Your Children Will Return

[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 your 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.]
 

Your Children Will Return
By Joy Frangipane Marion
(En Español)

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 of 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 unrighteousnes?" (2 Cor. 6:14). 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, unless my parents had 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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The preceding excerpt is adapted from the book This Day We Fight by Pastor Frangipane, available at www.arrowbookstore.com.

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This Day We Fight!

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.

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The Three Battlegrounds

Any time the Spirit of God's kingdom is truly manifested in the earth, it will ultimately confront the strongholds of hell. Indeed, wherever evil spirits have either a foothold or a stronghold, you can expect that the overcoming church will be engaged in warfare, and expect also that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus builds.

In this book, Francis Frangipane explores the three arenas of spiritual warfare that the maturing Christian will face: the mind, the church and the heavenly places. It provides a foundation of insight, wisdom and discernment on the nature of the battle and the keys to victory.

View Francis introducing this book

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THE LUKEWARM will BE DECEIVED!

THE LUKEWARM will BE DECEIVED!
by Andrew Strom

Why is is particularly the "Lukewarm" church that is prone to
deception? What is it about 'Laodicean' Christians that makes
them so much easier to deceive?

Watch Andrew Strom's message on this below-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xICFEly7tXM


God bless you all.

THE RESPONSIBILITY of GRACE

THE RESPONSIBILITY of GRACE
by David Wilkerson

In the parable of Matthew 18:23-35 did the king overlook his
servant´s sin? Did he wink at his debt and merely excuse it? No,
not at all. The fact is, by forgiving him, the king placed upon this
man a weighty responsibility, a responsibility even greater than
the burden of his debt. Indeed, this servant now owed his master
more than ever. How? He was responsible to forgive and love
others, just as the king had done for him.

What an incredible responsibility this is. And it can´t be separated
from Christ´s other kingdom teachings. After all, Jesus said, "If
ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15). His point is clear: "If you don´t
forgive others, I won´t forgive you." This word isn´t optional, it´s a
command. Jesus is telling us, in essence, "I was forbearing with
you. I handled you with love and mercy and I forgave you out of
My goodness and mercy alone. Likewise, you are to be loving
and merciful toward your brothers and sisters. You´re to forgive
them freely, just as I forgave you. You´re to go into your home,
your church, your workplace, into the streets, and show everyone
the grace and love I showed you."

Paul refers to Jesus´ command, saying, "Even as Christ forgave
you, so also do ye" (Colossians 3:13). He then expounds on
how we pursue obedience to this command: "Put on therefore,
as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man
have a quarrel against any. . . . Above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness" (3:12-14).

What does it mean to be forbearing? The Greek word means
"to put up with, to tolerate." This suggests enduring things we
don´t like. We´re being told to tolerate the failures of others, to
put up with ways we don´t understand.

-Source-

http://sermons.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions

The Radical Christian

The Radical Christian
(En Español)

It would be both arrogant and foolish to limit the problem of terrorism to Muslims only. The fact is, many religions have had discomforting experiences with zealots and terrorism. Yet it is uniquely the Muslim religion that has produced entire armies of radical terrorists. How do we address this?

The Problem
Consider: a man might be a nominal Christian, mostly unaffected by spiritual things, until one day he reads the Bible, and he finds a spiritual fire has been ignited in his heart. If that man remains in his new conviction, he will increasingly pattern his life after Jesus Christ -- that is, he will become more loving and forgiving and more willing to invest his life in seeing others redeemed as well. He will, in short, increasingly become more Christlike. As Jesus predicted, "The works that I do, [My follower] will do also" (John 14:12).

However, if a nominal Muslim begins to read the Koran, and if he continues his daily readings and prayers, at some point he will increasingly surrender toward obeying all of Mohammed’s teachings. Within this man’s devotional life he may ultimately seek to possess true Islam -- that is, total submission to Allah. Within this small group of zealots, a smaller percentage will embrace not only the teachings of Mohammed but his works as well. Just as the follower of Jesus ultimately seeks conformity to Jesus, so the committed Muslim will prove his faithfulness by obeying even the militant extremes of Islam. The works Mohammed did the follower of Mohammed will also do.

