FRANCIS FRANGIPANE MINISTRIES

Where Is the Disciple's Cross?
By Francis Frangipane

In our modern era we have a different version of Christianity than that which Christ founded in the first century. Our version secures a hope in the afterlife but does little to change us in the present life. We are still as easily offended and as unloving as those who do not know Christ -- and we are certainly just as divisive.

Yes, we marvel at what Christ accomplished at Calvary, but we shrink from what He desires to fulfill in us. We desire His blessings but not His backbone. Because we have diluted the full purpose of Christianity, which is functional conformity to Christ (Eph. 4:24), the power to transform us is likewise diluted. As a result, our leaders fall, marriages fail, and the gospel is reduced to a course on ethics, which we can take or leave since God forgives us anyway.

As awesome as being forgiven is, the Son of God did not lay down His life only to secure our forgiveness; the eternal goal of His sacrifice was to secure our full transformation. Forgiveness is but the first stage of transformation.

Thus, when Paul writes of knowing the "power of [Christ's] resurrection," he unites resurrection power with "being conformed to [Christ's] death" (Phil. 3:10). Conformity to Christ's death is the purpose of the disciple's cross; it is the gateway into the resurrection power of Jesus Christ.

The Anthem of the Cross
Why do we not hear more messages about the disciple's cross? We hear much on inner healing; we know basically how to lead people to Christ. We have even adopted and adapted into our Christian theology terminology from modern psychology -- we know when something needs "closure" or the problems associated with "dysfunctional families."

But when will we discuss the power of Christ's cross? When will we rediscover the power of the crucified life?

It is not as though the symbol of the cross is absent from our culture; on the contrary. The cross sits majestically on top of our great cathedrals and it adorns our most humble worship centers. It embellishes Bible covers and religious books alike. Not only is it incorporated into the sacred emblem of our many ministries, it is also the insignia for numerous charitable foundations, hospitals, and relief agencies. Row upon row, it stands guard in our cemeteries. It has even become a popular jewelry item, worn by Christians and non-Christians alike.

Yet when was the last time you heard a sermon on the disciple's cross? Or asked the clerk at the Christian bookstore for the section on carrying the cross? Or when did you last participate in a worship service that included just one song about triumphantly bearing the cross? Apart from a hymn or two, the emphasis on the cross is missing.

Yes, we hear of faith, hope and love; we seek spiritual gifts, blessings and prosperity, but why is there so little emphasis on the disciple's cross? My goal today is not to expose what is lacking with Christian music or bookstores. From my heart I commend our psalmists for their majestic melodies; their worship songs truly communicate deep and intimate adoration of God. But where is the anthem of the cross? Where are the musical scores that centralize and exalt the very crest of Heaven, the triumphant sign of the Son of Man? When will we hear songs that, like banners, unfurl before the army of God, inspiring us to embrace the life and redemptive path of our crucified King?

In truth, we lack lyrics about the disciple's cross because we avoid teaching the disciple's cross. Our minstrels are only writing songs inspired by current theology. The fault lies in the pulpit and with those of us who are Christian leaders. Under the guise of compassion for the weak, we have presented a gospel that's weak. We present comfort, but not challenge and sympathy without standards.

My friends, let us not deny the weak their comfort nor the infirm their healing, but let us also press toward the full stature of Christ. Jesus said uncompromisingly to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matt. 16:24). It is time to get serious with God, to pick up the cross and discover again the power that accompanies a crucified life. The cross is the power of God.

Lord Jesus, for too long I have lived in spiritual immaturity. I have sought to be coddled instead of crucified. With all my heart I desire to become like You, Jesus. Forgive me for being so easily distracted and so addicted to comfort. Hear my heart, O Lord, and restore me to true conformity to You in all things. Amen.

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In Christ's Image Training
New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

No more quarterly start dates. Enroll today and start today.

Consider facilitating a Level I group through the course for the lowest tuition using our Group Study Plan.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

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NEW BOOK - The Heart That Sees God
by Francis Frangipane

What if everything you know about the Sermon on the Mount has only scratched the surface?

What if the Sermon on the Mount is the recipe for becoming who God created you to be?

Revisit Jesus’ teachings and discover the life-transforming truths hidden behind the words He shared as He led His followers that day on a journey from seeing their own needs to seeing God.

Known for messages that lead you straight to the heart of God and deepen your relationship with Him, Frangipane also reveals the true condition of your heart as he challenges you to embrace the process of change to live the authentic, fulfilling, intimate Christian life you’ve always wanted to live.

Book - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)


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NEW! - Christian Discipleship - audio series
We go through life as Christians but do we actually become disciples of Jesus Christ? Jesus taught the multitudes and then He taught the disciples. If we want to see the multitudes changed and our nation become a Christian nation we must become disciples of Jesus. The difference is whether we are only taught the doctrines, or we are being trained by Jesus. When we are taught, we have it in our head. When we are trained, it's who we are. Sample audio

Message titles:

Jesus, Our Mentor | Don't Look Back, Part 1 | Don't Look Back, Part 2 | For the Weary One | The Master's Apprentice

CD Audio Series - $13.50 (Retail $18.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $6.75 (Retail 9.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

From Called to Chosen
By Francis Frangipane

"But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance" (Luke 8:15).

Just because we have a dream or a calling from God (or, as the parable in Matt. 22 explains, an invitation), that does not mean we will automatically reach our destiny. There is a preparation we must embrace and life-changes we must take seriously. We will have spiritual battles, personal limitations and excuses inspired by our flesh to overcome.

There is a difference between being called by God and actually being chosen. Remember Jesus’ warning, that "many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22). God is looking for something in our response to Him.

Yes, the Lord is patient and forgiving with us, but listen well: no one will arrive at his destiny who is drifting or unfocused concerning God's plan for their life. We must be serious about our personal transformation. If we stumble, we must repent and get back up; if we lose a round in our spiritual fight, we must rise again and prepare for the next (see Micah 7:7-8).

Personal Training
In Christ's Image Training (ICIT) is an online ministry developed by Pastor Frangipane specifically to help empower hungry Christians toward their destiny. The training focuses on attaining Christlikeness, deepening our level of humility, and transforming students into "unoffendable" prayer warriors. It then prepares believers to enjoy and defend Christ-centered unity with other believers.

Pastor Frangipane has said, "The ICIT materials represent those unique, priority truths that connect the human heart to the mechanisms of transformation. These are the truths I would require of a disciple if I were their personal mentor or spiritual father."

Short audio of Francis introducing the training.

Testimonies | Syllabus

More info on In Christ's Image Training here: www.icitc.org.



Questions? Email us at training@inchristsimage.org.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

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A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Conformed to the Redeemer
By Francis Frangipane

As Christians, we spend too much time battling basic, elementary battles: "Am I truly saved?" "Am I really forgiven?" "Is there really a heaven?" God has so much more for us. He seeks to form in our thought-life the very mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit comes, not just to give us goose bumps and chills, but to restructure our attitudes and perceptions until we think with the thoughts of Jesus Himself.

Paul wrote, "My little children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you." Our goal is not merely to be saved and go to heaven, but for Christ to be formed in us on earth. We are not just to have a religion about what Jesus did; we are to possess the very life substance of the Messiah Himself. Yes, it means we indeed will go to heaven; but it is more: Christ now comes again to earth and through our yieldedness to Him, is given flesh and blood access to this world. Yes, we face conflicts, but it's to bring forth Christ within us; indeed, we face persecution, but it's only so Christ will shine.

"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 Cor 4:11).

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ or that the "life of Jesus . . . may be manifested in our mortal flesh"? Does that mean we walk on the water or do great signs? Miracles are indeed part, but just a footnote on the page of His life. There is something to attain that is higher than performing miracles: Christ's mind is the thought-life of God. It is to possess the motives of heaven in unfailing pursuit of redemption.

Our fleshly motives instinctively alternate between self-preservation and self-gratification; Jesus' motives are passions born of loving self-surrender and the obsession to gratify the mercy quest of God. To acquire the mind of Christ is to learn to think, not as a prosecutor searches to find the guilty, but from a Savior's view to redeem the fallen.

We cannot bring our carnal, judgmental minds into Christianity and expect to succeed in becoming Christlike. To become like Him is to be conformed to the One Who ever lives to make intercession for the saints. To have the mind of Christ is to have the mind of Him who died to redeem the world.

It is a great offense to God when Christians become judgmental. Judgmentalism is the antithesis of the nature of Christ. Thus, Paul tells the church, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself" (Phil 2:5-8).

Don't sell your salvation short: You can have the mind of the Messiah. Jesus saw the world in its sin and then died for it. Right now, you can begin to actually think like Jesus thought! If you accept that you do not have to live trapped in your carnal thoughts, but can think the redemptive thoughts of God, your whole life will change. But we must choose the mind of Christ and pursue the attitude of our Redeemer.

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NEW BOOK by Francis Frangipane

The Heart That Sees God

What if everything you know about the Sermon on the Mount has only scratched the surface?

What if the Sermon on the Mount is the recipe for becoming who God created you to be?

Revisit Jesus’ teachings and discover the life-transforming truths hidden behind the words He shared as He led His followers that day on a journey from seeing their own needs to seeing God.

Known for messages that lead you straight to the heart of God and deepen your relationship with Him, Frangipane also reveals the true condition of your heart as he challenges you to embrace the process of change to live the authentic, fulfilling, intimate Christian life you’ve always wanted to live.

Book - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)


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NEW! - Christian Discipleship - audio series
We go through life as Christians but do we actually become disciples of Jesus Christ? Jesus taught the multitudes and then He taught the disciples. If we want to see the multitudes changed and our nation become a Christian nation we must become disciples of Jesus. The difference is whether we are only taught the doctrines, or we are being trained by Jesus. When we are taught, we have it in our head. When we are trained, it's who we are. Sample audio

Message titles:

Jesus, Our Mentor | Don't Look Back, Part 1 | Don't Look Back, Part 2 | For the Weary One | The Master's Apprentice

CD Audio Series - $13.50 (Retail $18.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $6.75 (Retail 9.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and begin the course today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Miracle of Life
By Francis Frangipane

Without fail, as long as we live in this world, pressures and heartaches will hunt the human soul, often springing upon us when we least expect them. Jesus, too, faced conflicts, but He did so from the perspective of one who lived in the fulness of God's presence. For all He endured of spiritual warfare or frustration with His disciples or attacks from the Pharisees, His spirit always was full of life in abundance.

How did Jesus obtain such inner strength? We read that He "would often slip away to the wilderness and pray" (Luke 5:16) and, again, that He would climb to a favorite mountain and spend "the whole night in prayer" (Luke 6:12). We know He prayed, but His time alone with God was most often spent in the beauty of God's creation – in the wilderness or the mountains. During His nights in prayer, I don't picture Jesus spending the entire time on His knees; rather, I think that, at least for a while, He laid back, put His hands beneath His head and then, while gazing at the stars, talked to His Father.

Consider also that Jesus "often met [in the Garden of Gethsemane] with His disciples" (John 18:1-2). The fact that Jesus often met in a garden, tells us something about the Son of God. I believe Jesus esteemed the miracle of life itself. Jesus countered the pressures of life with the fulness of life. From His words we see that He valued the very miracle of life itself. "Is not life more than food?" He asked. Jesus would not ask us to consider the lilies and the birds of the air had He Himself not first considered them.

Jesus distanced Himself from life's pressures and conflicts by spending time with the Father. Thus, He possessed God's perspective on everything. On the other hand, we are so ingested into the swarm of life's treasures and terrors that we have no objective view of the miracle of life itself.

What Is Life?
Jesus knew of His pre-incarnate existence with the Father. He said, "Before Abraham was born, I am" (John 8:58), and that He had "proceeded forth and [had] come from God" (John 8:42). As the Word made flesh, He knew life wasn't created randomly or via evolution, but life was a miracle of the greatest proportions. Thus, even in the fallen state of this creation, the sky still declared the glory of God and the earth His handiwork.

It was in this regard that I felt the Holy Spirit opening for me a sense of awe concerning the miracle of life itself. I know there are terrors and traumas in our world, but God does not tell us to disengage with Him so we can concentrate on problems. So, have you considered the first of God's wonders, the miracle of life? I am talking about the actual raw material, the substance, of the thing we call life. What is this invisible force that flows through us and animates our very existence?

Beloved, how difficult it is to peer into life's properties and ponder its traits! We have no revelation concerning the fabric of life itself. We fail to appreciate the singular beauty of this living pearl, this teardrop from the eye of God, as it lives and breathes in the dark, empty universe around us.

A View From The Stars
Let me speak of life from a different angle. In 1968 a unique opportunity was granted humanity. For the first time, we were given a chance to step outside of the womb of our self-absorption and look at life on earth with the eyes of the universe. The day was Christmas Eve. It was the first lunar voyage of the Apollo 8 crew. From the surface of the moon, they gazed upon the earth. The following is NASA's account of that awesome day.

First, they showed the half Earth across a stark lunar landscape. Then, from the other unfogged window, they tracked the bleak surface of the Moon. "The vast loneliness is awe inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth," said Lovell. The pictures aroused great wonder, with an estimated half billion people vicariously exploring what no man had ever seen before.

"For all the people on Earth," said Anders, "the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you." He paused a moment and then began reading: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth."

After four verses of Genesis, Lovell took up the reading: "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called night."

At the end of the eighth verse Borman picked up the familiar words: "And God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good."

The commander added: "And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you, all of you on the good Earth."

It was a time of rare emotion. The mixture of the season, the immortal words, the ancient Moon, and the new technology made for an extraordinarily effective setting.

"At some point in the history of the world," editorialized The Washington Post, "someone may have read the first ten verses of the Book of Genesis under conditions that gave them greater meaning than they had on Christmas Eve. But it seems unlikely. This Christmas will always be remembered as the lunar one."

The New York Times, which called Apollo 8 "the most fantastic voyage of all times," said on December 26, "There was more than narrow religious significance in the emotional high point of their fantastic odyssey."

The Living Jewel
The view of the earth experienced by the astronauts was certainly more than "a narrow religious" perspective. But as they gazed upon the blue oceans, the shades of brown and deep greens of our beautiful planet, and the array of glorious clouds, their thoughts ascended beyond astronomical theories and conjecture into a wide and wonderful sense of awe. It is this perspective that we must claim for ourselves. The awe of being alive, of having choices, of knowing and feeling and loving – God put us here not just to exist, but to experience life in its highest forms and greatest abundance.

The astronauts' perspective came from their position in outer space; we must gain our perspective as Jesus did, by ascending into God. Not from a cockpit, but from the lap of the Almighty, let us view our world from His eyes and let us discover anew the miracle of His creation.

Remember, the astronauts observed Planet Earth swirling in the universe, hanging upon nothing. They looked upon a planet, so precisely distanced from the sun so as to sustain life. (If Earth's orbital path curved a mere eighth of an inch closer to the sun for every 27 miles, our oceans would boil; one-tenth of an inch farther away from the sun along that same curve and our water would freeze). For all the fun and fantasy our science fiction writers have provided, they have also done us a great disservice. They have convinced us there are populated universes, teeming with civilizations – that life itself is a normal condition among the stars. Yet, this idea that we are merely one of many has caused us to devalue the absolute rarity of life on a universal scale.

