thoughts by Francis Frangipane Archives - Daily Devotionals by Thoughts about God

Published August 11, 2023

Prayer-mental, Not Judgmental

A religion without love is an abomination to God. The church needs to learn that God desires love and compassion, not merely an adherence to ritual and sacrifice. Thus, Jesus said His Father’s house would be a “house of prayer for all the nations” (Mark 11:17). True prayer is born of love and comes in the midst of sin and need. It comes not to condemn, but to cover.

All nations sin. All cultures have seasons of moral decline and spiritual malaise. Yet these periods can become turning points if, in times of distress, intercessors cry to God for mercy. Thus, Christlike prayer brings redemption out of disaster.

The church is created not to fulfill God’s wrath, but to complete His mercy. Remember, we are called to be a “house of prayer for all…nations.” Consider passionately this phrase: “prayer for.” Jesus taught His disciples to “pray for” those who would persecute or mistreat them (Matthew5:44). When Job “prayed for” his friends, God fully restored him (Job 42:10). We are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), and “pray for” each other so that we may be healed (James 5:16). Paul wrote that God desires all men to be saved (1Timothy 2:4). Therefore, he urged “that entreaties and prayers…be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority” (v. 1-2).

“But,” you argue, “my country (or city) is a modern manifestation of ancient Babylon.”

I don’t think so. But even if it were, when the Lord exiled Israel to Babylon, He didn’t order His people to judge and criticize their new cities. Rather, He commanded,

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you…and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7).

Time after time the scriptural command is to pray for, not against; to pray mercifully, not vindictively. God’s call is for prayer moved by compassion, not condemnation. Indeed, at its very essence, the nature of intercession is to appeal to God for forgiveness, and then redemption, to come to sinful people.

We have studied what is wrong with our society and can prove, with charts and surveys, the trends of iniquity, yet we have failed to appreciate the influence of the intercessions of Christ. We consider ourselves experts on the nature and cause of sin, but deny the nature and cause of Christ, which is redemption. My friends, being informed by the news media is in no way the same thing as being transformed into the nature of the Savior.

The media sees what is wrong with the world and exposes it; Christ saw what was wrong and died for it. Study Isaiah 53. It reveals in wondrous detail the Savior’s nature: Christ numbered Himself with the sinners (v. 12). He interceded for the transgressors (v. 12). He is “with us” and “for us” (Matthew 1:23; Romans 8:31), even when He is speaking to us of our iniquity.

God does not want us to be judgmental; He wants us prayer-mental. As instinctively as we have judged people, we should pray for them instead.

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

We Love Because He First Loved Us

Do you love Jesus Christ?

Is there a part of your heart that not only intellectually accepts Christ’s death for you, but actually loves Him for the price He paid?

Do you love His word and appreciate the many times He’s rescued you from difficulties and battles, many caused by your own sin or foolishness? Do you love how He accepts you unconditionally when you turn to Him? He has forgiven every sin you have ever committed. How can you not love Him?

For too many people, knowing Jesus goes no deeper than agreeing to the historical fact of His existence. However, loving Him is a distant, almost unnatural reality for them. They take His name in vain or anger and, incredibly, use it as a curse. However, when you say the name of Jesus, it’s very sound calms the troubling in your heart. They mock His righteousness and delight in lawlessness. Yet, you love righteousness, even if you fall short of your own spiritual aspirations.

The fact that you possess love for Christ, even if your love is imperfect, proves something vital about you. The very existence of your love has been cultivated and awakened by God’s love for you. The living Christ has actually approached you and revealed Himself to you. As it is written, “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Today, Christians argue about doctrines and divide over eschatology’s. Yet, let us look at the deeper issue: do we each love Jesus Christ? If so, our love for Him is the result of His love for us. You see, the proof that we truly know Jesus Christ is not measured by the degrees we post on a wall, but the degree of love for Him that burns in our hearts.

Do you love Him? If so, it is because your love is a response to the relentless warmth of God’s love for you. His love has proven itself irresistible. He says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). Again, He says that “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Even our coming to Him is a product of His love for us.

When I say, “I love You Jesus,” it is because at some point, long before I knew Him, before I could discern His voice or recognize His influence in my life, His love was drawing me to His heart. Yes, I know I am not worthy, but still Christ loved me. True, I have no righteousness of my own, but I imagine there was a moment in heaven when the Son turned to the heavenly Father and said, “I love Francis. I will bring him to Myself, show him My ways and become the strength of his life.”

