The Quiet Movement

Ten years later, what should we know now?

2011-09-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

When I lived in Florida, I used to love this weekend. Forme, it was a blessed time. At Disney, there’s Night of Joy and over atUniversal Studios, Rock the Universe took the stage. It was a plethora ofChristian music at both parks.

The weekend always got extra meaning for me because I got tospend my weekend with friends. My new friends from Z88.3 in Orlando were theemcees for the events and I always had a chance to say hello and briefly hangout with my favorite radio station personalities. The best part was that mylongtime buddy Alvin would make the trip down every year so we could hit theshows.

In 2001, Alvin decided to fly down and stay an extra fewdays. He would be hanging out with me until the following Friday. I hadn’t seenmany of my friends since moving to Florida in 2000, so it was great to have afew extra days with one of my closest friends. The bad part was that I wasworking midnight shift at SunTrust Bank’s call center and after finishing ashift, I was wiped out for half the day.

I will always remember coming home the morning of September11, I pulled into the driveway by 8:30 and was heading to bed a few minuteslater. I stopped to watch some TV before I fell asleep and the only thing Iremembered that morning was seeing a fire. A few days earlier, one of the tireplants in the area had caught fire and I thought the report was rehashingdetails of the blaze. My mind didn’t connect that it was Matt Lauer talking.Why would he talk about the tire fire on national news? It didn’t connect untilAlvin woke me four hours later.

“Frank, you need to get up and see this. The twin towers inNew York City fell. Terrorists flew planes into the buildings. A plane hit thePentagon. America is being attacked.” What? I must be dreaming. I pinchedmyself just to be sure. Nope, not a dream. This is real. I walked into theliving room and watched what most of the world was locked in on.

After an hour of watching, I felt numb. It still didn’t feelreal. A lot of the stores were closing along with Disney, Universal and therest of the theme attractions. Alvin suggested lunch and a drive. I couldn’ttell you what I ate. I know that we went to a mall just east of Disney and theywere quick to tell us that the stores were closing at 3:00. Why were we in ashopping mall in the middle of the afternoon after the attack? It helped us understandhow real this was. The mall was a ghost town minus the tumbleweed.

As we were walking through the mall, I remember hearing aconversation amongst some old codgers saying that nothing but war would come ofthis attack. My thought immediately was attack who, how do you attack an enemythat is uncertain? You don’t become a bully and just go blowing up nationsuntil you find the culprits. That may work in the movies, but in real life, itwill just turn the tide against you.

That night, I went back to work, tired and thinking why thishappened. As I walked through the door, my manager was waiting for me. “Gladyou’re here tonight, Frank.” What? This man is never happy to see me. OK, I’mwaiting for the punch line. “You have taken counseling classes and work in achurch, right?” Yes, I have and I help the youth and singles ministries in mychurch, what’s your point? “If anyone wants to talk about what happened today,you can go into conference and talk to them. Tonight only.” Is this the sameguy that threatened to fire me if I invited anyone else to church a few monthsearlier?

He was like a lot of Americans after the attack. He wasscared. Scared that this might happen again, soon. Scared that the terroristsmight just win. Scared that God that might look down on him if he didn’t allowhis Christian counselor to talk to the people one last time. He didn’t want meto talk to him, but anyone else was fair game, if they came to me. Thanks boss.

I spent most of that night talking to my co-workers. We wereall in shock. The questions were asked. Why would God let this happen? Toinnocent people? Here in America? Couldn’t God have stopped the terrorists? Don’tthey believe in God? Are they really going to hang out with 73 virgins? All theguys asked that last one.

God let this happen, I can’t deny that. Was it a wake upcall for America? I don’t know. I’ll talk more about that in a minute. Innocentpeople are hurt and killed every day. God tells us in His word that the rainfalls among the just and the unjust. Yes, this was the first strike on Americansoil since Pearl Harbor. I think also that is why many expected a swift anddecisive action. Remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Let me tell you that theJapanese do.

God could’ve stopped the terrorists, again just and unjust,but I also think that we learned something as Americans. We are not invincible.We are human, just like the rest of the world. Yes, we live better than 90% ofthe world, but we are not better than the world. Yes, the terrorists alsobelieve in God, maybe not the same one, that’s a hairy subject that would takemore time than I have here. Finally, I have no answer for the 73 virgins thing,but I know I have a hard enough time pleasing one woman. Do I really want totry my hand at 73? I think not.

The major lesson that came from 9/11 is a lesson that isstill true today. We need Jesus! The day after, Alvin, my mom and I took a tripto the only theme park in Central Florida that was open that day, the Holy LandExperience. We planned on going anyway, but my mom became intrigued to go afterthe events of that Tuesday.

For a place that at the time was in its infancy stages, theplace was packed. Many times throughout the day, I heard people tell me thatthey came because they knew God was here and that the terrorists wouldn’t dareattack the place. I also heard that many came as a place of sanctuary. In anoutside world that was spinning, at least God was still true. I learned a lotabout Jewish customs that I didn’t know while I was there, but the theme of theday kept coming back to God. God is here in the trials of our circumstances.

A lot of the world has changed in ten years. Countries inthe Middle East are falling and changing leaderships quickly. World markets arechanging rapidly. America has hit a recession. There are less jobs today. Moneyis tight. People are losing their homes.

One thing hasn’tchanged, though, American pride. In the days following 9/11, there was aresurgence of pride among Americans. Flags were waving on houses. Bumperstickers were out in force. Remember these, “Don’t mess with the U.S.” and “Wewill not forget!” While a lot of America was still trying to figure out if thesky was falling and trying to decide whether it was safe to come out of ourhouses, the WWE hosted the first live show of any sort two nights later inHouston, Texas. Wrestling helped bring many out of the shell. They had a liveSmack Down and brought out all of their big names and it was televisednationally. I will put Lillian Garcia’s rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner”that night among Whitney Houston’s before the Super Bowl in 1991 as the twomost memorable and heart reaching of my lifetime. America was not going downfor the count, not today.

America is hanging on with all the fight left in her. So whydo we need Jesus if we still have our American pride? It’s not because there’snothing left. Granted, we’ve tried a lot of things to maintain control. We’lltry it all, so did the Israelites.

You read account after account in the Bible of Israelfollowing God, falling away and returning to God, only to repeat the process. Theprophet Nehemiah reminded God of His promise to the people in prayer.

Neh 1:5 Then I said: "O LORD, God of heaven, thegreat and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love himand obey his commands,

Neh 1:6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes opento hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for yourservants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, includingmyself and my father's house, have committed against you.

Neh 1:7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. Wehave not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

Neh 1:8 "Remember the instruction you gave yourservant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among thenations,

Neh 1:9 but if you return to me and obey my commands,then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather themfrom there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for myName.'

Neh 1:10 "They are your servants and your people,whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand.

Did Godneed reminded of His promises? No. But I think it’s good to speak them aloud.This wasn’t just for God to know what the promises were, but that so His peoplewere reminded as well. Nehemiah is letting the people know they messed up, butthey don’t have to stay in the mess.

The worldhas changed and so has life here in the United States. Can I point to a timethat we messed up? Not for certain. My own belief thinks that it happenedsomewhere between the 1962 court decision to take prayer out of schools and Roev. Wade, which lead us to stop protecting the unborn. That and a dollar mightget you a good cup of coffee, unless you go to Starbucks.

But I can’tchange a whole country. I don’t have the power of Congress to make decisionsabout life. You’re right. Voting doesn’t mean as much as it used to becausemost of the politicians (I say most, not ALL) will take the money of lobbyistsand make your vote meaningless.

However,God gives us a promise in 2 Chronicles 30:9. “If you return to the LORD, thenyour brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors andwill come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious andcompassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”

Come on,Frank. That was for wartime and people had been taken away. We are at war everyday and people are taken every day for the fight. Are you praying for familymembers that are still not serving God? Are you praying for our military whoare fighting for our safety in Afghanistan, Iraq and many other places aroundthe globe? Are you praying to do right and love people for who they are and notwho you want them to be?

Godpromises us that if we return to him that he will show compassion to thosearound you. More importantly, He will never leave you nor forsake you. Thatdoesn’t mean it’s going to get easier. It just means that you don’t have towalk alone.

I love you guys!

Frank

I'm Not Who I Was, Thoughts From the Doctor's Office and The Revival

2011-06-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

I know it’s been a few weeks since I posted, but hopefully, I’ll be back on track now. In this writing, I’ll talk about why I’ve been down for so long and also last weekend’s revival at our church, The Journey, and what it has led me to believe about myself and moving forward with God.

