Normally I write my own blogs. This one written by Francis Frangipane was so encouraging, I chose to share for all of God’s people to read. Read it and be blessed. Do not let the devil or anyone else be your travel agent for a guilt trip.

“I Don’t Remember”
By Francis Frangipane

How little we understand of eternal redemption! How many times will God forgive you? If you have truly set your heart to follow Him, He will cancel your sins as often as you ask. Will He forgive you of the worst sin you can think of? Yes! You may have to live with the consequences of your misdeed, but God can use your repentance and newly found humility to inspire others. As for the sin itself, if you deeply and sincerely repent of it, not only will God forgive you, He will blot it out of His memory.

Let me share an experience. A certain man of God had been gifted with revelatory insight into people’s lives. During an evening service he ministered to a Presbyterian pastor and his wife. By the gift of the Spirit, he revealed the couple’s past, uncovered their present situation, and then disclosed to them what was to come. This work of God greatly impressed the couple, and as the prophecies were fulfilled, one month later the Presbyterian minister brought two other pastors, each with their wives, to another service for personal ministry.

The word of knowledge was exceptionally sure that night, and the second minister and his wife marveled at the accuracy and truth in the prophetic word. The third couple stepped forward for ministry, and again the word of knowledge was present. The prophet spoke to the husband, revealing his past, present, and insight into his future. Then the man of God turned to this third minister’s wife. As he began to speak of her past, suddenly he paused. Then he said, “There was a very serious sin in your past.” The woman, with her worst fear upon her, turned pale and closed her eyes. The congregation hushed and moved to the edge of their seats.

The prophet continued, “And I asked the Lord, ‘What was this sin that she committed?’ And the Lord answered, ‘I do not remember!'”

The Lord had been faithful to His covenant promise: “I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25). Although many times this minister’s wife had asked for cleansing, still she could not believe the depth of God’s forgiveness. Christ had placed her sin in the sea of His forgetfulness. He removed it “as far as the east is from the west” (Ps. 103:12). From everywhere but the prison of her own mind, her sin had been paid for and removed. And now, in His great mercy, He removed it from there as well!

Oh, what burdens we carry; what guilt and limitations surround us because we do not accept God’s total and perfect forgiveness. In Isaiah we read, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isa. 43:25).

How great is the God we serve. How wonderful is His love toward us. He is our Redeemer, our Savior! If you are willing to forgive others and will but ask Him to forgive you, He will pardon your debts as often as you contritely turn to Him. He promises He will remember your sins no more.

As Gaylon and I walked into a conference in Missouri, there was a huge crowd. Five thousand people were at the Prayer and Power conference. As I walked through the bustling crowd, I felt so alone. Though my husband held my hand, it was my heart that was downcast.

Gaylon served as a pastor for more than thirty years. By far, the majority of the people in our churches served alongside us and helped us with the work of the ministry. But as there is in any profession, there are those people who are so difficult.

We had just had a difficult week in our church, and I was frazzled, tired, and tired of! We had already signed up for the Missouri conference, and it was prepaid. I had no desire to go, but I did. I had already decided I was not going to get anything from the conference, but at least we had a trip out of town, and nobody there would know us.

As we entered the auditorium, Gaylon asked where I wanted to sit, and I pointed to the nosebleed section located in the balcony.  Up we went to the balcony, and I chose the last row. I could hide in the nosebleed section and even God could not find me.

The conference began with resounding, passionate worship – from the other 4,999 attendees, or so I felt. I just stood there numb from the pain I had tried to leave at home. “God, I cannot feel You, and I’m not even sure you notice me in the crowd.”

As the worship-filled moments continued, I noticed movement to my right. I saw a woman climbing over people seated on her row, and then she walked several rows up and stopped in front of me. “God, I have enough on my mind without dealing with a “cereal” Christian. (You know – the ones that are nuts and flakes.)

The woman’s eyes met my eyes, and she leaned over and whispered in my ear. “God told me to come over to you. He told me that you are a pastor’s wife, and you have been terribly wounded. God said to tell you that He sees you in the crowd, and He set up this divine appointment. He is going to make up for all the pain you have been through. You will see His hand.”

Tears began to stream down my face as I realized God found me in the crowd. That woman did not know me from Adam, but God used her to say, “I see you, my daughter, and I am working in your behalf.”  And God did just that!