Never wonder if God loves you. Rather, look at your heart. Do you love Him? If so, your love for Him is proof of His love for you. We love, because He first loved us.

Heavenly Father, help us to pause, to absorb into our consciousness the impact of Your purposed love for us. Let this wondrous love influence everything we think and all that we do and become: I am my Beloved’s and He is mine. You banner over me is love. Let my life be flavored by Your unfailing mercy until, with all my heart, I love You, even as You have loved me.

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

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Loving the Truth

“No lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless” (Revelation 14:5).

To become blameless is to be free from falsehood; it is to be delivered from sin and the deception that protects sin.

Yet this process is not attained if we are only casually committed to the Lord Jesus. We must be dedicated to the way of truth. Indeed, each of us has been conditioned by decades of unbelief, fear, and an unbridled thought-life, which has reinforced deception.

Christians who tend to automatically assume they are the “chosen of God,” have reassured themselves that they could not possibly be deceived. The very thought, “I cannot be deceived” is itself a deception! Let us stay humble and not presume that the calling of God and the choosing of God are alike. “Many are called,” Jesus taught, “but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:14). Many tests await the called before they are equipped by God and become His chosen; not the least of these tests is becoming free from deception.

You see, our natural minds were fashioned in a world where the concept of honesty must be enforced by laws. Within our world the bias of our communications media intentionally distorts the facts, advertisers promise the impossible, and people are held spellbound in the fantasy worlds of movies and books. The lie is everywhere and somewhat in everything, and we must accept the possibility that even in those things of which we are sure, there still might be elements of deception.

We do not realize it, but we need revelation to know the truth. People who may appear kind, nice or flattering have proven unkind, cruel and deceitful. And we must admit that we often attempt to appear better than we are as well.

This effort to appear one way while inwardly being another has created a world in which the truth is not apparent, where things that are plainly seen by one can be invisible to another. Deception and confusion so fill this world that in order for us to discern what is right, Scriptures command us to “seek” for, “love,” and “truth” (Proverbs 2:1-5; 2 Thessalonians. 2:10; Proverbs 23:23).

Jesus prayed, “[Father] sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). He was saying, “Father, purify them of the lies and illusions of this age through Your penetrating Word.” In Ephesians, Paul tells us that Christ sanctifies the church by cleansing her “by the washing of water with the word . . . that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:26-27).

This then, embracing the Spirit of Truth and allowing the Word of truth to break the patterns of falsehood and deception in our lives is the process through which we become Christlike — and this process begins in earnest when we not only hear the truth, but when we love it.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Behold How He Loves Us

Our capacity to actually dwell in Christ’s presence is based upon knowing the true nature of God.

If we see Him as a loving Father, we will draw near; if He seems to be a harsh judge, we will withdraw. Indeed, everything that defines us is influenced by our perception of God.

If we do not believe God cares about us, we will be overly focused on caring for ourselves. If we feel insignificant or ignored by God, we will exhaust ourselves by seeking significance from men. However, once we realize that God truly loves us, that He desires we draw near to Him, a door opens before us into His presence. Here, in the shelter of the Most High, we can find rest and renewed power for our souls.

God’s love is not a reality distant from our needs. The Bible reveals that Lord is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15 KJV). He feels the pain of what we experience on earth. He participates in the life we live, for “in Him we live, and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28 KJV). He is not removed from our need; we are His body. He is one with us.

The truth is, we are not alone in our battles. However, if we believe we are alone—if we accept the lie that God does not care—our darkened thinking will isolate us from the loving commitment of God.

Beloved, even in our times of rebellion, the heart of God is not far. Consider the Lord’s relationship with Israel. Though Israel had sinned and was suffering oppressive consequences, the Lord wasn’t far. We read that when the Lord “could bear the misery of Israel no longer” He raised up deliverers (Judges 10:16). God wasn’t distant; He was with them, actually bearing their very misery!

At Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus wept. Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus; He knew it six days before He called Lazarus back from death. He wept because they were weeping.

Do you know that the Spirit of God actually feels our heartache? He is with us in our conflicts and near us in our fears. At the tomb of Lazarus, some would suggest that Christ’s weeping was really over the unbelief of His disciples. I think not. When the Lord wept over Lazarus, those who saw Christ saw a man touched by the sorrows of others. They remarked, “Behold how He loved him!” (John 11:36).

Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us.

We are raised from the dead when He comes to our tomb and calls us by name out of death.

We must personalize God’s love.

He gave His Son for my sins, His word for my guidance and His Spirit for my strength. If the Almighty is for me, who can be against me?