First, the reasons that I had to slow to a stop. I had told you about our newest bundle of joy, Jenna Dee. She will be eight weeks on Wednesday and part of me had forgotten how much a little girl needed her daddy. The other three children of my life were keeping me busy enough, but Jenna and daddy got some bond time. We’ll get much more as mommy goes back to work this week, but the system has been created and will just need minor adjustments.

The bigger and far more important reason for the slowdown was my health. For most of the last six months to a year, I have been more tired than I should have been. With all the events of the last year, I chalked a lot of it up to depression, but instead of getting better, it was getting worse. Two months ago, my diabetes physician found a problem in my blood work. I had severely low testosterone.

I’ll be honest, when I first found this out, I thought of all the Viagra and other “purple pill” commercials. It’s also why I was hesitant to talk about it. The last thing a guy needs is hearing about sexual problems. The jokes kept running through my head about what might be said.

However, the low testosterone doesn’t do anything to your manhood. What it does do is take the drive away. I did know that was true. It wasn’t such a big deal with my wife being pregnant because her drive was down as well. I also knew the drive wasn’t there. I actually said one night that I’d rather be sleeping. Thankfully, she didn’t take offense.

The testosterone level also created a few other problems that you wouldn’t normally think of. I had noticed that I wasn’t shaving as often and when I was, it wasn’t all that long. Before, if I had went a week without shaving, I would need 2 or even 3 disposable razors to get the job done. Now, one took me the distance. I was also getting fatter. I ballooned to almost 300 pounds. My body fat closed in on 40%. I was also losing muscle. It was becoming more of a chore to lift my older kids. My oldest kids are little more than 50 pounds. Finally, with a bone density test, we found that my bones were becoming weaker. I used to be fairly athletic, but I was risking injury to my bones because of the decrease in bone strength.

Thankfully, my doctor had some answers. First, I began taking a vitamin D pill along with my daily multivitamin. That would help the bones stay stronger. Next, I began taking a roll on type medicine with my deodorant. This allows the testosterone to soak into my body before I start sweating. Honestly, I’m not exactly the best smelling guy in the world at the end of the day, but the end result is well worth it. Of course, that’s what bathtubs and showers were made for.

The last thing I’ll mention about this is that among diabetics, 1 in 3 men have low testosterone. If you are a potential sufferer or know someone who might be, there’s a great website to read up on it. It is http://www.isitlowt.com. It will give you some information, show you their national television ad, and how to bring this up with your doctor.

I will tell you that after one month on the roll on, my energy is beginning to return. It hasn’t broke me down to mow the grass, cook dinner, do laundry and some of the other things that I do. It has also helped me have more fun with the kids without feeling like I am going to fall over at the end from a heart attack. I still have to work on weight loss for more help, but at least I’ve started the road to recovery. Still keep me in prayer to maintain and gain energy to do all the things I love.

Speaking of things I love, I had the opportunity to spend time at our church revival this weekend. The revival didn’t start until Friday, but Thursday night was an opportunity for our church family to share in communion. Having that time of fellowship and communion before the revival set a tone and a focus for me.

On Friday night, we were introduced to evangelist Bentley Ball, from Louisville, Kentucky. The first night we learned about having a kingdom identity. When we become Christians and are baptized, our identity is different to God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” We are not the same to Him, but many times we remain the same to the people who knew us before Christ and sometimes even to ourselves. Lies become the truth if we hold on to them as ideas about ourselves. We need to shed those lies and step into our kingdom identity.

On Saturday night, we learned about the second touch from Christ. The focus was on Mark 8:22-25. I want to put the text here so you can see it for yourselves, because I truly had never heard it presented this way.

Mark 8:22 And he (Jesus) cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

Mark 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

Mark 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

Mark 8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

Bentley made a great point that I hadn’t thought about. Jesus never healed the same way twice. I liked his comment about the idea that this was probably a good thing. If Jesus had done the same thing more than once, the religious would’ve found a way to make doctrine out of it. I find it amazing in some religions what becomes doctrinal.

This man came to Jesus and the first touch from Jesus was not enough. It restored his sight, but not fully. Jesus then placed His hands on the man again and he was restored fully. As I sat and thought about this last night and into today, I asked myself why do we as people get healed to a manageable point rather than fully healed. I’ll use my own diabetes as an example. With the medications that I take (insulin), my sugar remains at a steady enough level to exist on a daily basis. However, isn’t the Christian walk about living as Paul termed it in Ephesians 3:20. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Jesus can take us to places we never even dream about. We should always be seeking another touch from Jesus when we are falling short under our own power.

On Sunday, I came away with a good feeling about myself. He focused on knowing who you are in Christ. There are many spiritual gifts that we can receive as Christians. By the end of the service, God was giving me peace about who I am as a Christian. My primary gift is being able to teach. I enjoy watching people grow in God through His Word and putting that into today’s world.

Perhaps the biggest gift that Bentley shared was something that came out in all three sessions. There is still work to do. I have grown much in 17+ years as a Christian and being able to serve often in ministry. However, we continue to grow throughout our lives. We can grow into other gifts and in service to our people. The late A. James Manchin professed during his political career that he was A. James Manchin, Your Public Servant. That’s how he signed every document. That’s how much he believed in who he was and what he did. I may not sign documents as “a servant of Christ”, but I want that sentiment carried on everything I do.

I’m not totally where I want to be in service, in ministry, or in my life. I know that there are still ideas of life that I still have to shed. On Bentley’s Facebook page, there is a quote he made several during the weekend with us. “Your world is formed by your thoughts. Change your thoughts and you change your world.” If we want to be the best Christian that we can be, we need to dispense of what my pastor calls “stinkin’ thinkin’.”

A revival is not only to revive the church from a tired state. A revival is to send us off into a higher state of mind where the biggest challenges are possible with the help of Christ. I know I’ve been motivated over these last few days and I can only hope that the words heard fall among the rest of our hearts at The Journey.

I love you guys,

Frank

You Take Myself...You Take My Self Control...Self-Control (Fruit of the Spirit)

2011-05-23T12:29:00.001-05:00

Hey gang!

So far, we have taken a look at three of the nine fruits of the spirit. We’ve looked at joy, peace and patience to this point and I hope to have time to look at several others this week.

Today, we take a look at self-control. You might be surprised to know that self-control is talked about in the Bible than patience and gentleness. The even more surprising thing is that there are no (zero, zilch, kaput) songs written in Christian music on the subject, at least not with self-control in the title. In fact, there is only one song ever done about self-control and the first time it was recorded was in 1983 by songstress Laura Branigan. She also did a former #1 song named Gloria and recorded the first version of The Power of Love, later to be done by Celine Dion.

The truth of the matter about Laura Branigan’s Self Control is that the song is about fighting to maintain it, but the video pretty much shows everyone not showing any self-control. I won’t list any of the sins that were being portrayed in the video, but there were several. The end of the video shows Laura almost losing her self-control as the morning light comes to save her. The sun saved her day as much as the Son can save ours.

Let’s first get a definition of self-control from our friend Mr. Webster and his dictionary. He defines it as “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions or desires.” If I’m on a diet and I want a Reese’s Peanut Butter Blizzard from Dairy Queen, I need to find other foods that are better for me to show self-control. However, real self-control must be shown as I have to drive by the Effingham Dairy Queen daily on my way to pick up my daughter Megan at school.

We’ve visited the verses in 1 Peter 1 before and we’ll do so again before the series is over, but for what Peter tells us to add in verse 6 is this; “and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;”

Peter continues to tell us add each trait on top of another. So after knowledge, then add self-control. That means that we should get smart, but then we need to learn when to put that wisdom forward. A friend of mine once said that I should “never cast my pearls before swine.” Not everyone loves wisdom. If you don’t believe me, ask King Solomon as he shares Proverbs. After we begin using self-control, we should learn perseverance. We need to learn how to hang on through the bad times by using that wisdom and self-control.

Peter also gives us a couple reasons to have self-control. In 1 Peter 1:13, he shares with us to prepare our minds for action and that self-control is part of that plan so that we will receive the total grace when Christ appears. In 1 Peter 4:7 he adds clear minded to self-control, so that we will be able to pray. When we are in control and thinking clearly, not only God, but we will know have a better idea of what we really need and see God’s will in our prayers.

Next, let’s look at the writing of Titus. On five separate occasions, we are told to be self-controlled. The first example is to the church when adding elders. In verse 8, elders, “Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.” These are the positive attributes they should have. Self-controlled is also listed in Christian leadership skills in 1 Timothy 3:2.

