Fran Trascritti Devotional, Jesus, Judgment Day

Be Encouraged. Get Busy.

For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage; Psalm 94:14 ESV

In Psalm 94, there is a simple question being asked, “How long would the wicked prevail?” After all, injustice is everywhere, pain rules the day, and man has inflicted evil on man each and every day.

The immediate answer is also shown in this psalm: God knows all about the injustice. Don’t forget that He was the one who made the ear and created the eye, and He sees, hears, and knows it all. He hasn’t forgotten us or forsaken us. Instead, it is a matter of His perfect timing, because one day, His full righteousness will prevail and His judgment will take place as evil is destroyed. And at that time, His people will see that He has been with them all along, guiding them until His day of redemption. So we must wait.

Yet this waiting is not easy, because this fallen world has continued to exist for a very long time! Even today, we can easily see confusion, mayhem, destruction, and death in our culture. People are getting even horribly creative with committing sin, seeking pleasure and not purpose, seeking self love and not love for God and others. They are literally doing what is right in their own eyes, and even having the audacity and lack of shame to call it good. Sweet. Perfect.

But we know better, because Christ is better. We run to Him and His Word to stay encouraged and resilient. We look to His Spirit to strengthen us, to hold on to His promises, to look for Christ’s return. We stay focused on the truth that God will have the ultimate triumph over evil, over Satan, over sin. We embrace the fact that God will restore the earth to align with His will, and we hold on to that without wavering.

Christian, remain steadfast, remember that Christ will return one day to initiate the Day of the Lord. In the meantime, be encouraged and be busy: get out there, sowing and planting, working and harvesting, waiting for the final trumpet call and the glory of Christ to appear. Don’t be inactive but be active in your faith and life. Don’t be discouraged, but be encouraged. Jesus is coming, and we have much to do until He comes. And He alone will prevail with all of His glory. Amen.

Fran Trascritti Judgment Day, ministry, SaturdayScripture

If you are critical of your pastor…

Before I begin, let me warn you that this is going to be a very blunt post. Let me also say that I have had a HUGE amount of support over the years and I am not reacting to how I may or may not have been treated.

That said, I now have something to confess: I am burdened over the habitual practice of beating up on a pastor by some church members with a critical spirit. While I don’t want to get into whether or not such people are actual believers, I have seen too many pastors hurt way too much by too many dragons who call themselves Christians. Brothers and sisters, this must not be so.

Let me be even more blunt: when a pastor is simply trying to fulfill his call to share Christ, it is shameful that such “comfort seekers” will dare pounce on him or gossip about his character. Sadly, I’ve seen pastors fired, forced out, or stressed out, all because a small minority of church bullies thought they knew better. They saw new changes as a threat to “their church” and they wanted control back. Such horrific conduct is a tool of Satan and it hinders our mission of the gospel. There. I said it.

Please know my burden is out of concern for some good, faithful men of God. There is nothing more discouraging for a pastor to fight a battle both inside and outside the church. Scripture is very clear that grumbling and “mob rule” leads to nothing but wickedness within the Body. In fact, it often resulted in death, destruction, and discipline from the Lord. Hebrews 13:17 is very clear on this: do the opposite and submit to your leaders.

Are you burdened about this too? Good! Here’s what you can do about it:

  1. Repent. If you have been critical in any way or worshiped with a critical spirit, stop it. God is not honored by your thoughts or conduct. Repent of your conduct and remove this ugliness from your life and heart.
  2. Return. Return to the gospel and become a person of grace. Be gracious to your pastor, believe the best about him, and be a positive example of the grace God has given you. Paul gives us plenty of these sort of imperatives in Eph 4:25-32.
  3. Resolve. Resolve to support your pastor. Love him and be an encouragement to him in public and in private. I have been blessed to have had encouragers throughout my pastoral ministries, and this meant a whole lot during the tough times. Even more, serve next to him and resolve to place the gospel first in all things.
  4. Pray. There’s no greater love you can ever show your pastor than to ask how you can pray for him, then do it. I had a young sister in Christ who would constantly ask how she can pray for me, and I can tell you that this always left me speechless when she asked. Love him by praying for him, and let him know that you are doing so.
  5. Respond. Respond to his leadership by following him wholeheartedly. Serve the Lord fully and unselfishly. After all, if your pastor is a faithful man of the Word, then let him lead and get into the trenches with him. Biblically, there’s no other course of action.