My objective is not to debate whether there exists life elsewhere, but to esteem the miracle of life, the extreme rarity, that exists here. Consider: Our sun is 93 million miles from earth. The next closest star - Proxima Centauri - is nearly 268,000 times farther away. Science has scanned our nearest stars and the closest star with a planet outside our solar system is Vega, which is 147 trillion miles away (25 light years). I am trying to show how rare life is. Picture a sphere nearly 300 trillion miles in diameter. From 147 trillion miles from its center in every direction, only one place has life: a bluish pinprick, Earth.

For all our wishful thinking, our probing the universe has yet to find life anywhere else. Scientifically speaking, as best as we know, God put life only here.

Jesus taught multitudes next to lakes and alongside rivers; He loved bringing His disciples to mountain tops and gardens. Certainly, He spent His time in cities as well, but as He valued and enjoyed the miracle of life, so must we. For all the terror in our world, in spite of the pressures and conflicts that seek to arrest our attention, we must discover, and then learn to enjoy, the miracle of life that God has given us.

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NEW BOOK by Francis Frangipane

The Heart that Sees God

What if everything you know about the Sermon on the Mount has only scratched the surface?

What if the Sermon on the Mount is the recipe for becoming who God created you to be?

Revisit Jesus’ teachings and discover the life-transforming truths hidden behind the words He shared as He led His followers that day on a journey from seeing their own needs to seeing God.

Known for messages that lead you straight to the heart of God and deepen your relationship with Him, Frangipane also reveals the true condition of your heart as he challenges you to embrace the process of change to live the authentic, fulfilling, intimate Christian life you’ve always wanted to live.

Book - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)


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From Pressure to Power
One of the battles that we find ourselves facing frequently in our society is the battle of pressure and anxiety. When the scriptures speak about a great tribulation, one of the definitions of the word tribulation is pressure. How do you handle pressure? How do you handle the strife and the intensity of life when everything seems to be hammering down upon us? Do we get sucked in or are we caught up into the presence of the Lord?

We don’t want to be people who are trapped in the realm of time, trapped in the moment-by-moment pressures of life. We want to become a people who can abide in Christ.

Message titles:

Waiting Upon the Lord | The Tyranny of Time | What God Has Prepared for You, Part 1 | What God Has Prepared for You, Part 2 | Led By His Spirit | Rats at the Doorstep

CD Audio Series - $18.00 (Retail $24.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $9.00 (Retail 12.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and begin the course today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Baptism of Love
By Francis Frangipane

To Dwell Upon God
It is hard for us in this anxious, fearful age to quiet our souls and actually dwell upon the presence of God in our hearts. We can engage ourselves with Bible study or other acts of obedience; in varying degrees we know how to witness, exhort, and bless. We even know how to analyze these things and then perfect them. But to lift our souls above the material world and consciously drink from the presence of God Himself seems beyond us.

Yet to actually grasp the substance of God is to enter a spiritual place of immunity; it is to receive into our spirits the victory Christ won for us, which is oneness with God in Christ.

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit, which we have received, searches all things, "even the depths of God" (1 Cor. 2:10). We can have more, and we should want more. I am a pastor. I believe in church attendance and body ministry. The atmosphere provided when we gather together can be wonderful. Yet typically the spiritual light provided in church meetings is diffused, not focused. Yes, we can find God there, but our church activities must in some fashion become what the Lord has ordained them to be: means through which we seek and find God.

Paul's cry was, "That I may know Him…" (Phil. 3:10). It was this desire to actually know Jesus that produced Paul's knowledge of salvation, church order, evangelism, and End Time events. As a by-product of His quest to know God came revelation, the writing of Scriptures, and knowledge of the eternal. Paul's knowledge was the overflow of his experience with Christ.

On the other hand, we have made ourselves content not with seeking the face of God, but with studying the facts of God. We are satisfied with a religion about Christ, without the reality of Christ.

The Bible is the historical record of man's experiences with the Almighty. Out of the personal encounters that people had with the living God, our theological perspectives have developed. But knowledge about God is only the first step toward entering the presence of God. As much as the Bible is a book of truths, it is also a map to God. As Christians, we study and debate the map yet too often fail to make the journey.

Love Surpasses Knowledge
There is a place that transcends the boundaries of knowledge and dogma; it is a simple yet eternally profound place where we actually abide in Christ's love. This is, indeed, the shelter of the Most High. Remember the apostle's prayer was that we each would "know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge" (Eph. 3:19). As important as knowledge is, that verse tells us love "surpasses knowledge." Doctrinal knowledge is a framework that opens door toward divine realities, but it is love alone that causes us to be "…filled up to all the fullness of God" (v. 19). Let this be our quest that our knowledge of God is fulfilled with the substance of God.

Consider, beloved, the Amplified Bible's rendering of Ephesians 3:19. It reads:

"May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!"
---Ephesians 3:17-19

Let this be our goal: to be rooted deeply in love; to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love; and to know for ourselves the deep, personal love of Christ. Can any goal be more wonderful? Indeed to be "wholly filled and flooded with God Himself" is the ultimate hope of the gospel!

The preceding message is adapted from a chapter in Francis' best selling book, The Shelter of the Most High and available at www.arrowbookstore.com. This book unveils powerful, biblical dynamics that help renew the reader's consciousness so he or she can abide in the awareness of God.

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The Shelter of the Most High
As trouble escalates in the world, we are all looking for a place of immunity and protection. In The Shelter of the Most High, Francis Frangipane gives trustworthy, biblical evidence that in the midst of all our uncertainties and fears there is an available shelter from God to shield us. Once you’ve found this place, nothing you encounter can defeat you. From wherever you are, you can reach – and remain in – the shelter of God.

Book - $10.40 (Retail $13.00)
Ebook - $10.40 (Retail $13.00)


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From Pressure to Power
One of the battles that we find ourselves facing frequently in our society is the battle of pressure and anxiety. When the scriptures speak about a great tribulation, one of the definitions of the word tribulation is pressure. How do you handle pressure? How do you handle the strife and the intensity of life when everything seems to be hammering down upon us? Do we get sucked in or are we caught up into the presence of the Lord?

We don’t want to be people who are trapped in the realm of time, trapped in the moment-by-moment pressures of life. We want to become a people who can abide in Christ.

Message titles:

Waiting Upon the Lord | The Tyranny of Time | What God Has Prepared for You, Part 1 | What God Has Prepared for You, Part 2 | Led By His Spirit | Rats at the Doorstep

CD Audio Series - $18.00 (Retail $24.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $9.00 (Retail 12.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and begin the course today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

NEW RELEASE

By Author Francis Frangipane


What if everything you know about the Sermon on the Mount has only scratched the surface?

What if the Sermon on the Mount is the recipe for becoming who God created you to be?

Revisit Jesus’ teachings and discover the life-transforming truths hidden behind the words He shared as He led His followers that day on a journey from seeing their own needs to seeing God.

Known for messages that lead you straight to the heart of God and deepen your relationship with Him, Frangipane also reveals the true condition of your heart as he challenges you to embrace the process of change to live the authentic, fulfilling, intimate Christian life you’ve always wanted to live.

Jesus never intended for us to think of this sermon as a list of blessings; He intended it as a progression of spiritual realities that lead us to become all that God made us to be. Rediscover Jesus’s words and begin the journey that will change your world.

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Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Mountain of God
By Francis Frangipane

"Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God" (Exod. 3:1).

Mount Horeb was not what it seemed. Though forbidding and barren, Horeb (also called Sinai in Exodus) was the gateway God used to reveal Himself to the Hebrew nation. It was here that the living God appeared in a burning bush to Moses. It was also here that the aged and stammering Moses was sent back to Egypt with miraculous authority to liberate Israel.

It was to Horeb that the Israelites came, following the pillar of fire at night and the covering cloud by day. On Horeb, God Himself inscribed Israel's laws on tablets of stone. Then in the midst of a blazing fire, a deep gloom, and a whirlwind, the terrifying voice of the Most High spoke audibly to His people, thus establishing His covenant with them.

Israel had other sacred places -- the tabernacle in the wilderness, the temple in Jerusalem, and various altars men erected to God -- but Horeb was unique. Horeb was where Moses and the Israelites met God, and it was where Elijah fled when all he tried had failed.

Horeb was "the mountain of God."

Redeemer God
As a geographic and historic place, Horeb was weighty with spiritual significance. Yet the reality symbolized by Horeb -- that God chose a desolate place and then drew desolate men to meet with Him -- is a truth that resonates yet today. Horeb's message is this: the Lord does not turn away from our desolation; He comes to redeem it.

Consider Moses, the great prince of Egypt. From his high estate, he is exiled for forty years in the wilderness. He marries into a Midianite family and assumes the role abhorred by the Egyptians: a shepherd. Yet it is precisely at Horeb that God meets with Moses and commissions him. The word Horeb means "desolation," and it is here that Moses finds redemption as he returns to Egypt empowered with godlike authority.

Or consider Elijah, the fierce prophet whose spectacular but failed efforts to bring revival burdened him with depression, fear, and discouragement. Elijah also comes to Horeb -- the loner, Elijah, who seemingly can't get over the idea that all the prophets are dead and he alone is left. Yet it is here that he discovers not only that there are seven thousand Israelites who are loyal to God, but among them is Elisha, a man who will receive a double portion of Elijah's power. He will bring an end to Jezebel's perverse reign and bring a season of revival to the northern tribes.

On Horeb Elijah discovers that his true call was not to lead a revival but to "go before" and "prepare the way" for greater things to come. Indeed it was this very spirit of Elijah that actually prepared the way for Jesus, Israel's Messiah, in the first century, and it shall again be the spirit of Elijah who prepares the way for the second coming of Christ. (See Malachi 4:5-6; Matthew 17:11.)

Horeb in Your World
At Horeb we not only discover more about God but also finally begin to understand ourselves and what the Lord desires of us. Our lives simplify and truly focus on that which is most important. Beloved, you know you are at Horeb when God cuts you back to the root source of your spiritual life. Yes, you are at Horeb when you are inwardly repelled by the superficial distractions of modern Christianity and desperate for more of God.

You will not become a better person at Horeb. For Horeb is not about the perfection of self; it's about the abandonment of self. It is about the discovery that in us -- in our successes and our failures -- there dwells "no good thing." We do not have to perform but conform to the surrendered life of Christ.

Not everyone who walks with God goes through a Horeb experience. Some find God in worship; others knew desolation prior to knowing Christ and now know only thanksgiving to God for their salvation. Some may have actually been through Horeb but not identified it as such. At Horeb the morphine of religion wears off, and we can once again feel our pain. Reality manifests. We see ourselves in the light of God, and as we do, we fall upon Christ the cornerstone (Luke 20:18). Though "broken to pieces," we are finally fit to be used by God.

For those who are even now at Horeb, I urge you to let your soul open and your pain rise to God. He knows. He sees your heartache. He feels your sense of shame, bewilderment, and regret. Whatever He says, do it. When you leave Horeb, He will have brought you to a level you previously thought unattainable.

Recall the infusion of life that Moses and Elijah, the men of Horeb, each experienced beyond their season of desolation. Both experienced a type of the resurrection that is to come (Jude; 1 King 20). And in a mystery beyond our comprehension, it was these two Horebites who appeared in splendorous glory and spoke with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-3).

Horeb, once the place of desolation, is redeemed and revealed as a gateway to God. It is here, in brokenness and fearless honesty, where God brings wholeness of soul.

Horeb is the mountain of God. And once here, we are just steps away from the shelter of the Most High.

O living God, I bow before You. I confess my abject need of You. My guard is down, my actor is dead, and with him I fear my dreams are also gone. Yet you give dreams even to old men. You are the Resurrection. I cast myself upon You, O great God of my salvation. Draw me into Your holy shelter, and renew me.
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The preceding message is adapted from a chapter in Francis' best selling book, The Shelter of the Most High and available at www.arrowbookstore.com. This book unveils powerful, biblical dynamics that help renew the reader's consciousness so he or she can abide in the awareness of God.

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The Shelter of the Most High
As trouble escalates in the world, we are all looking for a place of immunity and protection. In The Shelter of the Most High, Francis Frangipane gives trustworthy, biblical evidence that in the midst of all our uncertainties and fears there is an available shelter from God to shield us. Once you’ve found this place, nothing you encounter can defeat you. From wherever you are, you can reach – and remain in – the shelter of God.

Book - $10.40 (Retail $13.00)
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Also available:

The Shelter of the Most High Companion
Audio Teaching Series

Message titles:
Healing in Horeb | Opportunity in the Secret Place | The Lord Indeed is Good | Perpetual Rescue | Significant to God | Abiding in God’s Love | Check Your Attitude | Immunized from Assault | New Every Morning | Greater Immunity | A Thought Concerning Criticism | Christ in You | Identified with Heaven

CD Audio Series - $26.25 (Retail $35.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $13.13 (Retail 17.50)


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The Unwanted Gifts of God

We are surrounded by bad news, yet God is delivering us from our small vision so that we seek first the kingdom of God. We are being troubled in to a greater place. In the midst of bad news, if we are part of the kingdom, there will be good news. We are sons of the kingdom and have been created to live in the kingdom of God that cannot be shaken. There are times when we need to fight for our destiny come forth. These messages will empower you to press through the obstacles in life to reach for your full destiny in Christ.

Message titles:

The Gift of Desperation | Divinely Discomfort | How Beautiful Are the Feet | The Good News About the Bad News | The Value of Loneliness | When God Cuts You

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail 10.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

No more quarterly start dates. Enroll today and start today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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The Stronghold of Christ's Likeness
By Francis Frangipane

God's Highest Purpose
Most Christians only engage in spiritual warfare with a hope of either relieving present distresses or attaining a "normal" existence. However, the purpose of all aspects of spirituality, warfare included, is to bring us into the image of Christ. Nothing -- not worship or warfare, neither love nor deliverance -- is truly attainable if we miss the singular objective of our faith: Christlikeness.

Let us recall that when the Lord delivered the ancient Hebrews out of Egypt it was so He could bring them into the Promised Land. Likewise, we are delivered out of sin, not that we might live for ourselves, but so we might come into Christlikeness. What we call "salvation" is the first phase of being conformed to Christ. If we fail to see this we easily become entangled in the same sins that oppressed us in the first place.

While we may not want to hear this, many of our spiritual conflicts simply are not going to cease until the character of the Lord Jesus is formed in our hearts. The Father's goal in delivering us is much more than simply seeing our burdens taken off our backs. Indeed, God is working all things in our lives to conform us "to the image of His Son." The Father's purpose in our salvation is that Jesus would become "the first-born among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). In other words, to realize God's ultimate victory we must reach toward God's ultimate goal, which is complete transformation into the likeness of Christ.

When we are born again, the actual presence of the Lord Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, enters our lives. To the degree that we cooperate with God's will, God's glory will advance within us. Indeed, Jesus likened our salvation to the lighting of a lamp. He said, "If therefore your whole body is full of light, with no dark part in it, it will be wholly illumined, as when the lamp illumines you with its rays" (Luke 11:36).

This immediacy of the Lord's presence produces an indestructible defense, a fortress within us in which we are hidden from evil. Through Him, we enter the excellence of His ways in our relationships both with the Father and one another, thereby walking in immunity from countless satanic attacks. Indeed, as His fullness within us increases, then that which is written is fulfilled: "As He is, so also are we in this world" and "He who was born of God keeps [us], and the evil one does not touch [us]" (1 John 4:17; 5:18).

