The Effects of a Passive Spirit

Scripture contains many examples of David’s valor. As a young man, for instance, while others trembled, David was ready and eager to face Goliath. David is an example of one whom God chose, whose passions for God sustained him for most of his life.

Yet David also provides an example for us of what happens to good people when a passive spirit triumphs. For there was an occasion when David did not pursue his enemies, and the consequences were grave. It happened because he allowed a passive spirit to subdue his will.

“Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).

During a time of war, the king accepted a passive spirit into his soul. Soon we find this great warrior king almost helpless to resist the unfolding spiritual attack.

“Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance”
(2 Samuel 11:2).

The woman was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. From the moment David accepted the influence of that passive spirit, his resistance was weakened; a paralysis of conscience occurred. Scripture says that “when evening came David arose from his bed.” Perhaps it was customary to rest in the afternoon, but it strikes me as inconsistent for David to nap while his men fought. It is possible that this nap was not a response to a bodily need but an expression of the slumber that gripped his soul. He was in bed until “evening.”

This heaviness of soul resting on David was actually part of a larger, synchronized spiritual attack. The other part of that battle was the quiet, inner prompting that stirred Bathsheba to bathe in a place where David could see her. Finally, David, unable to resist, and in defiance of his noble qualities,

“sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her” (2 Samuel 11:4).

Dear friend, remember: This terrible moral failure was not driven by David’s lust or flagrant rebellion to God. A passive spirit introduced David to his sin! The problem was simply that, in a time when the kings went forth to war, David stayed at home.

We ourselves are in a time of war. The Spirit of God is calling us to fight for our souls as well as our families, cities and nations. Indeed, God’s Word reveals that

“the Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies” (Isaiah 42:13).

Is that holy fight in you? Is there a war cry in your spirit? If you are born again, that cry is within you, even if it has been muted by lethargy.

We will never succeed as overcomers without carrying in our spirits the war cry of God. We must stop resisting the call to prayer; we must embrace the reality of spiritual warfare; and we must fight with the weapons of warfare that God has given us, both for our own progress and also on behalf of those we love.

Conversely, the moment you surrender your will to a passive attitude, you should anticipate that a temptation appropriate to your weakness will soon follow. It may not be Bathsheba; it may be pornography on the Internet. Or it may be a coworker who begins to look attractive at a time when you and your spouse are struggling. Whatever the area of weakness in your life, Satan will seek to exploit that area. It will likely not be a bold frontal assault. He will approach you quietly, in whispers, relaxing your spiritual guard. What disarmed you was a passive spirit. If the enemy succeeds in this first stage of his assault, you will soon find yourself wrapped up in something that can devastate you and your loved ones.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

The post This Day We Fight! appeared first on Thoughts About God.

The world and all it contains was created for one purpose: to showcase the grandeur of God’s Son.

In Jesus, the nature of God is magnificently and perfectly revealed; He is the “express image” of God (Hebrews 1:3 KJV). Yet to gaze upon Christ is also to see God’s pattern for man. As we seek to be like Him, we discover that our need was created for His sufficiency. We also see that, once the redemptive nature of Christ begins to triumph in our lives, mercy begins to triumph in the world around us.

How will we recognize revival when it comes? Behold, here is the awakening we seek: men and women, young and old, all conformed to Jesus. When will revival begin? It starts the moment we say yes to becoming like Him; it spreads to others as Christ is revealed through us.

Yet to embrace Christ’s attitude toward mercy is but a first step in our spiritual growth. The process of being truly conformed to Christ compels us into deeper degrees of transformation. Indeed, just as Jesus learned obedience through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8), so also must we. And it is here, even while we stand in intercession or service to God, that Christ gives us the gift of woundedness.

“Gift?” you ask. Yes, to be wounded in the service of mercy and, instead of closing our hearts, allow woundedness to crown love, is to release God’s power in redemption. The steadfast prayer of the wounded intercessor holds great sway upon the heart of God.

We cannot become Christlike without being wounded. You see, even after we come to Christ, we carry encoded within us preset limits concerning how far we will go for love, and how much we are willing to suffer for redemption. When God allows us to be wounded, He exposes those human boundaries and reveals what we lack of His nature.

The path narrows as we seek true transformation. Indeed, many Christians fall short of Christ’s stature because they have been hurt and offended by people. They leave churches discouraged, vowing never again to serve or lead or contribute because, when they offered themselves, their gift was marred by unloving people. To be struck or rejected in the administration of our service can become a great offense to us, especially as we are waiting for, and even expecting, a reward for our good efforts.

Yet wounding is inevitable if we are following Christ. Jesus was both “marred” (Isaiah 52:14) and “wounded” (Zechariah 13:6), and if we are sincere in our pursuit of His nature, we will suffer as well. How else will love be perfected?