Since I am now in a ministry position that is an extension of the local church, these principles are especially true for me as a church member. In fact, I can’t wait for when the Spirit leads Teresa and me to find and join a local church. That’s because I want to be the type of member in my church that I always wanted to have. Praying for you as you love on your pastor!

In Him,

Fran

Fran Trascritti Devotional, Jesus, Judgment Day

5 Reasons why Jesus is Better Than the World 

Just a few words on why Jesus is always going to be better than what the world offers:

  1. He created the world and all in it (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-4, Col 1:16-17) 
  2. He loves the world (John 3:16, 1 John 4:9)
  3. He died for the sins of the world (Rom 5:8, 1 John 2:2)
  4. He will return again (Isaiah 62:11, Matt 24:30, Rev 22:12 & 20) 
  5. His glory will be forever (1 Cor 15:57, 1 John 5:12-13, Rev 21:7)

    There’s no comparison to the empty, 
    temporary things of the world. Remember that as you go about your day. 

    Be blessed, 

    Fran Trascritti 

    Fran Trascritti Devotional, God's Goodness, Jesus, Judgment Day, Thirsty Thursdays

    Thirsty Thursday: Why the Gospel was never about you

    What I read: Chronological Reading for the week (selections from Jeremiah and Ezekiel) has been completed early, so I am reading various devotionals from Spurgeon, Calvin, and praying through the Psalms. This is my reaction to some of my reading. 

    I’ve been a Christian for over thirty years and have been in ministry in churches for almost twenty two years. In my short time, I’ve seen my share of victories, praises, and mountain top experiences. I’ve also seen my share of discouragement, sadness, and apparent defeats. I’ve seen churches do amazing, wonderful things in the unity of the Spirit of Christ and yet I’ve seen churches act like the wandering people of Israel while they blindly followed a false god of their own desires.

    However, one obvious but often forgotten truth that I have seen and read over the years is abundantly clear: the gospel, lived and expressed in His people, is always to be about God and His glory. Just think: we as believers in Christ look forward to the day when we will see Christ face to face, when we as every tribe and tongue will bring praise and glory to His name. We know that the One whom we do not see now will be seen, and we will experience the joy of joyous praises as we enjoy God forever. At that time, the gospel will be fully fulfilled and fully Christ focused, as the heavens and the earth will willingly and eternally declaring the glory of God. It will be a wonderful, amazing time!

    Of course, while here in our flesh, we all have a whole lot to go in truly capturing a clear, Christ-focused man-888591_1280expression of the gospel. For example, the gospel was never meant to be about people in a self-serving, self-centered proposition. Christ didn’t die on the cross so people can lackadaisically just “get in” the gates of Heaven. He didn’t offer eternal life so some can just say the right words or pray the right prayer or even speak the language of Zion, or so churchgoers can be what is culturally defined as a “good Christian.”And the gospel is definitely not about extending institutional hypocrisy, or getting wrapped up in the complex, disgusting world of internal church politics, with ungodly preferences as justified by traditions and legalism. No, Jesus did not die on the cross for the things of earth to continue, because Jesus’ gospel is a call to a new life, a life free of wicked deed of the flesh, a life lived for Christ and only Christ.

