Fran Trascritti Devotional, God's Goodness, intimacy, Seeking God

Even in the darkest of times…

And after this Job lived 140 years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, four generations. And Job died, an old man, and full of days.        —Job 42:16-17 ESV

Above all, Job finished well. His horrific physical, emotional, and mental anguish did not destroy his spiritual walk with God. Despite his counsel to the contrary, Job never cursed God, never blamed God, and he never gave up. He ran the race, and he ran it well.

At the end of the day, Job lived a life full of days. He lived 140 years beyond his episodes of misery, and he enjoyed the blessings of seeing and interacting with four generations that came after him. A life well lived, a life that serves as an example to us even today.

But it wasn’t Job’s goodness that make this end so well, it was because of the grace of a comforting, faithful God. The test Job endured was because God knew Job could endure. God’s grace was made perfect in times of Job’s weakness, and times of his strength was made because of God’s presence and power. Though it may have felt like it, God never left Job, protecting his life from the evil one, softening each blow until the right time in order to demonstrate His sovereignty and might. This is why we can say that Job ended well because of the goodness of God.

You may be going through a test of sorts. It may be the darkest of times for you. Sure, it may not be a test to the extent of Job’s, but it may feel that way. If so, let me encourage you: Rest in the comfort of the Lord, draw on His strength, cry out to Him for comfort, and trust in His power. He brings joy in the morning, light in the darkness, and hope to difficult times. He is surely with you even today so you, too, can finish well.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, intimacy

What Marriage Means

Yesterday, my wife and I celebrated 40 years of marriage.

Everything was against us when we were married those many years ago. We were young, broke, and clueless. We had no real relationship with Jesus Christ, and we were two very different people from different cultures and social upbringings. We lived on opposing sides of the country: I was a Florida boy and she a westcoaster California girl. We were opposites in every sense. But here we were, young and in love, not knowing what was next but taking steps to be together for life.

And what a life it’s been. I literally watched my wife grow up, becoming an incredibly sweet soul, one who has constantly placed others before herself, one who has devoted herself completely to her family, to me, to her Savior. She’s been an amazing example of what it means to be a Christian woman, wife, and mother. Every day, she literally lives out Peter’s words that he gave to the wives of the church:

1 Peter 3:3-4 ESV [3] Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— [4] but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.

And for me, yet, despite my imperfections, she has loved me, a man who is a flawed individual. She’s patiently made me better over the years, not for myself, but for my Lord. Her love for me has been a picture of God’s grace for me, a human snapshot of what God does always for those who are His. And through it all, she never cared what I could afford for her, but only cared that I loved her for who she is. And even when I missed the mark, she has continued to love me without conditions.

And this is what marriage means. For us to be coheirs of the Kingdom. Together. For us to be encouragers to one another, to be one flesh, to be together as husband and wife to glorify Christ. Whether in the hills and the valleys, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, we’ve been united for Jesus. Together, we remember the past, live in the present, and look with a hope to the future. One in Jesus. An example for Jesus. Pointing to Jesus. Only Jesus.

And this is our example of our marriage. I pray that we have been that example to our kids, grandkids, and extended family. To the world. 🙂

I love you, M. Teresa Trascritti. What a ride it’s been. And we’ve only just begun. ❤️

Fran Trascritti discipline, intimacy, Jesus

What a Facebook Break looks like—and it’s not what you would expect…

About a month ago, I felt like screens were overtaking my life. I had just come off of a wonderfully relaxing vacation, and as I thought about the prospect of going back to my usual routine, I felt convicted. My greatest concern was that I just spent too much time in front of screens and not enough time to reflect, read, and pray.

So what did I do? I got off Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I removed them from my phone and even deactivated Facebook for a short while (it’s back but I still don’t use it). My social media usage dropped dramatically and I had an opportunity to be free from my device. Or so I thought.

One key learning about my social media break is that my screentime didn’t drop. Why? Because Facebook isn’t the problem. Nor is any other social media. My time on social media was replaced with other screen time such as YouTube, which is, arguably, another form of social media.

So what was and is the problem? I’m the problem. My sinful, deceiving heart is the problem. It’s a Romans 7 issue, where I do the things I shouldn’t and don’t do the things I should. My time to reflect, read, and pray more is not because of Facebook, TV, or any other distraction. Those are symptoms, outcomes of my heart. Instead, my lack of time with God is because of my undisciplined, misaligned heart.