Dear friend, with wide-eyed wonder, let us behold how He loves us, and be healed of our isolation.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

To learn more about Francis Frangipane visit his website at: http://www.frangipane.org/

Possessing the Redeemer’s Mind

As Christians, we spend too much time battling basic, elementary battles: “Am I truly saved?” “Am I really forgiven?”

The fact is, God has so much more for us.

He seeks to conform our thought-life to the actual thought-life of Christ.

Indeed, the Holy Spirit comes, not just to give us goose bumps and chills, but to restructure our attitudes and perceptions until we think the thoughts of Jesus.

Consider Paul’s remarkable insights. He wrote,

“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).

This revelation is stunning: we have the mind of Christ. God wants us to have Christ’s very discernment.

Or consider again what Paul wrote to the Galatians. He said,

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

Critics will call the revelation of Christ in us a heresy, as though all we were to have was the name, but not the nature of Jesus Christ.

You see, God’s goal is not only to see us saved and go to Heaven, but for Christ to be functionally formed and living through us on earth. We are not just to have a religion about what Jesus did; we are called to possess the very substance of who Jesus is.

Yes, it means we indeed will go to Heaven; but it is more. Through our knowledge of Christ’s word and our yieldedness to the Holy Spirit, the actual person of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, gains living access to the needs of man. As His body, we give Him flesh and blood contact with this world. True, we face conflicts, but these difficulties are staged by God so He can showcase His Son through us. Indeed, we face persecution, but it’s only so Christ, in the midst of injustice, will reveal how His life overcomes death.

Again, Paul wrote,

“For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11).

Isn’t this exactly what you desire, the “life of Jesus . . . manifested in [your] mortal flesh”? Aren’t you tired of the cycle of judging people and then, because of pride, being judged by God in return?

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? Does that mean we walk on the water or do great signs? Miracles are indeed a part of Christ’s life, yet there is something greater than miracles to attain: Our hearts can be filled with the redemptive, creative thought-life of God! (See 1 Corinthians 2.)

Lord, deliver us of our fleshly motives! Free us from our human instincts and fallen passions. Grant us, Lord, the motives of Jesus. Teach us to think, not as a prosecutor whose quest is to condemn, but as the Savior whose heart is to redeem.

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

A Thankful Man Is a Humble Man

If you think you know God but do not live your life in gratitude before Him, it is doubtful that you really knew Him in the first place. A thankful heart honors God. Too often when we say we “know God,” what we actually mean is we know facts about God. But we should ask ourselves, “Do I truly know Him?”

Paul warns that just knowing doctrines about God is not enough to enter eternal life. He said,

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:20-21).

Even though we may know God, c When we are in that hardened, ungrateful state of mind, every word we speak is a spark lit by hell, set to destroy the quality of our lives (James 3:6).

H. W. Beecher said,

“Pride slays thanksgiving . . . a proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.” We should be thankful that we do not get what we deserve!

When God gives us less than we desire, it is not because He is teaching us poverty; what He is teaching us is thankfulness. You see, life — real life — is not based upon what we amass but on what we enjoy. Even in difficult circumstances God still gives us much to appreciate. We fail to see what the Lord has provided because our hearts are wrong.

Someone once said, “When I see a poor man who is grateful, I know if he were rich, he would be generous.” A thankful spirit is akin to a generous spirit, for both appreciate and receive the riches of God. When we are thankful with little, God can entrust us with much.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Taking Every Thought Captive to Christ

While we may find comfort in being Christians, being a Christian has not made us perfect. There are still many strongholds within us. Therefore, let us identify some of these spiritual fortresses. Rare is the Christian who is not limited by at least one of the following strongholds: unbelief, cold love, fear, pride, unforgiveness, lust, greed, or any combination of these, as well as the possibility of many others.

Because we excuse ourselves so readily, it is difficult to discern the areas of oppression in our lives. After all, these are our thoughts, attitudes and perceptions; we justify and defend our thoughts with the same degree of intensity with which we justify and defend ourselves. As it is written, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV). In other words, the essence of who we are exists in our thought-life. Therefore, before any deliverance can truly be accomplished, we must honestly recognize and confess our need. We must stop pretending everything is all right. We must humble ourselves and seek help. Indeed, as previously mentioned, the first stronghold that God must remove is pride. For until one is willing to admit that he needs deliverance, he will never be free from strongholds.