Let us beware. We either become Christlike and forgive the offenders or we will enter a spiritual time warp where we abide continually in the memory of our wounding. Like a systemic disease, the hurtful memories infect every aspect of our existence. In truth, apart from God, the wounding that life inflicts is incurable. God has decreed that only Christ in us can survive.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

1. A Bible on How God Demonstrates His Love
2. A Bible Study on Waiting on God
3. The Names of God – A Bible stud

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

The post The Gift of Woundedness appeared first on Thoughts About God.

It is not hard to recognize one who has spent extended time at a newsstand: his conversation overflows with the drama of current affairs. And, it is not hard to discern a person who has come from a sporting event, as their face reveals the outcome of the game. Likewise, people can tell when an individual has spent extended time seeking God. An imperturbable calm guards their heart, and their countenance is radiant with light, as with the morning dew of Heaven.

Beloved, to seek and find God is everything.

The Eternal Imprint

It is to our shame that, in our era, church services do not focus more on actually seeking God. Yes, we do honor God and thank Him for what He has done. We hear a sermon and, perhaps, enjoy a time of fellowship with others. Yet only rarely do we depart a congregational meeting with the fire of eternity reflecting off our faces. Instead, we fill up with information about God without actually drawing near to Him. Most of us are still largely unaware of God’s presence.

While we rightly need church programs, fellowship, and times for ministry training, we must not automatically assume that religious indoctrination is the same thing as actually seeking God. And while I am often blessed listening to contemporary Christian music, even godly entertainment is no substitute for my own worship encounter with God.

Therefore, let us ask ourselves: Is there a place and a time set apart in our spiritual lives where we can give ourselves to seeking God? What if the Spirit of God actually desired to manifest Himself during our worship service? Would the Lord have to wait until we finished our scheduled program? I respect and recognize the need for order; we need the scheduled times for announcements and the defined purposes that currently occupy Sunday mornings, but have we made room for God Himself?

“He Knew Not That His Face Shone”

When we first determine to draw near to God, it may seem we have little to show for our efforts. Yet, be assured: even the thought of seeking God is a step toward our transformation. Still, we often do not notice the first signs of our spiritual renewal, for as we grow increasingly more aware of God, we simultaneously grow increasingly less aware of ourselves. Though we may not see that we are changing, others certainly will.

Consider the experience of Moses. The Lord’s servant had ascended Mount Sinai, and there stood before the living God. The eyes of Moses were actually filled with God’s sun-like glory; his ears actually heard the audible sound of the Lord’s voice. Yet, when Moses returned to the people, the Bible says he “did not know that the skin of his face shone” (Exodus 34:29). When the Israelites saw the fire of God’s glory on the face of Moses, “they were afraid to come near him” (v. 30). They saw he had been with God.

The church needs more people who have, like Moses, climbed closer to the Almighty, people who have stood in the sacred fire of God’s presence. Instead, we exhaust ourselves arguing over peripheral doctrines or styles of music in our song services.

Perhaps there are benefits to constantly debating the nuances of our doctrines, but are we not more truly thirsting for the reality of God?

Our goal is to, day by day, draw nearer to God. He has commanded that we come boldly to His throne of grace. To receive the help we need, we must arrive at His throne. Remember also that our confidence comes from Christ Himself. He promised,

“Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8).

We are seeking a lifetime of increasing devotion, though it may certainly begin in a season of drawing near. In spite of natural and spiritual obstacles, as we persevere, the Lord assures us,

“How much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!” (Matthew. 7:11).

If we do not cease seeking and knocking, we will discover unfolding degrees of intimacy with God. Even now, He’s drawing near. The Lord promises,

“Everyone who … seeks finds” (Matthew 7:8).

Master, to possess more of You is the heart-focus of my existence. Draw near, blessed Redeemer, fulfill Your desire for me by fulfilling my desire for You.

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: http://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

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Wounded in Pursuit of Oneness

The Bible says, “Pursue peace with all men.” (Hebrews 12:14). Pursue means we aggressively take the initiative to make things right. It means we act on behalf of Heaven rather than allow another’s anger to serve the purpose of hell.

However, we must be realistic. When we reach out to a deeply offended person, they will likely be repulsed by our first efforts. Scripture tells us, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a castle” (Proverbs 18:19). If a person has been hurt, they will need trust to be restored, and this process of initiating trust can actually be painful to both parties. A wounded person may lash out. You may feel like the price of restoring the offended person’s trust is simply too great to pay.

Let me share an insight I received about the basic nature of relationships and reconciliation. My wife and I were “bird-sitting” our oldest daughter’s pet conure. A conure is about half the size of a parrot with similar coloring. However, this creature was hostile. Each time I’d touch the cage, it would squawk and try to bite me. After several initiatives at being nice, I realized, “Who needs this? If I’m going to be attacked, I can be attacked at church.” So inwardly I made an evaluation that we had been given a “killer conure.” Obviously, I concluded, this bird came from the wrong side of the tracks.