We must realize that it is not Satan who defeats us; it is our openness to him. To perfectly subdue the devil we must walk in the "shelter of the Most High" (Ps. 91:1). Satan is tolerated for one purpose: the warfare between the devil and God's saints thrusts us into Christlikeness, where the nature of Christ becomes our only place of rest and security. God allows warfare to facilitate His eternal plan, which is to make man in His image (Gen. 1:26).

Once we realize that the Father's goal is not just to save us but to transform us, we will continually find that God has one answer to all our spiritual problems: appropriate the nature of His Son!

Are you troubled by demons of fear or doubt? Submit those areas to God, repenting of your unbelief, and then yield yourself to Christ's faith within you. Are you troubled with spirits of lust and shame? Present those very areas of sin to God, repenting of your old nature, drawing upon the forgiveness of Christ and His purity of heart. It is a great truth that once the devil recognizes his assault against you has not pulled you from God but driven you toward Him -- once he perceives that his temptations are actually forcing you to appropriate the virtue of Christ -- the enemy will withdraw.

Remember: your victory begins with the name of Jesus on your lips, but it will not be consummated until the nature of Jesus is in your heart.


Adapted from a Level I lesson in Francis Frangipane's online course, In Christ's Image Training. This course has touched and inspired thousands of believers around the world. Now with new self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

No more quarterly start dates. Enroll today and start today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español
The Power of One Christlike Life
The Power of One Christlike Life carries a cargo of gold from the heart of a man after God’s heart. This book by Pastor Frangipane contains the nectar of his walk with God. It is packed with revelation about the nature of God in Christ, and how the key to everything spiritual is found in the pursuit of Christ’s likeness.

Book - $10.75 (Retail $13.50)


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The Unwanted Gifts of God

We are surrounded by bad news, yet God is delivering us from our small vision so that we seek first the kingdom of God. We are being troubled in to a greater place. In the midst of bad news, if we are part of the kingdom, there will be good news. We are sons of the kingdom and have been created to live in the kingdom of God that cannot be shaken. There are times when we need to fight for our destiny come forth. These messages will empower you to press through the obstacles in life to reach for your full destiny in Christ.

Message titles:

The Gift of Desperation | Divinely Discomfort | How Beautiful Are the Feet | The Good News About the Bad News | The Value of Loneliness | When God Cuts You

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail 10.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

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______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

The Staff of God
By Francis Frangipane

This is an important message concerning ministry staff and what God can do with a group of yielded Christ followers.

Imagine a church or ministry staff where each person's primary vision was to attain the likeness of Christ. Picture working with this group of people: not only do they each fulfill their responsibilities but they are earnestly reaching for Christ's humility in their service. When they see something flawed in another member of the team, they do not become accusers. Rather, they approach the situation with Christ's redemptive heart, praying for the situation first and, when necessary, bringing correction motivated by love.

Can you envision a staff that is committed to possessing unoffendable unity in their relationships? Is there any doubt that with such a team God could change the world?

Before you say the above is impossible, I'm actually describing our ministry team. A key principle to walking in such grace has been the principles taught in In Christ's Image Training. While no one on staff is perfect (least of all me), and while we still had to correctly match individual gifts with ministry needs, the compelling vision for each person has been to truly become Christlike.

In Ancient Times
According to the dictionary, a staff is "a group of assistants to a manager, executive or other person in authority" (The American Heritage Dictionary). Originally, however, a staff was not a team of people but a strong, straight branch cut from a tree and sanded smooth. The purpose of the staff was for support and balance, and it was also used as a weapon to protect the traveler. From this simple origin, we can better understand the genesis of the word staff and how it came to represent those who support a leader. Just as a staff provided strength, balance and protection, so a leader should find these same qualities in those who serve as his or her staff.

Of course, when we talk about leader/staff relationships, our main focus is "kingdom leadership" as seen in Ephesians 4:11-13. The Lord raises up and appoints individuals to train and help equip His people, not lord over them. We are talking about leaders who are focused first on their own transformation.

At the same time, the idea that, in God's kingdom, leaders are not needed is a reaction to the failures and abuses of the past. What we need are godly, humble leaders, not self-gratifying or abusive leaders. We need individuals whose transcendent goal is personal conformity to Christ. Such leaders should be supported by their staff.

Amazing Power in a Godly Staff
The benefits of a godly staff are many, and they are profound, especially when it comes to the release of God's power in a church. Remember when the Almighty appeared to Moses in the burning bush? The Lord told Moses to cast his staff to the ground. Immediately, the rod turned into a dangerous snake from which Moses fled. Rather than being a source of protection for Moses, his staff became a threat. My first point is this: if a staff has not been touched by God to serve a particular leader -- if it still harbors jealousy and selfish ambition (see James 3:16) -- then it has the capacity to suddenly turn into a serpent, with a tongue that spreads poison.

However, in the above story the Lord told Moses to pick up the serpent, and as he did, it returned again to being a staff. When we lay our staff at the feet of God, that staff will be different when the Lord tells us to lift it, and this is my main point. When God gives you the staff He has chosen, there will be supernatural power accompanying it. In fact, listen to what the Lord said to Moses: "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs" (Ex. 4:17).

The Holy Spirit placed an anointing not only upon Moses but upon his staff -- and it was with his staff that he worked miracles! Repeatedly, the Israelites' deliverance from Egypt did not come through Moses alone, but God released miracles, signs and wonders through Moses' staff! Moses pointed the staff, struck the waters with the staff, and waved it up at the sky; the staff was the instrument through which divine power manifest.

Not only that, but from that point on Moses' staff was called by a new name: "the staff of God" (Ex. 4:20; 17:9). Oh, I pray this is a revelation to you and that you grasp the prophetic, parallel truth concerning a godly, Christlike staff. It is not enough for a pastor or leader to be anointed -- their staff must become "the staff of God." It is here, in the oneness of Christ, where the staff of God attracts Heaven's greatest blessings and power.


Adapted from a Level I lesson in Francis Frangipane's online course, In Christ's Image Training. This course has touched and inspired thousands of believers around the world. Now with new self-paced online format.

Note from Francis:
I'm not asking for people to simply register for In Christ's Image Training. ICIT is not just an online course. Think of it as training to win the wars of our times. Thus this is more than just an opportunity to register or enroll; it is a call to summon God's people to enlist.

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

No more quarterly start dates. Enroll today and start today.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

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View this message in your browser.
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A House United
Have you experienced the trauma of division? Hell itself was created when Lucifer’s ambition broke rank with God. If you have experienced strife, either in your home or church, A House United will guide you out of division and into the way of peace. Francis Frangipane, speaking as a father to the church, shows the importance of unity and how to build on the foundation of the nature of Christ.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)


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It's Not What You Say, But Who
Backs You Up!- Audio/Video Series

Walking in faith means that we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit to daily impact our world. The future is shaped not by those who get elected but by the Elect, by Christ’s followers.

Audio sample

Message titles:
Being People of Faith | Having Faith
Standing in Love | Disciples of Christ

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail 10.00)
DVD Video Series - $22.50 (Retail $30.00)
MP4 Video Series Download - $11.25 (Retail $15.00)



Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Receive daily posts from Francis:

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______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

April 26, 2024
He Will Sprinkle Many Nations
By Francis Frangipane

Slandered and rejected by men, Jesus appeared to be a failure. Suffering unspeakable pain, He remained true to redemption. He prayed the mercy prayer, the veil in the temple was torn in two, and the debt mankind owed to God was paid in full as mercy triumphed over judgment.

Let us now consider the reach of God's grace. Christ not only secured the pleasure of God for us but also God's power, which is strong enough to cleanse and turn nations to God. Isaiah 53 is preceded by a grand announcement that heralds the effects of Christ's victory. It reads:

"Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up, and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand." (Isa. 52:13–15)

What does it mean that He will "sprinkle many nations"? Under the old covenant, priests would take the blood of a sacrificed animal and, with it, sprinkle the temple and its furnishings. By so doing, they cleansed and made holy what was otherwise common and unclean.

In the New Testament, every believer serves as a priest before the throne of God (Rev. 1:6). Our quest is not merely to cleanse the temple, but also to see this promise fulfilled: the Lamb will sprinkle many nations; kings will see and understand.

Wounded Intercessors Follow the Lamb
Our call is to follow the Lamb through our personal woundedness into the triumph of love and redemption. In the area of woundedness, we do not ask for wrath, but for mercy. Whatever injustice is hurled against us---slander, unfaithfulness, desertion, rejection, racism, or abuse---we render ourselves to God as the guilt offering. The greater the pain in releasing and forgiving the sins against you, the purer your love becomes. Remember, the prayer of the wounded intercessor holds great sway upon God's heart.

What we become in our individual conformity to Christ may be, in its own way, even more important to God than the revival for which we are praying. Listen, my friends. Just as mankind will look upon Him whom they pierced, and Christ's wounds will be with Him forever (Zech. 12:10), so our wounds will be recognized for what they are: entry points through which Christ's "eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17) flows through us.

In speaking both of the sprinkling of the nations and the manifestation of the Redeemer's life, Isaiah presented a question. He asked, "Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" (Isa. 53:1). I write as one who has believed the report. Christ is "the Lamb…who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). I am committed to seeing His blood sprinkle and cleanse many nations; I am willing to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

Let Mercy Triumph
The Scriptures tell us that love "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:7–8). If you will, in truth, hope and believe all things, you will also be called to bear and endure all things. Yet our hope is that love never fails. Yes, when Christ is revealed through the church, the power of redemption will prevail for our land, and mercy will certainly triumph over judgment.

Lord Jesus, for You I live; to be like You, may I be willing to die. Let redemption exult through me! Let mercy triumph through me! Do not allow me to withdraw from the fire of conformity to You. Create me in Your holy image; let love prevail through me!

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A House United
Have you experienced the trauma of division? Hell itself was created when Lucifer’s ambition broke rank with God. If you have experienced strife, either in your home or church, A House United will guide you out of division and into the way of peace. Francis Frangipane, speaking as a father to the church, shows the importance of unity and how to build on the foundation of the nature of Christ.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)


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The Power of a Unified Church - Audio Series
Christ centered unity among Christians is the missing component for national revival. How can we make that statement? It comes from Jesus Himself, who prayed "that [we] may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me" (John 17:21). Again, Jesus said a house divided can’t stand. We should have variety, but without division, living as people who love God and are known for their love for one another. Unity in the church is the door to revival in the world.

Message titles:

Rebuilding God’s House | Unity in Christ | The Mountain of God
Humility in God’s House | Preparing for Unity

CD Audio Series - $16.50 (Retail $22.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $8.25 (Retail $11.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and start today. No more quarterly start dates.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

A Sword Will Pierce Your Heart
By Francis Frangipane

The plans of God are full of surprises.

No matter how true a vision from God may be, it will never be fulfilled in the manner in which we have imagined. All our expectations are incomplete. In fact, our very ideas often become the most subtle obstacles standing between us and our appointed future in God. Thus, we must keep our minds open and submitted to God, for when God fulfills His Word, it is always "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" (Eph. 3:20, KJV).

Let’s look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her role as Keeper of the Vision. Here, we will discuss how the Lord must shift our identity from control to complete surrender. Interestingly, during the first stage of Mary's transition, Mary finds Jesus resisting her. Before the Lord can bring any of us into a new phase of His will, He must dismantle the sense of attainment that often accompanies our old relationship with Him. It is a fact that many church movements, both in and out of denominations, began simply. Hungry souls longed for, and found, more of God. Over time as their numbers grew, success replaced hunger; people grew more satisfied with God's blessings than with His presence. There is a profound difference.

The apostle Paul illuminates this phenomenon, using Israel as an example. He writes, "But Israel…failed to reach the goal of righteousness. And why? Because their minds were fixed on what they achieved instead of on what they believed" (Rom. 9:31-32, PHILLIPS).

What happened to Israel is typical for many of us, especially those who are leaders. Without realizing it, we find ourselves relying upon what we have achieved. The Bible says that God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). It is always His mercy that guides our gaze away from our attainments and back to the knowledge of our need.

Today, people from many streams of Christian thought are beginning to acknowledge their own personal shortcomings. The fact is, we all need correction. And the beginning of that process is often found in Jesus resisting our pride and restoring to us a fresh hunger to know Him. Thus, in order to ultimately lift Mary higher, the Lord must lower her opinion of herself: He resists her on her present level.

And He came home, and the crowd gathered again, to such an extent that they could not even eat a meal. When His own people heard of this, they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses." ---Mark 3:20-21

These are strong words: "take custody…He has lost His senses." It is likely that the prevailing influence over Christ's relatives has come from Mary. Has her unrest caused their unrest? The issue is not that Jesus has lost His senses, but that they have lost control. For Jesus to take control, we must surrender control. Revival is as simple as that.

We should be aware that when the real Christ begins to unveil Himself to His church, He will first reduce us from being achievers to becoming followers again. The very power of Christ to heal, deliver, and work miracles is contained in the revelation of His Lordship. Deny Him His sovereignty in your church, and you deny your church His power. He cannot be manipulated, bribed, or begged. Remember, Jesus did no miracle until He began to manifest Himself as Lord. From that time on, the only relationships He actively sustained were those that recognized and submitted to His Lordship over them.

The very next scene in Mark's gospel begins, "Then His mother and His brothers arrived" (Mark 3:31). We can imagine that outwardly Mary still thinks she possesses a role of influence over her Son. Her influence is no secret. Thus, when Jesus is told, "Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You" (Mark 3:32), the implication is, "There is someone here with something more important than what you are now doing."

In any other scheme of things, it might be right to honor one's family with special privileges, but not above doing the will of God. For what may be the first time in her life, Mary feels some distance between herself and her Son. We should see that the more we set ourselves to control another person, the less intimate we can be with them; for intimacy is found in vulnerability and surrender, not in control. Of all those near to Jesus, Mary and family have slipped the farthest away; they are outside the sphere of intimate fellowship.

Indeed, when Jesus was told His mother had arrived, He found an opportunity to end this level of their relationship. He said,

"Who are My mother and My brothers?" And looking about on those who were sitting around Him, He said, "Behold, My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." ---Mark 3:33-35

Though they were outside, they were close enough to hear His rebuke. Right there, the word spoken to Mary thirty years earlier by Simeon was fulfilled: A sword pierced her heart and her inner thoughts were revealed (Luke 2:35). Christ surgically and mercifully removed from Mary the stronghold of control.

Today, the Holy Spirit is surgically removing from us that which seeks to control the Son of God. It was for Mary's good that Jesus cut her off. It was for her gain that He destroyed that which unconsciously opposed Him. There are times in our walk with God when, for our good, the Lord cuts off old attitudes in us that have limited His freedom to change us. If we are truly His disciples, we will not merely survive His rebuke; we will bear more fruit under His pruning.

As the day of His return nears, expect to see many changes. Our destiny is to become the body of Christ with Jesus as the head. The church was created to receive its directives from a living relationship with Him. There is no other way for us to be led by Him other than through seeking Him in prayer and receiving His Word in contriteness of heart.

Christ as Lord Over All
At the same time, a caution is in order. This transition of our fresh surrender to Christ is not an excuse to rebel or justify lawlessness in the church. If we will all posture ourselves in prayer, ministering to Jesus as Lord, as did the leaders in Acts 13:1-3, we are going to see the most magnificent demonstrations of God's power and glory.

If we want our Christianity to truly have Christ, we must let Him rule. Certainly, there will be a thrusting of our lives into greater dependency. Yes, we will be forced to embrace the most drastic of changes. Without doubt, we will be reduced to what seems like the beginnings of our walk with God. Yet, we shall also regain the passions of our soul in earnest seeking of the Almighty! And oh! How such seeking pleases Him!

