior, is it the loving thing to say nothing or do nothing? If someone is leaving OK to go to CA and they head east toward NY. Is it the loving thing to let them go the wrong way? It would be the loving thing, no matter how much they might be embarrassed, to call them on their cell phone and tell them to turn around. How much more serious this is in the moral and spiritual areas of life!
Of course, speaking or teaching the truth in love requires much prayer. Pray for your loving heart toward someone to shine through to them as you speak the truth. Pray for the right words to use when sharing the truth with them. Pray for them to have an open mind and heart to receive the truth you speak. Pray for the Holy Spirit to make the truths you share and the loving way you share those truths effective in the person’s life.
You might also like to learn more about Francis Schaeffer from two of his biographies, now online for you to read for free at http://www.labri.net.
Copyright 2009 by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
International Bible Lessons
Prayer Steps to Serenity
Serenity Groups
A Psalm and A Prayer
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An Authentic Christian Community
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in Christianity on December 6, 2007
Most Christians today find themselves looking to join and serve in a church that manifests authentic Christian community. What would such a church look like today? First, the people would love God as God has revealed himself truly in Jesus Christ, His Son and our Savior. Second, the people would believe the Bible is truly God’s word to us (and to them directly and personally). Third, the people would love one another and their love for one another would be evident to others and big enough to keep including new people. Fourth, the people would seek to find God’s specific way and will for them in order to fulfill the unique service to others that God wants them to pursue. Fifth, they would strive to love and serve according to the teachings of the Bible and not rationalize an ungodly standard of living, loving, and serving.
Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God and the Apostle Paul defined the Kingdom of God on Earth as ”righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). An authentic Christian community would strive to maintain right relationships with God and others on the foundation of the Apostles with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. In other words, everyone in the community would try to line up their lives with the teachings of the Bible and pray for Jesus Christ to give them the power to do His will. An authentic Christian community would try to maintain peace among those in the community and with those outside the community in so far as God enabled them. An authentic Christian community would manifest joy, the joy that the Holy Spirit infills in each person and each person shares with others.
To me, a mature Christian church or fellowship would demonstrate substantially, in a way that others would notice, these qualities. Achieving authentic Christian community is not easy, nor is it easy to maintain, but God gives us that challenge to reach for if we want to seriously meet the needs of people in our world today and tomorrow. At Stonegate Church, we strive to promote and maintain authentic Christian community in everything we do, and I believe we can continue to do so as we prayerfully trust in Jesus Christ and His Spirit.
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Extending Our Circle of Service
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in Lifestyle on December 4, 2007
The Internet gives us an opportunity to extend ourselves beyond the people we normally serve in order to meet the needs of an even larger circle of people. Perhaps it is easier to think of more ways to serve more people if we think of this selflessly, putting service above self. One example might stir up our minds to discover some new ways to serve that might really take very little additional effort but really be worthwhile in serving others.
For example, our worship service at Stonegate Church is traditional, and includes a responsive reading and unison prayer each week (printed in the bulletin). In pondering how I could help others who prepare or conduct worship services, I decided that I could put these Psalms and Prayers on the Internet and make them freely available to others for not-for-profit use. This extension of service became A Psalm and A Prayer. It took me until Psalm 119 to think of this idea, so that is where we began. Currently, we have submitted responsive readings through Psalm 150 and have now started from Psalm 1 through Psalm 7. So, you might think of how you can begin to extend your circle of influence from right where you are. Feel free to share your own ideas in the comments below or post to our Simple Forum.
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About
Posted by L.G. Parkhurst in on December 3, 2007
Parkhurst Ponders is the blog of L.G. Parkhurst, Jr., writer of the international “Bible Lesson” in The Oklahoman newspaper, and archived online at International Bible Lessons. He serves as the Pastor of Stonegate Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, and founded the Serenity Groups Recovery Program.
Through Parkhurst Ponders, L.G. will share thoughts and ideas that will encourage people to find ways to think and use their talents in behalf of others. All postings are copyrighted by L.G. Parkhurst, Jr.
Learn more about L.G.’s writing and Serenity Groups through his books, available from Amazon.com and other fine bookstores. See especially his: Prayer Steps to Serenity The Twelve Steps Journey: New Serenity Prayer Edition