My wife, however, decided she was going to love this bird. Even though it was just as aggressive toward her as it was with me, Denise relentlessly extended herself toward little India. Each time she fed it by hand, the bird attacked, taking chunks of skin from her fingers with each bite. Denise would yell in pain, then instantly return to talking softly, reaching into the cage with food. After a week, the bird finally began to relax. Her survival instincts, based on my wife’s gentle response to being attacked, convinced India that my wife was not a predator, but a friend. Soon, it permitted Denise to reach into its cage without attacking her; a couple more days and I discovered this aggressive little finger-eater perched lovingly upon my wife’s shoulder, its little round head snuggled warmly against her neck, cooing in her ear.

Denise won the heart of this little bird: it loved, because she first loved it. You see, the problem with the bird was not aggression, but fear. My wife allowed herself to be wounded so trust could be established; when wounded, she did not retaliate. She won the heart of this little bird one wound at a time.

As I watched this little drama unfold, I saw something basic, yet profound, concerning God’s relationship with us. Trust is not an accident; it is the result of love that pays a price.

Isn’t this the way of the Lord with our own hearts? He came to us, yet we repeatedly wounded Him. Instead of retaliating, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them.” He proved over and over again that His love was safe, that He was not our enemy.

So often He shows us mercy; even when we rebel and sin, He works to restore us to Himself. It is His kindness, the Scriptures say that lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). He repeatedly shows Himself trustworthy, merciful and loving. He knows that, in time, we will come to rest in His goodness. And as we do, we let Him reach into our cage; we climb upon His hand, and He carries us on His shoulder.

As He has been to us, so He wants us to be toward others, even those who may appear hostile and alienated from us. Paul tells us, “Love suffers long.” (1 Corinthians 13:4 (NKJV). We must be willing to let ourselves be wounded, even repeatedly if necessary, in pursuit of healing relationships. We must prove, not just in word but in deed that our love is real and our hearts are trustworthy. Whether we face divisions in families, churches or in the racial conflicts we see today, only when trust is established, can healing begin.

By Francis Frangipane
used by permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

The post When Trust is Established appeared first on Thoughts About God.

During seasons of prayer, when congregations unite for intercession or groups meet in homes to appeal to God, it is important we stay united in Spirit, supportive and passionate with the goal of touching the heart of God. Even though we pray differently or come together with different styles or burdens, our unity plays an important dynamic in obtaining spiritual success.

For instance, when my wife and I pray together, I like to pack all the meaning I can into a couple sentences. I might pray a simple prayer, “Lord bless and fill my kids,” What I mean, is Lord touch them, forgive them, provide for them, guide them, use them and protect them. My prayer is like a “zip file.” It’s bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. It appears small, but when God opens it up, there’s a lot of meaning in my prayer.

My wife’s prayers are longer than mine. She tells the Lord everything He needs to know about the kids, as though He were just meeting them for the first time. She explains what they need in life and offers suggestions to the Lord on how to get them into their future. She touches God’s heart because she is so compassionate about her children.

The main thing is, we agree with each other when we pray. We don’t judge each other. We listen and appreciate our different approaches and styles. Usually, when we are finished praying together, she will continue interceding alone. I can hear her in the background: “Lord, remind the boys to wash their bed sheets and help them to get enough sleep, and don’t let them eat junk food.” It’s okay, as their mother, she’s consumed by her love for them.

When we get together in a group at church, the same principles apply: we all agree with each other. It doesn’t matter if one person prays longer or with more detail than another. We pray for our nation along with other nations and their leaders. Some pray for the governmental leaders of nations; another might pray for gang leaders, while someone else will pray for business leaders. We’ll stand in repentance for the sins of our nation, asking God to forgive our national sins of pride, injustice and murder (especially concerning the unborn); we ask for mercy concerning our greed and national arrogance, and we ask for forgiveness for the immoral nature of much of our entertainment industry. We each may have a different burden or focus, but with passion we agree with one another’s prayer.

Jesus promised that whatever we agreed upon in prayer, it would be done for us by our heavenly Father (Matthew 18:19). Our agreement is as important as our prayer. It’s okay that we have different styles: I pace. A dear friend of mine rocks back and forth. Another karate chops the air. Yet, even though our styles are different, our hearts burn together in strong agreement.

Interestingly, the word agree as used in the Gospels was the Greek word sumphoneo. From it we get the English word symphony. In other words, God hears our prayers of agreement not so much as a tolerance of one another’s quirks, but as a symphony of passionate voices – each voice as a unique instrument, yet all participating in the same glorious song.

Beloved, let us stay in agreement when we pray. Avoid strife at all costs. Whether our expression is one of weeping or rejoicing, warring or worship, our prayer of agreement can be symphonic to the listening heart of God.