Biblically, this state of heart is called first love, and there is no deep reality of God in our lives without it. You see, His arms are not so short that He cannot reach to our churches and cities. The privilege the Lord is granting us is to enter the most profoundly wonderful, most unpredictably glorious experience we can have---to know the power of the Living God!

The end of our story about Mary is this: On the day of Pentecost, Mary and Jesus' brothers were all part of the one hundred and twenty in the upper room. Scripture mentions Mary by name (Acts 1:14). Mary truly proved herself to be a bondslave of the Lord. This remarkable woman fully served God on the highest level of yieldedness. She went from giving birth to Christ, to raising Him, to surrendering to Him; she endured unspeakable sorrow at His cross, to receiving the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost! Blessed was she among all women. Yet, she also endured the pain of the sword of God's Word piercing her heart. She reached her goal not by striving or trying to control Jesus but by surrendering to Him.

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Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, The Days of His Presence available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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The Days of His Presence

While we should be mindful of end-time events, we must not become fearful of them. Indeed, to become overly focused upon the signs of the end can be a distraction. Signs point to something bigger than themselves. Rising before us is a glorious sunrise. Let us not become so absorbed with the movement of fleeing shadows that we miss the awe of the One who is dawning upon us. Many have written about the shadows; this book is primarily about the increasing light.

Book - $10.40 (Retail $13.00)
Ebook - $10.40 (Retail $13.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The Days of His Presence -
Companion audio teachings
As the day of the Lord draws near, though darkness covers the earth, the out-raying of Christ's presence shall arise and appear upon His people! This is a companion audio album to the book by the same title. Listen to these original radio messages on their own or as you read the book; either way you will be powerfully impacted.

Message titles:
Days of His Glory | Christ in You | Behind Our Walls | Priority of His Passion | In God's Tabernacle

CD Audio Series - $16.50 (Retail $22.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $8.25 (Retail $11.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and start today. No more quarterly start dates.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

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Comments and Questions
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______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

Your Children Will Return
By Joy Frangipane Marion

[This message was written by Francis' daughter Joy in 1995. We felt that this would be a special encouragement to those who are standing in prayer for (their) children. Currently, Joy and her husband, Steve, have two children. She is a successful businesswoman who continues to be an immense blessing to her parents.]

No one can tell me that fathers and daughters can't have close relationships, or even become best friends. People are almost envious of the love my dad and I share. The only time we argue is about who loves who the most. But our relationship was not always this warm. There was a time when I felt I had lost my ability to love my father. I was a teenage Christian in a public high school. My Christian background made me different. I was new, craving acceptance. My father's rules seemed to be the source of my rejections.

Fueled by my insecurities, in my eyes my dad became the root of my problems. While I set an adequate standard and struggled to live by it, he was strict. I was angry because he refused to back down from the standard he knew was right. He refused to appeal to my ignorance in order to keep my acceptance.

Things were going from bad to worse during those years. We hit bottom the day I looked him square in the eyes and told him that I hated him. They were harsh words, but it was a hard time. I didn't really hate him. I hated me. I felt I wasn't bad enough to be accepted by my friends and not good enough to be accepted at home. When these feelings take over your life, you search for something - - anything -- to blame. I chose my father. He carried the blunt of my pain. He even became my enemy.

In my heart I knew I didn't hate him. I was angry and confused. I felt he wasn't concerned with how I felt. It seemed he had made no room for compromise with my situation. He risked losing my love to save my soul.

It was a hard time for us both. He suffered the pain of rejection as I did. He suffered the hurt and the loss but from a different angle. His fear of the Lord withstood his fear of pain. He loved me, but he had a higher obligation than my favor and my approval. I'm sure at times he wondered if he was doing the right thing. There must have been times when he felt like his prayers were hitting the ceiling and bouncing back at his feet.

At times I'm sure he considered lowering his standards. It would have made things so much easier than wrestling with the power of an independent, strong-willed child. These considerations may have come, but he never gave in to them. He stood firm and prayed harder.

The "prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 5:16 KJV). Many times he cried out to the Lord in anguish and in frustration. "What have I done wrong?" My father has a wonderful ministry to God in prayer. I think I had something to do with the character God worked in him during those days. Before he ever prayed for cities and nations, he was on his face praying for me.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6). That verse was a promise that he would hold on to. "Your sons and daughters will prophesy" was another promise he stood upon (Joel 2:28). He had given me to the Lord, set a godly standard and held God to His word.

At the same time, I was wrestling with my salvation. My desire to be accepted by my non-Christian friends at school warred against my desire to be with the Lord. James speaks of a double-minded person being unstable in all of their ways (James 1:8). I was completely unstable. I walked on a line between Heaven and hell. I wanted the best of both worlds and was satisfied in neither.

Although I had been brought up in the church, the world had taken its toll on me. My eyes had been blinded to the sin in my own life, further separating me from God and parents. It was so hard for me to see my way out.

When a child is brought up in a Christian home, regardless of what may happen, there is a seed that has been planted in their heart that continues to grow. It's an amazing seed because it can grow in the dark without water; it can even bloom in adversity. The reason we can never outrun God is because He is that seed growing within us. Once you have tasted the presence of the Lord, nothing satisfies you like He can. Sometimes those who seem to be running the hardest from God are doing so because He is so close to them.

On the outside my witness was weak and I was in bondage to my unsaved friends. But inside my heart cried for oneness with the Lord. I hated my double-mindedness as much as my father did. My whole life I wanted strong Christian friends to save the world with me. I wanted the support -- I just never had it. I did the best I could, but I lost my sensitivity to sin, and the more I was with non-Christian people the more deceived I became.

Paul warns us to not be deceived: "For what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?" (2 Cor. 6:14 KJV). I didn't realize the impact my unsaved friends had on me. The more I was with them the more I conformed to them. When I look back, I know if my parents had not been praying for me, I would have been on my way to hell.

Sin has a way of moving in and taking control. But "love is as strong as death" and "many waters cannot quench love" (Song of Sol. 8:6, 7). "Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8). And prayer is the highest power through which love is released. I had to relearn how to love. My love had become completely self-centered and conditional. I had failed to realize that my father and my Lord loved me unconditionally. I had only to try. I had only to bridge the communication gap to understand that God had loved me before I was even aware of His standards. And my dad loved me for me alone, not for something I had to become.

My relationship with my father is wonderful, and that's the truth. God has proven faithful in the working of both our lives. The Lord has bridged the gap and filled it with love. It took me leaving my environment and being planted with Christian people who faithfully loved me. It also took my will to change, but it did happen.

Listen, please don't give up on your teenagers. Don't sacrifice God's standards of righteousness to appeal to their carnal nature. They can't respect you for it and God won't honor it. Your children were not consecrated to Satan; they were dedicated to the Lord. He has had His hand on them and He will not forget them. He has heard your prayers and He is faithful to your cries. He is your God.

Prayer works. I'm living proof of it. I look back now and see how many times nothing but the miraculous dedication of loving parents took me out of hopeless situations. The Lord will not forsake His children. He will not turn His back on them. We are never too far from His reach. Believe the promises of the Lord. He is not a liar. He honors a steadfast heart. Hold on. Your children will come back to the Lord.

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Adapted from Francis Frangipane's In Christ's Image Training course (www.icitc.org) and his book, This Day We Fight!, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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This Day We Fight!
There is a time for peace and a time for war. We are in a war, and you better not put down your weapon or you will become captive to sin, fear or unbelief.

Francis tells us that the call of God is a call to war. Yet, the enemy uses human passivity to seduce God's warriors. This book is anointed to help the reader get their fire back. The Holy Spirit is ready to impart a fresh anointing to God's people - an anointing that will activate the "war mode" in the church.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the Midst of Battle - Audio Series
Jesus prayed that his disciples would come out of conflict stronger, not that they would avoid conflict altogether. His prayer for us is that we become Christlike in our battles.

Messages titles:

The Enemy of Your Destiny | Discerning the Enemy | Maintaining Vision in Transition |
That your Dream May Live | The Accuser of the Brethren | Beyond Our Limits | Finding Christ in the Crisis | The Birth Pangs of Change

CD Audio Series $25.00 (Retail $32.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download $12.00 (Retail $16.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and start today. No more quarterly start dates.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

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______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Son's Answered Prayer
By Francis Frangipane

Jesus never experienced an unanswered prayer. Indeed, the very things Jesus prayed were those things He knew to be precisely the Father's will. The Son could heal or raise the dead or supernaturally feed multitudes because in prayer He understood what the Father intended. Jesus knew absolutely that nothing was impossible for God.

Thus, on the night before He died, the most somber night in Jesus' life, the Lord brought His most lofty request to God: He prayed for oneness in His church. Christ's prayer was both visionary and practical considering that on this same evening an argument arose among His disciples as to which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). In spite of their immaturity, selfish ambitions and envy, Jesus harbored no second thoughts or unbelief when He prayed that they may all be one.

Just as the Son of God prayed on their behalf, be assured He is praying for us now. Jesus is the same "yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). He will never lower His standards (John 12:48); He will not modify His promises (Matt. 24:35); His intercession will remain unfailing until we attain His goal for us in God (Rom. 8:34).

To know Christ is to know His heart toward His church. Look again at His relationship with His disciples that Passover night. If an observer compared the instructions of Christ with the responses of His disciples, he would have concluded that there was little real communication between them. Jesus presented His vision of a church motivated by His love and humility. In contrast, His disciples dwelt in carnal desires and weaknesses. Consider: while Jesus prayed they would be "perfected in unity" (John 17:23), the only unity the disciples knew that night was a common fear and a collective abandonment of Christ. Consider: Jesus told these soon-to-be leaders of the Jerusalem church that they would be known for their untiring, agape love. But that night Christ's three closest friends could not remain awake with him even one hour while He agonized alone in prayer.

His disciples were deaf to His promises, blind to His sacrifice, and ignorant of His vision; they were without revelation, obedience or courage. Yet, in spite of themselves, Jesus promised these very men, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do" (John 14:12). How could they ever attain His works? They would do His works not because He had confidence in them, but because He was about to "go to the Father" (John 14:12b). There, at the awesome throne of God, Christ would stand on behalf of His church as a faithful high priest. Thus, the power that accompanied the early church on earth was a direct result of Christ's ongoing intercession for them in Heaven.

The Beginning and the End
There have always existed two realms in the definition of the church. The first is the place of beginnings. Here in the first stages of spirituality, we see the calling of God mingling with human fears, sin and worldly ambitions. The second reality is the place of destination. This is the place of destiny, power and maturity that Jesus died to give us. It is the intercession of Christ on our behalf that carries us from beginning to end. Indeed, the shallow, immature level of the church has never stopped Christ from praying for its perfection. He could no sooner stop praying than cease being the Son of God. Jesus is the Redeemer of mankind.

Jesus has always known the frailty of His church. He knows that when we commit our lives to Him, it is not a commitment that says, "I will never sin again; I will always be good." If we could keep such a resolution, we would not have needed Christ to save us. Our commitment to Him is an acknowledgment that we have come to the end of ourselves: we need a Savior.

Thus, having discovered no righteousness of our own within us, we have entrusted both our condition and our future to Him. Yes, we commit ourselves to obey Him, but we frequently fail. True, we pledge to study His word, but we barely understand it. We position ourselves to follow Him, but how often we wander and find ourselves lost! Our commitment is, in reality, an abandonment of ourselves into Christ's keeping (Phil. 1:6). He who thinks otherwise has never come face-to-face with his need for God.

Yet, this abandonment to Christ is also the key to our power. By accepting the living reality of our dependency, Christ Himself becomes our sufficiency. He reveals that our union with Him is as branches; He is the vine (John 15). His sufficiency is faithful and unending. He promises, "In that day, a vineyard of wine, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; I water it every moment. So that no one will damage it, I guard it night and day" (Isa. 27:2-3).

We must each discover the sustaining and renewing power that comes from complete dependency upon Christ. At this moment, He is praying for us. As you read my words, divine strength, healing, wisdom and virtue are being released through the intercession of Christ. He says, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14).

Human Need; Divine Commitment
Peter discovered Christ's unchanging commitment. Though others might fail, Peter had boasted that he would remain steadfast. However, Jesus told His upstart disciple that within just a few hours he would deny His Lord three times. All the disciples failed, yet what was the Lord's reaction? Did He chasten them? Did Jesus express His personal offense to Peter? No. Although there are times when Christ must rebuke us, Jesus prayed that Peter's faith would continue and he would become a strength to his brothers (Luke 22:32).

Immediately after warning Peter of his impending denial, Jesus further comforted His disciples. He urges them, "Do not let your heart be troubled" (John 14:1). While this verse is suitable for calming any troubled heart, Jesus was speaking uniquely and compassionately to His disciples. Incredibly, it was Jesus, about to go to the cross, who comforted the disciples who were about to deny Him! Beloved, we do not truly know Christ until we have failed and find Him still our friend, drawn ever closer to us by our repentance and our need.

The Father's Unchanging Purpose
What is true concerning Christ's devotion to us as individuals is true concerning His commitment to a repentant citywide church as well. I am not saying that we should continue in sin that "grace might increase" (Rom. 6:1). No. But, when we sin, "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). Our failings have not disqualified us from God's purposes. If we turn and trust Him again, we will find that the same Lord who requires we obey Him remained our Redeemer and Intercessor when we failed Him.

There are two things more enduring than the failings of the church. According to Scripture, these two things are "the unchangeableness of His purpose" and Christ's role of priestly intercession for us (Heb. 6:17; 7:24). As a result, even though the church falls short, the purpose of God remains unchanging and the intercessions of Christ remain faithful. Because of these things, I am confident that I shall rise from my failures and find ever-unfolding Christlikeness in my life. Because of Jesus' prayer, I believe we will see true New Testament unity in the people of God. Through Christ's sacrifice, He is able "to save forever (lit: "to the uttermost") those who draw near to God through Him" (Heb. 7:25).

The Lord's disciples frequently carried the burden of wrong attitudes and aberrant concepts. Yet, in spite of their immaturity, Jesus unhesitantly prayed for the most holy of possibilities: that they would become the human abode for the Trinity of God (John 14:16-17, 23)! If we look to ourselves, we most certainly will always fail. When we place our expectation in the power released through Christ's intercession, we can walk with confidence. It is our destiny to be transformed; it is God's plan for the church to become one in Christ, and it is the foreknown plan of God for nations to come to the Savior. Beloved, if you believe in Christ, and believe He is the only begotten of the Father, then be assured concerning your personal needs: Jesus will have all His prayers answered.

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When the Many Are One
How the Christian community - driven by grace, unified in love, and activated by prayer - can bring revival and change the world.

Our best efforts will not stop the flood of problems in our cities if we remain isolated from each other. In a season when external forces are causing disunity and division, Francis Frangipane calls us back to oneness with Christ, and through Him oneness with other Christians. With the character and power of Christ in our midst, the Church can again bring transformation to our communities, our nation, and our world.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)
Ebook - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the Midst of Battle - Audio Series
Jesus prayed that his disciples would come out of conflict stronger, not that they would avoid conflict altogether. His prayer for us is that we become Christlike in our battles.