And this is the problem: the Christian who becomes increasingly like Christ is being conformed to a redeemer; the Muslim who becomes increasingly like Mohammed is being conformed to a military leader.

www.tinyurl.com/2kfetv

Outwardly, the Muslim zealot may have originally presented himself to others as a man both courteous and nonthreatening. When he seeks employment he shows himself as one who disavows violence -- he is sincere, for his religion at this stage is nominal. But as time passes and as he becomes more committed to Islam, he will begin to view non-Muslims as infidels instead of just neighbors or coworkers. He will justify the violent impulses he feels because the Koran tells him such impulses should be followed.

Remember, I am not speaking of all Muslims but only a small fraction. What I am saying is that the radicalization of at least a small minority of Muslims is almost inevitable. For the normal growth of an unrestrained, fully committed zealot will eventually conform him to the founder of his religion.

This means that as long as there are people reading the Koran, there will be a small percentage who pledge themselves to spread Islam, even by use of terrorism. We who live in the predominantly non-Muslim world will have to cope with the violence of these self-radicalized "true believers."

Some Considerations
Are you a moderate Muslim, a man or woman of spirituality and refinement? Then you must decide that you do not want violent Muslims -- people motivated by hatred and blood lust -- to represent you. You must denounce and expose radicals -- even the son or daughter in your own home. The first line of defense against radical Muslims must be moderate Muslims.

[Let me interject here that I know there are many Muslims -- perhaps tens of thousands -- who have helped expose radicals in their communities. We applaud your courage.]

Are you Christian? You must guard against prejudging all Muslims by the violence manifested by the few. Remember, here in the Western world, a number of people turned to Islam as a reaction to the sinfulness and scandals in the Church. Now, however, in this present atmosphere, these same people are beginning to harbor doubts about their decision. Let us, therefore, make sure our communication with Muslims is the expression of Christ’s love.

Additionally, let us pray for Muslims. My wife and I pray daily for the Islamic world. Many Muslims are coming to Christ, often through the sovereign manifestation of Christ through dreams and visions. (See link below.) We pray that even the most radical Muslims may find forgiveness and life in Christ.

In the final analysis, perhaps the best way to win the radical Islamist is through the love shown them by the radical Christ follower.

www.tinyurl.com/og9b5y3

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In Christ's Image Training

Level I classes begin January 8, 2016

There are qualities of heart that actually attract the pleasure of God. If we possess unoffendable faith in our pursuit of Christ's likeness; if we walk humbly with our God; if we position ourselves in the intercessor's gap; and if we abide in Christ-centered unity with the local body of Christ -- we will attract the pleasure of God, and when we awaken His pleasure, His power soon follows. Sign up today for our next In Christ's Image Training course starting January 8. Registration closes Dec. 31, 2015. www.icitc.org.

In Christ's Image Training is a six-month, online course developed by Pastor Frangipane. It is based on 45 years of seeking God, study and revelatory insights. These are proven truths that break chains and lead to power in our Christian walk.

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

The course comes right to your home via email and audio messages and is designed to lift one's focus toward the actual presence of Jesus Christ. The full course not only includes 44 lessons and 39 audio messages (sample audio), but the discerning student will actually find the Lord using the weekly lessons to stage opportunities to deepen the truths found in the training.

For those with limited funds, the entire text is free by email. Just enroll in the Free Lesson Plan.

Student testimonies   |   Francis presenting the course

Enrollment overview:

     1) Go to www.icitc.org and read through the Level I page, FAQ          page, Level I Syllabus page, and Tuition page.

     2) Choose an enrollment plan.

     3) Next, complete the Level I Registration form.

     4) Submit the registration form - registration closes Dec. 31. Class          begins January 8, 2016.

For more info, please see www.icitc.org.