In order to recognize what is wrong in us, we must perceive God’s standard of right. David in the height of ecstasy and Job in the pit of misery, as well as all who have pondered life, faced the same question: What is man? The writer of Hebrews also asks this question, but the answer he receives lifts us up to see the face of God, and “We . . . see . . . Jesus” (Hebrews 2:9). From the Father’s view, the mystery of man’s identity is unveiled in the life of Jesus Christ. Christ is the “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). He is firstborn of a heavenly genesis; He is the Father’s plan for mankind. When we consider the mystery of humanity, we find our answer in beholding Jesus Christ. He is not only our Savior; He is also the indwelling One who conforms us to Himself (Hebrews 2:10; Romans 8:29).

Let us also realize that only Jesus can be Jesus. As we yield to Him in increasing degrees of surrender, as we abide in Him and His Word abides in us, He brings forth life that is not simply like His own, but is His very life! Christ Himself living within us fulfills God’s eternal purpose, which is to make man in His image. It is the presence of the Lord Jesus coming forth in us that makes the weapons of our warfare mighty, empowering our words with authority as we pull down strongholds.

Therefore, you must learn to look objectively at any thoughts or attitudes that fail to conform to the likeness and teachings of Jesus. Those thoughts must be captured and wrong attitudes crucified. We must make way in us for the coming of the Lord. We must allow the increase of His presence to be so absorbed into our spirits that we not only believe in Him, we believe like Him. His love, thoughts and desires flow out from within us as naturally as fruit from a vine.

Consequently, when we seek to identify and destroy demonic strongholds, the second fortress that must be annihilated is the stronghold of unbelief. It is this scheme of thinking, which tells us attaining Christlikeness is impossible, that holds all further spiritual growth hostage. This lie and the chains it places upon our hearts must be broken from our lives, for Christlikeness is not only possible, it is our destiny.

Accordingly, let us take this moment to pray. Let the Holy Spirit rise and flood your heart. If you suffer from the stronghold of unbelief which says you will never be like Christ, that deception can begin to break right now.

Lord Jesus, I submit to You. I declare, according to the Word of God, that because of Your power to subject all things unto Yourself, the weapons of my warfare are mighty to the pulling down of strongholds (2 Corinthians. 10:3-4). I repent for using the lie, “I will never be like Jesus,” as an excuse to sin and compromise my convictions. In Jesus’ name, I renounce my flawed, sinful old nature and by the grace of God and the power of Your Spirit I pull down the stronghold of unbelief that exists in my mind. Because of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I am a new creation. And I believe that I will go from glory to glory, being continually transformed into Christ’s image as I walk with Him in His grace.

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

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Overcoming Offenses

Published May 21, 2022

Overcoming Offenses

When we study what Jesus taught, it is obvious to me that He came to make us “unoffendable.” Consider: He says that if someone slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other (Luke 6:29). He said to love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Luke 6:27-28). What He’s really doing is showing us how an unoffendable heart of love overcomes all adversity.

We pray, “Lord, I want to change.” To answer our prayer, He sometimes must put us in situations that perfectly offend us. The offense itself awakens our need of grace. Thus, the Lord precipitates change by first offending the area of our soul He desires to transform. He does not expect us to merely survive this adversity but to become Christlike in it.

Ask Joseph in the Old Testament: the land of offense became the land of his anointing and power because he possessed an unoffendable heart. He never stopped trusting God in spite of the injustices and trials he faced.

Listen my friends: the destiny God has for us unfolds or withers at the junction of offense. How we handle offense is the key to our tomorrow.

“Those who love [God’s] law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalms 119:165).

Lord, grant me that new creation heart that can walk as Jesus walked through a world of offenses without stumbling. I want to see everything as an opportunity to pray, everything as an opportunity to become Christlike. Lord help me to interpret offenses as opportunities that lead to transformations. Grant me, Lord Jesus, the pulse and beat of Your unoffendable heart. Amen.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Love Motivated Warfare

If you have a love mode, you also have a war mode.

God has created the war mode so we can protect the people we love.

^“…redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:16

Jesus knew this world was a realm under satanic siege. Planet Earth was not a place of peace but a realm at war. From the casting out of Lucifer and his angels from Heaven, to the temptation in the Garden of Eden, to Babylon and the multiplication of nations under satanic influence, planet Earth has been an embattled world. The idea that somehow our era is less threatened by evil is the height of deception. We must fight if we will follow Christ into victory.

No matter how beautiful the world around us seems, remember there was a serpent lurking in Paradise itself. If Adam and Eve had possessed a war mode mentality, they never would have casually accepted the lies of Lucifer. Likewise today, we need to be wise and walk carefully for “the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). You see, Jesus was always aware that He lived in a war zone. No matter what He was doing — whether He was laughing with sinners or driving out demons, whether He was healing the sick or training followers — beneath the surface of His outer activities, the “war mode switch” in Jesus’ mind was always on.