Messages titles:

The Enemy of Your Destiny | Discerning the Enemy | Maintaining Vision in Transition |
That your Dream May Live | The Accuser of the Brethren | Beyond Our Limits | Finding Christ in the Crisis | The Birth Pangs of Change

CD Audio Series $25.00 (Retail $32.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download $12.00 (Retail $16.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Enroll today and start today. No more quarterly start dates.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Mission Statement of Heaven
By Francis Frangipane

All major companies have a vision or mission statement. A mission statement defines the primary purpose and direction of a corporation, what services or products it provides and who would likely be interested in their organization. Likewise, when Jesus began His ministry, He issued a sort of "mission statement" that explained the nature of His Father's business. He said,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19).

Liberating the human heart from oppression and spiritual incarceration is the mission statement of the Son of God. When Jesus declared He "must be about [His] Father's business," that specific business is to provide redemption of the lost and freedom to the imprisoned.

You say, "I want to serve God, but I am in bondage to sin. I am a captive of guilt, shame and condemnation." Good. You qualify. You are the type of person heaven is looking for. Even when we are enchained and trapped in our failures, held prisoners to demons too strong for us, Christ does not reject us. He does not come to condemn or punish, but to set us free.

You may be one who has never known God. Today, you find yourself trapped in addictions and fears beyond your ability to resist. Yet, according to the mission statement of heaven, you are exactly the type of person Christ came to find.

Or, you might be a pastor, knowledgeable of the Scriptures, serving in professional ministry for over 50 years, but do not love yourself. You can quote the Bible, but inwardly you are tormented by your personal short-comings. You desperately want to regain your spiritual health, but you don't know where to start, for you feel dead inside.

If you feel imprisoned inwardly, remember, Jesus Christ came to set captives free. This message is in your hands and you are reading it because Christ loves you and has come to rescue you! You may not sense it, but God's angels have been fighting a war with the devil for your soul. Indeed, Christ Himself has defeated the enemy on your behalf!

"Can the prey be taken from the mighty man, or the captives of a tyrant be rescued?" Surely, thus says the LORD, "Even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away, and the prey of the tyrant will be rescued; for I will contend with the one who contends with you, and I will save your sons" (Isaiah 49:24-25).

God desires wholeness and healing for our souls, even promising to "contend with the one who contends" with us. Our enemies may too strong for us, but they are not too strong for God. The Almighty is on our side; He will continue to fight our oppressors until we are free from the grip of hell upon our lives. Yes, the Holy Spirit corrects and disciplines us along the way, but He does so to transform our hearts and remove our vulnerability to Satan's attacks. Our rescue is at the center of God's heart.

The Desperate Find Help
Within the variety of ways God reveals Himself through Christ, remember this one truth: "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). The war is not between you and God, but between God and the devil.

In verse after verse, Jesus makes it plain that He came to heal and redeem the wreckage wrought by Satan upon humanity. Remember, Jesus said of Himself that He came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10); He assures us, "I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world" (John 12:47). Indeed, He says His primary mission field was not the "[self-] righteous, but sinners" (Luke 5:32).

It is an amazing truth: the Son of God is seeking to save the very people most Christians seek to avoid.

Those highest on God's agenda are usually those lowest in society - people in bondage to sin and its consequences. In truth, He seeks the desperate, regardless of their outward status in life. The mission statement of heaven is to find these people, deliver them from sin and fear, and then pour into them the very heart of the Savior Himself. The mission statement of heaven is to seek and to find the lost.

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When the Many Are One
How the Christian community - driven by grace, unified in love, and activated by prayer - can bring revival and change the world.

Our best efforts will not stop the flood of problems in our cities if we remain isolated from each other. In a season when external forces are causing disunity and division, Francis Frangipane calls us back to oneness with Christ, and through Him oneness with other Christians. With the character and power of Christ in our midst, the Church can again bring transformation to our communities, our nation, and our world.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)
Ebook - $12.00 (Retail $15.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
What Are You Becoming? - Audio Series
How do we conquer those areas of our soul that are not yet Christlike?

We must recognize that the little sins are what wants to pull us off the course of our destiny of becoming like Christ. Francis discusses how our hearts can deceive us in small ways to derail us into a different destiny in our spiritual journey, than we planned.

These messages of truth are sure to stir your spirit for battle, to free your heart from the power of sin and fulfill your destiny. Sample audio

Message titles:
Be Angry and Sin Not | Spring Cleaning | Matters of the Heart | His Purpose Was Redemption

CD Audio Series $12.00 (Retail $16.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download $6.00 (Retail $8.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

Two Things, Two Things Only
By Francis Frangipane

There are so many things to occupy our minds: so many books, so many examples, so many good teachings that deserve our attention, that say, "Here is a truth." But as I have been serving the Lord these past years, He has led me to seek for two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and to know my own heart in Christ's light.

Knowing the Heart of God
I have been seeking God, searching to know Him and the depth of His love toward His people. I want to know Christ's heart and the compassions that motivate Him. The Scriptures are plain: Jesus loved people. Mark's gospel tells us that after Jesus taught and healed the multitudes, they became hungry. In His compassion, Christ saw them as "sheep without a shepherd" (Mark 6:34). It was not enough for Him to heal and teach them; He personally cared for each of them. Their physical well-being, even concerning food, was important to Him.

A lad with five loaves and two fish provided enough for Jesus to work another miracle, but this miracle had to come through Christ's willing but bone-weary body. Consider: Christ brought His disciples out to rest, "for there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat" (Mark 6:31).

Consider: Jesus personally had come to pray and be strengthened, for John the Baptist, Jesus' forerunner, had been beheaded by Herod earlier that week. It was in the state of being emotionally and physically depleted that Jesus fed the multitudes -- not just once or twice but over and over again: "He kept giving [the bread and the fish] to the disciples to set before them" (v. 41).

Thousands of men, women and children all "ate and were satisfied" (v. 42). Oh, the heart of Jesus! The miracle was for them, but we read of no miracle sustaining Him except the marvelous wonder of a holy love that continually lifted His tired hands with more bread and more fish. Out of increasing weakness He repeatedly gave that others might be renewed.

So, if my quest is to know Him, I must recognize this about Him: Jesus loves people -- all people, especially those society ignores. Therefore I must know exactly how far He would travel for men, for that is the same distance He would journey again through me. Indeed, I must know His thoughts concerning illness, poverty and human suffering. As His servant, I am useless to Him unless I know these things. If I would actually do His will, I must truly know His heart. Therefore, in all my study and times of prayer, I am seeking more than just knowledge; I am searching for the heart of God.

Knowing Our Hearts
At the same time, as I draw closer to the heart of God, the very fire of His presence begins a deep purging work within me. In the vastness of His riches, my poverty appears. The psalmist wrote, "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully" (Ps. 24:3-4).

We cannot even find the hill of the Lord, much less ascend it, if there is deceit in our hearts. How does one serve in God's holy place if his soul is unclean? It is only the pure in heart who perceive God. To ascend toward God is to walk into a furnace of truth where falsehood is extracted and removed from our souls. To abide in the holy place we must dwell in honesty, even when a lie might seem to save us. Each ascending step upon the hill of God is a thrusting of our souls into greater transparency, a more perfect view into the motives of our hearts.

It is this upward call of God that we pursue. Yet the soul within us is hidden, crouching in fear and darkness, living in a world of untruths and illusions. This is our inner man, the soul God seeks to save. Have you discovered your true self, the inner person whom truth alone can free? Yes, we seek holiness, but true holiness arises from here; it comes as the Spirit of Truth unveils the hidden places in our hearts. Indeed, it is truthfulness that leads to holiness.

God, grant us a zeal for truth that we may stand in Your holy place!

Men everywhere presume they know the "truth," but they have neither holiness nor power in their lives. Truth must become more than historical doctrine; it must be more than a museum of religious artifacts -- mementos from when God once moved. Truth is knowing God's heart as it was revealed in Christ, and it is knowing our own hearts in the light of God's grace.

As members of the human race, we are shrouded in ignorance. Barely do we know our world around us; even less do we know the nature of our own souls. Without realizing it, as we search for God's heart, we are also searching for our own. For it is only in finding Him that we discover ourselves, for we are "in Him” (Acts 17:28).

Yet throughout that searching process, as I position my heart before the Lord, it is with a sense of trembling that I pray the prayer of King David: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way"(Ps. 139:23-24).

Let us wash the cosmetics from our souls and look at the unadorned condition of our hearts. I know God has created us eternally complete and perfect in Christ. I believe that. But in the first three chapters of John's Revelation, Jesus did not tell the churches they were "perfect in His eyes." No! He revealed to them their true conditions; He told them their sins. Without compromise, He placed on them the demand to be overcomers, each in their own unique and difficult circumstance.

Like them, we must know our need. And like them, the souls we want saved dwell here, in a world system structured by lies, illusions and rampant corruption. Our old natures are like well-worn shoes into which we relax; we can be in the flesh instantly without even realizing it. The enemies that defeat us are hidden and latent within us! Thus the Holy Spirit must expose our foes before we can conquer them!

Concerning man's nature, the prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). Quoting another of David's prayers, a similar cry is heard: "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression" (Ps. 19:12-13).

There may be errors inside of us that are actually ruling us without our awareness. Do we realize, for instance, how many of our actions are manipulated purely by vanity and the desire to be seen or accepted by others? Are we aware of the fears and apprehensions that unconsciously influence so many of our decisions? We may have serious flaws inside yet still be either too proud or too insecure to admit we need help.

Concerning ourselves, we think so highly of what we know so little!

Even outwardly, though we know our camera pose, do we know how we appear when we are laughing or crying, eating or sleeping, talking or angry? The fact is, most of us are ignorant of how we appear outwardly to others; much less do we know ourselves inwardly before God! Our fallen thinking processes automatically justify our actions and rationalize our thoughts. Without the Holy Spirit, we are nearly defenseless against our own innate tendencies toward self-deception.

Therefore, if we would be holy, we must first renounce falsehood. In the light of God' grace, having been justified by faith and washed in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, we need not pretend to be righteous. We need only to become truthful.

No condemnation awaits our honesty of heart -- no punishment. We have only to repent and confess our sins to have them forgiven and cleansed; if we will love the truth, we will be delivered from sin and self-deception. Indeed, the nectar of truth is in two things and two things only: to know the heart of God in Christ and our own hearts in Christ's light.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
This is the first book ever written by Pastor Francis. It came after three years of studying and repeatedly reading the Gospels. The thrust of these messages is geared towards those who desire the holy, powerful life of Jesus Christ. It is a penetrating study of the human heart and how God prepares it for His glory.

Book - $9.60 (Retail $12.00)
Ebook - $9.60 (Retail $12.00)

Audio Book on CD $12.00 (Retail 14.75)
Audio book on MP3 $6.00 (Retail $12.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
- Companion Teaching Series
This is a companion to the first book ever written by Pastor Francis. It came after three years of studying and repeatedly reading the Gospels. The thrust of these timeless messages is geared towards those who desire the holy, powerful life of Jesus Christ. It is a penetrating study of the human heart and how God prepares it for His glory.

These companion messages expand upon the material covered in the book, Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God.

Message titles:
The Beginning of Holiness | The Spirit of Grace | God’s Power in a Holy Life | Fleeing Falsehood | The Sweet Taste of Holy Fruit | The Radiance of Holiness | Purity of Heart

Companion Teaching - CD Series $26.25 (Retail $35.00)
Companion Teaching - MP3 Series $13.13 (Retail $17.50)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ's Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

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______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

Walking in Eternal Life
By Francis Frangipane

God’s end time people will "end time." What I mean is that, as we near the end of the age, we will increasingly learn how to walk in eternal life, abiding above the boundaries, constraints and the pressures of the realm of time. We’ll see what’s coming and either avoid it or announce it, but we won’t be limited by it.

Jesus taught that those who come to Him "have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16). Right now, we have eternal life in our spirits. Yet, how do we access the timeless place of God’s presence? This is a serious question, for we have become more "time conscious" than "God conscious." Schedules, meetings, appointments and deadlines all fuel our anxieties and compel us to live horizontally, instead of vertically in the Presence of God.

The Lord seeks to deliver us from anxiety, but that can only happen if we truly learn to walk in the Holy Spirit. The sad fact is, most Christians fail to spend time with the Holy Spirit. We pray, even calling upon the Lord, but few are they who have cultivated moment by moment openness to the Spirit of God.

"But, when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come" (John 16:23).

The Holy Spirit "will guide . . . He will speak . . . He will disclose" to us what we otherwise could never know or attain. To guide, speak and reveal are forms of communication. Clearly, the Father sent the Holy Spirit to talk to us.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. There are issues in our hearts that the Holy Spirit alone can reveal and remove. Listen to Him, like Christ, He does not come to condemn but to save. His voice is Salvation speaking to us.

Jeremiah said that the heart is deceitful above all things. We cannot objectively know ourselves. Yet the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Truth sees and understands our ways. Trust Him, He cannot be deceived. Indeed, the ancient Greeks used the same word for truth as they did for "reality." Thus, we could accurately say that the Holy Spirit is the "Spirit of Reality." He shows us the reality of our need and the reality of God’s answer. To hear Him is to hear the voice of eternal life.

Jesus lived in union with the Holy Spirit continually. The miracles He accomplished came through the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit He saw the things the Father was doing; He heard the words the Father was speaking. Every strategy we may come up with pales in comparison to seeing God and doing what God does and hearing God and saying what God says. You see, Jesus lived in the dimension of time, but was not limited by it. His consciousness was always aware of the eternal realm.

Even the urgent news of Lazarus’ illness did not make Jesus move anxiously. As right as it seemed to rush to Lazarus’ aid, Jesus was aware of another reality. He was conscious of the heavenly Father. Because He knew that the Father was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, He lived without hand-wringing or being driven by anxious thoughts or pressures.

Oh how we need to walk in the Spirit today. In every situation, we would consciously be aware of God's involvement in our lives!

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God has a system of thoughts and ways that are totally on another plane, yet He invites us to abide with Him!

Beloved, we are not mere human beings. We each are a temple for the Holy Spirit, but we must cultivate a listening heart if we will do the things that God is doing. A Christian is not just someone living out a natural life, hoping that God will bless him. No, God has more for us than that. Jesus set the standard, and He’s given us the Holy Spirit so we can follow Him.

Spirit Filled?
When we are born again, we begin a journey with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit gives us gifts to help us grow; He baptizes us in power to increase our effectiveness. All of this is to lead us until we are actually filled with the Holy Spirit, where we think and act like Jesus.

Many of us think we are already filled with the Spirit, but we are not. We have three quarts of self and one quart of the Holy Spirit, and we think we have a gallon of God. There is still too much self ruling in our hearts. In America, some pastors identify themselves as being Spirit filled and say they pastor Spirit-filled churches. To be perfectly candid, I have never attended a church that is truly Spirit filled. In the Book of Acts, we see a picture of a Spirit-filled church. The leaders met daily for prayer, and on the way to prayer, their shadows healed the sick! Their offerings went to feed the poor. Out of their sense of love and community, they held all things in common. In that atmosphere, the church grew exponentially.

I know some are thinking, "My church is getting close to this example." Oh, I forgot to mention, in a Spirit filled church, if you lied, you died (see Acts).

You see, let’s not accept that we are further along spiritually than we are. God desires to take us further, deeper into eternal life. Having a spiritual gift doesn’t mean that you are filled with the Holy Spirit; being born again does not mean you are also Spirit filled. I have never met a truly spiritually mature person who was anxious; no one who is nervous about time can truly be led by the Holy Spirit.

