By Francis Frangipane
Do you love Jesus Christ? Isn’t there a part of your heart that not only accepts the truth of Christ's death for you but, in response, actually loves Him for the price He paid? Don’t you love His Word, even when it hurts; and don't you appreciate the many times He's rescued you, even from battles caused by your own sin?
For too many people, however, knowing Jesus is superficial; it goes no deeper than agreeing to the historical fact of His existence. Loving Him is a distant, almost unnatural reality for them. Some even take His name in vain or anger.
The Wounds of a Prayer Warrior
By Francis Frangipane
Intercessors live on the frontier of change. We are positioned to stand between the needs of man and the provision of God. Because we are the agents of redemption, Satan will always seek the means to offend, discourage, silence, or otherwise steal the strength of our prayers. The wounding we receive must be interpreted in light of God's promise to reverse the effects of evil and make them work for our good (Rom. 8:28). Since spiritual assaults are inevitable, we must discover how God uses our wounds as the means to greater power. This was exactly how Christ brought redemption to the world, for it was by His wounds that we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24).
When a Leader Sins
By Francis Frangipane
Transferred Guilt
When church leaders serve the living Christ in love, aggressive faith, and prayerful humility, the people who live in harmony with their anointing become rich in the presence of God. Conversely, when a leader scandalizes a congregation by committing a major sin or is led into Christ-denying doctrinal deception, the heartache of his downfall is also absorbed into the perception and attitudes of those in relationship with him.
This precept, that a leader's sin carries negative consequences, is seen in other positions of authority as well. Consider the distress that crushes a family when a father or mother commits serious sin and ends up going to jail. Unless it is remedied, the impact of these events is similar to that of a curse upon one's life.
God is Bigger Than Our Knowledge of Him
By Francis Frangipane
When God moves in the earth, He calls out the lowly people who are not satisfied by mere knowledge about Him, but who want God Himself. The Lord invades the lives of this people and begins to teach them the difference between His actual living presence and their knowledge about Him. He challenges what they think is right, and strips them of pride, enabling them to hear from Him and be led into His presence.
When we first come to God, we have so much of His joy and presence in our new life and very little knowledge about Him and His ways. We just love God: we have been saved! But slowly, a subtle change occurs and we gain knowledge. We begin, imperceptibly, to serve our knowledge about God, and this diminishes our Life with God. As our knowledge grows, it can actually envelop us, and we begin to lose the vibrant expression of the real God. Thus, the Lord causes us to lose confidence in our organized logic and programs and draw us into the ability to hear and obey His voice.
The Morning Star
By Francis Frangipane
The day of the Lord, like the dawning of any calendar day, does not burst forth abruptly. It is not pitch black at 5:59 a.m. and then, suddenly, bright morning the next minute. The night sky gradually recedes, retreating from the approaching rays of light. Even before the dawn breaks, the morning star faithfully heralds the coming day, announcing to the world still in darkness that light is at hand.
The Scriptures use the image of the morning star to depict the church at the end of the age. Indeed, this visual portrays well the reality that awaits us.
Concerning the end times, Peter wrote:
The day of the Lord, like the dawning of any calendar day, does not burst forth abruptly. It is not pitch black at 5:59 a.m. and then, suddenly, bright morning the next minute. The night sky gradually recedes, retreating from the approaching rays of light. Even before the dawn breaks, the morning star faithfully heralds the coming day, announcing to the world still in darkness that light is at hand.
The Scriptures use the image of the morning star to depict the church at the end of the age. Indeed, this visual portrays well the reality that awaits us.
Concerning the end times, Peter wrote:
The Living Fire
By Francis Frangipane
What we define doctrinally as "salvation" is, in truth, the entrance, and then expansion, of Christ's presence within us. As we accept Him, Christ unites with our spirit and begins His transformational work: He begins to influence our thoughts, giving us insight into the Scriptures, convicting us of sin, and creating godly attitudes within us. He brings healing to the wounds of our past, and even our mortal bodies are quickened by His indwelling.
Our journey in Christ is, at the same time, His journey into us. We are His promised land. We can be assured that the giants in our lives, though they have humiliated us, will not humiliate Him. He shall conquer our enemies and dwell in us forever.
What we define doctrinally as "salvation" is, in truth, the entrance, and then expansion, of Christ's presence within us. As we accept Him, Christ unites with our spirit and begins His transformational work: He begins to influence our thoughts, giving us insight into the Scriptures, convicting us of sin, and creating godly attitudes within us. He brings healing to the wounds of our past, and even our mortal bodies are quickened by His indwelling.
Our journey in Christ is, at the same time, His journey into us. We are His promised land. We can be assured that the giants in our lives, though they have humiliated us, will not humiliate Him. He shall conquer our enemies and dwell in us forever.
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