A word here to the women who find warfare a solely macho topic. I have heard a few women argue, “I’m just a housewife, a mom. I don’t have a war mode.” If your child was seriously sick, wouldn’t you fight that illness with everything at your disposal? You would fast and pray, and you would do so from your war mode. If your marriage was under spiritual attack, wouldn’t you get before God and war with fervency? The fact is, you know how to fight. Ask your husband if he thinks you have a war mode. You just need something to wake it up, because once you begin to shift into the war gear, in the Holy Spirit you are dangerous!

You see, the war mode is in us all. It may be attached to our instinct for survival, but it is more directly connected with our love for people. I love my nation, so I am warring in prayer on its behalf. Because of love for my family, I war in prayer on their behalf. I love my church, my city and, yes, even my own soul, so I war to protect what I love.

If there is a natural fight instinct, there is a spiritual fight mode as well. It just needs to be awakened, submitted to Christ, and then unleashed against the enemy. If you have a love mode, you also have a war mode. God has created the war mode so we can protect the people we love.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

The Shelter of God

God is not only our Creator; He is also our Father.

There is a place of immunity for the believer, a spiritual fortress in Christ that shelters us from the attacks of the devil. For those who abide in this stronghold of God, the onslaught of the wicked one does not touch them. Here, in this secret dwelling with the Almighty, we are hidden from the effects of the accuser’s tongue; we are sheltered from the assignment of the destroyer.

The dictionary defines immunity as “freedom or exemption, as from a penalty, burden, duty or evil.” This is how the living God wants His children to walk: in freedom from the penalties and burdens of sin, delivered from the duties of legalistic religion, protected and triumphant over the assault of the evil one.

Survey the landscape of the Bible. You will find hundreds of examples of God’s loving protection. Every time the Lord pleaded with sinful Israel to return to Him, it was to urge them back to His protection; each time they responded, they were secured again within the shelter of God. The Scripture says, “He shielded them and cared for them, guarding them as the apple of his eye” (Deuteronomy 32:10 NAB).

A Father’s Care

God is not only our Creator; He is also our Father. As such, it is inconceivable that He would leave His children unprotected. In Matthew 6:8, Jesus says our Father knows our needs before we ask Him. If we, even in our fallen condition, seek to provide for our children, how much more does God in His perfection seek to shelter and care for His offspring!

Scripture testifies that He has “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3). The more we possess a true knowledge of the Almighty, the more accessible His provisions for us become. What has He given us? He has prepared an abiding place for us where all that we need concerning life and godliness is ours. It is a place where every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places belongs to us in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

David knew of this awesome place of protection. He wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress . . . in whom I take refuge; my shield and . . . my stronghold” (Psalms 18:2). Again, speaking of those who fear God, David prayed, “You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues” (Psalms 31:20). And again, “You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalms 32:7).

In David’s personal life, he knew the living God as a spiritual stronghold and a place of safety from conflict. The king was intimately familiar with this special place in God’s presence. It was here in the fortress of God that David’s soul was sheltered.

For Those Who Follow Christ

This stronghold was not just a special provision for prophets and godly kings. From the day of Christ’s resurrection, the entrance into the citadel of Heaven was opened to all who would follow the Messiah. Discovering this abode where Christ literally floods us with His life is not merely the subject of this message; it is the object of our existence!

How shall we find this spiritual place? We simply begin by loving Jesus. He said, “He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21). If we persevere in love and obedience, Jesus has promised to progressively reveal Himself to us.

Consider the magnitude of Jesus’ promise! He continued, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23).

This unfolding revelation of Jesus Christ to our hearts is the path to the abode of God. It is the shelter of the Most High, which is the stronghold of God.

Lord, with the psalmist I cry, “When shall I enter the courts of the living God?” You are our Father; do not hide Yourself from us, Your children! Bring us to Your lap, O God! Hold us to Your heart; assure us with the fullness of Your Spirit that You indeed are near. Thank You, Lord

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Be Anxious For Nothing

Anxiety is a spiritual “terror attack” from hell that is silently killing tens of thousands every day.

“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen”. Romans 16:20

Jesus warned that, in the last days, the world would face unfolding trauma. There would be wars, earthquakes and many other disasters. Yet to His disciples, He said,

“Do not be terrified” (Luke 21:9).