Where Do We Go from Here?
In our quest to walk in eternal life, we must allow the Holy Spirit to excavate our hearts of self. If we want to tune into the God channel we must tune out the "self channel," where the anxieties, fears and sins exist.

I want a heart that can hear God; I want perception that can see God. We are too much like the world. How do we break this? Spend time with the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to talk to your heart and then write down what you feel He is saying. If we want more of God, we must cultivate the awareness of His Presence, and especially listen for His voice.

We must also take faith and believe that the Spirit is here to help. Zechariah 4:6 teaches us that it’s not by our might or power, but it is by the Spirit of the Lord that we succeed. Acts 2:17 tells us that in the last days God seeks to pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. I love the words "pour out." We must stop thinking "thimble" and think Niagara Falls!

It’s time to step out of the box called "time," and live in the Spirit. I’m not suggesting that you become unreliable or are late for your appointments, but that you give yourself to learning how to hear God’s voice and how to live in His presence. If you are one of God’s end-time elect, then it's time to rise above the pressures of time and walk in the eternal life of God.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
View this message in your browser.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Holiness, Truth and the Presence of God
This is the first book ever written by Pastor Francis. It came after three years of studying and repeatedly reading the Gospels. The thrust of these messages is geared towards those who desire the holy, powerful life of Jesus Christ. It is a penetrating study of the human heart and how God prepares it for His glory.

Book - $9.60 (Retail $12.00)
Ebook - $9.60 (Retail $12.00)

Audio Book on CD $12.00 (Retail 14.75)
Audio book on MP3 $6.00 (Retail $12.00)
Companion Teaching - CD Series $26.25 (Retail $35.00)
Companion Teaching - MP3 Series $13.13 (Retail $17.50)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Disciples of the Cross
- audio series
As we learn to share in Christ’s sufferings, we join a society of redeemers who walk in God-given abundance.

Message titles:
Fellowship of His Sufferings
Wimps or Warriors
Disciples of the Cross
Conquering Conflict Through Character

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail $10.00)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ’s Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

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Beware of the Spirit of Strife
By Francis Frangipane

One does not have to do an exhaustive search to become aware of the spirit of strife that is rampant in our world. Our world is just as Jesus forewarned, "nation [has risen] against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matt. 24:7).

Yet we need not be familiar with world events to be personally affected by this invasion of strife. The church itself has had so much conflict that many now identify the ability to create division as a courageous and honorable virtue. Even the home is not safe, as we see divorce rates in the Western World have skyrocketed over the past 60 years. And who is unfamiliar with the phenomenal breakdown of families and the recent turmoil in our world?

Strife has had a way of touching us all. Beloved, we must recognize that there is a war raging against relationships. It is hitting us on all levels, and the sooner we deal with this fact, the quicker we can win our war against it.

Origin of Strife
There are many sources that contribute to strife: personal ambitions, jealousies and fear, to name a few. In fact, James tells us that, "where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing" (James 3:16). To look with jealousy upon a role that belongs to someone else creates a world of "disorder and every evil thing." David, though anointed as king twice by Samuel, never sought the place of King Saul; John the Baptist, though greatest of the prophets, never was jealous for the ministry of Jesus.

James tells us that the strife engendered by jealousy and selfish ambition is "earthly, natural, and demonic" (Jam 3:15). To overcome strife, we must therefore recognize the two primary fronts upon which strife advances: our flesh nature and the demonic realm, and the demonic will manipulate the flesh in every way it can.

To repel this attack, it is vital we seek humility. We are all vulnerable to deception. The ability of the enemy to deceive, frankly, is astonishing. Remember that Lucifer deceived one third of the angels, convincing them they could win a war against their Creator! These very angels had seen galaxies roll out from the mouth of God, yet they were seduced into deep deception. To assume we cannot be deceived is itself deception. So we must learn to be "quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" (James 1:19). Indeed, to maintain a humble heart before the Lord is the best weapon we can have before our enemy.

Job 41:15 reveals that the "scales" that protect Satan (called Leviathan in this chapter) are made of pride. Pride is what "protects" Lucifer and keeps him from repenting, and it is pride in us that protects us from repenting as well. What if Adam had just admitted he was wrong instead of blaming Eve? What if Eve simply said, "I’m sorry," instead of blaming the devil? So much of the separation of relationships in our world comes because we simply are too proud to admit we were wrong. To be able to say, "I was wrong, please forgive me," is to eliminate much strife.

Additionally, many quarrels occur because we misunderstand each other or falsely judge based on insufficient information. Pride paralyzes our wrong perceptions. Instead of the peace of Christ guiding and protecting us, we react in the flesh to our environment. A quarrel is often nothing more than a misunderstanding manipulated by the devil until two reactions harden into walls around our hearts.

"The beginning of strife is like letting out water, so abandon the quarrel before it breaks out" (Prov. 17:14). Strife is like the "letting out of water." Once water pours onto the soil, it is impossible to retrieve or undo. Thus Solomon warns, "abandon the quarrel." There may be another time when things are calm, when you can sit down in peace and discuss what happened, but nothing positive is accomplished in a heated argument.

Yet, there is still another component to deception and strife. Isaiah 27:1 speaks of the serpent, again calling him "Leviathan." But here he is identified as "the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent" (English Standard Version). Isaiah calls the devil the "twisting serpent." I have personally been amazed how words spoken can somehow get twisted between my mouth and someone’s ears. Sometimes people are certain of something I’ve said and I am just as positive something totally different left my mouth. Has that ever happened to you? Satan is a "twisting serpent." We should be aware that both the speaker and hearer may be accurately representing what was said and heard, but that a twisting spirit has stood between two (or more) people to divide them.

If this is the case, stay calm and simply repeat what you just said. Pray with your companions and take authority over the enemies’ involvement. Whatever you do, do not react wrongly to one another. Leonard Ravenhill once said, "If your enemy has a social security number, you have the wrong enemy." We often think that the fruit of the Spirit, "self-control," refers to not eating two gallons of chocolate ice cream, but it is more than that. The Spirit can control our mind and emotions, our reactions and insecurities. The Holy Spirit’s fruit is called "self-control." Indeed, the Bible tells us the "God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20).

Therefore, let us pray against strife on all levels, especially as tensions mount. Remember also, Satan rages when he knows his time is short (Rev. 12). If we can keep ourselves from reacting wrongly to the increase of conflict, we will find greater breakthroughs awaiting us on all levels.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
View this message in your browser.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ’s Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Whether you aspire for a ministry role or want to grow in your relationship with God, the home study curriculum is quoted as being one of the most impactful journeys you may take with the Lord.

ICIT provides focused training in four essential stages of spiritual development:

• The vision of attaining Christ’s likeness
• Possessing Christ’s humility
• Developing a strong prayer life
• Becoming one with other Christ believers

These are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian walk. Enroll and begin anytime.

This online course is designed to fit your schedule and to lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The course not only includes 48 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio), for Level I, but the discerning student will find the Lord using the lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the training.

Enroll independently, with your spouse or with a group.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Disciples of the Cross
- audio series
As we learn to share in Christ’s sufferings, we join a society of redeemers who walk in God-given abundance.

Message titles:
Fellowship of His Sufferings
Wimps or Warriors
Disciples of the Cross
Conquering Conflict Through Character

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail $10.00)


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

The Wind at Your Back
By Francis Frangipane

Today is a crucial time in history. The fields of harvest are ripening worldwide. Just as He urged His early disciples, so the Lord's word speaks to us today. He says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest" (Matt. 9:37-38).

If you believe God has called you and desires to release you into ministry (pastoral, marketplace, evangelist, small group leader, etc.), we encourage you to consider enrolling in our In Christ's Image Training course. Even if you are in ministry, consider enrolling in the course expecting to be released into a new level.

A special word to those saints who may be feeling battle fatigue: There has been much warfare over the last years. As a result, we believe the Lord desires to break curses off people. The definition of a curse is to "hem in with obstacles." If you find yourself blocked or hemmed in by circumstances, beloved, it is time to believe God for release. I believe the wind is changing. It will no longer blow against your efforts. You will go forth with the wind at your back.

The ministry training you may be looking for:

In Christ's Image Training
The call of God is a call to Christlikeness. Indeed, to identify oneself as a follower of Jesus, yet not be passionate about attaining Christlikeness is to accept a form of deception (Philippians 3:17-19; 2 Corinthians 11:3).

In Christ's Image Training, Level I, offers four fundamental training modules that are designed to assist in attaining Christlikeness, humility, prayer and unity. With our new online format you can begin anytime and you can access the training material on your schedule. Training includes 48 written lessons, 39 audio messages by Francis Frangipane four multiple-choice exams and a certificate of completion at the end of the course.

The training is geared, not only to instruct, but also to impart spiritual substance. These are living truths that have impartable spiritual weight. The messages have been shaped in the fire of Pastor Frangipane's personal walk with the Lord and have been used to transform thousands of Christians in over 120 nations.

If you've been praying about upgrading your walk with God, the Bible tells us, "Behold, now is 'the acceptable time,' behold, now is 'the day of salvation'" (2 Corinthians 6:2). What better way is there for you to spend this season?



Learn more at www.icitc.org.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

The Peril of Religious Flesh
By Francis Frangipane

Two Types of Knowledge
There is a type of knowledge that is doctrinal, theological and instructive, and there is a type of knowledge that is born out of a revelation of God. Both are known as "truth," both produce a certain type of person, and both are accepted as "Christianity."

You can be certain that God wants us to have right doctrines, but we must never content ourselves with merely the accumulation of correct knowledge. For this knowledge often remains just a file of religious facts; where the Word of God is viewed more as a museum than a power plant.

When we halt our spiritual ascent toward God at the plateau of doctrinal knowledge, we become people who never really change. Instead, our old nature simply pretends to be new. The longer we settle for just head knowledge, our Christianity begins to degenerate into a religious spirit.

It takes God to change our stubborn, rebellious natures. And our mighty God does not want us to fake our Christianity. He wants you to be real, where the knowledge of your head becomes the reality of your heart. You see, truth, in God's view, is more than doctrines. It is reality.

The difference between mere doctrinal truth and revelation truth is that, with doctrinal truth the heart of a man may be deceitful, lustful and arrogant yet still maintain a theologically true opinion of God.

The Pharisees had, more or less, a theologically true opinion of God, but Jesus said inwardly they were full of "robbery and self-indulgence" (Matt. 23:25). Outwardly, they looked holy, but all they had was religious flesh. Inwardly, they were false.

David knew God. He visited the tent of God, where he worshiped and prayed. In fact, even after he sinned with Bathsheba he continued the outer form of his relationship, but his heart was from far from God. When he repented, he reverently acknowledged of God, "Thou dost desire truth in the innermost being" (Psalms 51:6).

Doctrinal truth has an illusion about itself: the illusion is that knowledge is the same thing as righteousness. It is not. We all know people who are faultfinders, critical and gossips, yet they are capable of maintaining all the proper doctrines about love. When they speak ill of people they do so with boldness, feeling like they are serving God.

What these people have, is called "religious flesh." On the other hand, truth that comes by revelation always produces change; it always leaves us less sure of ourselves, more dependent upon God, and more loving toward others.

To topple the old ways of thinking, God must penetrate and remove the arrogance that guards our ignorance. We must be broken of self-confidence and become God-confident. To break us, God must confront us.

The Sword of God
The primary way we change is through the Spirit-empowered word of God. Again, there are two ways to view the Bible: doctrinally or, as it really is, a two-edged sword. When we read the Bible merely on an intellectual level, we may gain knowledge, which is good, but such knowledge by itself still leaves us intact. If we are not convicted, challenged or more perfectly conformed to Christ when we read the Scriptures, it may be because we have a religious spirit that is limiting the penetration of God's word to our minds.

When the Lord appeared to the Apostle John on Pathos, Christ revealed Himself with a "...sharp, two-edged sword" coming out His mouth; His eyes were two flames of fire. We need to picture this, for God's word is a sword. To whatever degree we fail to see it as such, we are probably serving a religious spirit rather than the Holy Spirit.

Consider also Simeon's prophecy to Mary, Jesus' mother. He said, "...and a sword will pierce even your own soul--to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed" (Lk 2:35). Notice, He did not say, "...and you will learn a lot of handy facts about the Bible so you can win at Bible Trivia." He said that a sword will pierce your heart, and even your thoughts will be revealed.

You see, when you came to Christ, you did not come to a religion, you came to a Person--a Person who knows us as well as He knows His own body. He exposes our hearts: He illuminates those dark, secret areas within us -- not to condemn us but to liberate us from the bondages of sin and deception.

You may say, "Well, I need to hear that the Lord loves me." Yes, that is the most life changing, central truth in the Bible. However, Jesus says that those whom He loves, He reproves and disciplines. He then tells us to be zealous and repent (Rev 3). His love is not on a shelf somewhere, removed from us until we get hurt. No. His love is what motivates His word as He speaks to our hearts to deliver us.

Consider how the Word describes itself: "The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12).

It should be normal for you to be discovering areas God wants to change. It is typical of true Christianity to suddenly see that you have had wrong thoughts or that the intentions of your heart have been carnal. The voice probing into your heart is not the devil; it is God. He wants to set you free from religious flesh.

Sustained By The Revelation Of Christ
When God called Abraham, He called him to a promise that was staggering. Although Abraham was old and childless, God told him he was going to be the 'father of many nations'. Twenty-six years elapsed from Abraham's first encounter with God until his son was born, and throughout the entire process of many ups and downs, the Scripture says, "...and Abraham believed God."

Let me make this very clear: Abraham did not merely believe there was a God; no, Abraham believed what God had said, personally, to him. He had an encounter with God's living word which, like a sword, pierced into his heart. Abraham did not just have a religion about God, he received a promise upon which he built his life.

The faith that saves us is a living response to the word which God speaks to us. Whatever the word says about God's kingdom, His power, His grace and ability to change us, we must accept and believe!

Religious flesh is occupied with pretending to be (or look) good. The spiritual soul has its focus upon the greatness of God, believing that what God has promised, He is able also to perform (Rom 4:21).

Your experience with Christianity will never be sustained by something less than an unfolding relationship with Jesus Christ! The strength of Christianity is Christ! When you are weary, He says come to Him (Matt. 11:28). When you are hungry, come to Him. Thirsty? Come to Him. For everything we need, He is the way, the truth and the life.

If I don't succeed in inspiring you to draw closer to the Lord, where you hear from Him and are sustained by Him, I have failed in my ministry. Religious flesh is convinced that growth is measured in religious facts. True spirituality, however, is measured in the depth of our hunger for God, where our soul pants "for the Living God" like the deer pants after water.

Religious flesh will never inherit the kingdom of God, but a heart set on being real with God will find God's fullness awaiting him.

Let's pray:

Lord, go deep within us. Help us to hear Your word speaking to us when you come to excavate our soul of unrighteous thoughts and attitudes. Deliver us from religious flesh and lead us into the fulness of Your Spirit. In Jesus' name.

Adapted from a Level I lesson in Francis Frangipane's online course, In Christ's Image Training. This course has touched and inspired thousands of believers around the world. New self-paced online format.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
View this message in your browser.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ’s Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Whether you aspire for a ministry role or want to grow in your relationship with God, the home study curriculum is quoted as being one of the most impactful journeys you may take with the Lord.