By Francis Frangipane
Used By Permission

FURTHER READING

• The Commitment of an Intercessor by Francis Frangipane
• Intercessory Prayer – by Katherine Kehler

  The Best Intercession Team is at your Disposal by Sylvia Gunter

moree about Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

The post A Symphony to God’s Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.

To obtain conformity to Christ means we are seeking to serve God with the very same character, purpose and empowerment (or “anointing”) that was revealed in Jesus. Yet, Christlikeness is not something we mimic, but a life that flows to us from Christ Himself and is worked in us via the Holy Spirit (see Phil 3). This is why our primary focus is not upon the outer form or style of our worship, but upon the Person we worship. Yes, to be conformed to Jesus in all things is true worship perfected.

When we speak of conformity to God’s Son, we mean that the very same anointing that rested upon Him, now rests upon us. In the Bible, when one was anointed, it denoted that an individual had been chosen and prepared by God to serve in a role of either priestly, prophetic or kingly authority. As Israel’s Messiah, Christ was the perfect embodiment of these three functions of the anointing. This is not new teaching about Jesus Christ. If you are born again of the Holy Spirit, you have received a living power which is also working in you the manifest life – the anointed life – of Jesus Christ (see 2 Cor 4:7-11). God’s goal is not just to bring us to Christ when we die, but to manifest Christ where we live.

Remember, the title Christ means “Anointed One.” To truly know the Lord Jesus is to understand His Messianic identity as Israel’s Anointed. To be conformed to Him, however, is to walk in His anointing (see 1 Jn 2:6). Thus, as we near the end of the age, the true church will be increasingly identified by Christ’s three-fold anointing: we will be given to intercession as a priesthood of believers; we will be prophetic in our discernment and communication of God’s word (whether the word comes to teach, comfort, evangelize or warn); and in all of life’s spheres, we will walk in a holy, kingly anointing, as ambassadors of Christ and His kingship in heaven (see 2 Cor 5:20).

Christ’s Fullness
Yet, this last arena, the transference of Christ’s representative governmental authority to the church, has been resisted by many Christians. While most might accept the authority of Christ to help in their sphere of influence, even sincere believers question the legitimacy of godly leaders being called to serve in government. They ask for New Testament teaching to confirm this doctrine.

The very fact that Jesus Christ sits as king in heaven, and that His expressed will is that we be conformed to His image in all things (Rom 8:29), validates that He will have disciples who will manifest His governmental anointing on earth. For, “as He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). You see, God has called His church to one goal: reveal the fullness of Christ.

We should learn from past mistakes, but not limit our potential because of them. Our birthright cannot be measured by the failures of our past, but against the stature of Christlikeness. Our confidence must abide in the Father’s ability to fulfill what He has spoken concerning us. Therefore, let us forget for a moment our current limitations and consider with reverence our spiritual potential. And let us not be staggered by unbelief, but with faith pray, “be it done to me according to Your word” (Lk 1:38).

John writes,

“For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (Jn 1:16).

Paul states,

“The church . . . is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph 1:22-23).

Again, Paul says the height of our destiny is nothing less than “the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13).

God’s will is not that our growth be stunted halfway to full maturity, but that we know and walk in the full anointing of Christ! Consider: the proof that Elisha had truly received Elijah’s anointing was that Elisha did the works of Elijah (2 Kings 2:8-15). Likewise, the anointing that rests upon us should, in time, produce the very same life that we see in Christ, our heavenly King (see Jn 14:12). Thus, when someone questions the validity of Christians serving in government, we have only to point them to the prayer Christ taught: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Indeed, every time we pray those words, someone is receiving grace to represent the character and interests of Christ in our governmental settings.

The Kingly Anointing
Again, the question arises, “But the realm of kingly or governmental authority is fraught with the corrupting influence of power. Why would God send His servants into secular leadership?”

Hebrews 11 tells us that God specifically sends His servants into world systems to transform them and lead nations toward heaven. Consider: From verse 22 through verse 34, each person given as an example of faith was an individual raised up by God to lead their nation. Who would like to inform the righteous kings of Judah, from David to Josiah, that it was not God’s will for them to be in power? Whisper this idea that God does not anoint and send people into world leadership to Daniel and see if he concurs. You see, God has always had it in His heart to raise up men and women who serve Him in wisdom and righteousness, whom He uses to bring multitudes to Himself.

Consider God’s word to Abraham:
“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you” (Gen 17:4-6).

For over two thousand years, from Abraham to Christ, God worked primarily with Israel and its line of kings. However, His promise to Abraham was that he would be a father of “a multitude of nations.” He never has abandoned Israel, yet three times in the above promise the Lord mentions that many nations would look upon Abraham as their father. He then adds, “and kings will come forth from you” (vs 6).

It has always been in God’s heart to bring nations to Himself, but it wasn’t until Christ came that the grace of God could truly spread worldwide. The fact is, you cannot bring nations to God without turning the government of those nations to God as well. So the Lord tells Abraham, “kings will come . . . from you.” Kings exercise authority over nations. Paul speaks of this, in principle, in the New Testament when he urged “that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority” (1 Tim 2:1-2).

