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


Today too many Christians have lost their hunger for God.

Instead of coming into the Lord’s presence hungry for more of His fullness, our thoughts are held hostage to worldly pursuits and fleshly distractions. At best we are merely curious about spiritual realities, but not truly hungry.

Let me tell you a story that illustrates what I mean. We have a little dog named Sophie. Sophie loves people food. To her, eating people food is the culinary equivalent of entering the Kingdom of God. She loves our food. She even has a Bible verse that she claims in faith, “Even the dogs get the crumbs” (Matthew 15:27).

When my wife and I share a meal, Sophie will sit at our feet, squint her eyes, and stare at us (she thinks squinting makes her cuter). Any food that falls to the floor instantly vanishes into her mouth. No matter how much of her food she has already eaten, she is always hungry for ours.

Our home has a small, fenced-in yard outside our porch where Sophie plays. Although the fence surrounds the area, there are gaps where the pickets don’t quite reach to the ground. If Sophie wanted, she actually could squeeze under the fence and get out, but she normally has no reason to try.

Occasionally she will get curious and go as far as the gate, stand there a while and look out, but she doesn’t leave the yard.

One day, though, my wife decided to feed a few slices of stale bread to the birds that nest on the other side of the fence. When Sophie went out an hour later, she immediately noticed a human food smell in the air, which she tracked to the bread outside the gate. In less than a heartbeat she found a little gap under the picket fence, flattened herself to the ground, and then shimmied beneath the fence to the bread on the other side. It was gone in less than a minute.

My point is this: hunger will take you where mere curiosity would never go.

My friend, God is looking for hungry people. Blessed are those who hunger. He is seeking people who are truly seeking Him. Indeed, He has bread from Heaven for us, and it is eternally satisfying. We cannot afford to settle into the routine of a fenced-in reality, not when God has eternal food prepared for us. Let us, therefore, follow our hunger as we pursue the presence of God.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

•  Hunger and Thirst – by Bill Bright

• Hunger and Thirst for God -by Charles Stanley

 Cry of the Hungry and Thirsty | A Perspective on Adversity – by Lynn Mosher

thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


It has been my experience that too many of us, as Christians, have been confused about love. We have assumed that attaining the look of love was the same reality as actually being transformed into a loving person.  I’m not saying that we have consciously planned on being shallow or noncommittal, but that somehow we have settled on the cosmetic instead of the real.

We have developed an “altar” ego, a look for church that lasts, at best, just a few minutes longer than the church service itself.  All we have really accomplished is to perfect the art of acting like Christians.

I think we have yet to learn to consistently walk according to the standards of Christ’s love.  I hear how quick some are to speak about the flaws of those they supposedly love, and I wonder, what kind of love demeans an individual behind their back?  When I witness unloving words from a Christian’s mouth, I am reminded that we have much to learn about Jesus and what it means to follow Him.

David prayed,

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

Our words are the by-product of our meditations.  Whatever is brooding in our hearts will eventually ascend to our lips.  If we have unforgiveness prowling within, our conversations will be barbed with negative comments; even in moments of light-hearted banter, if we are harboring bitterness, it will slice through our speech.  Jesus taught that ‘the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Matthew 12:34).  We cannot fix our words without first fixing our hearts.

When the Lord judges us for our words, it is because He is seeking to purify our hearts.  True, the heart is deceitful above all things and it is difficult to know our own iniquity.  Yet if we simply pause and listen to how many of our words are without love, we can track them back to the real problem: loveless hearts.

A New Anointing

Christians are in the fire of God.  The Holy Spirit is purging the church from negative chatter.  A fresh anointing is at hand where God’s people shall speak with the character necessary to represent Him.  What the Lord told the prophet Jeremiah He is speaking also to us:

therefore, thus says the LORD, “If you return, then I will restore you — before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, You will become My spokesman”” (Jeremiah 15:19).

Let us pray that as God exposes our lack of love and a time will soon come when we will pray with cr

You have tried my heart; You have visited me by night; You have tested me and You find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress” (Psalm 17:3).

Do we see this? God judges the quality of our entire lives by the soundness and substance of our words.  Thus Jesus warned,

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matthew 12:36).

Let us consider Christ’s warning soberly.  He continued,

“For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37).

James adds, ”

Judgment will be merciless to him who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

I have a holy fear in my heart concerning these warnings.  I know that if I am merciless toward others, God will be merciless toward me.

Character Counts
Sometimes I think we try to mask our critical attitude by calling it “discernment.”  The fact is, most of what manifests in our discussions about others is simply judging after the flesh.  If we truly love an individual, we will be as loving in their absence as we are in their presence.

Jesus said His disciples would be known by their love. Paul said that the love of Christ is supposed to control us, which means it is the nature and discipline of love that keeps us from joining in verbal attacks or even subtle criticisms. You see, it takes character to avoid being sucked into gossip and criticisms.  There is a high road we can take.  It starts with prayer, it extends to grace, it is slow to speak, it approaches an individual with a meek heart, it talks privately with the person;  it is forgiving when wronged and patient with the spiritually immature.

Of course, if someone is involved with criminal activity or seriously endangering others through their sin, we must love the greater community and take steps to protect the innocent. There is a time to discipline or even publicly expose sin (Matthew 18:15-17), but it’s after we exhaust other means of correction — and even then, our motive should communicate our hope of redemption and not allow our disclosure to become a smokescreen for revenge.  In all things, love must guide our words.

Child’s Eye-View of Love
Recently my youngest daughter, Eden, sent me a list of quotes that came from little children. Each child was asked to describe what love meant to them. Their answers were, at times, quite intriguing.  One in particular, from a four year old boy named Billy, has stuck with me. He said, “When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.