ICIT provides focused training in four essential stages of spiritual development:

• The vision of attaining Christ’s likeness
• Possessing Christ’s humility
• Developing a strong prayer life
• Becoming one with other Christ believers

These are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian walk. Enroll and begin anytime.

This online course is designed to fit your schedule and to lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The course not only includes 48 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio), for Level I, but the discerning student will find the Lord using the lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the training.

Enroll independently, with your spouse or with a group.

At an Inconvenient Time
By Francis Frangipane

The Lord has multitudes who believe in Him, and when I consider that fact I am blessed. At the same time I am aware that, of those numbers, it is but a minority who actually worship Him.

True worshipers find their fulfillment in adoring God. The fragrance of their worship rises, not only during the scheduled times of church services but also during inconvenient times.

A true worshiper will rise early before work or school; they're up before the household so they can be alone with God. Instead of being frustrated by delays, they transform difficulties and setbacks into opportunities to magnify God. You might see one of these worshipers sitting in the car next to you during a traffic jam, singing along with Christian music in their car.

A true worshiper has learned the secret of worshiping God at inconvenient times.

I, too, find the Lord leading me to worship Him during inconvenient times. I might be alone writing or working on some important project when something awakens in my spirit: I become aware that the presence of the Lord is near. Yet He isn't commanding me to worship; He's inviting me. The time of worship may be as little as ten or fifteen minutes or it might be much longer. Regardless, I turn from what I was doing, pick up my guitar and begin to worship Him.

Frankly, I am not a good musician; I only know a few chords. Yet as I worship, I know the King of Heaven is actually pleased with my offering. He has granted me an audience, and in some mysterious way, He causes me to feel that the sound of my worship is the only thing He hears as I'm singing.

The Invitation
I, for one, desire my worship to become all consuming. Yet I confess that a primary obstacle I must overcome is the inconvenient timing of His invitation. It seems like He actually waits until I am focused on something He actually wants me to complete. Or it might be late at night when I am almost asleep when the opportunity to worship draws near.

The very fact that I have responded, in spite of the "inconvenience," actually refines and sweetens my worship. Indeed, when I worship in our Sunday service, I admit I can be carried by the sound of the music and the participation of others around me. I am in an atmosphere of worship, so my praise may actually be something imparted to me by others and not purely my own. However, when He comes at an inconvenient time, my response reaffirms that my worship is real and that God truly is first in my life

What is also a great pleasure to me is that, given such short notice, He does not expect from me a large production. As wonderful as Sunday worship services are, He is not looking for a professional song service, just something real from my heart.

Another blessing is that often my wife will hear me worshiping and, without fail, join me. As I worship, I’ll soon notice a voice singing alongside me in the background. She’s as absorbed as I am in the presence of God. It doesn't matter what she was doing, she loves to bow before God and that, too, sweetens our worship.

Prayer and Worship
There is a difference between prayer and worship. Prayer is an appeal to God based on our needs and the needs of our world. The world is filled with people, each with heartfelt and urgent requests that are welcomed by our Father in Heaven, and they are each heard in the throne room of light. However, worship is not the articulation of our needs; it is the consummation of our love. It is what we offer to God regardless of the status of our needs.

Recall the Gospel account of the ten leprous men who cried to Jesus for healing. After the Lord answered their prayers and healed them, they all went their way. One, however, stopped and “turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him" (Luke 17:15-16). Full of gratitude to Christ, this man returned to bow in worship before God. You see, many people will pray, multitudes will find answers, but few will return to Him in worship.

Beloved, if worship flows genuinely from our hearts, the Lord will repeatedly invite us into His presence. His invitation will approach the doorstep of our souls quietly. It will come disguised as a simple desire to love Him. If we follow this desire, it will lead into the presence of God.

As we worship Him, He will grant us inner strength and peace. As we come with thanksgiving, He will refresh us with His love and joy. Let us delight in the privilege of becoming true worshipers of God, even when the opportunity comes at an inconvenient time.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, I Will Be Found By You, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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I Will Be Found By You
Perhaps this compilation of teachings from Francis Frangipane will become his most important book yet. The essence of I Will Be Found by You is a living promise from God. If we seek Him in earnest, He has purposed to reveal Himself in ways that will transform us and impact the world around us. In truth, when we consider the extent of impossible conflicts in our world, only one remedy exists: we must have more of God! If you desire more of God's presence in your life, more of God you shall certainly have.

Book - $11.80 (Retail $13.00)
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You Shall See the Heavens Opened
For too long we have understood Heaven to be a realm beyond the reach of man, that only in death could Heaven be accessed. But Jesus told Nathaniel he would see the heavens opened. Christ also told His disciples they had been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. And, He proclaimed to the multitudes that Heaven itself was at hand — that is, it was close enough to reach from where they were. His promise to us is similar. Yes, the greater fulfillment of Heaven is after death, but those born of God’s Spirit enter His kingdom now! Audio sample
Message titles:

Discouraged? – Francis Frangipane
Our Redeemer Lives – Francis Frangipane
God’s Plan, Our Lives – Steve Irwin
Where the Spirit of the Lord Is – Francis Frangipane

CD Audio Series - $12.00 (Retail $16.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $6.00 (Retail $8.00)
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MP4 Video Series Download - $11.25 (Retail $15.00)


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Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
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Comments and Questions
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A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

Those Who Make A Covenant With God
By Francis Frangipane

The Covenant-Keeping God
Throughout the history of God's dealings with man, He has revealed Himself as a covenant-making God. The Almighty made major covenants with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David; He renewed His Abrahamic covenant in His call to Isaac and Jacob. Each covenant initiated a new wave of redemptive power into the world and forever impacted the human condition.

The word covenant means "to fetter" or chain together. It was the highest form of commitment that two individuals could share. Any of several rituals were employed to express the covenant partners' unity: A sword might be passed, signifying that the two would be united against the enemy as one. They might pass a sandal between themselves, which symbolized they would travel any distance to be at one another's side. Or, they might cut an animal in two and pass between its halves. As the two halves, though separated, were still one animal, so the two covenant partners would become as one individual.

When the Lord initiated His covenant with a man, He did so as an extension of His eternal purpose; the man was a component in a series of divine initiatives. Contained within the Lord's covenant was His divine intervention, His supernatural wisdom and strategies, His love and forgiveness, and His provisions.

Thus, if we look at the Lord's call to Noah, we see that it was not the ark but the covenant of God that preserved Noah and his family during worldwide judgment (Gen. 6:18). Noah was a component, a factor in a series of divine initiatives, which accomplished the Lord's predetermined plans. God established the covenant, designed the ark and brought the animals. The Lord even shut the door after Noah entered the ark (Gen. 7:16).

When the Lord established His covenant with Abraham, twice a flaming torch passed through the halves of the animals Abraham offered in sacrifice. The two passes signified that God would keep His part of the covenant and, remarkably, He would also be the strength in Abraham to fulfill his part of the covenant as well! Today, a restored Israel testifies to God's faithfulness in His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And it is God's covenant with Abraham, not merely the Israeli military, that preserves Israel in our times.

The agreement the Lord cut with His covenant partner was not only for His servant, but it extended to His servant's descendants as well. The promise God made could be passed on generationally.

Payment And Pattern
Similarly, we are saved and sustained through life by Christ's covenant with the Father. Our salvation has been secured not only because Jesus died for our sins, but because His death was part of a covenant He had with the Father. The fact that Jesus suffered on my behalf is staggering, but His crucifixion was a component of an even more powerful reality: His covenant with the Father.

The terms of Christ's covenant were such that, if He would live His life blamelessly and offer that holy life upon the cross for sins, everyone who believed in the Son of God would be granted forgiveness by God. The Father would look to Christ's sacrifice and see justice; sinners would look to Jesus and find mercy. We are saved by this New Covenant.

Yet, as maturing disciples, we find in Christ's covenantel mission not only our peace, but also a pattern Christ calls us to follow. He told His disciples, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21). Having laid down His life in covenant surrender, He now bids us to follow Him (Matt. 16:24). Of course, our cross does not replace His cross, nor do the local covenants we make with God supersede Christ's eternal covenant. The truth is, our cross extends the power of Christ's cross into our world and times. Indeed, our covenant with God finds its backing because of Christ's covenant with the Father.

Thus, the Lord invites us to follow Him; even as He covenanted with God for the sins of the world, so we covenant to God for our homes, cities and nations. The covenant positions us in the same attitude expressed by Christ, revealed again through us for our families, cities and nations.

The Harvest and Covenant Power
To many, the idea of making a special covenant with God is unfamiliar. Yet, besides the major covenants we mentioned earlier, the Bible tells of many other times when men made a localized covenant with God. (See 2 Kings 11:17; 2 Kings 23:3; 2 Chr. 29:10; Ezra 10:3; etc.) I believe that many have already felt the Holy Spirit speaking, urging them to deepen their commitment to Christ on behalf of their families, cities and nations.

Even so, covenants, and our obedience to them, must not be made casually. They must come from our hearts in response to the Lord's initiative. You will know the depth of your covenant by the vision, faith and depth of burden God has given you.

A new authority is coming to those who desire full conformity to Christ. For a great harvest is indeed prophesied for the end of this age (Isa. 60:1-3; Acts 2), and those leading the way will be individuals who understand Christ's covenant and, in surrender to Christ’s initiative, have themselves covenanted with God for those they love.

Lord Jesus, You are my inspiration and pattern. I desire to be like you in all things, even as Paul said, to be "conformed to [Your] death" (Phil. 3:10). Master, open my eyes to the realities granted me through Your covenant with the Father. And lead me into the power of covenant prayer for my loved ones, church and city. In Jesus’ name.

Adapted from Francis Frangipane's book, The Power of Covenant Prayer, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

January 26, 2024
True Revival: Conformity to Christ
By Francis Frangipane

We must have three foundational standards as believers. One is to be people of prayer. That means our hearts are positioned to stand in the gap in prayer between the judgement and the mercy of God. Our earnest goal is to manifest the intercession of Christ Himself, where mercy triumphs over sin rather than divine wrath destroys sinners.

Another of our goals is to attain Christ's meekness. This forever will be a goal because the moment we assume we've attained it; we've actually lost it. Yet, possessing the humility of Christ remains an ever-living passion in our spirits. Without humility, we can't see with clarity what we lack in spiritual substance. Humility enables us to grow in all the other virtues and gifts we see manifest in Jesus.

However, the very center of our vision must be to attain the character and power of Jesus Christ. Humility helps us see what we lack; prayer helps us appropriate God's provision for that need. Yet, the pinpoint goal is the full revelation of God's Son manifest within a many membered body.

People define success in many ways – range of influence, souls saved, churches started, etc. However, to me the definition of a successful life is measured in how truly transformed we are to Christ's likeness. When persecuted, do we pray? When attacked, do we turn the other cheek? When threatened by the impossible, do we trust God? When crucified, do we forgive?

You see, the issue is not how many people are attending church, but how many are becoming Christlike. The evidence of true revival is not whether we fall, jump, roar or soar, but how Christlike we are on Monday morning when we're in the world.

One Goal
Attaining Christlikeness must become our life. In His prayer in John 17, Jesus said, "This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." We cannot know who God is without first knowing Jesus Christ. To know Christ is to know God; to see Christ and what He did, is to behold the beauty of God.

Consider: Paul's primary goal wasn't to convert the world, but to reveal Christ to the world. He never laid out a plan to write two-thirds of the New Testament. He never sought even to become an apostle. His one singular passion was to know Jesus.

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul reveals the inner cause of His outward achievements. He writes, "that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (Phil. 3:10). He said he counted "all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ" (Phil. 3:8). His love and passion for Christ produced miracles, power, virtue, revelation and conversions of sinners in the world.

Beware Of the Dogs
A mature Christian is one who sees Christlikeness as the true objective of His salvation (Phil 3:15). In contrast, Paul warned the church that there were goals that could awaken false religious fervor, which would obscure our vision of personal transformation. Thus, he wrote, "Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision" (Phil 3:2).

In the first century, dogs were not so much pets as they were scavengers, animals that fed on garbage and waste. Likewise, there are Christians who are always sniffing out what is wrong, looking for what is corrupt. They actually feed off the knowledge of other people's failures. Paul says to beware of the dogs. Don't become a Christian who feeds off garbage.

He also says to beware of the "false circumcision" and the "evil workers." Under the Jewish Law, circumcision of the flesh was one of a long list of painful obligations that were necessary to be accepted by God. Paul says that all of those obligations were fulfilled in Christ. True circumcision is something God does to the heart by the Spirit (Rom 2:29). An evil worker was one who, among other things, placed upon the Christian a yoke of religious bondage instead of the yoke of Christ.

One True Goal
A time will come when every knee will bow and every tongue confess Jesus Christ is Lord. Between now and the fulfillment of that promise, the church will increasingly become Christlike. Our passion must be to know Jesus and become like Him. We must reach for this goal while we are in this world, not the next. It will not be difficult to become Christlike in heaven; God wants us Christlike on earth – at work, in our neighborhoods and in our families.

Conformity to Christ is God's promise for each of us. Scriptures tell us that "as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes" and "amen" (2 Cor 1:20). Whatever is in your heart that you are believing for, God says the answer is "yes!" That's how much the Father loves His Son. That's how high a price Jesus paid for us. But first, if you want the promises, you've got to pursue Christlikeness, for the promises are "in Him." The first promise that God seeks to fulfill is the promise of His Son revealed through us.

The Father, who knows us intimately, is continually drawing us toward knowing Him. This is the essence of all true spiritual experience. The journey is described in the 139th Psalm:

"O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me. Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up; Thou dost understand my thought from afar. Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down, and art intimately acquainted with all my ways."

The word translated "scrutinize" literally means "to winnow." God winnows our path. When a farmer winnows grain, he throws the grain and its mixture of straw and husks into the air. The kernels of wheat or barley fall into a pile on the threshing floor, while the chaff, or refuse, is blown away by the wind. David is saying that this is what God does to us. He winnows our lives, allowing the Holy Spirit to blow away our chaff, so that what remains is the pure grain of our lives, resting at His feet.

I tell you, if you are serious about wanting to be like Christ, He is going to put you in circumstances where your only true choice is to become like Him. I can think of many things that people attribute to me as being a virtue; they ask, “How did you attain such and such?” In reality, I had no choice. All my other choices were winnowed away. In Gethsemane, Jesus could indeed have had the cup of suffering removed – 12 legions of angels would have come to His aid (not that He needed angels to save Himself). Yet to save Himself from the cross would mean all mankind would be lost. Yes, He had a choice, but to save Himself was not really an alternative. Likewise, God winnows us until the chaff, flesh and even the excess baggage of our lives is removed. What remains is the most precious element of our lives: Christ in us.

In the story of the Israelites' captivity, we find cruel taskmasters appointed over them, who afflicted the Hebrews continuously (Ex 1:11). Yet, verse 12 says that the more the taskmasters afflicted them, the more the Israelites multiplied and spread out. This is the way it is with the Lord. The more the enemy seeks to afflict you in some battle, the more Christ begins to multiply in your life and the character of Jesus spreads throughout your soul.

In the midst of God's winnowing, we must decide to be like Jesus. There is something that happens deep inside when we say, unequivocally, that our vision and passion is the pursuit of Christlikeness. When conformity to Jesus becomes the reason we live, true revival has begun in our lives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
View this message in your browser.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ’s Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Whether you aspire for a ministry role or want to grow in your relationship with God, the home study curriculum is quoted as being one of the most impactful journeys you may take with the Lord.