In the Lord’s promise to Abraham, the Hebrew word for kings referred to “officials of many levels.” This word, kings (Melek in Hebrew), was a “very common term for virtually any magistrate” (Zodhiates Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible). In other words, among those who were to come forth from Abraham would be a generation of godly leaders whose sphere of influence would be felt in every strata of secular authority.

Isaiah 60 also speaks of “nations” that would come to our light and “kings” to the brightness of our rising (Isa 60:1-3). Again, kings here is the same word that encompassed all levels of secular authority. This promise of God is not only for the millennium, but also for now, during the time when “darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples” (vs 2). Just because the cultural atmosphere is charged with demonic darkness, it does not mean the Almighty has abandoned society. God desires to raise up warring priests who intercede for mercy; He has prophets who call His people to repentance and vision; and He is preparing leaders who will rule righteously with wisdom and meekness.

The Gift of Democracy
Only in recent times has mankind been given a wonderful gift from God: democracy. For approximately 5700 years the entire world order was ruled by kings and tribal chiefs (except briefly in Athens). Even today, nearly half the world does not elect their government leaders.

With democracy, we do not have to wait for a king or dictator to die to hope that his heir will be more righteous. In America, every four years we are given the opportunity to pray and decide who shall guide our nation. This means that we can choose godly leaders to guide us. Of course, no one is perfect. We will always struggle with the apparent imperfections of any candidate; we will never stop needing the priestly role of intercession to redeem our leaders’ errors. But in democracies, we have the opportunity to realize the anointing of Christ in governmental systems. It is a tremendous gift from God!

Am I saying that democracy is the same as heaven? No, absolutely not! Not until Jesus returns will we realize the fullness of God’s kingdom. Remember, we said that our goal is not to see the church become political, but the political realm become spiritual, where the integrity, wisdom and justice of Christ – the anointing of the Messiah Himself – manifests in godly leadership.

People say, “The Lord will decide who is elected. I’m not voting.” Excuse me, but in democracies God chooses to work through the voting system. We will always have to trust the Lord no matter who is elected, and we should pray that He “stir up” the spirits of godly people to vote, but He will not override the mechanics of our democratic nation. Thus, we must choose our officials with prayer and principled wisdom. We must also encourage others and work to see godly leaders positioned in government; and where godliness does not exist, we must pray for leaders that they might come to Christ.

How do we discern among candidates which individual is capable of receiving Christ’s anointing for government? First, we must look beyond an individual’s debating skills and ask, does this man or woman bow to Christ as their ruler? You see, to that leader, Jesus must be revealed as the King of kings. Not until a person genuinely bows before Christ, is he fit to rise and lead the people.

One last thing: No matter who is elected, God calls us to pray for our leaders with faith and mercy, trusting in God’s goodness. I am not telling you for whom you should vote, but urging you to vote with vision and prayer. Which candidate do you feel can be most influenced by Christ to lead our nation? Vote for the individual who, as best as you can tell, is most open to the anointing of Christ the King.

By Francis Frangipane
used by permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

RELATED READING

Bad Examples in High Places by Retired Senator John Grant

Remember—The One Choice by  Scott Whitaker

Leaders Need Jesus Too!  “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. …

How to Pray for our Leaders

The post Vote For the Anointing appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Of all virtues, Jesus elevated meekness above the rest.

Why humility?

It is the door opener to grace, and no virtue enters our lives except that humility acknowledges our need and requests virtue to come. Without humility, we see no reason to change or appropriate future grace.

Yet, humility not only hosts the other virtues, it is also the life essence that sustains them. It is humility that recognizes when love is growing cold and humility that confesses our need for greater purity. Without humility, our virtues harden into lifeless statues; we are outwardly religious, but inwardly unable to change.

Humility is the taproot of true nobility. For it provides increase to wholeness, and life and maturity to all other virtues. It is the antidote to Pharisee-ism and the cure for a Jezebelian attitude.

A Child

Consider: when Jesus was asked by His disciples,

“Who then is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

He put a child in their midst. He said,

“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mathew 18:1,4).

What a sublime wonder! In Heaven, the height of greatness is measured by the depth of one’s humility.

Consider Wuest’s Expanded Translation of Jesus’ statement:

“Therefore, he who is of such a nature as to humble himself like this little child, esteeming himself small inasmuch as he is so, thus thinking truly, and because truly, therefore humbly of himself, this person is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.“

Jesus came to establish Heaven in the lives of His followers. Thus, He introduces the realm of God to His disciples with the words,

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

Beloved, the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the “poor in spirit.” Who are these poor? They are people who “know their need” (Godspeed Translation). Beloved, there are people in Heaven who were sinners on Earth. The streets of God’s kingdom are filled with people who, at some time or another, failed and fell short. There are adulterers who’ve been washed and cleansed by Christ’s blood, ex-drug dealers and prostitutes whose hearts are filled with praise to God – all who came face to face with their need, repented and found forgiveness of their sins.

