The Wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February is Black History Month here in America. Thus I thought it would be timely to recall and apply the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was a man for the ages, a man whom God raised up and anointed.

Pastor Francis

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"In the final analysis, says the Christian ethic, every man must be respected because God loves him. The worth of an individual does not lie in the measure of his intellect, his racial origin, or his social position. Human worth lies in relatedness to God. An individual has value because he has value to God. Whenever this is recognized, "whiteness" and "blackness" pass away as determinants in a relationship and "son" and "brother" are substituted." --The Ethical Demands, Dec, 1962.

"Recognizing the necessity for suffering I have tried to make of it a virtue. If only to save myself from bitterness, I have attempted to see my personal ordeals as an opportunity to transform myself and heal the people involved in the tragic situation which now obtains. I have lived these last few years with the conviction that unearned suffering is redemptive. There are some who still find the cross a stumbling block, and others consider it foolishness, but I am more convinced than ever before that it is the power of God unto social and individual salvation." --Pilgrimage To Nonviolence, April, 1960.

"I Do Not Remember"

By Francis Frangipane
(En Español)

How little we understand of eternal redemption! How many times will God forgive you? If you have truly set your heart to follow Him, He will cancel your sins as often as you ask. Will He forgive you of the worst sin you can think of? Yes! You may have to live with the consequences of your misdeed, but God can use your repentance and newly found humility to inspire others. As for the sin itself, if you deeply and sincerely repent of it, not only will God forgive you, He will blot it out of His memory.

Let me share an experience. A certain man of God had been gifted with revelatory insight into people's lives. During an evening service he ministered to a Presbyterian pastor and his wife. By the gift of the Spirit, he revealed the couple's past, uncovered their present situation, and then disclosed to them what was to come. This work of God greatly impressed the couple, and as the prophecies were fulfilled, one month later the Presbyterian minister brought two other pastors, each with their wives, to another service for personal ministry.

A Forgiving Heart

By Francis Frangipane

During the last hours of this age, there will be two opposing factions in the world: those whose hearts are wrought with bitterness, resentment, and hatred; and those whose love has actually increased and who are experiencing the power of the kingdom of God. Jesus foretold these conditions in Matthew: "At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. . . . Because lawlessness [iniquity] is increased, most people's love will grow cold" (Matt. 24:10, 12). But then He added: "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" (v. 14).

What is this "gospel of the kingdom"? It is the whole truth that Jesus came to bring -- not only that which saves us from our sins, but also that which creates us in His image. It is the full gospel with all its requirements and all its rewards -- the full price for the full power. It is the most glorious pearl that man can possess: the presence of God in glory revealed within and among us.

Remember Job

By Francis Frangipane

There is much to say about the book of Job. Many scholars believe it is the oldest book of the Bible; all agree that it predates the wisdom books (Proverbs, Psalms, etc.). Another interesting insight is this: Job was not an Israelite. So the antiquity of this book combined with its Gentile hero makes it unique among all Old Testament Scriptures.

Yet there is another narrative that is actually my main point of interest. The story of Job is not only about an innocent man suffering unjustly from a satanic attack; the bulk of the story concerns the suffering Job endured from his three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar (and later Elihu). These men, probably religious scholars of their day, were friends of Job. Yet during his distress they falsely judged him; they became his accusers.

Righteous Judgment

By Francis Frangipane
(En Español)

Previously I have urged you, my friends and colleagues, to resist the trends of anger and bitter cynicism that exist in our world today. Instead, we must strive to possess the "higher . . . thoughts" of Christ (Isa. 55:9).

In truth, our calling is to serve God as ambassadors of Christ (Eph. 6:20). A true ambassador is not only pledged to represent his or her leader; the ambassador is one who knows what that ruler actually thinks and what he would say. He receives regular communication with that leader and is current on his leader’s short-term and long-term goals. Should the ambassador be ignorant of the ruler’s view, he is trained to not offer his own opinions; he is to wait until he hears from the one he represents. The world doesn’t want to know what we think. There are some seven billion opinions in the world today. What the nations need is not to hear our opinions but to hear the One we represent: our King, Jesus Christ.