The second, third and fourth examples in Titus are examples of what should be taught to people.

Tit 2:1 You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

Tit 2:2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

Tit 2:3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.

Tit 2:4 Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children,

Tit 2:5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

Tit 2:6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

Notice that all three of these groupings include self-control as a quality that is needed. If you think that we are the only generation to struggle with self-control, the verses show us that thinking isn’t true.

The final reference of self-control in Titus is in verse 12 of chapter 2. “It (the grace of God, from verse 11) teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.” Just like Peter in his letter, precept builds upon precept to a godly life.

Paul also teaches how valuable self-control is to married couples in 1 Corinthians 7. In verse 5, he says, “Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” If you watch some of the daily reality television, such as Maury or Jerry Springer, you will often hear a comment like this: “My man acts like a dog, so I cut him off.” What Paul is saying here is that you shouldn’t withhold lovemaking because of being an idiot, but because you need time to pray. Then, get back together for more lovemaking so that no one is tempted. I know guys are generally more guilty of being tempted because we’re visual people, but it takes two to withhold that temptation. If he is getting “good lovin’” at home, temptation is squashed.

The final two verses we’ll look at here tell us to be alert and self-controlled. Paul issues that warning to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:6 that we need to be alert and self-controlled so that we won’t be like others who will be spiritually asleep as the final days approach. Peter tells us the reason why in 1 Peter 5:8-9. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” The devil is out there and takes many forms. He can be the temptress of lust, alcohol, drugs, chocolate or anything that hinders you in your quest to serve God righteously. The devil wants to take us out. Out of the thinking that we can make a difference or even worse, make us believe that God won’t take us to eternity. God wants us. He wants us in control of our pursuit of Heaven and finally, He wants us to bring everyone along that we can.

We’re almost halfway there in going through the fruit of the spirit. Up next, gentleness.

I love you guys!

Frank

It's The End of the World As We Know It...Psyche!

2011-05-21T14:05:00.001-05:00

Hey gang!

This is a sermon that I am sharing tonight at The Journey's Unbound Ministries tonight at the Village Square Mall in Effingham, IL. I hope it touches you and the audience that I am speaking to tonight.

Today is the day. Today could be the end of the world as we know it. If Harold Camping is right about the prediction of the rapture. Approximately at 6:00pm local time all around the world, earthquakes are supposed to start happening and “true Christians” are supposed to be taken in the air with Jesus.

I know it sounds crazy, but Mr. Camping also made this prediction in 1994. Now I won’t stand here and tell you that Mr. Camping is a senile old fool at the ripe old age of 94. One lesson my mommy taught me was to not ridicule or disrespect your elders. Even though I celebrated what Camping would call my last earthly birthday yesterday, at 42, he is still much my elder.

I learned by researching Mr. Camping’s position that he is a civil engineer by trade. This means that he is much better at math than I am and he is basing his argument on calculations from Bible teachings he has read. He admitted in 1994 that he had missed a few teachings that God has graciously supplied him this time around. Unfortunately, he may be missing a few more teachings.

The further explanation of his argument is as follows (from Wikipedia):

1. The number five equals "atonement", the number ten equals "completeness", and the number seventeen equals "heaven".

2. Christ is said to have hung on the cross on April 1, 33 AD. The time between April 1, 33 AD and April 1, 2011 is 1,978 years.

3. If 1,978 is multiplied by 365.2422 days (the number of days in a solar year, not to be confused with the lunar year), the result is 722,449.

4. The time between April 1 and May 21 is 51 days.

5. 51 added to 722,449 is 722,500.

6. (5 × 10 × 17)² or (atonement × completeness × heaven)² also equals 722,500.

Thus, Camping concludes that 5 × 10 × 17 is telling us a "story from the time Christ made payment for our sins until we're completely saved."^[20]

^Nowthe promotion of Camping’s crusade almost a year ago. Wikipedia describes it this way. In 2010, Marie Exley of Colorado Springs made news by purchasing advertising space in her locality, promoting the alleged Rapture date on a number of park benches.^[36] Since then, "Judgment Day" billboards have been erected at locations across the world.^[37] Some people have adorned their vehicles with the information.^[38]

Family Radio has spent over $100 million on the campaign spreading the word, financed by sales and swap of broadcast outlets.^[39] On October 27, 2010, they launched "Project Caravan". Five recreational vehicles arrayed with reflector lettering that declare that Judgment Day begins on May 21, 2011 were sent out from their headquarters in Oakland, California, to Seattle, Washington. Upon arrival, teams are sent out to distribute tracts.^[40]The caravan has made stops in Oregon,^[41] California, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Utah, Maryland,^[42] and other states, as well as Canada and Mexico.

The reason I tell you all this information is that I want you to understand that these people aren’t “kooks”, but they believed wholeheartedly in a teaching that was wrong. They didn’t just invest their money into it, they invested their time and their hearts. How disappointed a lot of these people must be that at midnight tonight (if not before), they begin to realize that the teaching was wrong. They will have a range of emotions. Being wrong will leave these people shorter on money, maybe without jobs, maybe without homes, maybe without the basic needs of life because they chose to believe it.

The single biggest reason for this message is that I, and anyone else involved in Unbound Ministries and The Journey, we just simply don’t want you to be taken in by unsound doctrine. We want you to know the truth. Jesus warns us on two separate occasions in The Gospels that there are going to be wrong teachings. In the text leading up to Matthew 7:15, He tells us that there is only one road to Heaven and it is a narrow road, through Jesus. But in verses 15-16a, he tells plainly, “"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.”

The second text is repeated. It is first found in Matthew 24, then again in Mark 13. I’ll refer to the Matthew text. I’ll start in verse 3.

Mat 24:3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

Mat 24:4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

Mat 24:5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.

I want to note here that Mr. Camping is not claiming to be Christ. However, some of these people predicting the end will claim to be Christ himself.

Mat 24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.

Mat 24:7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Mat 24:9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.

Mat 24:10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,

Mat 24:11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.

Mat 24:12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

Mat 24:13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

The reference in verse 9 may not be happening here in the United States, but if you look at the Middle East, China, some parts of Russia, just to name a few, it is happening. If you would like a source to look at and think about, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs would be a great place to start. In his book, he looks at people who have lost their lives for the Gospel since the 1^st century all the way through to the 16^th century. If you look the book up on the internet, I’m confident that there are many other sources that can take you to the present time.

Verse 10 is what scares me and any other Christian that cares about you. People will turn away from the faith and betray and hate each other. I don’t want anyone to turn away from the faith because of these false teachings. God wants us to remain faithful even in these faithless times. The promise of verse 13 is the hope we have to stand on. He who stands firm to the end will be saved. That means to you and me, hang in there, it has to get worse before it gets better.

I mentioned hope a moment ago. I feel hope is very important in a Christian’s walk, but I think it is important in humanity. All of us want to believe in a better place. A place where things will be better than here. That’s why people are easily sucked into these false predictions. They see their lives as not where they want them and so they clutch and hold on to anything that will help them see a better end. Why do you think fairy tales are so popular? They always have a happy ending. The princess finds her Prince Charming and they live “happily ever after.” Maybe that’s why you’re here. Your happily ever after has turned into a not so happy night, or even worse, your darkest nightmare.

For you, I have good news. I want you to know the truth. That truth will set you free today, at this very hour. You are here for a reason. You have hope too. I won’t promise you a rose garden as Lynn Anderson did in the early seventies. But I will promise you the strength to get through it. Let me read you some more from Matthew 24.

Mat 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.

Mat 24:25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

Mat 24:26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.

Mat 24:27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

My first word of advice is “Don’t feel stupid!” These false teachers are going to fool smart people and even the elect. If you’re Republican, you’re scratching your head and saying, “Anybody could fool this President!” That may or may not be so, but even proclaimed geniuses will be fooled.

Mat 24:29 "Immediately after the distress of those days "'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'

Mat 24:30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

Mat 24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

Jesus is giving you clues on what to look for. They are a tad more detailed in the book of Revelation, so if you are bored on your couch this summer, give it a read. Jesus promises that His angels will come with a loud trumpet call. For those of you in the military, you know what a loud trumpet sounds like at 5am. Believe me, those will pale in comparison to this trumpet.

Mat 24:34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.

Mat 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Mat 24:36 "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Mat 24:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark;

Mat 24:39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Mat 24:40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.

Mat 24:41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Mat 24:42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

No one knows the day or the hour but God. I find it incredible that the Son of Man doesn’t even know. God will simply tell Jesus to come get us.