He also said that, because of world conditions, men’s hearts would fail “from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth” (Luke 21:26 NKJV). Not only would actual events generate worldwide fear, but the expectation of difficulties would cause men’s hearts to fail.

Today, heart failure is the number one cause of death in North America. Approximately every thirty-four seconds a heart stops beating and another person dies, usually suddenly. There may be many contributors to heart failure, but one major source is the inability to handle stress.

There are times when stress is unavoidable — the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, moving to a new home, severe illness, or going through a divorce — all take a toll. But most of the time accepting anxiety should not be so readily accommodated. The problem is that just as death entered the world through Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12), so the substance of death enters our personal world through our sins as well. Indeed, when we carry anxiety-related stress, we are carrying in our soul a container of death that, without fail, takes an ever-increasing toll upon our lives.

Consider our world: War and terror attacks can occur at anytime and anywhere. Our stock market and economy continues to bolt up and down, like a wild roller coaster. We have many unanswered questions about the future that are multiplied stress factors.

We also have personal situations. We worry about aging and our health. We have stress at our jobs and stress with a lack of jobs. Our homes should be a harbor of peace, yet they often are a place of strife and anxiety, especially as our children become teens. Someone once said, “A mother is only as happy as her saddest child.” It is true for fathers also. We all carry people in our hearts, and as we love them their battles become ours, further adding to the burden of anxiety we carry.

If you want to know how stressed you are, look at your disposition when you drive. If you are always exceeding the speed limit, it reveals the lack of rest in your soul. That extra push on the accelerator is continually occurring on your heart throughout the day, not only when you are driving. Driving simply makes apparent the level of anxiety we have learned to live with.

Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6).

Yet we seem to be anxious for everything. In fact, stress-related anxiety is so much a part of our lives that, somehow, it has escaped being identified as being sinful. We medicate it, but do not change the habits of fear that caused it in the first place. But anxiety is sin. At its core, it is a stubborn refusal to trust the goodness of God and rest in His sovereignty. Anxiety is a by-product of unbelief. It is a spiritual “terror attack” from hell that is silently killing tens of thousands every day.

God Is With Us

Certainly I am not suggesting we become passive. However, I am saying we ought to abandon our fears and the stressful anxieties that come from not trusting in God. Our Messiah is “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” Jesus promised to be with us, “even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

At some point we must accept the wonder and power of Christ’s promise.

Those who believe enter His rest (Hebrews 4:3). He is with us always! To mistrust this promise is to reject the very character of God’s nature. This is not a minor issue.

Yet, even now Jesus says,

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Let us come to Him. Let us cast our burdens upon Him, for truly He cares for us. Let us break our addiction to stress. We don’t have to be tied up in knots inside. The God of peace will crush Satan beneath our feet shortly (Romans 16:20). Anxiety is sin. Let us break the bondage of this sin and walk as sons and daughters of God, who are anxious for nothing.

Lord, forgive me for my sin of anxiety. I renounce fear. I declare that my soul is Your property, that You have promised to care for me. I believe Your promises. I come to You and entrust all I am into Your love and care. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Would you like to live your life by putting your trust fully in God? You could start right now by praying the following prayer with your whole heart and will.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to trust you from now on. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Thank you for enabling me to trust you in these uncertain times. Amen.

Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours? If yes, pray now and according to his promise, Jesus Christ will come into your life.

The Nearness of Our God

In the 73rd Psalm, the psalmist Asaph expressed a struggle we all might feel at times. He questioned why the wicked seem to prosper while the righteous are chastened. The whole idea was troublesome until he entered the sanctuary of God. Once in the presence of God, Asaph realized his error. As he compared himself to the unbeliever, he saw that, apart from the influence of God, he had nothing in which to boast. He said,

“When my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before You” (vv. 21-22).

Finally, his soul brightened as he considered that God alone was his salvation, and his relationship with God was his strength. He wrote,

“Nevertheless I am continually with You. … You will guide me, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. … God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (vv. 23-26).

The summary thought of Asaph’s revelation, and the point of this message, is in verse 28. He wrote, “But as for me, the nearness of God is my good.”

Let’s settle this truth once and for all: It is the nearness of God that produces our good. Christianity was never designed by God to be sustained by nice people trying to appear good. We’re not that good. We’re not that clever. And we’re not that nice. The only thing that can sustain true Christianity is true union with Jesus Christ. It is nearness to Him in all things that produces our spiritual fruit.