By removing myself from social media, I missed out on some things. Connecting with people I love who wished me a happy birthday last month. Being active with our church’s Facebook page. Being a part of someone’s life and encouraging them with comments and likes. These are the positives of social media. And sure, there are negatives, but with a healthy approach, social media can be a good thing. Just not all of the time.

So what now? I’m hoping that this experience can be a help to others. My hope is that I don’t develop a sense of legalism, but structure with room for the Spirit to lead me daily. That said, plan going forward is this:

  • Return to social media, but keep the apps off of my phone to avoid disctractions.
  • Schedule a time and a place a few times a week for prayer and deep reflection with the Lord, beyond my normal devotion time.
  • Set goals for reading, visiting others, and other onscreen activities each week.
  • Reassess my priorities at least every month, if not every quarter.

That’s it. That’s where I’m at. And again, I hope that this experience is helpful to you. If you’ve got your own thoughts, I’d love to hear it. Blessings to you on your journey in Christ.

In Him,

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, discipline, intimacy, Seeking God

Conquering the spirit

Proverbs 16:32 ESV‬ [32] Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

There are many conquerors of cities, states, and nations, but it is a rare few who can conquer the heart. The best of men are men at best, and even the greatest of kings were deeply, tragically flawed. The world is never enough, and the temporal things of this planet never satisfy for long. And when men pursue nothing but the temporary, they will leave this world empty, lost, and miserable.

This is why this proverb is so fitting. The world can see and count successes and failures, measured by their own standard. Yet God looks at the heart, and what might appear weak to the natural spirit is first in the Kingdom.

So how do your conquer your lawless spirit? It might seem easy to say that it’s about discipline. Yet self-control is impossible if not for God’s sanctifying work. In fact, self-control is the last fruit of the Spirit, a life long effort of focus, submission, and finally, surrender. Your spirit must submit to the Spirit.

Our loss of self-control is directly tied to our distance from God. When we draw hear to Him, He brings us close, but when we shut our eyes and ears to His workings, He keeps us at a distance, free to be disciplined by the fallen world, pressed until we return to His goodness, grace, and mercy.

You are more than a conqueror, turn to the Master of Your soul. Draw close to Him as you let go of the things of this world. Let God do His work as You seek first His Kingdom.

In Him,

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, intimacy

The Sting of a Friend…

We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. Psalm 55:14 CSB

Years ago, a close friend of mine hurt me deeply. When I was my most vulnerable emotionally and mentally, this person verbally attacked me, causing me more pain and angst. It was a dark time, a difficult time, and though I have since forgiven that person, I came away with some learning lessons.

The insults of a friend turned adversary stings and stings hard. This psalm is not much different than my own situation, where a friend acted treacherously. What I found was that the pain of a strained relationship haunts and hurts, and it even affected my worship of the Lord. It took a long time and many restless nights to get through it. And that only happened when I forgave.

But what did I learn? First, forgiveness is key. This is a forgiveness that is true and authentic. After all, as believers, we are called to fellowship, to reconcile our differences. We are to forgive, not once, not twice, not seven times, but seventy times seven (or infinitely). And yes, this is hard. Very hard.

But authentic, countless forgiveness is a radical concept, even counter cultural. That’s because it’s different than the world, since the throw away culture of today tosses relationships aside like trash in the interest of self preservation. As believers, though, we must treasure relationships as blood brothers and sisters in Christ. We preserve Christ, not self. We practice peace. We extend radical forgiveness based in the Spirit and truth, something that the world doesn’t normally see or experience.

I also learned through this experience that humility toward others is essential. When I forgave, I got healthy, but even more importantly, I learned more about myself and how I probably also hurt others around me. I realized that I had my own logs in my eye. And excuse the pun, but it was eye opening, for sure!

That said, forgiveness and humility go hand in hand. Paul wrote as much in Ephesians 4:32 (ESV): “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Being reminded to forgive as Christ did is in itself a humbling experience. When we have a posture of humility, forgiveness can happen and we are (hopefully) more careful not to hurt others, and instead look out for their interests (Phil 2:4). We treat others as we want to be treated (Luke 6:31).

We can all avoid being that friend who stings. Even more, all of us can do better in forgiving others. I pray that this is helpful for you.

For me, I am starting a new ministry this Sunday. And in this new ministry, I will commit to being an example to the preservation of loving, godly relationships that glorify Christ, uplift souls, and lead to worship of the One True God. May I be a peacemaker for Jesus.