But there is not one proud individual in Heaven. There are no self-righteous beings in Heaven.

Here on earth we see the strutting pride – the air of self-importance – manifest in leaders and celebrities. Again, we behold the air of false superiority in our cultural prejudices. We see unrepentant pride in the conflicts that lead to divorce and the offspring of pride – envy and jealousy – in the inordinate desire of men to be glorified before other men.

Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to the poor in spirit! Not the perfect, but the poor. Yes, we are called to standards of perfection, and strive we must toward that upward call. Yet, perfection in Heaven is measured, not in degrees of self-sufficiency, but in degrees of dependency and surrender. We can search for an eternity and we will observe truly: there dwells not one proud soul in all of Heaven.

Today, we cry for revival and pray for breakthroughs, and persevere we must. Yet the Lord’s eyes are upon a certain individual. He says,

“For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, ‘I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite‘” (Isaiah.57:15).

The disciples were arguing about who is greatest in the Kingdom. Jesus placed a child in their midst.

This is greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven: to possess a humble heart.

By Francis Frangipane
used be permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
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The post The Greatest in God’s Kingdom appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Christ Himself is the eternal blueprint for our lives.

Only in studying Him, in measuring ourselves by Him, do we grow securely upon the foundation of God.

Beloved, we were created to become like Christ. God’s plan has not faded or become obsolete! Even as Christ has not changed, so neither has the plan of God for the church. Our transformation will burn in God’s heart

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ”  (Ephesians 4:13).

You see, the focus of both leadership and congregations should be upon attaining Christlike transformation and His love for people. This has been the Father’s purpose from the beginning of time and it remains His unchanging goal at the end of the age. (See Genesis. 1:26-27 and Romans 8:29.)

The problem is that, too often, as Christians we define ourselves by what we do for God rather than what we become to Him. What pleases the Father most is not what proceeds from our hands but what rises from our hearts. He is seeking the revelation of His Son in us. There is nothing on earth that so pleases the Father’s heart as when Jesus Christ is revealed through us. As Paul wrote, we become a “fragrance of Christ to God”
(2 Corinthians 2:15).

This is why we focus on revealing Christ Himself. Other aspects of Christianity develop correctly only as they emerge out of our greater pursuit of Christlikeness. You see? No aspect of our spirituality functions properly apart from our living union with Christ. It is here, in pursuing Christlikeness, that we find true spiritual assurance that we are not being led astray.

Consider: Paul said that the result of seeking the measure of the stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ is that “we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4).

Paul warned that people can be “carried about by every wind of doctrine.” Yes, false doctrines are dangerous, but Paul wasn’t limiting his warning only to false teachings. For even a true doctrine can have a false emphasis and lead us astray. The pursuit of Christlikeness aligns us with the Father’s highest priority for our lives. It secures us upon the path to truth, for “truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). He Himself is the way, the truth and the life.

As a result, Paul wrote that intimacy with Christ was the deepest cry of his heart. He said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10).

He was not speaking of some esoteric knowledge of Christ but an intimacy that led to conformity. Do we see this? He wrote, “That I may know Him . . . being conformed.” Knowing Christ and being conformed to Him is of the same essence. Christ Himself is the true foundation upon which we must build our lives.

By Francis Frangipane
used by permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

FURTHER READING

• Looking for a New Road – by John Fischer

• Under Construction – by Mike Woodard

• The Battle for the Mind – by John Grant

The post The True Foundation appeared first on Thoughts About God.

The Bible says, “Pursue peace with all men” (Hebrews 12:14). Pursue means we aggressively take the initiative to make things right. It means we act on behalf of Heaven rather than allow another’s anger to serve the purpose of hell.

However, we must be realistic. When we reach out to a deeply offended person, they will likely be repulsed by our first efforts. Scripture tells us, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and contentions are like the bars of a citadel” (Proverbs 18:19). If a person has been hurt, they will need trust to be restored, and this process of initiating trust can actually be painful to both parties. A wounded person may lash out. You may feel like the price of restoring the offended person’s trust is simply too great to pay.

Let me share an insight I received about the basic nature of relationships and reconciliation. My wife and I were “bird-sitting” our oldest daughter’s pet conure. A conure is about half the size of a parrot with similar coloring. However, this creature was hostile. Each time I’d touch the cage, it would squawk and try to bite me. After several initiatives at being nice, I said to myself, “Who needs this? If I’m going to be attacked, I can be attacked at church.” So inwardly I made an evaluation that we had been given a “killer conure.” Obviously, I concluded, this bird came from the wrong side of the tracks.