That thought seems to say it all: “When someone loves you . . . your name is safe in their mouth.”  Behold this clarity of vision as love is defined by a little child.  When we truly walk in Christ’s love, those around us will be safe — and others will see the love of Christ that controls us.

Beloved, to walk in covering love is to show ourselves truly acquainted with Christ.  Let us ask God,

Father, show me my heart.  Is Your love ruling, even in the unseen areas of my life? Are the names of others safe in my mouth?”

by Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

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FURTHER READING

May You Know the Love of God –  by Roy Lessin

• Love Always Protects – by Max Lucado

•  God Requires Risky Obedience – by Jon Walker

thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


Jesus warned about our days, saying,

Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold” (Matthew 24:10).

The Lord’s warning was not just about conditions in the world; He is speaking to His disciples. He warned about conditions in the church.

Today, the church is overstocked with Christians whose love has grown cold.

As a result, rancor fills our conversations. We have become a sub-culture that is mad that the world has not become Christian, while we are tolerant that we are not Christlike.

When you discuss things that are wrong, does rancor come forth or prayer? The word rancor came from Latin rancere, which meant, “to stink.” (See rancid). This is exactly what we exude heavenward when all we do is find fault and criticize. The smell of our rancor ascends into the awareness of God. These things ought not to be.

On the other hand, intercessory prayer is a sweet aroma to God. Again, when we pass through trials and determine to emerge more like Jesus, our very lives become “a fragrance of Christ to God” (2 Corinthians. 2:15). Amazing! in spite of our flaws and weaknesses, while we are living in this harsh world, we can actually become like Christ.

Indeed, may this be the passion of all who trust God’s Son: to become a fragrance of Christ to God.

By Francis Frangipane
Used by Permission

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Further Reading

• How Does Your Life Smell? –  by Bradley Stubbs

What Do You Smell Like? – by Mike Woodard

A Lingering Aroma – by Marilyn Ehle


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Thoughts by All thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


When we envision the idea of seeking God with our face down, the picture that comes to mind is one of bowing low before our heavenly Father, and thus it should be. We are approaching Him with abject humility. As representatives of the nations, we are confessing our sins and the sins of our cultures to God, beseeching Him to extend mercy and forgiveness, asking Him to move in His compassion and heal our land.

Yet in the humbling of our souls, let us not discard the reality and power of faith. For without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews. 11:1-6). Yes, let us bow low, yet let us also stand in faith, for the mixture of humility and faith is a potent fragrance.

According to examples in Scripture, this humble yet audacious faith truly moves the heart of God. Consider the Canaanite woman who answered what appeared to be an insult from Jesus: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs feed on the crumbs” (Matthew 15:27). Hers wasn’t an arrogant reply, but the voice of a desperate woman for her daughter. Jesus’ answer tells me she had the perfect attitude of heart: “O woman, your faith is great” (v.28).

Or recall Elijah as he climbed Mt Carmel and, with his “face between his knees,” prayed seven times that an extended drought in Israel might end. The cloudless sky presented the illusion that the Almighty was unmoved by Elijah’s intercession. Yet when Elijah’s servant reported that there was, in fact, one cloud, a tiny wisp of a cloud the size of a man’s hand, Elijah’s faith recognized God’s answer to prayer. Within a few minutes, this tiny cloud, activated by Elijah’s faith in God, was transformed into a massive downpour that ended three-and-a-half years of national drought.
(See 1 Kings 18:42-45.)

The Bible has many examples of the power of faith when coupled to humility. If we will see a spiritual outpouring in our land, we will need to stay low in the act of intercession. Yet we will also need faith in the goodness of God. Humility empowered by visionary faith equals breakthrough.

Lord, like Elijah, I too bow low before You. I humble myself before You. Forgive our sins, Lord God, for they are many. Show Yourself mighty against our enemies. Master, even as we bow low before you, we refuse to give up on our nation. Lord, forgive, heal and then empower us to bring the lost to You. Let Your name be exalted throughout the land and Your mercy lifted to the heavens. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

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

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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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

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Further Reading

• Transforming Power – A Devotional by Debbie West

•  The Cost to be Merciful

Help for Prevailing Problems – Devotional by Max Lucado


thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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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Further Reading

•   Love Like Jesus – by Phil Ware

•   Love Like God – by Max Lucado

•   The Relentless Tide of Gods Love – by Gail Rodgers


thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men

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

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Further Reading

•   Truth –  By Katherine Kehler

•  Truth Can Set You Free – by Charles Stanley

•  Truth Be Told by Melissa Talbot


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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

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Further Reading

•  Father God’s Intimate Love Letter to You

•  God Listens to Us

•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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

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Further Reading

•  Going Deeper with God

•  Pressing Your Reset Button

•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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
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Further Reading

•  Don’t Complain

•  Always be Joyful!

•  Salvation Explained


thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men


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


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.


 

thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men

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

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•   Going Deeper with God

•   Forgiveness – Yourself and  Others

•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men

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

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Further Reading

•  Does God Only Love Christians?

•  Why Does God Allow Acts of Terror?

•  Can We Believe the Bible by Max Lucado

•  Lies We Believe

•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men

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

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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men

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.


If you prayed this prayer we would love to hear from you . If you would like to know God deeper we can connect you with an email mentor and/or send you some great links.


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Further Reading

•   Dealing with Inner Turmoil

•  The Package! Dealing with Unexpected Circumstances

•  Four Grizzly Bears – What are the Grizzly Bears (fears) in your life?

•  Salvation Explained


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thoughts by Francis Frangipane Thoughts by Men