But I want to leave you with hope, the hope that you can start getting ready. No packing of bags is necessary. He’s promised us that there is a mansion that He’s built for us waiting. He told the woman caught in shame that he would throw a stone at her since her accusers did not and finished with telling her to go and sin no more. He told the thief as he hung on the cross next to him that surely he would be in Paradise with Him.

All you need to do tonight, if you never have before, is ask. Ask Jesus to come and be in your heart. Accept the free gift of eternal life that He is offering you at this very moment. He’s been offering it all along, he has been patient waiting for you to be able to hear it. Just repeat the sinner’s prayer with me.

Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to you for forgiveness. I want to be unbound from my past. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of you. My greatest purpose in life is to follow your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

So what do I do now? First, tell someone. You can tell anyone and everyone. Next, find a good church to become part of. The truth is this: You will not grow if you leave here and go back to the same things you were doing before you came. You need to get with other believers that are already trying to grow. You’ll find people who may have gone through similar things. But the one thing you will have is support of growing in Christ. Finally, find a Bible. There are many different ones out there. I encourage you to start in one of two places. Start with Matthew and work your way through the Gospels. You will see the life of Jesus. You’ll realize that every trial you’ve been through is common to Him. The other recommendation is starting with the book of Acts. This is the story of how the church began. By reading this book, you’ll see what your church brothers and sisters are supposed to act like as they grow.

I sincerely hope you the best on your journey. Whether it continues here or elsewhere, believe me when I say that I am praying for you to continue to seek the truth and may it always set you free.

I love you guys!

Frank

Patience, Yeah Yeah, What We Need Is Patience

2011-05-17T22:53:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

I didn’t take an extra night of getting this part of the fruit of the spirit series just to teach you what I was going to talk about today. That’s right, it’s about patience. Thank you all for having some. The real reason that the extra time was needed was that my four year old son, James, is having some kind of virus/gastro-intestinal thing going on. My poor boy has been a sick little fella for over a week. It has just gotten crazy over the last couple days. So keep praying for him to get better.

Anyhow, we are going to continue and talk about patience as the third in our series on the fruit of the spirit. Webster’s Dictionary gives a few interesting definitions, but I’ll share one and an additional thought from it. The definition is “a calm temper that bears evil without murmuring and discontent.” The additional notes say, “Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from Christian submission to the divine will.”

That’s really hard to do. When bad things happen, the last thing that most of us want to be is calm. We love to complain and tell people how unhappy we are. A lot of society loves to cry “Poor, poor me. Look at me and have pity. Do you believe what I have to put up with?” That’s also led me to wonder why does Paul choose to start the love verses of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 with “Love is patient?” You’d think that Paul would’ve started that series of verses with “Love is kind.” It’s much easier to be kind than it is to be patient.

To have patience is to avoid all of the complaining and whining. Colossians 3:12 tells us to “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Because we are God’s people, we should act better. We should be able to handle it because we know who is in control. The problem really is that we don’t act like He’s in control or we act as if we don’t like that opinion.

When Paul closes out his first letter to the Thessalonians, he gives advice for holy, Christian living. “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” He closes the line telling us to be patient with everyone, especially all those he just mentioned. As Paul adds in Ephesians 4:2, he wants us to be patient, bearing with one another in love.

He tells us to warn those guys we find sitting around sipping on a latte. Put down the coffee and get busy. Enough said.

He adds to encourage the timid. Do people that sit on their hands because they are afraid to be wrong just irritate you? I find myself wanting to be like Paula Abdul and telling them to “Get up and make it your own.” Make a decision. Yes, you might be wrong, but don’t just sit there. We want people to patiently wait on the Lord, as David did as he praised in Psalms 40:1 because sometimes there is a purpose in waiting for God’s will. However, don’t wait every time.

Finally, we need to help the weak. There are people that have had a tough break or two. Don’t give them that attitude of “Get over it!” Help them stand.

However, the very meaning of being patient tells us that sometimes we need to wait. Proverbs 19:11 says that “A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” We need to operate with wisdom. There are times people will drive us nuts. You just want to reach over and slap them around. Maybe that’s me. Occasionally, we have to suck it up and go, “OK, this person is getting on my nerves, but I love them and I will be patient with them.” That same patience will keep you out of arguments as Proverbs 15:18 tells us. “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” My children have their bedrooms next to each other and I often tell my son to stay in his room after bedtime and he’ll stay out of trouble. His problem is that his sisters will often chatter until they fall asleep and when he hears something he wants to add comment to, he can’t help himself but to go over to their room. They end up arguing and he gets sent back to his room, often with orders to go to sleep.

So how do we get patience? We have to pray for it. This is one of those catch-22 prayer requests. “Lord, I want patience, but I want it right now.” As Paul tells the Colossians in the first chapter of that book, he wants us to be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience. Notice that endurance goes with patience here. Patience takes a long time of endurance to get.

I’ll close this section on patience with a verse that’s pretty understandable on the surface. In Romans 8, Paul is talking about hope, the hope of an eternity with Jesus. In verse 25, he says, “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” If we are hoping for heaven at the end of this life, aren’t we waiting on it patiently? Of course, we are. We want to live for eternity with Jesus, but many of us say that we are in no hurry to get there. A lot of us have great things going on here on Earth and as much as we’d love to be in front of Jesus getting a “Welcome to Heaven” hug, we’re not eager to leave behind this life. The job is going good. The grandkids are just beautiful. My spouse is my partner for a long while. So we’re patient.

But isn’t that also how we are with life? If we’re waiting for that job promotion, aren’t we willing to put up with that idiot boss a little longer? He’s OK, but someday, I’ll be in charge. Our kids are in high school and we’re pulling our hair out because they are struggling with grades or even worse, alcohol, drugs, etc. We keep praying for someday that they meet that one person that they’ll fall in love with and turn toward the Lord. Or we’re still single and wondering if God forgot to send someone to us to partner with. Because of hope, we wait and stay faithful to what God commands. We hope and we remain patient, even if there are some days it may not look that way.

I close this up with telling you that God has a plan for each and every one of us. It may not always be fun, but it will be worth it to be patient.

Next time, we’ll continue the series of the fruit of the Spirit and help you kill people with kindness.

I love you guys!

Frank

Peace, Peace! No, Not That Piece of Pie!

2011-05-13T12:30:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Yesterday, we began looking at the nine fruit of the spirit with the fruit of joy. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Love is a large category of scriptures, so I will look at that next week after I have time to take in all the verses. Today, we will continue with the fruit of peace.

When we think of peace, we often think of “peace and quiet” being lumped together. “All I want after a hard day’s work is peace and quiet.” Usually that means that we want to be left alone with food, a television set and a recliner. It also involves the kids being whisked off to bed. OK, maybe that’s my fantasy of peace and quiet.

However, peace is something a little different in the realm of scripture. Webster’s Dictionary defines this as a heavenly rest. They also define it as a state of harmony.

When I think of heavenly rest, I normally think of angels in the clouds. That’s not where Webster is going with the first definition. He is talking about being in such a relaxed state that real rest is achieved. How many of you have had a full eight hour nightly allowance of sleep and wake up almost more tired than when you went to sleep? Yeah, me too. But have you ever had one of those nights’ sleep where you wake up refreshed feeling like you can take on Satan and all his demons? A night of sleep that you wake up with a super good feeling about the world.

Let’s look at some scriptures that tend to walk with that definition. Isaiah 26:3 tells us, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Matthew Henry defines this as a state of mind for every man that trusts in God. Romans 5:1 tells us that since we have been justified by faith in Christ, that we have peace with God. Finally, Jesus tells the disciples in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus wants us to understand that the heavenly rest isn’t just a good nap, but a peace that is better.

Mostly, a lot of the scripture references that I will talk about here do deal with the idea of harmony. This is a harmony between God or Jesus and His people or just between God’s people.

The first mention of peace in the Old Testament is God speaking to Moses. God is giving Moses the ground rules for Aaron’s priesthood (the Levites) on how to bless the Israelites at the altar. This blessing is described in Numbers 6:23-27, but verse 26 is what we are looking at: “the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” This verse shows God’s favor upon the Israelites.

Psalm 122 brings out a phrase that I used to hear on the TV ministry of Zola Levitt. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Why do certain countries take protecting the state of Israel so seriously? Maybe verse 6 has something to do with when David speaks, “May those that love you be secure.”