If we are honest, we will admit that, apart from the influence and work of God, there is nothing morally superior or remarkably virtuous about our lives. Our flesh has the same carnal passions as do people in the world; our soul carries within it the same insecurities and fears. Thus, apart from the influence of Christ in us, there’s no difference between Christians and non-Christians (except that Christians, when living separate from God’s presence, can be more obnoxious). It’s only our relationship with the Lord that keeps us from fulfilling the lusts and desires of the flesh, for apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).

Therefore, the strength of our walk does not originate from within ourselves; rather it comes from our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our virtue, if it can be defined as such, is that we have learned to prioritize seeking God; our character is the offspring of our oneness with Jesus. By this I mean, Jesus is not only first on our list of priorities; His influence rules over all our priorities. He inspires love in our relationships; His voice becomes the conviction in our integrity. God has made “Christ Jesus” to be to us

“wisdom … and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Thus, the God-seeker desires to find the Lord’s pleasure drawn to every aspect of his soul. He also knows that, should an area of his heart exist in isolation from God, he will remain vulnerable to manipulation by the enemy in that area. So let me underscore the psalmist’s truth, and let us say with our own voice of conviction: it is the nearness of our God that is our good.

Oh God, You are the lover of my soul. Faithfully, have You extended Your hands toward me. Yet, I have been, at times, a drifter and distant. Master, this day I acknowledge my most wonderful times are those spent close to You. When my heart is near to You, I am partaking of the nectar of life.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

The Gift of Discernment

If we will serve with true discernment, our perception must be renewed until we see life through the eyes of Christ the Redeemer.

To Discern, You Cannot Judge
We will never possess mature, ongoing discernment until we crucify our instincts to judge. Realistically, for most of us, this may take an extended, focused season of uprooting old thought-systems — attitudes that were not planted in faith and love for people. In truth, if we will appropriate the discernment born in the “mind of Christ,” we must first find the heart of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). The heart and love of Jesus is summed up in His own words: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). Yet even when the Lord does judge us, it is to save and deliver us.

Spiritual discernment is the grace to see into the unseen. It is a gift of the Spirit to perceive the realm of the spirit. Its purpose is to understand the nature of that which is veiled.

Yet there are many who suppose they are receiving the Lord’s discernment concerning one thing or another. Perhaps in some things they are; only God knows. But many are simply judging others and calling it discernment. Jesus commanded us to judge not. He sends us into the world not as judges of man but, under Him, as co-redeemers. We are not sent to condemn people but to rescue them.

The Goal Is to See Clearly
The judgmental carnal mind always sees the image of itself in others. Without realizing it is seeing itself, it assumes it is perceiving others. Jesus refers to the person who judges others yet is guilty of the same sin as a “hypocrite.” The Lord is not saying we should totally stop thinking about people. He wants us to be able to help one another. The emphasis in Jesus’ command to “not judge” is summarized in His concluding remark: “First take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (See Matthew 7:1-5).

The way we help others is not by judging but by seeing clearly. This is the “righteous judgment” of which Jesus speaks in (John 7:24). We do not “see clearly” until we have been through deep and thorough repentance, until the instinct to judge after “appearances” is uprooted.

We have seen that Jesus paralleled speaking to people about their sins with taking specks out of their eyes. The eye is the most tender, most sensitive part of the human body. How do you take a speck out of someone’s eye? Very carefully! First, you must win their trust. This means consistently demonstrating an attitude that does not judge, one that will not instinctively condemn. To help others, we must first see clearly.

If you truly seek to crucify your instinct to judge and genuinely are pursuing Christ’s redemptive heart, you will have laid a true foundation for the gift of discernment. You will have prepared your heart to receive dreams, visions and insights from God. You will be unstained by human bias. You will possess the mind and heart of Christ.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Love Just One

“for some, to love others as Christ has loved us remains an ideal too far to reach. Therefore let’s start small and bring this task closer to home….love just one person”

True spiritual discernment comes from knowing the mind of Christ. Let me make this quest as practical as possible: if we would know the thoughts of Christ, we should seek to know His motives, for thoughts exist to fulfill motives. Jesus Christ came into the world, “not . . . to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17 NAB). Thus, if we truly understand the love that motivated Jesus, we will increasingly hear and understand His thoughts.

Or consider Paul’s words, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9). The route to true knowledge and all discernment is to possess abounding love. Let us learn to rest our heads upon Christ’s breast and listen to His heart. For in hearing His heart, we can discern His love for those around us.

Yet I acknowledge that, for some, to love others as Christ has loved us remains an ideal too far to reach. Therefore let’s start small and bring this task closer to home. Rather than attempting to love everyone everywhere, let us reduce the challenge and make our aim to love just one person. Now I do not mean we should stop loving others whom we already love. I mean add just one person to your heart, and release your love to that individual in a more Christlike way.

