 Much
of the work God does guiding us to our destiny unfolds in our lives unnoticed
until the time of its manifestation. Seemingly insignificant aspects of our
lives suddenly bloom into profound realities, filling our consciousness with the
fragrance of the Lord's presence. The natural is transformed by the
supernatural, leaving us forever changed.
These "God-moments" reveal that the Lord has been intimately aware of us and,
long before we recognized Him, He had been working in our lives. I've told the
story before, but it's worth repeating. It was in the spring of 1971 when I had
a most significant encounter with the Lord. It was at this time that He first
spoke to me of my future. It began with a life-changing dream. In the midst of
great darkness, the Lord revealed there would be a great outpouring of the Holy
Spirit. The next morning, as I contemplated the vision, for the first time in my
young Christian life I read Isaiah 60:1-3
and then Matthew 14.
Both these texts confirmed in dramatic detail the truth of my night vision. The
Isaiah text spoke of nations coming to Christ while Matthew's story chronicled
Jesus feeding the multitudes with the bread and fish.
The God-moment peaked as I read that Jesus had blessed and broke the bread.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that my last name, Frangipane, actually meant "to
break bread." Throughout my life this long last name had been a nuisance. Yet
now, coupled with the dream and the promise from Isaiah, the story of Christ
taking "broken bread" to feed multitudes became a personal encouragement to me.
Later that morning, I related the vision and the Lord's promise from Isaiah 60
to my wife, Denise. I then told her about the feeding of the five thousand,
mentioning that God would use us like Jesus used the loaves and fish to feed the
multitudes. I also explained that Frangipane, in fact, meant "to break bread."
Since she now had my last name, God had included her in my calling. In childlike
wonder, she replied that this destiny would not only be about me. She then
informed me of the meaning of her maiden name, Piscitelli. It meant "little
fishes."
Those Whom He Foreknew
The fact that the Lord would quietly orchestrate
our lives, and then confirm His promise in the very meaning of our names still
fills our souls with awe. I imagine that a similar sense of awe struck King
Josiah when, as a young man, he discovered his name in the scriptures. Indeed,
his kingship had been foretold 350 years previously by a prophet in Israel; the
man of God even described the actual tasks Josiah would fulfill
(1 Kings 13:2).
The revelation of having been foreknown by God caused Josiah to become, perhaps,
the most zealous of all of Israel's kings.
This same awe must have struck King Cyrus of Persia when he discovered that the
God of Israel had foretold of his leadership, by name, 150 years prior to his
birth (Isaiah 44:28).
The knowledge that we have been predestined by God to accomplish great things
for Him, that He actually calls His sheep by name, adds great zeal to our souls.
Certainly, David must have felt this sense of awe when he wrote,
"O LORD, You have
searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You
understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and
are intimately acquainted with all my ways . . . Behold, O LORD, You know it
all. You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it"
(Psalm 139:1-6).
Whether or not your name has a significant meaning in it, however, is not the
issue. You are significant. God chose you in Christ before the foundation of the
world; He has written your name in heaven
(Eph 1:3; Rev 21:27). Even at this very
moment the Holy Spirit continues to work in you His predetermined plan. At the
proper time, the miracle of God's activity will emerge in your life like
precision clockwork.
Recent Elections
As we approached elections in the USA, it
struck me as inconceivable that the destiny of President Bush would not also
have been foreordained by the Almighty. I noticed that he is often identified by
his middle initial, "W." Yet, even as I listened to the President's supporters
chant, "four more years," it occurred to me that the President's middle initial,
"W," when spoken phonetically, actually says Double You, as in "I will double
your time in office four more years."
Of course, the Lord didn't need a prophetic play on words to escort this
President into office. Yet, with the re-election of President Bush, I've
realized something else: he was given four more years on the strength of
evangelical Christians. In fact, "moral values" was the leading reason
people voted for President Bush! In the midst of a shaky economy and a difficult
war in Iraq, the desire for righteousness determined the outcome of this nation!
Many politicians on both sides of the aisle have ignored the traditional values
of faith and family. Sen. Dodd, D-Conn., admitted, "We have lost the ability to
connect with people's value systems and we're going to have to work to get that
back." Rep. Pomeroy, D-N.D., said "I think that the Democratic party nationally
is perceived as being out of step with mainstream values. I want our party to do
a better job of speaking to matters of faith and family."
I think it is vital that evangelical Christians divorce ourselves from gloating
or any expression of self-righteousness. It is imperative that, while others are
searching for answers, we truly represent Christ's heart. Let us speak with
humility of our values and then, with wisdom, lead others to Jesus, our source
of all virtue.
Beloved, both Republicans and Democrats, as well as the news and entertainment
media, are all realizing that something powerful is awakening in America. They
had a first glimpse when The Passion of the Christ came out; they
were staggered by the effect of praying, voting Christians during this last
election. Now, it is time to pray this advance forward.
As I've often said since January, 2004, we are in a year of release. The
constrictions we've been experiencing are not death throes, but birth pangs;
they are not part of what restricts us, but releases us. Indeed, there is a
destiny unfolding, not just for George W. Bush, but for the body of Christ in
America. I believe that the Lord is in the process of answering our prayers and
increasing our effectiveness. Concerning His anointing on our lives, He says, "I
will double you."
by Francis Frangipane
www.frangipane.org
comments@frangipane.org
Francis' Traveling Schedule
November 11-13: Visionary Advancement Strategies, Kirkland, WA
www.vision2advance.com 425-820-2900
December 6-8: MorningStar Roundtable & Board Meeting, Charlotte, NC
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