Next, we’ll look at verses that refer to the body’s health when peace is established. In Proverbs 14:30, Solomon explains, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.” Paul calls married couples to live in peace in 1 Corinthians 7:15.

Finally, we are told that God (or Jesus) is peace. In Zechariah 9:10, we are told that Jesus is Zion’s coming King and that he will proclaim peace to the nations. In 1 Corinthians 14:33, we are told that God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. In Ephesians 2:14, it is explained that Jesus is not just peace for the Jews, but also for the Gentiles, anyone who will come to Him. Lastly, we are told in Philippians 4:7 that “we have the peace of God that transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” That means we may not always get it when we got it.

So in closing, you might ask, “Why would I want to be a peacemaker?” There are two easy answers. First, Matthew 5:9 tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” If we are promoters of peace, we are family to God. Finally, James 3:18 shares that, “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” If you believe in reaping what you sow, you promote peace, you live in peace.

Next up on our look at the fruits of the spirit will be patience. I’ll lean away from the temptation to include a video of Guns N’ Roses version of Patience.

I love you guys!

Frank

I've Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down In My Heart...Joy (Fruit of the Spirit)

2011-05-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Today, we begin a new series that will give you some signs of other members of The Quiet Movement. A person may not display them all at the same time, but these are clues that the person you’re dealing with may be a Christian.

When we talk “fruit of the spirit,” these are the nine “fruits” told to us by the Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (NIV).” Each day we’ll take a look at a different fruit.

Today, I decided to look at joy. Joy is very easy when things are going well. You get the promotion at work, you find out that you’re having a baby, you find out that the college you’re trying to get into has accepted you, or you just won two tickets to Disneyland. Joy is easy to express during these times. It’s almost like Ric Flair going to Space Mountain. “WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” It’s much like the prophet Nehemiah had as a season of celebration on the holy day in Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." You can be strong when the good times roll. Usually with joy comes a good party, filled with singing and dancing (depending on where your church falls with the love of music). Psalms 100:2 tells us to come before him with joyful songs. Psalms 107:22 say to let people tell of God’s good works with songs of joy.

However, not all times are good times. Sometimes you don’t get that promotion. You might even lose your job. Sometimes colleges say no and sometimes those trips aren’t to Disney, but to the hospital or court or to the funeral home. At these times, the last thing you might feel is joy. You may feel depressed, mournful, angry or downright disgusted. It’s hard to sing a happy tune during these times, but it is often in these times that we find out how strong we really are.

James tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (James 1:2-3).” Joy in trials? Are you mad? I’m not happy and I know it.

King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 12:20, “There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace.” What? You tell me that I’ll have joy as a promoter of peace even though there are others that do or plot bad things against me?

Paul gives us these words in Hebrews 12:2. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” But come on, Frank. This is Jesus we’re talking about here. You can’t expect us to act like Jesus? You’d be right. There are times I’ve had that I haven’t acted like Jesus, but it is what is expected as we go through bad or tough times.

King David was a man after God’s own heart and I want to be like that as well. Here are a few of the examples David gave us. He tells us in Psalms 4:7 that, “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.” That means he loved having God more than eating and drinking well. In Psalms 21:6, he speaks that God is good and that is glad that God is in his presence. Just hanging out with God made his heart glad. Psalms 51 is a psalm that shares David’s heart after he messed up with Bathsheba. He repented by asking God to restore his joy to his time of salvation and give him a willing heart to move forward. Even in being told he made a mistake in his life, David was able to ask for the joy of the Lord. That’s how important joy was to David and should be to all of us.

Even in the New Testament, Jesus wanted the disciples to understand how important the connection of joy was. In John 15, Jesus has just told the story of being in the vine and sharing how no one can walk alone. Starting in verse 10, “If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Jesus wanted his disciples to get this. Being in fellowship with God brought both Father and Son joy. If the disciples (and us) remain in fellowship with Him, we WILL have that same joy.

Paul drove the point even further in Philippians 2:1-2. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” As important as being in fellowship with Christ is, he also wanted the Philippians to understand that their unity with each other would produce joy. He was so encouraged by one man’s love (Philemon 7), that it not only produced joy in Paul, but also an encouragement that carried him on to do more for the kingdom.

Joy was so important in Paul’s ministry that he makes it a cornerstone of living a holy life as he closes his first letter to the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul tells us to “be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will in Christ Jesus.” Pretty powerful stuff right there.

Why would joy be listed first among those three things? I think that if we are joyful, we will pray more often and have the understanding to give thanks in good or bad times. One of our biggest problems as a people is that once we become negative, we lose faith in or begin to stop praying, which leads us to not be thankful for surviving the bad times.

My friend Rob Fancher told me something after I first came to salvation in 1994. “Don’t ever stop coming to church. You are going to face hard times. There are days that you won’t feel like coming, but if you do, God and the people around you will help you through it.” I didn’t understand that comment at the time, but reading Philippians 2:2 earlier tells me that if I come, join with like-minded people showing the same love for God and for man that I am, we will be one in purpose to get through those times.

In Isaiah 35, Isaiah begins to explain that the Israelites will come back to the promised land. This leaving would not be forever. He shares beginning at the end of verse nine, “But the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” When we return home to our heavenly home, we will have everlasting joy. A joy that will make sorrow and sighing flee. I can’t wait for that day.

That’s a joy I want to pass on. I know that you do too. I want to close joy with a final thought that John expressed twice. The first time was in 2 John 4, but he also expressed it in 3 John 4. These are the words from 2 John. “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.” This is why I wanted to share this series on the fruit of the spirit. I want to see our children and their children continue to pass the joy of Christ on through the generations. It’s a tough world out there and people need to know that the joy of a risen Christ can carry them today, tomorrow and into eternity.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue with a look at the fruit of peace. I am saving love, since there is so much to say on it, till next week.

I love you guys,

Frank

You Can Be Part of The Quiet Movement In Your Life

2011-05-10T23:18:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Last week was a huge week in my life as my wife and I brought our fourth bundle of joy into the world, little Jenna Dee. Before that happened, The Quiet Movement was launched and I shared with you the purpose of the blogsite, then shared with you two of the Bible’s best examples of quiet movers.

A friend of mine sent a note to me and talked a little about a place I didn’t go with Peter. He asked me why I didn’t share his ministry after the main story in the book of Acts. I did that for a couple reasons. First, beginning the church after failing Jesus at his final hours was paramount to the entire Bible and also was the major work that he did. Second, I was already pushing 1100 words and had I done that, the blog would have been double that. I sometimes test peoples’ attention spans with my writing, but I knew most would have run away with over a 2000 word post.

The bigger question that comes from the first week is this: “OK Frank, I’ve seen people in the Bible that helped with great moves of God. But if I am to be part of The Quiet Movement, how do I help people make moves in their lives for the kingdom?” I’m glad you asked. That means you have a hungry heart for learning the things of God. That excites me.

The first scripture that anyone seems to want to quote when we talk about reaching others for Christ are the final words of Christ in Matthew. Matthew 28:19-20 tell us, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." A lot of people decide at that point that they have to run out and tell everyone about Christ and beat people into the kingdom. The problem with this attitude is simple. Great, tell everyone. However, the first time that you fall or don’t live up to the constant drone of your words, you are nominated as the local hypocrite and reason number one why no one should be Christian.

You see, there is more to it than telling people. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t talk and try to relate our savior to the world. However, if we are not living up to the standard of that savior, we are in line for all the reckoning that those you speak to want to dish out. Titus 2:12 tells us, “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”

The verse first tells us to live self-controlled. If you’ve ever seen The Incredible Hulk, when the Hulk goes into a rage, he smashes everything he wants. He uses no self-discipline. Then the verse tells us to live upright. Webster’s Dictionary defines this as honest, just, and not deviating from correct moral principles. Finally, the verse tells us to live a godly life. Many people think the definition is vague and begin to pick and choose what defines that life. Truthfully, a godly life is simple. If the Bible says it, we should live it.

So what are some aspects of a godly life? First, we should read the Word of God. Not just read it though. Make it a source of our lives. We tend to take opinions of others far more than we take seriously the Word of God. Psalm 119 tells us that the Word should be a lamp unto our feet. This means that God’s Word should lead us where we should go. Colossians 3:16 tells us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” If we are continually in God’s Word, we will gain wisdom and be able to share that Word at the right time and with the right heart. We won’t browbeat people with the Bible, we will simply care for others.