In the midst of a crowd, I would not have expected God to speak to me. Yet, there are many stories in scripture where Jesus met individuals while they were in the crowd.

• In the fourth chapter of Matthew in verse twenty-five, we read that large crowds followed Jesus. Yet in that crowd, He healed those brought to Him, those that “were ill with various diseases, those suffering from severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed.” Jesus saw each person in the crowd.
• In Matthew chapter eight, we are again told a large crowd is following Jesus. A man with leprosy came and knelt before Christ, asking to be made clean. Christ reaches out, touches him, and he is immediately healed. The leper was one man in the crowd.
• Mark two gives us a story from the time Jesus is in Capernaum. The story takes place in a home. There were so many people gathered that there was no room left inside or outside of the house. There was a crowd. Four men were determined to have their friend healed, so they lowered him through the roof. Jesus took His eyes off the crowd and put them on the individual, and the man was healed. He was one in the crowd.
• In Mark five, we see a very well-known story of a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years. The crowd was enormous, and Jesus was penned in on every side. In the midst of a large crowd, she presses forward and instantly finds healing from the touch of the Lord. She was one woman in the crowd.

Do you feel unseen in the crowd? He sees you. He sees your wounds and your worries. The Lord never turns a blind eye to His people. He is the God who sees us. Jesus knows all about us. He knows where to find us, even in the crowd.

“Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. She said, ‘You are the God who sees me.’ She also said, ‘Have I truly seen the One who sees me?’” (Genesis 16:13).

Our first grandchild Madison Benton turned twenty years old in July. Her birth brought so much joy and ushered in a great era for us. Being grandparents is something we enjoy beyond description.

After Madison was born, we bought a highchair to use during her visits. Because Madison matured and grew, the chair eventually found its way to the attic. It was almost eight years before other grandchildren began to arrive, precipitating the chair to be moved from the attic back to the kitchen. Our young, immature grandchildren required a highchair.

It was funny to watch those boys and girls as they sat in the highchair.  In actuality, it was more like an “I” chair. While in the “I” chair, those babies could be very demanding. I remember feeding them and fulfilling their “I” chair desires. I have watched them sit in the “I” chair crying, mouth wide open, demanding food immediately! If the child liked what I offered, all was pleasant. If I offered something the children did not like, they would try to swat it away. My precious grandchildren demanded what they wanted, when they wanted it – and if they did not have their way, they let everyone know it. Their behavior was understandable because they were just babies; however, the day had to come, and did come, when the grandchildren matured beyond the “I” chair.

The most dangerous spiritual chair a person can sit in is the “I” chair. It is the chair that negates the will and Word of God. It is the chair that says I will serve and obey God when I choose. It will be on my terms. If I do not like part of His Word, I will swat it away. If God or the Church crosses me, I will scream unless I get my way. I have a right to do whatever!

Yet, nothing could be farther from the truth of the Gospel.

There must come a point that we outgrow the “I” chair. We are not our own. We were bought with a price. We belong to Jesus. We are His purchased possession.  When a person yields to the lordship of Jesus Christ, he or she acknowledges His ownership and gives up personal rights.

It is time to put the “I” chair in the attic. 

^“And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” – Mark 8:34

For years, two of my aunts stopped speaking to one another. I do not know exactly what the issue was, but I was sitting in the living room, as my mother and one of her sisters talked. Aunt “Sue” was telling my mom that while visiting their mother earlier, Aunt “Sally” came by the house. As soon as Aunt “Sally” realized Aunt “Sue” was there, she sped off in her car and refused to come inside.

My mom never told me the whole story, but I knew enough to know that it was not a big incident that caused this division. It was a case of harsh words because of a disagreement. Disagreement had divided the family.

America is in an election such as we have never seen. There are enough lies, exaggerations and scandals to last a lifetime. We are a very divided country. We seem divided along gender, racial, and party lines.

Yet, for me the most troubling division is that which has risen in the Body of Christ. It does not take long to read social media, internet articles, and periodicals to see just how divided we have become. There are competing prophets telling us who is to be elected and/or who is of the devil. Christians loudly declare that you cannot be a Christian and vote for him; you cannot be a Christian and vote for her. Insults are hurled a mile a minute. One woman deleted me from social media because I did not support her candidate. Before deleting me from her life, she made sure to let me know I was not a woman of God.

