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R. W. Schambach

Robert William “R.W.” Schambach (April 3, 1926 – January 17, 2012) was an American televangelist, pastor, Word of Faith minister of the Word and author. His television program, Power Today, can be seen on the DayStar Christian TV network as well as over the internet in streaming podcasts.[1]

Early life and faith

Robert W. Schambach was born on April 3, 1926, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,[2] to Harry Ellsworth and Ann Moyer Schambach. He became a born-again Christian as a youth on a street corner when the evangelist C. M. Ward had given an altar call to receive Jesus Christ.

Ministry

R. W. Schambach anointing oil

Ordained as a pastor by C. M. Ward, Schambach, who was also a protégé of the evangelist/faith healer T. L. Osborn, received his formal training at Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri, in the mid-1940s, after serving in World War II as a navy boilermaker on a destroyer in the South Pacific and Asia. He then began an apprenticeship with A. A. Allen and worked for five years. Schambach began travelling extensively with Allen on his "Miracle Crusades" during that period along with Don Stewart and Leroy Jenkins.[citation needed]

During a 1991 revival at World Harvest Church, located outside of Columbus, Ohio, he conducted an altar call for people to come up and receive physical healing. A young teenager, who was also at the time very immature in his understanding of scripture, believed that Rev. Schambach had a special anointing to deliver the power of Jesus simply by placing his hand on the young man's forehead. Ironically, it was his forehead that needed healing due to being covered in severe acne. While everyone else who came up front was falling to the floor after being touched by Rev. Schambach, seemingly being healed, the young teenager who believed with all his heart he would be healed, did not fall to the floor, he was not “slain in the spirit”, he still believed that his severe acne would be healed. After many months, then years, the acne finally went away. He grew out of it, and it had nothing to do with R.W. Schambach having any sort of power to heal.

The Word of God properly understood demonstrates that all miracles performed were done by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. That means, even Jesus had no power in his flesh to perform any miracles or healings. Properly understanding who Jesus Christ is, (I say is, not was, because he rose from the grave and was seen of hundreds of people between his resurrection and ascension and shall return again.[3] is the critical concern here. Superman was invented to be "faster than a speeding bullet" and by the magic of movie theatrics seemed to be timelessly in NY and Paris instantly. Yet ever so fast, he could not simultaneously be in two places at once, and neither could Jesus Christ. However, by the Holy Spirit upon him, that is the Spirit of God, he was able to know and do supernatural things. Now it is purely semantic whether we say he healed or the Spirit of God healed. Indeed, if a State police officer cites you, it is semantic to say whether it was the State or the officer that issued the fine. Jesus only had that which was given him by HIS Father, namely, virgin birth, and the destiny described by the prophets of the Messiah. Oddly few object to Elijah and his miracles and no one claims Elijah was unilaterally able to do them. They were of course effected by the power of God working through the mouth of the prophet. The one uniqueness of Jesus that no other prophet had was the claim of sonship to God himself. Sonship yields an authority and access that no other citizen can claim. Sonship in a Kingdom makes one the heir of all things, and entitles that one unlimited access to the kingdom's resources. As it is written, "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure." [4] It is therefore not incorrect to say a Believer such as R. W. Schambach had the same Holy Spirit as Jesus Christ, and thus could do the same types of miracles THROUGH THE SPIRIT as the Holy Spirit directed as Jesus had done. To claim Jesus unilaterally did miracles is to exclude him from the doctrine of Hypostatic Union—balance is Jesus was 100% human in the flesh, and in the spirit, 100% deity. To lean one way or the other is heresy itself.

Finally, those who deny the power of God at work through His Holy Spirit today often cite this passage: "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." [5] They conveniently take it out of context failing to read the "now...dimly" and the "then...face to face". The "then" has not come because the "face to face" has not yet come, and thus the perfect has not yet come and will not be until the book of Revelation is concluded in history. We are still in the now, seeing dimly the full revelation of God. Every Believer is by right a son of God too [6] through the authority that Jesus has extended to us, through the authority that he legitimately won by his self-sacrifice and obedience to God the Father. Delegation of authority, just as the officer was delegated to issue a citation by the State, Jesus was delegated Savior of the World by God, and in return delegated us, his Believers, to continue his works by authority of God, yes even his own authority now.[7] (Cf. Joseph as a type of Christ in Egypt being effectively all powerful in Egypt even as Pharaoh was himself.)

Personal life

Schambach's wife was Mary Winifred Donald (born September 3, 1926, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). R.W. met Mary while she was a student at the Eastern Bible Institute of the Assemblies of God in Green Lane, Pennsylvania[8] (now the University of Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania). They married the following year, on September 4, 1948 (just one day after Mary's birthday). The couple subsequently had two sons and a daughter: Bobby, Bruce and Donna. Donna Schambach is a pastor and Word of Faith minister in the Tyler area. Schambach had six grandchildren: Rachel, Bobby III, Mark, Amanda and Christi. They had been married for 61 years when Mary died from natural causes in Tyler, Texas on April 20, 2010, at age 83. Less than two years later he died of a heart attack on January 17, 2012, age 85.[9][10] He was interred next to his wife at the Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery in Tyler, Texas.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Schedule - Daystar Television". Archived from the original on 23 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Rev. W. "R.W." Schambach Obituary - Tyler, TX (1926 - 2012)". www.inremembrance.org.
  3. ^ [I Cor 15:6; Matt. 28:16ff; et al])
  4. ^ John 3:34
  5. ^ I Cor. 13:9-12
  6. ^ John 1:12
  7. ^ Matthew 28:18-19
  8. ^ "Obituary". Obituaries.Tylerpaper.com. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  9. ^ "International Evangelist R.W. Shambach Dies - US - CBN News - Christian News 24-7 - CBN.com". Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2012-01-20.
  10. ^ Roberson, Amanda. "Tyler-based evangelist, R. W. Schambach, dies - KYTX CBS 19 Tyler Longview News Weather Sports". Cbs19.tv. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  11. ^ "Obituaries". Legacy.com. 20 January 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2016.