My wife, however, decided she was going to love this little bird. Even though it was just as aggressive toward her as it was with me, Denise relentlessly extended herself toward little India. Each time she fed it by hand, the bird attacked, taking chunks of skin from her fingers with each bite. Denise would yell in pain, then instantly return to talking softly, reaching into the cage with food.

After a week or two, the bird finally began to relax. Her survival instincts based on my wife’s gentle response, convinced India that my wife was not a predator, but a friend. Soon it permitted Denise to reach into its cage without attacking her; a couple more days and I discovered this aggressive little finger-eater perched lovingly upon my wife’s shoulder, its little round head snuggled warmly against her neck, cooing in her ear.

Denise won the heart of this little bird: it loved, because she first loved it. You see, the problem with the bird was not aggression, but fear. My wife allowed herself to be wounded so trust could be established; when wounded, she did not retaliate. She won the heart of this little bird one wound at a time.

As I watched this little drama unfold, I saw something basic, yet profound, concerning God’s relationship with us. Trust is not an accident; it is the result of love that pays a price.

Isn’t this the way of the Lord with our own hearts? He came to us, yet we repeatedly wounded Him. Instead of retaliating, Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them.” He proved over and over again that His love was safe, that He was not our enemy.

Even when we rebel and sin He shows us mercy, working to restore us to Himself.  It is His kindness , the Scriptures say that lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4). He repeatedly shows Himself trustworthy, merciful and loving. He knows that, in time, we will come to rest in His goodness. And as we do, we let Him reach into our cage; we climb upon His hand, and He carries us on His shoulder.

As He has been to us, so He wants us to be toward others, even those who may appear hostile and alienated from us. Paul tells us, “Love suffers long”  (1 Corinthians 13:4 NKJV).

We must be willing to let ourselves be wounded, even repeatedly if necessary, in pursuit of healing relationships.

We must prove, not just in word but indeed, that our love is real and our hearts are trustworthy. Whether we face divisions in families, churches, or in the racial conflicts we see today, only when trust is established, can healing begin.

By Francis Frangipane
used be permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

FURTHER READING

• Pursue Peace – by Fab Batsakis

• A Bitter Poison by Charles Stanley

• A Grumbly Heart – by Mike Woodard

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The post Wounded in Pursuit of Oneness appeared first on Thoughts About God.

For many, Christianity is simply the religion into which they were born.

For others, although Jesus is truly their Savior, their relationship with Him is hardly more than a history lesson, a study of what He did in the past. For those who truly love Him, however, Christ is Savior and more: He is their very life (Colossians 3:4).

When Jesus is your life you cannot go on without Him.

There is a story of a man who, in search of God, came to study at the feet of an old sage. The master brought this young man to a lake and led him out into the shoulder-deep water. Putting his hands upon his pupil’s head, he promptly pushed him under the water and continued to hold him there until the disciple, feeling he would surely drown, frantically repelled the old man’s resistance. In shock and confusion the young man resurfaced. “What is the meaning of this?” he demanded. His teacher looked him in the eyes and said, “When you desire God as you desired air, you shall find Him.”

Was this not the attitude of the psalmist when he wrote, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God“ (Psalm 42:1)? You see, there is a place in seeking God where our heart goes beyond the limits of desire, where the actual issue becomes one of survival. I need Christ as a drowning man needs air and as a parched deer needs water. It is here, where we feel we cannot exist without seeking and finding the reality of God, that our deepest passion is fulfilled.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

FURTHER READING

•  Becoming Wonder Woman

•  Everyone Who Seeks Finds 

•  How to Seek the Lord – by Dr. Charles Stanley

The post Christ, Our Life appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh”  Ezekiel. 36:26

God has a new heart for us that cannot be offended, an “unoffendable” heart. Beloved, possessing an unoffendable heart is not an option or a luxury; it’s not a little thing. An offended heart is endanger of becoming a “heart of stone.”

Consider: Jesus warns that, as we near the end of the age, a majority of people will be offended to such a degree that they fall away from the faith. Listen carefully to His warning:

“Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another . . . and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Matthew. 24:10-12 KJV).

“Many” will “be offended.” The result? The love of “many” will grow cold. My prayer is that we will hear His words with holy fear.

When we allow an offense to remain in our hearts, it causes serious spiritual consequences. In the above verse Jesus named three dangerous results: betrayal, hatred and cold love. When we are offended with someone, even someone we care for, we must go to them. If we do not talk to them, we will begin to talk about them. We betray that relationship, whispering maliciously behind their back to others, exposing their weaknesses and sins. We may mask our betrayal by saying we are just looking for advice or counsel, but when we look back, we see we have spoken negatively to far too many people. Our real goal was not to get spiritual help for ourselves but to seek revenge toward the one who offended us. How is such action not a manifestation of hatred? For an offended soul, cold love, betrayal and hatred are a walk into darkness.

