Francis Frangipane - It's Time to End Church Splits

Intro

...if we could ascend into heaven and were granted grace to look upon the face of Christ and actually ask Him about splits and divisions, I believe the tears in His eyes alone would tell us disunity is the work of hell.

pg 11

...anyone can seek God and enjoy more of Him at any time; there is no need to divide the church to have more of God's presence, especially since the division itself will cause God's manifest presence to withdraw!

pg 23

No virtue manifests in our lives without Satan awakening a corresponding vice: Traveling with obedience is pride, and just behind faith walks presumption. Yes, and walking in the shadow of godly vision, ambition follows.

pg 25

The one in rebellion always has an issue; there is always something not right—and if he were in charge, he would do all things better.

pg 26

A true word from God will test you before it fulfills you. Consider Joseph. “Until the time that the word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him” (Psalm 105:19).

pg 27

Ambition tries to create doors where none exist.

pg 39

There is nothing more powerful than when the teaching in a church and the intercession of that church are in agreement.... when intercessor pray what the pastor preaches, the union of the Spirit and the Word release the creative power of heaven itself.

pg 41

In the New Testament, the Greek word, diabolos, which is translated “devil” in this text [John 6:70-71], is translated impersonally elsewhere as a “false accuser,” “slanderer” or “a malicious gossip.” In fact, First Timothy 3:11 and Second Timothy 3:3 both translate diabolos (Strong’s #1228) as “malicious gossip(s).”

pg 52

Remember, as a pastor or teacher, your goal is not to prepare a sermon, but to prepare a people.

pg 73

[Re: Acts 9:6 “...it shall be told you what you must do”] Why didn’t the Lord just tell Paul what he had to do? Paul would have to learn about God, at least initially, as he submitted to other Christian leaders. This is God’s order and the Lord himself honored it.

pg 74

[Re: Christ submitting to John the Baptist in Matt 3] ...it was while He humbled Himself to a lesser ministry that the flood of the Father’s pleasure, together with the Holy Spirit, descended upon Him.

pg 110

There is no greater opportunity to become Christlike than in the midst of pain and injustice. When Satan is raging with evil, God is planning to turn it to good. If we maintain our integrity in battle; if we let love rise to its purest expression, we will touch the heart of God. Such is the path to God’s power.

pg 116

Jesus understood that for redemption to be accomplished, His love would face its most severe test. Jesus knew this battle was over one thing: would He allow love to reach full maturity and its most perfect expression? Would He maintain His passion for man’s redemption even as men mocked and crucified Him?

pg 133

My pastor’s sermons have been dry and lifeless for quite a while. When we are not being fed the meat of God’s word, should we start our own church? No teacher brings sermons that are “meat.” Jesus said that His “meat” was to do the will of His Father. If your church seems dry and you are hungry for meat, I suggest you begin doing the will of God in your church. What I mean is that you start a prayer group for your pastor. Encourage him with comments about his sermon. Perhaps send him words of encouragement and build him up. You say, “But this is what we want him to do for us.” If you pray for him, more than likely he will being to gain new confidence and become a great encouragement to you. But the real “meat” is this: see the need and be mature enough in Christ to pray, to encourage and to stand in faith until that need is met by the Holy Spirit.