A Stubborn Intolerance for Joyless Christianity - Crosswalk the Devotional - April 29

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( A Stubborn Intolerance for Joyless Christianity by Alex Crain "Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." [Habakkuk 3:17]( Should one's relationship with the infinite and personal living God be joyless? Francis Schaeffer didn't think so. Yet there he was, a joyless man. Technically, he was theologically sound, but there was no denying that he had become a completely joyless Christian man. If that had continued, no one would be [speaking of Schaeffer](or his writings, or his legacy today. Thankfully, he was stubbornly intolerant of joyless Christianity. In True Spirituality, Schaeffer tells how the spiritual reality, which would become the hallmark of his life, came about only after a time of great personal crisis. It was 1952. Schaeffer had become a Christian from agnosticism years before. After that, he had been a pastor for ten years in the U.S. and was now a missionary in Switzerland living with his wife and young children. Over a period lasting several months, Francis worked through the disturbing gap that he saw between the large amount of [Bible]( data he claimed to believe and the lack of genuine spiritual joy in his life. One significant and challenging question that caused Francis to ponder long and hard is recounted by his wife, Edith, in her book, [The Tapestry](, p. 356 ff.)… "I wonder what would happen to most of our churches and Christian work if we woke up tomorrow morning and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer were removed from the Bible? I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out—disappeared. I wonder how much difference it would make?" Apparently during that period, it was making no difference in Schaeffer's life. His doubts had cut the nerve of faith. And over those months as he walked in the mountains, Francis re-thought the doctrines of the Bible, the reality of the Holy Spirit, and each of his reasons for being a Christian. At last, he declared... [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [5 Subtle Ways the Demons from Our Past Are Controlling Us]( Francine Rivers We all live through trouble and painful experiences, some far worse than others. If we dwell on those things, we make ourselves captives. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [10 Prayers God Always Answers]( Carrie Lowrance Sometimes an answer comes right away and sometimes we have to wait. However, there are some things we can pray for that God will always answer. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2020 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](