One of the jobs of Satan is to divide the church. Yes, we have always had some division, but the divide is so much deeper now. The enemy did not just get a foothold in the door; it seems he has almost gotten his whole body in the door.

“When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” – Galatians 5:19-21

As we look at the above list, most of us who try to live by biblical truth, would never think of getting drunk, being sexually immoral, playing with sorcery and throwing wild parties. (I said MOST of us!)  Yet, God took the time to add to that list: hostility, outbursts of anger, and division.

The enemy must be smiling, because he thinks he is fulfilling scripture, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” – Mark 3:25.    The New Living Translation says it profoundly, “Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart.”

It is time to stop the angry words towards each other. It’s time to stop finger-pointing and speaking evil against one another.  The wounding has to stop. Four weeks from today, we will have a president-elect. In four weeks, many will be disappointed, and many will be jubilant. The question is, “In four weeks, what kind of Church will we have?”  I hope and pray that we will have a Church that is not strife-filled. Proverbs 6:16 tells us that God hates strife.

While many of us have been praying for repentance in this nation, it is time to repent for letting down our guards and allowing such ugliness to develop between us. “If my people …”

Four weeks from today, I still plan to serve God. Four weeks from today, I still plan to evangelize. Four weeks from today, I still plan to help those who are in the midst of life’s pain. Four weeks from today, I still plan to love God’s people. Four weeks from today, I still plan to have faith in God. Four weeks from today, I still plan to have kind words coming from my mouth. Four weeks from today, I still plan to pray for a move of God in the United States of America.

What will you be doing four weeks from today?

“I am so bored, Lord.”  This was my thought as I sat in a small group in a coffee shop.

My church offers many, many small groups. Often, I teach groups, but when I do not, I attend groups. It is another way for me to get acquainted with other women from my church. It also allows me to be in an environment where it is iron sharpening iron. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17). We need other people to help sharpen our walk with God. Be aware though – that might cause a few sparks to fly. Yet, we all need people to help us grow in Christ.

As I sat in that first small group meeting on a Saturday morning, there were more than twenty women. I thought to myself, “This is going to be a great group!”  We had all spent twenty dollars on a book that looked interesting and helpful. By the time I finished sitting through the first meeting, I drove home thinking, “I am not going back to this. I am so bored. I am a busy woman. This is not an effective use of my time.” 

When the next Saturday rolled around, I kept feeling the nudge of Holy Spirit to go back to the group. “Lord, please! I do not want to go.”  Yet, I knew I was to go.  It was even harder to sit through the second group meeting, and I once again vowed that I was not going back. The Lord and I had this conversation weekly over the next several weeks.

One day as I was complaining to the Lord. I mean praying! I sensed God say to me, “Stop complaining. I do not have you there for You, but for someone else.”

I finished all twelve weeks of the group except for weekends when I was traveling for ministry. Over those twelve weeks, the attendance of the group steadily declined. When the last weekend of the group came, only four people were in attendance. I still had no clue why I was there.

The group leader was a young woman in her twenties. Her parting comments came with tears. She explained that she had never stepped out and done anything for God. She was afraid to lead the group because she thought no one would come, and no one would want to hear what she said. With a choke in her voice, she thanked us for our attendance. “Ellen” (not her name) said that she now had confidence that she could step out and do something for the Kingdom of God.

Instantly, I understood why I was there. I was there for Ellen.

Encouragement is something we all need to help us stay motivated, loved, and feeling confident that we can be used by God. We all know what it can feel like to pursue something, whether it is starting new job or trying to make small changes in life—and not get any feedback or encouragement. Sometimes it can make you want to quit!

First Thessalonians chapter five verse eleven tells us, “So encourage each other and build each other up …”  A commitment to encourage others challenges us all to selflessly lift the countenance of someone else — no matter what we might be facing ourselves. As we offer encouragement to others, we can trust that God, in His sovereignty, will encourage us. This is the principle described in Proverbs 11:25, “… whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” (NIV).

Pray for God to make you an encourager. Ask Him to connect you with those who simply need encouragement. Ask Him to give you a heart that loves others and the creativity to know how to show it. Ask Him to help you die to self-centeredness and grow in a desire to build others up. What would happen if we all began to intentionally encourage others?

“Ellen” is still leading groups today because four women continued to show up to encourage her. Ask God to bring “Ellen” across your path. Sometimes, God wants us to be where we do not want to be because Ellen needs us.