People don’t stumble over boulders; they stumble over stones, relatively small things. It may be that the personality of someone in authority bothers us, and soon we are offended. Or, a friend or family member fails to meet our expectations, and we take an offense into our soul. Beloved, if we will “endure to the end,” we will have to confront the things that bother us.

When Jesus warns that we need endurance, He is saying that it is easier to begin the race than finish it. Between now and the day you die, there will be major times of offense that you will need to overcome. You might be in such a time right now. Do not minimize the danger of harboring an offense!

No one plans on falling away; no one ever says, “Today, I think I’ll try to develop a hardened heart of stone.” Such things enter our souls through stealth. It is only naiveté that assumes it couldn’t happen to us. I know many people who consistently become offended about one thing or another. Instead of dealing with the offenses, praying about them and turning the issue over to God, they carry the offense in their soul until its weight disables their walk with God. You may be doing fine today, but I guarantee you, tomorrow something will happen that will inevitably disappoint or wound you; some injustice will strike you, demanding you retaliate in the flesh. Will you find more love, and hence, continue your growth toward Christ likeness? Or will you allow that offense to consume your spiritual life?

By Francis Frangipane
used by Permission

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

Forgiveness is Good for Your Health

Have You Forgiven Yourself

God Forgave our Sins, Past, Present and Future

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The post Unoffendable appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Throughout His life, Jesus reached to those rejected by others. He loved the outcasts, those who were despised, scorned, and excluded. Yet His practice of dining with known evildoers offended the Pharisees, and they confronted Jesus’ disciples with this question: “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax-gatherers and sinners?” (Matthew 9:11).

When Jesus heard their question, He answered,

“It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means, ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:12-13).

Jesus told the religious Pharisees to go and learn what our heavenly Father meant when He said, “I desire compassion [mercy], and not sacrifice.” So many today are religious without being compassionate. Compassion in the Greek language means a “yearning in the bowels.” It is something that cannot be easily ignored.

You see, 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.

It is right that we should be troubled by the sins of our nation. But we must remember, 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, leaders and intercessors cry to the Lord for mercy. Thus, Christlike prayer brings redemption out of disaster.

Mercy, Not Wrath

The church was created not to fulfill God’s wrath, but to complete His mercy. True prayer is born of love and comes in the midst of sin and need. It comes not to condemn, but to cover.

Jesus said His Father’s house would be a “house of prayer for all the nations” (Mark 11:17). Consider passionately this phrase: “prayer for.” Jesus taught His disciples to “pray for” those who would persecute or mistreat them (Matthew 5:44). When Job “prayed for” his friends (Job 42:10), God fully restored him. 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).

The nature of our calling is to pray for people in difficulty, in sin, in sickness, and in need of God.

Conformed to the Lamb of God

Consider this: the only being in all the universe worthy to “open the book” and release God’s wrath on sin is the very One in all the universe least likely to do so. His commitment to man’s redemption was a total sacrifice, an offering that abides eternally at God’s throne. Yes, He is the lion of the tribe of Judah, but He is also the Lamb slain for men’s sins. He is the only One to whom authority is given to open the book of divine wrath
(see Revelations 5).

Because Christ paid the highest price for redemption, we can be confident that He will not release divine fury until He fully exhausts divine mercy. Even then, when His judgments finally come, they will continue to be guided by His motive of mercy, giving time for sinners to repent.

God’s Word tells us plainly: “As He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Our pattern is the Lamb. Our goal is not merely the exposure of sin, but also the unveiling of the sacrifice for sin. Our great commission is to bring healing and the message of God’s mercy to the nations. Until Christ breaks the seals that ultimately will lead to wrath, we must stand in intercession before God as ambassadors of the Lamb.

May the Lord give us a clear vision of this truth: intercession is the essence of Christ’s life. Not only is He now at the right hand of the Father interceding for us (Romans 8:34), but His coming to earth and dying for sins was one extended act of intercession. Jesus beheld the depravity of mankind’s sin. He examined it carefully in all of its offensiveness, perversity, and repulsiveness. Yes, He rebuked it when necessary, but the wonder of the Gospel is that, in spite of mankind’s sin, God so deeply loved the world that He sent His Son to die for us (John 3:16-17).

We are called to follow this same amazing pattern of mercy.

We are not minimizing sin when we maximize Christ’s mercy. There is a difference between whitewashing sin and blood washing it. The reality that compels God’s heart—that is an underlying principle of life—is “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). To live a life of mercy corresponds perfectly with God’s heart. Mercy precisely fulfills the divine purpose: to transform man into the Redeemer’s image.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

from a chapter in Francis’ book, The Power of One Christlike Life.
Available at http://www.arrowbookstore.com/

Francis Frangipane
info@frangipane.org
www.frangipane.org
www.icitc.org
www.arrowbookstore.com

FURTHER READING

Come Alongside – what it looks like to come alongside of people while Jesus draws them closer.

Your Life is the Only Bible Some People Read

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

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