Next, we should pray each and every day. Feel like you don’t have time? Me too. There are days that it’s hard to find two minutes alone in the bathroom, much less having quiet time. Televangelist Joyce Meyer once said that one of her favorite prayers was “Help, Lord!” There are times when the word “Help!” is all we can get out. Ever had days when you feel like you have no idea what to pray for? Romans 8:26 gives us hope that the Holy Spirit helps us pray for what we need. “…for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” This verse helped me begin to pray in confidence that God would hear and answer all my prayers. Sure, the answer may not always be yes, but God does answer.

Finally, Hebrews 10:24-25 share with us that we cannot do a Quiet Movement by ourselves. “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” We need each other. People use this verse as the number one reason that people should be in church, but God also means that we need each other outside of it. Being a part of the Christian race isn’t lived one service or one day a week, or at the very least, it shouldn’t be.

I bring this last point up for several reasons. The first is that I do believe that as members of The Quiet Movement, we need to have a church home. I’m not going to argue over which denomination you need to get into, but I think that you need to find a home that takes on an Acts 2 feeling. Acts 2:42 tells us what happened after the Holy Spirit fell in the New Testament church. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

First, they were being fed the Word of God. There are a lot of churches today that tend to hit on current events and hot topics. These churches make you feel knowledgeable and hip, but they tend to miss scripture in their teachings. I want God’s opinions, not the pastor’s. Next, they spent time together in fellowship. It wasn’t a move of “Hey, the football game is about to start so we better get out of here.” They ate meals and hung out together. They studied the Word, but they also took time to make relationships. They also prayed together. How do you what people are going through? You take time to pray with them and see what moves their heart. What are their passions? What are their worries? What are their hopes and dreams?

When you spend time with people like this, you find out how real they are. It’s hard to hide a façade the more time you spend together. You find out if people are being genuine and you also find out where people are weak.

Over the next few days, I want to go over nine qualities that will help you know a Quiet Mover. These nine qualities are called the “fruit of the Spirit.” If you want to start thinking about them, here they are as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

I hope you’ll join me as we take a look at these fruit and think about which fruit you display and which fruit you might need to work on.

I love you guys!

Frank

National Day of Prayer is Today: My Baby is Here, A Repost That's Still True...

2011-05-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

If you aren't connected with me on Facebook, you may not know yet that my wife and I had little Jenna yesterday. She is a cutie! All seven pounds plus of her.

With that being said, I really didn't have the time I wanted to do the next part of The Quiet Movement series that will give you the ideas of what God really wants from a Quiet Movement. I may get to it in quieter times tomorrow, but if not, we'll get back on the horse by Monday to continue.

So, what I give you today is a post from a couple years ago on the One Man Revival Ministries page. The post remains heavily true today. I edited it down a little. A few things wouldn't make sense. The last item from that post tells you to pray for a friend of mine from high school named Shelly Crane. I haven't heard how she is lately, so if anyone reading knows, please feel free to update in the comments.

When I tell you guys that I love you, I do mean it! I want you to feel free to add your own National Day of Prayer memories or give all of us prayer requests that we can agree on together for you today. Thanks for reading!

2009 Nat'l Day of Prayer: Why I pray

Hey gang!

Today is Thursday, May 7th and in America, the day is recognized as The National Day of Prayer. The day was started back in 1952. I knew it had been around awhile, even though I didn’t realize there had been 58 of them. Oh yeah, no video today. I want you focused.

I sat around thinking about what I would say and I thought about doing the tried and true meaning of the day on the national level and tell you about what the organizers would like you to do. But I choose not to do that. I may talk about the 7x7 program in the near future that they are also doing, but I’m not doing that today either. Instead, what I would like to talk about is why prayer is so important here for this ministry, One Man Revival.

When the wheels started turning on this ministry back in August 2008, it was originally thought that I would type up nice little encouragements and that would be the extent of it. However, it became more than that. Every ministry needs to have a purpose and I was asked by people what that purpose was. Truthfully, I hated to have to answer, “well, we’re just encouraging people.” I do hope that I am encouraging with the words I type, but I also want to be more than that. I want to challenge people to be stronger Christians.

That’s when it hit me. As much as I want to encourage people and as much as I want to see people come to salvation, the real challenge is to challenge and disciple people in the faith. One of my natural knocks on the church in general is that they fail Christians today by just giving the fire insurance policy at the door and never really require you to come to the altar and examine yourself. It’s not just about accepting the free gift that Jesus gave us by dying on the cross. It’s the huge first step, but not the end game.

Jesus called us to a Great Commission. Here’s what Jesus said at the end of Matthew beginning in verse 18, “All authority has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

He told us to go. He didn’t tell us to sit like a bump on a log in our comfortable pew chairs. He didn’t say hang on to what I gave you, go home and watch TV until your eyes are bloodshot. He didn’t say, go take a nap and Gabriel will wake you when we need you. That means me. That means you. Now, do we have to go to another country. No. I’m not telling you all to start your own internet ministry either. I’m telling you to start in your community. If you’re graced with some cool people in your town, you’ll find someone else that is to take the long trips. Then help those people. Give them whatever they need. Be it money, be it clothes, be it toys, anything. First and foremost, give them your prayers. Having others telling Jesus, “Hey, this person is doing something great for you. I’d like to be there with them. But since I’m not, would you please take care of this person? Not only are they special to you, they are special to me.” Jesus will do it. Ask any missionary what he covets most. They will tell you it’s the prayers that keep them going.

Let me get off my soapbox and come back to my ministry. That’s why it is so important to me. I realize that there are so many people out there that could be changed by the words I type. That’s a huge responsibility. Do you realize that someone from my current town reads me from New Zealand. One of my neighbors told me his daughter has been reading One Man Revival for a month or so. It gave me energy to finish cutting my yard and come inside and do a few other things even when I was tired. I love that these words are up for the entire world.

That’s why prayer is so important to my ministry. I have to choose my words carefully and cautiously. I said something on my Facebook page yesterday that was totally innocent, but being the comedian that I am, I said it in a crazy way rather than directly. I got called out on it. A friend of mine told me that I needed to pick better wording. I knew what I was saying, but people actually read what I say. They can take it the wrong way. They can think that I am not sincere in what I am saying. They can totally lose respect for me by the way I say something. That didn’t happen, but it’s good that I have you guys out there looking out for me.

Some of you tell me that you don’t just look out for me by checking how grammatically correct I am, but you pray that I use wisdom in what I say. Believe me, if no other person of Christian influence tells you this, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU CARE ENOUGH TO DO THAT. Yes, I’m screaming. Because it’s true.

Bob Lenz talked over the weekend (at Agapefest 2009) about how important it was that we find accountability partners to help keep us on the straight and narrow. That is so important. When you pray, you’ve become a partner with this ministry. TV ministries will tell you that when you give money, that’s when you’re a partner. If you want to donate money to this ministry, you can email me and I’ll tell you how, but that’s not why I do what I do. I covet your prayers first. That’s the biggest aid to me.

Anyhow, I asked 13 people to be accountability partners when I started. Not all of them were able to accept because of how full their plates were. That’s why occasionally, I’ll ask someone who is really reading the web page or who has become more than just an acquaintance in my life for input. Some of you will give me input for free and please continue. I get my best constructive criticism from those that care enough to email me. I also get blasted occasionally, but we have to accept the tough with the brutal. That’s why I always pray the serenity prayer.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And the wisdom to know the difference.

In closing, I’ll tell you what I pray for when I can.

First, there are times I have to pray quick in the battle of my day. I pray for wisdom to discipline my kids the right way, love my wife as I should, be kind and courteous to those I encounter and to carry a Christian attitude as I walk my day.

I always pray for my kids first. Two reasons. First, because they are the closest people to me in proximity all of the time and secondly, because my actions speak the loudest into their lives. If I mess up, normally they will be the first to see it.

I pray for my wife. We’ve been together for six and half years (8 1/2 now in 2011). We’ve not always been great to each other and sometimes she is the biggest thorn in my side. I love her more than anything though. She works her butt off to allow me to spend time with my kids and do this ministry. We’re not rich and that’s her biggest fear, financial protection. But she had placed that aside to love me and the kids.

I pray for my pastors. Past and present. They have had impact in my life. Good and bad.

I pray for my leaders. Everyone from Obama on down to the local level. I pray for my buddy Ron on the park board. My kids need a great place to play and now he has the responsibility of helping make that happen. Let’s be honest, here in America the times we are going through make prayer almost mandatory. Christianity was one of the foundations of this country (those of you that don’t agree and don’t like that better read an accurate history book) and prayer helps carry us through these trying times.