This person may be a lost neighbor or a backslidden friend; he or she might be a sick acquaintance or an elderly person from church. The individual may be a child in physical or emotional pain. (I am not suggesting you focus on an individual of the opposite sex.) The Lord will lead you. He will put one person on your heart and give you grace to grow in love.

Come to this experiment without seeking to correct him or her, unless they themselves ask for advice. Pray daily for the person. And as you listen to the voice of God’s love, something inside you will flower and open naturally toward other realms of discernment. Inspired by God, impulses and ideas born of love will increase and expand to your other relationships as well. In truth, the knowledge and insights you gain from loving just one will become a natural catalyst in loving many.

Discernment will grow and mature even as you love just one.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission
From http://www.frangipane.org/

Perfectly Weak

Consider this: the Lord took a self-assured world leader and reduced his opinion of himself until he possessed no confidence. And it was in this state of mind that God decided to use him. Moses was now qualified to lead

^“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the^]base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

According to the Scriptures, Moses was “educated in all the learning of the Egyptians.” Indeed, as a prince in Egypt, Moses had grown to be a “man of power in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22). Thus, it is hard to equate this eloquent and cultured man with the stammering shepherd who, at eighty years old, was overwhelmed with his inadequacies, so much so that he pleaded with God to choose someone else.

Consider: the Lord took a self-assured world leader and reduced his opinion of himself until he possessed no confidence. And it was in this state of mind that God decided to use him. Having been thoroughly convinced of his unfitness for leadership, Moses was now qualified to lead.

Remarkably, the Lord would ultimately reveal Himself to Moses (and all Israel as well) as Jehovah-Rapha: “I am the Lord that healeth thee.” Yes, God is our healer, yet there are times when God’s hands wound before they heal. Indeed, He must cripple our self-confidence before we truly become God-confident. He breaks and drains us of pride so that we who were once full of self might instead be filled with God.

The Lord called Moses to return to Egypt as His spokesman. In response Moses pleaded, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

Never been eloquent? What about Egypt? “Moses the Eloquent” has become “Moses the Stammerer.” The identity of a sophisticated leader, a prince who knew the highest tiers of Egyptian culture, no longer functions in Moses. God has so humbled His servant that he cannot even remember his days of powerful words and mighty deeds. Moses has only one memory of Egypt: failure.

For Moses, the very mention of the word Egypt floods his mind with weakness; Moses fears returning to the place of his humiliation, especially as a leader. Yet God has not called him to be a leader, but a servant. And to be a servant, one need not be eloquent, but obedient.

The fact is, the Lord deliberately seeks those who know their flaws. Paul testifies that “God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong . . . the things that are not, so that He might nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God” (1 Corinthians. 1:27-29).

Therefore, let us not excuse ourselves from God’s calling because of our weaknesses.

You see, before the Almighty, we each are nothing, and we can do nothing of lasting value apart from Him. It is in our lowliness that God’s glory rises to its greatest heights.

Perhaps your last place of service to the Lord seemed to be a complete failure. Yet it is possible that the Lord has simply been making you perfectly weak so that He might manifest Himself perfectly strong within you.

Category: <span>thoughts by Francis Frangipane</span>

Further Reading

Do you love Jesus Christ?

Further Reading

To become blameless is to be free from falsehood; it is to be delivered from sin and the deception that protects sin.

Further Reading

Our capacity to actually dwell in Christ’s presence is based upon knowing the true nature of God.

Our healing comes when we behold how He loves us.

We must personalize God’s love.

Further Reading

The fact is, God has so much more for us.

He seeks to conform our thought-life to the actual thought-life of Christ.

Further Reading

Further Reading

Further Reading

If you have a love mode, you also have a war mode.

Further Reading

God is not only our Creator; He is also our Father.

A Father’s Care

For Those Who Follow Christ

Further Reading

Anxiety is a spiritual “terror attack” from hell that is silently killing tens of thousands every day.

Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6).

God Is With Us

At some point we must accept the wonder and power of Christ’s promise.

Further Reading

Further Reading

If we will serve with true discernment, our perception must be renewed until we see life through the eyes of Christ the Redeemer.

Further Reading

“for some, to love others as Christ has loved us remains an ideal too far to reach. Therefore let’s start small and bring this task closer to home….love just one person”

Further Reading

Therefore, let us not excuse ourselves from God’s calling because of our weaknesses.

Further Reading

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