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, intimacy

Anxious thoughts…

How often do we let anxious thoughts overtake us? These weigh down a person, causing lack of sleep, unhealthy eating, stress among family members, and bad decision making.

"Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, but a good word cheers it up." Proverbs 12:25 CSB

Jesus tells us that we are to place our worries on Him. We are to seek Him. Follow Him. Trust Him. Place our yoke on Him. To live daily with Him in mind.

He is the antidote to worry and an anxious mindset. His consolations delight our soul (Ps 94:19) and His presence gives us rest.

If you, like me, are worried about things, rest easy, pray, and dive into His Word. Calm your heavy heart with His love and peace. Let His Spirit fill you and His comfort comfort you.

I pray that this is helpful for you today. May your day be a faith-filled day as God works in and through you. Blessings!

Pastor Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, discipleship, intimacy

I Am With You

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you — this is the Lord’s declaration.” Haggai 1:13, CSB

The people were cut to the heart, ready to not only hear the Word of God, but to obey the Word of God. They were moldable, ready to be used by the Lord for a great and eternal purpose: to be a light to the world, a blessing to the nations.

It was at this point of conviction that God responded: “I am with you.” He was always with them in the past, but this declaration was very different. They took a step of faith and responded to God’s invitation to join Him at work. It was this step of obedience that brought a deeper intimacy with God, and so as they started a new, exciting, and yes, even dangerous journey, God reassured them: He would be with them. w

This presence was similar to when their ancient ancestors escaped the Egyptians and crossed the Red Sea. Similar to the battle of Jericho. Similar to the victories in the days of David. Similar to the night in Daniel’s lions den. God was with them then, and He was going to be with them now.

Today, if you are one of His, God is with you now. You may be fighting the spiritual battle of your life, but be reassured that He is with you. You might be overwhelmed with, well everything, but He is with you. Life is tough and difficult and a struggle sometimes, but He never leaves His own (Ps 55:22). Whatever you face and whatever God wants you to do, be encouraged: He is with you.

So dig a little bit deeper in your walk with Him. Listen to His Word, pray in the Spirit, be encouraged in Him. Have a posture to seek God’s will and join Him, no matter what you might face. Because He is for you. He is around you. He is with you.

Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, discipleship, God's Goodness, intimacy, Jesus

A Reflection…

We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 3:18, CSB


A simple truth: Jesus changes people. And when a believer comes to Jesus, he begins a journey in becoming more and more like Jesus, being slowly sanctified through the Spirit. Of course, this journey is not easy or fast, because it is a daily process. And it’s not a matter of self help or self improvement, because this is a supernatural work in the believer. Even more, the goal is to be less and less like the former self and more and more like Jesus Christ, so that the believer does not merely look like a better reflection of himself in the mirror, but instead something much, much better and permanent: the believer becomes a God-shaped reflection of Christ.

The point is this: stop trying to do it alone. You can’t do it without the Spirit’s work within your soul. This means that instead of trying to be a better version of yourself, focus on the One who is perfect already. In other words, instead of trying to make the imperfect, perfect, let the Perfect One, the Sinless One, the Savior, God-man, Jesus, do His work in you.

Is that impossible? Yep. In natural terms, it is. But with God, all things are possible, and when we mess up and blow it and sin and sin again, we can have confidence to ask for forgiveness and press forward after that. God is like that, both disciplining and forgiving those He loves and pressing them to conforming to His image more and more. He is in the restoration business, a business we all need every day.

So let the Spirit speak and work in you. Be changed in Christ. Come to Jesus for your salvation and forgiveness for your sins. Grow by reading His Word, by worshipping with other believers, by praying to the One who created all things. And look forward to the future in Christ, the day when we will all see Him as He is, the day when the mirror is no longer cloudy and the full knowledge is no longer veiled.

May your journey go well and your focus remain on your Savior, Jesus.

Fran

Fran Trascritti discipleship, gospel, intimacy, Jesus

I Shouted in Excitement…

When I was about 12 years old, I went on a month long family road trip across the eastern part of the United States. It was so much fun seeing the different destinations, enjoying the various regional eats, and encountering people of all walks of life. I eagerly tried new things: I made crafts at a reenactment of a colonial village. I shouted in excitement when I dove into a deep lake off of a high cliff. I swung from a tire swing over a river. I stood at a mountain peak where I could see multiple states at once. It was a summer of amazing, unforgettable experiences!

That summer impacted me even today, because I love to travel—it’s fun making lifelong memories and share experiences together with loved ones. Teresa and I try to travel as often as we.