I pray for my church. We are influencing Effingham for a better tomorrow. We have an opportunity to impact change. Join us in The Journey, in prayer, or even better, in person at the Village Square Mall.

I pray for my friends. I could tell you stories of what people are going through but that’s their business and they can share if they want. Most of them appreciate it even if they never tell me.

I pray for my community. Effingham is a little town in southern Illinois that holds about 12,000 people. If you come from the west or south, you will notice that little cross at our border (ok, so it’s only like 200 feet tall). We are a God believing people. I also pray for Kissimmee, Florida, and most of central West Virginia where I grew up. Anywhere there’s people I love, I pray for.

I pray for my readers. Yeah, if you subscribe to One Man Revival in any community of the internet and your name is on the list, I pray for you. I may not mention you by name everyday, but I do think about you. What I say probably has some influence on your life or you would’ve left by now, so I better be right and real with you.

Lastly, I pray for the unsaved that have never read me or have never met a person that can lead them to Christ. I totally realize that One Man Revival (and now with The Quiet Movement) and my time here is not about me (even thought sometimes I wish it were), it’s about a relationship with the one and only true savior that will be able to punch your ticket into heaven. You can’t get in just because you read One Man Revival (I wish you could). You get in because you receive a free gift from Jesus and then go and try to make a difference in this world for the Kingdom. I’m not saying that once you get the gift, you have to earn it to keep it. What I am saying is that once you have the gift, you can’t help but want to spread it around.

Finally, today, if you get a chance, please pray for my friend Shelly Crane. Shelly and I went to high school together and she was one of the kindest people I knew then. Right now, she’s laying in a hospital in North Carolina and is suffering from blood clotting and a diagnosis I can’t even pronounce. She has been blinded because of this. She’s depressed and hurting. Pray for her healing and that the right people are given the chance to just love on her to show her that regardless of the circumstances, God is with her and his grace is sufficient.

I love you guys!
Frank

New Testament Quiet Mover: I Saw It All First Hand & Still Failed To Get It

2011-05-04T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Yesterday, we looked at the life of Joseph. He was a pioneer of The Quiet Movement. He lived a life that illustrated a life led by God. Today, we are moving to the New Testament to take a look at one of the followers of Christ. This guy led the first church movement, but he wasn’t always the strong, level-headed guy that became a winner of many in the beginning of the church. A lot of the time, he was loud, proud and boastful. Let’s begin looking a man named Simon Peter.

We are first introduced to Peter in the book of Matthew 4:18. Peter and his brother, Andrew, were casting nets to grab some fish. In the very next verse, Jesus makes them a promise. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately took the bait and began in ministry with Jesus.

Peter, Andrew and ten other guys began following Jesus everywhere he went for nearly three years. Admittedly, when you leave your job and start not being home much, people tend to talk. Your in-laws might not think highly of you. However, Peter’s mother-in-law was different. There are three accounts that show Jesus healing her (Matthew 8:14-15, Mark 1:30, Luke 4:38). This is one mother-in-law that won’t be calling her daughter’s husband names. Jesus healed the woman and she immediately ministered unto them.

One of Peter’s finest hours came in Matthew 16:16. Jesus had been asking what people were saying about him and finally, he asked who they thought Jesus was. Peter had no hesitation. “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus tells him that God was the one that revealed that to Peter.

However, five verses later, Peter shows how much he didn’t understand as Jesus began trying to explain that he would be killed and rise again the third day. In verse 22, Peter tries to rebuke Jesus. “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” He responds to Peter in the next verse, “Get thee behind me, Satan: Thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Peter wanted what many of that generation wanted. He wanted Jesus to take his throne right then. He didn’t want Jesus to go through anything negative. No beatings. No cross. No death. No resurrection. Peter missed the big picture. Jesus had to endure these things. Jesus had to endure these things for Peter, the rest of the 12, the Jews, the Gentiles and for you and me.

The worst was yet to come. In Matthew 26, starting in verse 17, Jesus and the twelve ate at The Last Supper. After taking the supper, Jesus tells the twelve in verse 31, “All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.”

Could this be true? Not to Peter. He tells Jesus as much in verse 33. Jesus had a response, especially for Peter. “Verily I say unto thee, that this night, before the cock crow, thou shall deny me thrice.” Peter had no idea that it would happen just as Jesus predicted. Starting in verse 69 and concluding in verse 74, Peter did deny him exactly three times, and then the cock crowed. He left and wept bitterly.

Peter had to feel like a fool. He had been counted on and failed Jesus miserably. For three years, Jesus had never let the disciples down. Over and over again, the disciples had failed. Peter probably hid as far away as he could, if not physically, at least mentally. He hadn’t just disappointed his friend Jesus. He failed the God of the universe. Was there any way to come back from that?

Fortunately, the answer to that question was a resounding yes. We were left to wonder for three books over to the book of John. In the final chapter of John (21), Jesus found the disciples on a fishing boat and pulling in nothing. Jesus asked Peter to cast the nets on the right side of the ship. To the average carpenter, Peter would have politely told him no. Being Jesus, they tried what he asked. They pulled in so many fish, they were not able to draw the net in.

The men brought what they could and dined with Jesus one last time. This was the third appearance to the disciples before Jesus ascended back to Heaven. Before Jesus left, he sat down with Peter and talked.

Joh 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Joh 21:16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

Joh 21:17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

Joh 21:18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go."

Joh 21:19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"

Jesus redeemed Peter and gave him a clue how his end would come, but there is a gap on what happened in between. Peter gives us two books of his own writing later on, but his most valuable moment appears in the book of Acts. Peter gives a Pentecostal sermon in Acts 2:14-36. The word Penecostal here is not about his presentation, but that the sermon was given on the day of Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The results of the sermon are shown in verses 37-47. First, the sermon was so well received by the men that it pricked their very hearts (verse 37) and led the men to ask what they should do next. Peter had the response starting in verse 38, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call.” About 3,000 men joined the church that day (verse 41). Peter and the disciples being together began the New Testament church.

How big is that? Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:20. The New Testament church was the beginning. That church has continued on and on, with some mishaps along the way called denominationalism. It has been passed down from Peter and the original twelve all the way down to you and me.

Peter was a better listener than he thought. He failed, but he learned the most valuable lesson that we need to take with us. We can be redeemed by Jesus from our failures and do great things for Christ.

Next time, we’ll take a look at what we need to carry on The Quiet Movement. We can be movers, just like Joseph and Peter. Think I’m kidding. You can make a difference to those trying to live the faith around you. See you tomorrow.

I love you guys!

Frank

Old Testament Quiet Mover: Hang On To Your Clothes, Dear Joseph

2011-05-03T02:00:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Glad to see you are still here for day number two. Today, I am examining the life of one of the most famous people of the Old Testament. He began his journey of faith not so humbly. However, he ends his journey as a shining star for God. I almost called today’s and tomorrow’s writings, “Yes, we were all young and dumb.” We’ve all been there on our journey following Christ. We began serving Jesus like a house of fire, telling everyone how great He is and how they should come along too. Then we have a moment where we fall down, feel like we’ve burned that house down and wonder if we will ever recover. I want you to be encouraged that we can. Absolutely! No doubt about it!

If you want to follow along in your Bibles, you can begin reading at Genesis Chapter 37. Joseph was the 11^th of 12 sons and in verse 2, we are told that he is 17 as we join the story. Let’s be honest, if you’ve ever been a parent, we say the same thing. “I love all my kids equally.” We strive to do that. But there is always that one that stands out. They act most like you or some other reason. For Jacob, loving Joseph was mainly based on the fact that Joseph was born late in Jacob’s life.

As you know, being the favorite has its privileges. In verse 3, Joseph is given a coat of many colors by his dad. With all the advances in technology, maybe a coat of many colors wouldn’t be all that looked upon today, but in Joseph’s day, it was the best. Not only were his brothers screaming for the Fashion Police, they were also getting a little jealous. That’s natural that siblings get jealous of the favorite.

Had Joseph just worn the jacket, he probably would’ve been alright, but then he started having these dreams. This made the brothers hate him more. That naturally happens when you tell your brothers that you will revolve around him or bow down to him (Gen 37:5-9). In verse 10, Jacob told him that it was a bad idea to share those stories. He never knew how right he was.

Joseph had stayed behind as his brothers tended to the fields, but one day, Jacob sent Joseph out to give them some food. However, the brothers were not exactly happy to see the favorite child. They plotted to kill him and give him to some hungry animal. In verse 23, the boys began putting their plan into action. They stripped Joseph of his coat, then tossed him into a pit.

