The Commitment of an Intercessor

By Francis Frangipane 

Our nation needs prayer. Our nation needs to return to God. If we do, it is possible that the best days are ahead for us. Remember, what is not possible for man, is possible for God. In fact Jesus said, "All things are possible with God" (Mark 10:27). 

Then Moses returned to the Lord, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. But now, if Thou wilt, forgive their sin---and if not, please blot me out from Thy book which Thou hast written!" (Exod. 32:31-32)

The prayer of Moses is remarkable. Moses was not only the leader of Israel, he was an intercessor as well. Ultimately, an intercessor gives up all personal advantage for the sake of those for whom he prays. Moses knew he personally had favor with God. Yet he presented himself as a remarkable portrait of one irreversibly committed to Israel's transformation. He said, "If Thou wilt, forgive their sin---and if not, please blot me out from Thy book."

Moses said, in effect, that he was not serving for individual gain or glory - this was not about him, but about the people he loved and served, rebellious as they were. The soul of Moses was bound together with the future of Israel. Similarly, we must see ourselves irreversibly bound together with the lives of those we pray for, both family and friends, as well as our community and nation. Moses would not be blessed, honored or pleased apart from the fulfillment of God's promise to the Hebrews. If God would not forgive them, He could not have Moses either. Israel and Moses had become a package deal.

Have you struggled with situations in your personal life in which you cannot seem to break through Perhaps you are spending too much time on your needs and not enough time praying for others. Make a prayer list of people with desperate needs, and as you intercede for them, see if the Holy Spirit doesn't break through for you, too. Indeed, include your enemies and those who have hurt you. Remember the story of Job. When he prayed for his friends, God healed him (Job 4210). Intercession not only transforms the world, but also transforms us. 

Lord Jesus, I am awed at Your willingness to show mercy. You actually changed Your mind about judgment on sinners because of one man, Moses. Lord, in my world and times, let me be that one who so delights You, who is so intimate with You, that my prayer for mercy outweighs Your judgment to destroy the disobedient. May the favor You have given to me be multiplied to those who yet do not know You, and may it spread until all the earth is filled with Your glory!

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Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s book, The Power of One Christlike Life, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

Ambassadors of the Lamb

By Francis Frangipane

Love, Not Law
For some reason, many Christians identify the height of spirituality not with Christ but with Israel's Old Testament prophets, who were called by God to bring specific messages of warning and punishment to His people. Christian, listen to me: we are not Old Testament prophets; we are new covenant redeemers. Our primary pattern is not Jeremiah, but Jesus Christ, who brought grace and truth into the world (John 1:17). Our standard is love, not law. "Love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rom. 13:10). We are the body of Christ. While we can learn much from the Old Testament, and see reflections of Christ in it, we have no purpose greater than to reveal Christ as He revealed Himself in the New Testament, as the fulfillment of the law.

The Persecuted, Part 2

 By Francis Frangipane

The Enemy's Tactics for Persecution
The way Satan persecutes is described in Matthew 5:11 (MEV): "Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

We need to tune in to several things here. First, the Scripture says, "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, MEV) So, it's not a matter of if you will be persecuted, but when. Maybe it will come from a family member or friend, a coworker or teammate. Wherever it comes from, it is legitimate persecution. You're trying to live holy and righteous before the Lord, and then you are persecuted for it.

The Persecuted, Part 1

By Francis Frangipane

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:10, NIV

As I begin this message on persecution, I want to clarify what it is not talking about. If we view the Beatitudes as a progression, it becomes obvious that verse 10 does not apply to someone who has not yet gone through the sequence of discovering your need, repenting, and becoming humble.

Oftentimes, some of the problems we call persecution might be self-inflicted. We can suffer from a general lack of grace, love, wisdom, and even a lack of Jesus. It turns people off when we come in His name without His nature. So, we can get criticized for the lack of Jesus as much as for the fullness of Jesus. And I want to separate those categories.

The Amazing Heart of Jesus Christ

By Francis Frangipane 

Increasing Lawlessness
We have to get to higher ground if we will escape the tsunami of anger and cynicism rolling through the world right now. I'm not saying we shouldn't be angry or passionate concerning the issues of our times, only that we must become Christlike if we will make things right, for the anger of man does not attain to the righteousness of God. 

Remember again the Lord's words. He said, 

"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matt. 24:12-14).

Grace Works!

By Francis Frangipane

Whether we realize it or not, most Christians of Protestant lineage carry in their doctrinal heritage the revelation of Martin Luther, that "the just shall live by faith." For whatever flaws may have otherwise been in Luther's life, his contribution remains a living revelation in the consciousness of the modern Church.

Today, we know we are saved by grace and justified by faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ. The Lord's grace remains a consistent, liberating power in our lives. If I fall, grace does not retreat; rather, it lifts me up. If I become virtuous, I know virtue is truly the result of grace working in me.

We must never forget that salvation is the gift of God. As it is written, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9).