But one thing that I noticed is that whenever we do travel, it seems more fun to be at the end of the journey than the beginning. For example, as we traveled to the Queen City, we didn’t feel like we were “there” yet until we saw that amazing view of the Cincinnati skyline from the Kentucky side (and if you have never seen it, you are missing something special). I mean, driving around was fine and all that, but at the point of us seeing the skyline, our excitement kicked up and our level of enjoyment for the trip shot up. In our minds, we were there! Woo hoo!

Yet it’s so often the opposite when we are talking about the spiritual. It’s a miraculous work if God for anyone to be born again, and we should absolutely celebrate this great moment. But thinking about the journey of so many, here’s a passage to ponder:

A good name is better than fine perfume,
and the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth.

Ecclesiastes 7:1

Solomon gave us some words to think about as we make our pilgrimage through life. There are two things he focuses on and some serious points to keep in mind: to be both upright and to finish strong.

First, there’s value in keeping a good name. In other words, character matters. For Solomon to write this is a bit ironic considering his many public moral failures, but the truth he writes is the truth. Clearly he means that fame, fortune, and power mean nothing if the character of a person falls short. Yes, we are sinners, yes, we blow it, yes, we will do it again, but character building is a lifelong process, a consistent growthin Jesus. It takes humility, patience, and transparency, because when a person owns up to his or her flaws and relies on the power of the Holy Spirit, growth begins to take shape.

There’s value in finishing strong. Everyone celebrates a baby’s birth, but unless a life is extraordinary, few celebrate a person’s death. When it does, it’s because the life was well lived, and that most people would recognize that the person cared for others more than themselves. That person sought to become last, in many ways to die to self for the sake of Jesus. Some people in recent memory come to mind: there are plenty of examples, but Billy Graham and Ravi Zecharias are two that I can think of right now. These men lived for Christ, for a greater purpose than themselves, for the gospel. They gave us an example of what it means to both live well and finish strong, and there’s an eternal value in what they have done.

This passage hit me between the eyes as I think about my own life and ministry, but where are you at on this? On your life journey, did you start strong in Christ and are you letting Christ shape your character? Are you focusing on the good things of life, the things dedicated to the glory of Christ? Are you placing Jesus first? Even now?

The journey is great, but the end of the journey should always be an expression of God in you. A celebration. A sweet sacrifice for the glory of God. May the Lord place you on a journey that results in an eternal impact for His gospel!

Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, gospel, intimacy, Jesus

Want to be Close to God?

Let me start by saying that we have rebellious hearts that make closeness with the Creator of the Universe just flat out hard to do. Oh sure, I know that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, that we’re not coming to the Father except through the Son. Our prayers mean nothing until we know Him. I get that, and if you don’t know Christ in a personal relationship, you need to.

The closeness I am wanting to discuss is the way that a Christian interacts with the Father on a constant basis. I mean, is your intimacy with God a consistent, growing walk, or is it at an arms length, cold almost as, say a Facebook friend or work acquaintance? God did not intend for you to say “yes” to Him yet wave at Him from afar. To use some biblical metaphors, God wants the seedling faith He gave you to grow to be a tree planted by the water, with roots deep in the ground and fruit being produced.

And this happens through an intentional, intimate relationship with Him. So how? How can this be done?

To start, get close to Him through His Word and prayer. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. In fact, you can stop what you are doing (like reading this) and take a moment and pray. It’s okay, this blog post will still be here. 🙂

Let me also mention this: Prayer is to be based on the Truth, the knowledge of Christ. We cannot have intimacy with the Father if we are not in His Word. Our prayers would be based on ignorant ramblings of a sinful, fallen heart rather than focused petitions of the Spirit. Therefore, start reading the Bible. Again, nothing fancy- read a Psalm a day as a start, then work up to a chapter or two of a gospel, or a reading plan available online. Start small, work to more intake and prayer.

Let me encourage you: Know Him, love Him, talk to Him, and interact with Him. Fruit will come of that. Your mind, heart, and spirit will be changed in Him daily and the wisdom of God will convict and change you. I am with Paul in the encouragement that you are strengthened in Him:

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles —  to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ — to him be the glory forever! Amen. Rom 16:25‭-‬27 CSB

Even not knowing who would read this, I prayed for you before I posted this. My prayer was simply that you will be closer to God today than you were yesterday. Let’s start there and see what He can do. To God be the glory!

Fran