Lucky for Joseph, his brother Judah had misgivings about just killing him. So in verses 27-28, they sold their brother Joseph into slavery to the Ishmeelites for 20 pieces of silver. In verse 31, the brothers realized that they had to sell the idea of Joseph being dead to their dad, so they killed a goat for the blood and dipped that coat of many colors in it.

I wonder how many times that Joseph contemplated the idea that his bragging on the coat and the dreams that he had put him in this situation. Here he is, sold as a slave, and full knowing that he may never see his home or his family again. I don’t think we have to ask if Joseph learned his lesson. Joseph ended up in Egypt, sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh. We are told this in Genesis 37:36. Next, we jump to chapter 39 to see what happens to Joseph.

We are told in chapter 39 on four separate occasions (verses 2, 3, 21 and 23) that the Lord was with Joseph. We are told that Joseph is prosperous, that everything prospered in his hand, that he was shown mercy and given favor. What this really tells us that even with the glaring fault of bragging about how favored he was to his brothers, Joseph really was following most of what God wanted him to. None of us get cured of all our sins, faults, mistakes or errors just because we are saved, but God still works with us through them and in spite of them.

In Genesis 39:4, we are told that Joseph is put in charge of Potiphar’s house and that everything Potiphar owned was put into the hands of Joseph to run. That’s a pretty trustful situation. Joseph became employee #1 and made everything prosper. God made it all prosper for Joseph’s sake, verse 5 tells us.

This made Joseph a popular guy, maybe a little too popular. In verse 7, Potiphar’s wife gets overly enthusiastic about Joseph’s ability and cast her eyes upon him. She sees men with power as H-O-T and she sees Joseph with all the power. She wants to lie with him. Joseph says no to her and there is nothing worse than a woman that wants her power and her lovin’ too. So she bides her time, waits until they are alone in the house in verse 11 and tries again. She grabs his garment, making Joseph uncomfortable and he runs off in verse 12. The bad news is that he ran off so fast, that he left his clothes behind.

So Potiphar’s wife does what any scheming for power woman does. She cries and lies telling the men of the house, then later her husband, that Joseph actually committed an act of sexual deviance. Potiphar was upset, as any good husband would be that thought someone violated his wife, and threw poor Joseph into prison. You would think that Joseph would learn to hang onto his clothes by now.

Let’s note again that even though Joseph is thrown into prison, the Lord is still with him. Even in prison, Joseph is a model citizen. He made the warden prosperous. He had to wait for another chance. Two of Pharaoh’s officers, chief of the bakers and chief of the butlers, were thrown into prison for messing up. Both men had dreams and Joseph interpreted them. All that Joseph asked was that the men remember him when they were released. It took two years until the chief butler remembered (Genesis 41:9-10).

Pharaoh had a dream that puzzled him (Genesis 41:1-7) and he called on all the magicians and wise men of Egypt. None of them could explain the dream. Finally, Joseph was called forth to explain the dream (verse 14). Joseph interprets the dream (verses 25-36). Pharaoh realized what he had. He asks his servants if there has ever been a man of God like this before them (verse 38). He placed Joseph in charge of all Pharaoh’s house and his kingdom. Only Pharaoh was higher in stature than Joseph in all the land of Egypt.

Joseph handled all of this wisely. During the lean years, his brothers came looking for help and found Joseph. They didn’t realize this immediately. However, they reunited and Joseph also reunited with Jacob and his little brother Jonathan. (Genesis 42-46). The brothers did bow before Joseph as the second in command in Egypt. The dreams he had as a child became reality.

Time passed and Jacob died. The brothers feared that once daddy was gone that Joseph would retaliate against them. However, as we see in Genesis 50:19-21, Joseph did not return evil for evil. Joseph understood what had been done as an act that God helped provide. “Fear not, am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.”

Tomorrow, we will study a New Testament leader that exemplified The Quiet Movement. He was loud and boasting, like Joseph, but he also learned to lead humbly and serve God as “The Rock” of Jesus’ movement.

I love you guys,

Frank

Welcome To The Quiet Movement!

2011-05-02T00:04:00.000-05:00

Hey gang!

Welcome to my new blog to share God’s love, His Word and a hope for better tomorrows into eternity. After going under the title One Man Revival for almost two and a half years, I know you are asking, “Why change the name?” and even more, “Why change the name to The Quiet Movement?”

Let me answer the first question first. When I began One Man Revival Ministries in September 2008, the tag line was “A One Man Revival Begins With You.” While this is very true, one of the complaints later on was that it implies that it might never go beyond the one man. I was surprised at that, but I grew to understand it. My intention was that it begins with one person. It doesn’t end there.

What I tried to get across in explanations to those that had a problem or disagreed with the name was that we need people. We aren’t supposed to live the Christian walk alone. However, the walk begins with one changed heart, yours. When God reaches down to us, it is one at a time. I know people say that thousands can be reached at crusades and I fully support those. I’ve been a big believer in the Billy Graham Crusades. But God deals with us one on one. He doesn’t reach down into a crowd and say one thing that changes thousands at the same time. Each of us hears and reads God’s Word differently. So I contend that the revival is one man, or woman as the case may be, at a time.

So for the last eight months, I took a sabbatical. There are many reasons for that sabbatical. First and foremost, my wife and I were struggling. Not only were we having a new baby, we were struggling with each other. We love each other very much and I wanted her to know that if I could never reach people for Christ again, the one person I needed was her. We’ve had three beautiful kids together and Jenna will be here any day now.

Next, in the midst of the trial of my marriage, I realized that the church we were attending really wasn’t standing with us. There are people who talk about being with you through the hard times and then there are people that are with you. The church we were at was in the first category. In 2010 alone, I had went through my mother having a stroke and cancer, my dad dying on his 61^st birthday and my marriage struggles. Each time that I asked for encouragement from the church, I kept being slapped with more things that I needed to do to be good in their eyes.

So in late November 2010, I moved on to a new church. At the time, my wife didn’t understand why I would leave a church that was so good to our kids, so she and the kids stayed. I want to say that I totally agreed with her. The church that we now go to did not have a youth ministry for our kids and the church we were going to has, in my opinion, one of the best I’ve ever seen. I give them much kudos for the way they taught our kids the basics of Christ and the Kingdom.

I think she also tested me to see if I was going to stay faithful to us and if this wasn’t a move out of anger. My wife is more cautious than I am about decisions. That’s something I admire about her. She guards me.

The move was the right decision though. I met a group of people that have loved on me and helped me grow tenderly. I have now been a part of The Journey, here in Effingham, for six months, and my wife and kids were able to join me three weeks ago as we were finally ready to begin Sunday school for the kids. It isn’t the same quality yet, but we are growing and with that growth come growing pains. One of my friends said once that a growing church was much like having a baby. The pains of that growth are very real. However, the end result is a church of beauty that will help rise up in these final days.

Now that I’ve caught you up on my life, let me explain the second question, “Why call it The Quiet Movement?” As I said earlier, many people talk a great game when it comes to Christianity. Unfortunately, that’s where it ends for a lot of them. While I love a great sermon, I love watching people live the life so much more. It blesses my heart and the kingdom of Christ when people take what they learn on Sunday and live it Monday through Saturday.

When that happens, people see the sermon, not hear it. The Quiet Movement isn’t about shoving Christ down people’s throats so that they vomit. It is about being honest and real with people. The Quiet Movement will be about trying to live the life that God calls us to as well as we can. As Christians, we are being watched. All of us make mistakes in life, but I think that if the percentage of consistency rides with doing the right things that people tend to cut us a little slack if we make an error in life. It doesn’t mean that we go out and err on purpose when we feel like it. It means that in the course of a lifetime, sometimes bad things happen to good people.

As Christians, we should strive not to be people’s excuse. We shouldn’t live so that they can call us hypocrites. We should live so that they will call us His people. They should be able to say that person belongs to the Lord. He may not be perfect, but I know where he stands.

If you’ve ever seen the original Karate Kid movie, Mr. Miyagi shares a thought on learning karate. He says, “Daniel, Karate yes. Karate no. Karate maybe, (smacks his hands together) squish like grape.” We can’t ride the fence and be real Christians. We have to choose whom we will serve just as Joshua did in the Promised Land.

Joshua 24:15 explains it like this. “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

Welcome to The Quiet Movement. As Christians, We Are Being Watched. Join me in the journey as we strive to live for Christ, not just say we do.

I love you guys!

Frank

Re-launching May 2! You Are Being Watched!

2011-04-23T10:10:00.001-05:00

See ya soon!