Training also available in Spanish / Español

GREAT QUOTES on TRUE PREACHING

GREAT QUOTES on TRUE PREACHING

"It ill becomes the servant to seek to be rich, and great, and
honoured in that world where his Lord was poor, and mean, and
despised." ~George Muller

"The only reason some of us are not exiled or thrown into prison
is simply because we do not preach as fervently and as sternly
as did Paul, John, Peter and others. This modern "santa claus"
religion that is sweeping country today is not the religion Jesus
taught and John practiced." ~Oliver B. Greene

"The Jesus that men want to see is not the Jesus they really
need to see."
~G. Campbell Morgan

"It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes
the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher" 
~George Whitefield

"It is a sad and shocking fact that many religious people are in Hell."
~John R. Rice


--
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WANTED - REAL PREACHERS!

WANTED - REAL PREACHERS!
by A.W. Tozer

It is true that much church activity is thrown back upon a shaky
foundation of psychology and natural talents. It is sad but true that
many a mother-in-law is actually praying that her handsome son-
in-law may be called to preach because "he would have such a
marvelous pulpit presence."

We live in a day when charm is supposed to cover almost the
entire multitude of sins. Charm has taken a great place in religious
expression. I am convinced that our Lord expects us to be tough
enough and cynical enough to recognize all of this that pleases
the unthinking in our churches: the charm stuff, the stage
presence in the pulpit, the golden qualities of voice....

I feel sorry for the church that decides to call a pastor because
"his personality simply sparkles!" I have watched quite a few of
those sparklers through the years. In reality, as every kid knows
at Fourth of July time, sparklers can be an excitement in the
neighborhood--but only for about one minute! Then you are left
holding a hot stick that quickly cools off in your hand.

Prophetic Preaching

If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation, it must be by other
means than any now being used. If the Church in the second
half of this century is to recover from the injuries she suffered
in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The
proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the
priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay
and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type
who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to
everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting.

Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must
be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God
and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I
pray God there will be not one but many), he will stand in flat
contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds
dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God
and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of
Christendom. Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken
and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the
souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the
One and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that
breathes with mortal breath.

A REVIVAL of RIGHTEOUSNESS is COMING!

A REVIVAL of RIGHTEOUSNESS is COMING!
by David Wilkerson

I want to make a statement with the greatest spiritual authority
possible, a statement backed by a covenant as sure as the one
made to Noah. There is going to be a final, midnight hour revival,
one which shall break forth on all sides. Zion will travail and many,
many children will be given to her. There will be great singing and
shouting, and Zion will say, "Where have all these come from?"
It will be a revival of righteousness.

I have heard old-time preachers speak of a last revival for years.
One dear friend has been preaching it for over sixty years. Now
the young preachers are praying for revival; they want to see God
work in this day, not just read about it in books. It is not enough
to simply preach on past revivals. Why pray, why seek revival, if
it is not promised in the Bible? If the Bible says we are beyond
hope, let´s just evangelize and preach, and not be concerned
about results. But, if revival is promised, Christians need to see
it, lay hold of it, and pray with faith knowing that God has
promised to do it. Is it in His Word? Yes, the promise is found
in Isaiah 54. This is one of the most important chapters in God´s
Word for this generation. We are clearly told here what God
intends to do with His church, His people, in the last days. This
chapter prophesies what is going to happen at Times Square
Church, as well as everywhere else where hungry hearts exist.
It will happen in Russia, in China, in every land, every island of
the sea, from the North Pole to the South.

The church is going to experience an undeserved outpouring of
love, mercy, and kindness. It is going to come in a time of great
affliction, with a tempest raging, with anxiety on all sides, when
society is being tossed about. God swears He is going to reveal
Himself in great kindness: "But with everlasting kindness will I
have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. . . . My
kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant
of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee"
(Isaiah 54:8-10). What God is saying to the church, He is also
saying to individual believers. God is speaking to those "afflicted,
tossed with tempest, and not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11).

-Source-

sermonindex.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=53145&forum=45