    And maybe this is harsh, but sooner or later each of us must come to realize that we are not the center of the universe: the planets are not circling over each of our heads and the sun does not constantly and dramatically shine on your face in a radiant, angelic like beam. The gospel has never been and never will be about you or me. Instead, we are vile, sinful, and depraved beings who throw mud on and trample on the cross daily, often willingly. And while we draw ourselves into some grand story where we are somehow the main characters in it, the reality is that the true gospel story has always been about Christ, and we should be forever thankful to be able to be a small part of it. With this same idea, Psalm 84:10 says, “I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.”

    This is why God’s grace is so awe inspiring. Because of His grace, you and I are created in the imago dei, loved by the Creator and are able to hear, see, and respond to the gospel. Our response, then, needs to be nothing less than a life of complete adoration for Christ and His Kingdom. Money, power, comfort, and even our own lives comes second to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, compared to Jesus, these things shouldn’t even come close.

    Let me encourage you to check your own walk while I check mine. No longer should we claim to receive a gracious gift for eternity yet live like it is all about us. No longer should we follow Christ with our mouths and yet willingly place our possessions, comfort, self-centeredness, and our egos above Him. Fellow Christian, it’s time to repent, time to recommit and time to change this thinking. Let’s make this change: as a coheir in Christ, ours is the Kingdom forever, so let me challenge you to live as a citizen of Heaven while traveling this journey on earth!

    In Christ Alone,

    Pastor Fran

    Fran Trascritti Judgment Day

    Here we go again- why the world will not end on Oct 21st

    Camping’s site: What Happened on May 21st?

    Harold Camping

    My reaction: I do not know the date or the time for the end of the world, but I know when it will not end: Oct 21st.  Pretty cocky, am I?  Maybe a bit, but I think I am on pretty solid ground in saying this.

    Harold Camping, the radio preacher for Family Radio, predicted the judgment day for May 21, 2011.  When May 21 rolled around and nothing apparent occurred, many of his supporters were confused.  His explanation: May 21st marked the beginning of the end, and the end of the end will occur on Oct 21st.  Confused?  Well, for the past five months, according to Camping, the world has been under final judgment, “shaken with fear” in an emotional and spiritual earthquake  that commenced on May 21 and will end on October 21 with the rapture of the elect.  Since that time, again, according to Camping, there has been no new salvations, nor will there be.  What is done is done.

    So is this true?  Have preachers been preaching all summer long for no reason?  Have we had Vacation Bible Schools with no true fruit?  Has the baptismal waters been for nothing?  Not at all.  Camping is speaking complete rubbish.  He is a false prophet in the truest sense of the word, and to his shame, is leading his followers astray.

    The Scriptures speak clearly that we will not know the day nor the hour, not even the Son (Mt 24:46, Acts 1:7).  Camping has acknowledged this to be true, yet goes on to state in an extrabiblical “revelation” that this all changed thirty five years ago- he can place a time on Judgment Day.  Really?  Camping now has new revelation?  Are we to believe him?

    There are several reasons why we should not believe Camping.  First, no one who speaks for God should ever, ever contradict the Scriptures.  Revelation is found in the Bible, not in the whims of a man.  Second, God will not give His glory to any man, and He will not allow Camping to receive the glory for correctly predicting a date.  It is the Triune God that receives the glory, and when we see Jesus next, He will be gloriously riding in from the clouds as the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev 19:16).  Third, context matters.  Camping has taken Scripture out of context, such as using Rev 22:10-12 to justify the reason for the delay in the rapture.  He used Gen 2:7 to reason that earthquake can also mean “mankind shakes,” well out of context of the intent of the account of the creation of Adam.  These are serious errors in thinking, and no serious biblical scholar gives him credibility.

    So, will when Judgment Day occur?  I know when it won’t.  It won’t be Oct 21. Instead, I look forward to the day my Father decides it to be, in His own perfect timing, not Camping’s timing.  In the meantime, we have work to do for Christ, so let’s get back to business sharing the gospel, as the fields are ripe for harvest.

    Fran