ICIT provides focused training in four essential stages of spiritual development:

• The vision of attaining Christ’s likeness
• Possessing Christ’s humility
• Developing a strong prayer life
• Becoming one with other Christ believers

These are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian walk. Enroll and begin anytime.

This online course is designed to fit your schedule and to lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The course not only includes 48 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio), but the discerning student will find the Lord using the lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the training.

Enroll independently, with your spouse or with a group.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's Not What You Say, But Who Backs You Up
Walking in faith means that we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit to daily impact our world. The future is shaped not by those who get elected but by the Elect, by Christ’s followers.

Audio sample

Message titles:
Being People of Faith | Having Faith
Standing in Love | Disciples of Christ

CD Audio Series - $15.00 (Retail $20.00)
MP3 Audio Series Download - $7.50 (Retail 10.00)
DVD Video Series - $22.50 (Retail $30.00)
MP4 Video Series Download - $11.25 (Retail $15.00)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

January 12, 2024
The Power of Impartation
By Francis Frangipane

I know a man who, as a young teenager, endured a violent outburst from his father. The incident had to do with a style shirt that other teens were wearing. First, his dad told him not to buy the shirt and then, after the young man showed up wearing it anyway, his father told him to take it off. When the boy resisted his dad exploded, ripping the shirt while it was still on the young man’s body.

For whatever damage the violence did to the young man’s psyche, there was a deeper side effect. Later in life, my friend married and had his own children. As life would have it, his oldest son wanted to wear a certain "hip-hopper" shirt, to which my friend objected. Later that day his son tried to sneak out of the house wearing the shirt but was caught. Just as his dad before him had done, my friend exploded and, while the shirt was still on his son, he ripped it in several places.

My friend was not an evil or violent man, but something wrong, like a "time released curse," had been imparted to him 25 years previous. This enraged behavioral pattern had incubated in his spirit until the right circumstances arrived; then it repeated itself identically.

My friend was shocked by his unpremeditated action. However, he was also amazed as he pondered the power and mystery of impartation. His father’s deed was a seed that, apart from my friend’s conscious choice, bloomed on its own in the garden of his life. It was true: the "sins of the fathers" are "visited" upon the children.

Human Relationships: Channels For Good or Evil
Of course, my friend’s dad had imparted many good things into his life as well. My point is that the principle of impartation shows itself in a thousand ways during our lives. There are things we are doing and ideas we defend, not because we thought them through, but purely because they were imparted to us by others around us.

The fact is, the unfiltered human spirit is very much like a sponge that absorbs into our soul the substance of the world around us. Thus, scripture warns "bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor 15:33). I know of too many kids who were raised in Christian homes who, for one reason or another, became friends with kids who were sexually active or experimenting with drugs. Soon, the morals of those children were quietly compromised. How? Through impartation.

Yet, God’s word also promises "he who walks with wise men will be wise" (Prov 13:20). There are those whom God has put in our lives, whose influence inspires us to reach for the stars.

The human soul must not become an "unwalled village"; we cannot exist spiritually without guards and boundaries. Plainly, we need rules and standards of God’s word; divine truth creates a wall that keeps out the enemy. We must be selective and wise in walking in this world for it is, in truth, a war zone.

It is also why Jesus warned, "Therefore take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall more be given" (Lk 8:18). Whatever you intently focus upon and listen to, of that thing "shall more be given." What we yield to in unfiltered openness in varying degrees conforms us to itself. Entertainment "enters." Consider wisely, therefore, the next time you turn on the television, Internet or select a movie to watch. Whether the impartation comes via the media, friends or family, take heed what you allow into your spirit. For whatever you allow into you through impartation, that reality shall more be given until you have an abundance.

He Who Receives a Righteous Man, Receives
Yet, the good news is that impartation can be a wonderful and positive influence in our lives. A life-giving church can fulfill and support your spiritual journey. Prayer partners can stand before God with you and for you, encouraging you by the holy and impartable influences of their faith. We can also receive impartation from our pastors, mentors and Christian authors.

As a spiritual leader, my goal is not just to inform you, but to conform you to Christ. This involves not only instruction, but impartation as well. If you are reading a certain author that God is using right now in your life, believe God for the best that ministry can supply. There’s no reason you cannot receive of the grace given to that person for you.

Jesus was specifically talking about the value of godly impartation when He taught, "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward" (Matt 10:40-41).

Of course, God may meet you sovereignly, and we should covet and pursue times alone with the Holy Spirit, in prayer or study of God’s word. But, often the Holy Spirit will have something to impart to you through a righteous man or woman. You say, "I don’t need men, I have the Bible and a relationship with the Lord." The Bible did not fall from heaven, untouched by human hands; it was written my men inspired by God. Imagine if the early church shared that attitude! Of course, today there is much deception in the church and we must each personally know the written word of God. Impartation does not take the place of our personal relationship with our Father. Simply, Jesus says that God will "reward" us just by our ability to "receive" from those He sends.

Indeed, there is no limit to how much our spirits can absorb from other leaders. Impartation is most effective when we are not in awe of men, but in awe of God who uses men and women to impart spiritual substance.

Moses and Joshua
The Bible supplies many examples of impartation: Elijah and Elisha, Saul prophesying among the prophets and, of course, Jesus and His disciples (1 Kings; 1 Sam 10:5-11; Jn 14:12). Consider the commissioning of Joshua, the son of Nun. I’m sure he had his own walk with God. He didn’t need Moses in order to dwell in right relationship with the Almighty; Joshua was a man who followed the Lord fully. Yet, we read,

"Now Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him . . ." (Deut 34:9).

The laying on of Moses’ hands imparted the spirit of wisdom to Joshua. Joshua, apart from Moses, possessed personal character; yet through Moses’ hands, God gave Joshua the "spirit of wisdom." Joshua received Moses in the name of a prophet and received a prophet’s reward.

Not only did Joshua receive by impartation, through his unique ministry God would impart great faith to Israel. Consider what the Lord told Moses, "Encourage [Joshua], for he shall cause Israel to inherit [the land]" (Deut 1:38).

Joshua didn’t just lead the Israelites, he would cause them to inherit God’s promises! I am struck by this verse. Just as my friend’s dad imparted something that caused him to temporarily fail, so there are people God has given us whose faith, example and encouragement will "cause" us to succeed. That individual may be your mentor, pastor or a leader in your church; he may be a national leader whose messages seem perfectly timed for your needs. Either way, God has placed people in your life whose influence will "cause" you to inherit His promises! Beloved, even as you hold fast to Christ as your head, may you also understand the gift and power of spiritual impartation.

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In Christ's Image Training

New self-paced online format.

In Christ’s Image Training is an international online course developed by Francis Frangipane, designed to take Christians at all levels and lead them into a deeper understanding of what it means to be like Christ.

Whether you aspire for a ministry role or want to grow in your relationship with God, the home study curriculum is quoted as being one of the most impactful journeys you may take with the Lord.

ICIT provides focused training in four essential stages of spiritual development:

• The vision of attaining Christ’s likeness
• Possessing Christ’s humility
• Developing a strong prayer life
• Becoming one with other Christ believers

These are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian walk. Enroll and begin anytime.

This online course is designed to fit your schedule and to lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The course not only includes 48 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio), but the discerning student will find the Lord using the weekly lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the training.

Enroll independently, with your spouse or with a group.

Learn more at www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español


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The Power of One Christlike Life

Updated and revised, The Power of One Christlike Life carries a cargo of gold from the heart of a man after God's heart. This book by Pastor Frangipane contains the nectar of his walk with God. It is packed with revelation about the nature of God in Christ, and how the key to everything spiritual is found in the pursuit of Christ's likeness.

Book - $10.75 (Retail $13.50)
Ebook - $10.75 (Retail $13.50)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
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A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.

Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations were
taken from the NASB.

I Will Rejoice
By Francis Frangipane

God's desire is for us to possess a thankful, rejoicing heart. To some, such a goal seems like an unscalable mountain, yet this is exactly what the Lord desires to give us.

Our problem is that we are focused on our problems. We enter our day with our countenance darkened by the gloom of unbelief. We wonder why the non-Christians don't run to give their lives to Christ. Perhaps the obstacle is not what exists in their hearts, but what is in our own. Yes, we accepted Christ as Savior and gave Him our sins, but have truly given Him our lives?

Our gloom belies our trust in God the Lord desires to rescue us from gloomy, unbelieving attitudes. He wants us to cancel our plans to be miserable and submit ourselves into His loving, wonderful hands. This is why I'm fighting for the best life you could possibly have. I'm fighting powers of darkness, so you experience the fullness of joy.

Why So Sad?
Even in a world where spiritual darkness is increasing, the Lord plans something different for us. In fact, He orders us, "Arise, shine; for your light has come." He tells us that His literal glory, which is now abiding within us, will "appear upon" us. The result? "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:1-3).

What does it mean? What we see of God's glory is the outraying manifestation of His presence. But His radiance is actually the unveiling of His goodness. Consider: when Moses asked to see the Lord's glory, the Lord responded, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you . . . I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion" (Ex. 33:18-19).

So, God's glory is His unfathomable goodness. When Scripture says, "the glory of the LORD will rise upon you," it is actually saying the GOODNESS of the Lord will be seen upon you. In other words, in contrast to the uncared for world under judgment, you will be seen as one chosen to reveal how good God is!

God's goodness, like a morning dawn rising at the end of a night, is increasingly going to be manifest upon us at the end of this age. With all my heart I believe we are entering days where both the visible radiance of God's glory and the overwhelming effect of His goodness will manifest in the true church. We'll see more of the good things of God: more of His healings, more of His miracles, more of His provisions and more of the power of His love. These won't be isolated elements or events, but a stream of wonders that will cause the world to marvel at the Lord's goodness upon His people.

So Rejoice!
Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Why should we rejoice? For "the Lord is near." (Phil 4:4-5). He's not talking about the second coming; the Lord is near now in our spirits. He's saying that you're not isolated from God. Rather, God is at hand. He goes on with the very familiar recipe for gaining God's peace:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God (listen to this), which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:6-7).

Paul describes the peace of God as surpassing all comprehension. Then the apostle writes in Eph. 3:19 that "the love of Christ surpasses knowledge." Do you understand that? The enveloping presence of God surpasses your mind's analytical powers to figure out the world around you. See, it doesn't really matter if you don't have the all the answers if you truly have God and can trust Him! The peace and love of God transcend and surpass the realm of the mind.

People may ask, "Why are you so happy especially given your difficult circumstances?" You respond: "I can't tell you why, I just know, in spite of my battle, I'm fully loved by God. He's in charge of me and my future." 1 Pet. 1:8 says, "...you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible..." Add it up and see how much we have: peace beyond comprehension, love beyond knowledge and joy beyond our ability to express and articulate.

There is a spiritual realm of joy, peace and love we can abide in that's far more wonderful and expansive than the tiny realm of our analytical thought life. Probably ninety percent of our battles exist in our minds. I am not saying we shouldn't think or consider things, but if we are not simultaneously living in the spiritual realm of joy, love and peace, our fight is filled with futility. God wants to coax us out of these tiny realms and bring us into the realm of His full presence where His joy, love and peace abound.

Cursed or Christlike?
God had many blessings planned for Israel, but He also warned that curses awaited them if they embraced sinful attitudes of life. In the summary thought of Deuteronomy 28, the Lord explains, "So all these curses shall come on you . . . because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore you shall serve your enemies" (Deut. 28:45-48).

Listen carefully: They weren't cursed only because they disobeyed God, but also because they did not serve God with joy and a glad heart. If I ask my kids to do something and, though they do it, they murmur and complain, it is offensive. You see, obeying with a complaining attitude is not obeying, its complaining.

We must make the choice to rejoice. Too many of us are cynics. Cynicism, contrary to popular opinion, is not a gift of the Holy Spirit. A cynic is a habitual doubter. He is nearly always negative, expecting the worst, and probing for the worst when there is nothing negative is visible on the surface. Ultimately, a cynic will always discover something that confirms their expectations.

I am saying that God is good, and even when things are not good, He works them for our good. If you believe this is true, your faith in God will relieve you from a host of dark and dangerous attitudes. God is Who He says He is. Even if we don't know all the details along the way, we trust that He is good.

He Who is perfect can make something wonderful come out of what was just average or even misguided. That's where my peace comes from: God's abilities and His goodness. This is where the peace beyond comprehension comes from; here is the source of the love that surpasses knowledge. God Himself is the reason for my inexpressible joy!

". . .all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Col 1:16-17).

Not only is Christ the agency of creation, but in Him "all things hold together." Now listen: Just as the Lord holds creation together, so He can hold our lives together as well. Maybe you don't know what to do next. How are the bills going to be paid? What will the future look like? Maybe your emotions are stretched and strained, and you don't know what to do next. You can't hold it together, but God can. Trust Him. He'll hold it together. He'll keep you right in the center of His love.

I Will Rejoice!
Paul is in a jail when he writes the church in Phillippi. The prison he was in was horrific, and he had done nothing to warrant being there. Yet, when he writes he uses the words "joy, rejoicing or glad" over a dozen times. Consider: he has every reason to be miserable, yet he makes the choice to rejoice. He says, ". . . Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice" (Phil 1:18).

My heart tells me that Paul's declaration wasn't directed to the readers as much as to those forces of darkness that had stolen his freedom, his comforts - everything, but his heart for God. It was as though he were telling them, "Look, you took much, but you are not going to get my joy!"

If the enemy can take your joy, he'll also take your strength. Soon, you'll find yourself struggling with sin, not because you were evil, but because when you lost your joy, you lost your ability to resist the enemy. "For the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh 8:10).

Paul couldn't have know his letter would become part of the Bible. He's just writing to fellow Christians. But when you trust God, focus on God, and magnify the greatness of God, then even your time in jail can be sanctified and used to glorify the Almighty.

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Transformed In His Presence
If It Is God You Seek, It Is God You Will Find.

Go deeper in your walk with God and allow yourself to be transformed. Begin the journey with 180 daily readings drawn from Holiness, Truth, and the Presence of God and other classic works by Francis Frangipane. These deep insights are reformed into short, focused devotionals, armed with Bible verses and blank lines for journaling.

Francis Frangipane challenges readers to embrace a life-changing path of seeking God and knowing Him. This daily devotional will challenge, provoke, and empower readers to pursue holiness and Christlikeness.

Book - $12.00 (Retail $13.00)


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Strength for the Battle
This hardcover book of daily readings will help you learn that the battle begins with holiness as you examine the three arenas of spiritual warfare that every maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church, and the invisible spiritual realm. You will find strength to stand against the enemy by focusing on:

• Areas of darkness in their hearts that the Lord wants to expose
• Unity and love – two keys that unlock the power of God to move
• Jesus and the power He gives to contend in the heavenly realm

Quotes and excerpts taken from several of the Francis Frangipane’s best-selling books including The Three Battlegrounds, The Power of Covenant Prayer, and Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ.

180 daily readings to equip you for the battles you face.

Book - $13.50 (Retail $15.00)

Visit Arrow Bookstore to order these and
other resources by Pastor Francis
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Receive daily posts from Francis:

Follow Francis on Twitter

Follow Francis on Facebook

Follow Francis on Instagram
______________________

You can support Advancing Church Ministries at www.frangipane.org/donate
______________________

Comments and Questions
eword@frangipane.org
______________________

Mensajes en español

A service of Frangipane Ministries, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2024
All rights reserved.