Frank's Bible Blog

Psalm 48-- The Guide

We settled into the Range Rover excited about spending the next couple days on safari in Africa. Frank was our driver and guide, and he took us into two of Tanzania's national parks to explore African wildlife up close.

I wasn't nervous when he drove us right beside two sleeping lions. I figured we were safe in the vehicle. But when we stopped alongside a herd of elephants, I must admit there was a moment of concern. They were SO big and could easily trample us if something spooked them.

The concern quickly left as I realized we were in the care of an experienced guide. Plus, he was in this with us, so whatever happened to us was also going to happen to him!

Knowing that you have an experienced guide to see you through unchartered territory is very reassuring.

In Psalm 48, we are introduced to the ultimate Guide--God. We are told how He led His people to overcome opposing nations. We are told of His great loving-kindness.

We can exclaim with the psalmist, "For this is our God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death" (v14). A better translation of the last phrase might be "through death" or "beyond death."

You see, our Guide knows everything that we are going to face. Our Guide knows the best path to take in every situation. Our Guide knows the way forward. Our Guide will never leave us or forsake us--He's in this with us! He will see us through, not just life, but into eternity.

Our Guide is worthy to be praised (v1) and introduced to future generations (vv12-13). Most of all, our Guide should be followed no matter how scary, uneasy or complicated life may get.

Let's follow the Guide!

_________________________

Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com.

Acts 1-- Minutes Before Kick-Off

It's just minutes before the big game. The team gathers around the coach in eager anticipation of what he will say to fire-up the players and motivate them to victory. It  will be the last moment he speaks to them as a group before they take to the field and assume their individual positions. Will he review strategy? Will he cast vision for victory? Will he give some game-changing insight? Will he reach into his players' hearts and give them new motivation? As exciting as these moments may be for sports teams, they pale in comparison to the moment described in Acts 1 when Jesus assembled His team of followers. Jesus gave his final charge to his disciples prior to his ascension back to heaven. It was a visionary charge, nothing less than impacting the whole world with His message. As soon as Christ was gone, the eleven apostles gathered with the other disciples. The first order of business was to find a replacement for the betraying and now deceased Judas. Why? To fulfill Scripture and to prepare to carry out Christ’s final charge. They had to organize before they could effectively evangelize. They also needed to wait for the Holy Spirit—the One we would empower them for such a daunting task. They then went on to turn the world upside down with their teaching, an amazing accomplishment given the lack of technology, air travel, and other advances that we enjoy today. For the mission to continue, we must heed Christ’s words, get organized, seek God’s power and then launch out to reach this world with the gospel. Read Acts 1 and let Christ's final words to His team challenge you to be victorious for His kingdom.

_________________________________

Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

1 Corinthians 11-- Navigating Different Cultures

It is always interesting going to a country I have never visited before. Every country has its own culture, traditions, and way of doing things. This is also true in the churches. In Nigeria, for example, women typically wear brightly colored dresses and large hats or full head coverings to church (also brightly colored). They expect women, all women, to do this. In Romania, the dress typically is very simple and only married women cover the heads. The style of worship also varies greatly from culture to culture. One culture may emphasize quiet meditation and prayerfulness in their services, while another may have dancing to loud drums.  Even here in the United States we have very different cultural styles when it comes to how we do church. In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul reminds us that regardless of our traditions and cultural preferences, we need to be other-focused (vv1-16). There are, however, some areas that are not open to traditional interpretation. One of those is the church's presentation of the Lord's Supper (vv17-34). While there certainly is freedom to when it is conducted and the exact manner it is done, God makes it clear that everyone should approach this ordinance with the utmost sincerity. This remembrance of Christ should be sacred. So, in areas where God is silent or gives us freedom, let's celebrate cultural diversity and respect the traditions of others. But where God is clear, let us be clear and keep sacred what He considers holy.

_________________________
Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

3 John-- Hospitality and Hostility

I used to travel extensively as an itinerant evangelist. I was young and single and would often be gone for 30 days at a time. During those travel days, as I worked with churches, schools, prisons and anywhere else where people would listen to me, I was richly blessed by the hospitality of many people. Often a family would let me stay at their home while I was ministering at their church. Others would take me to dinner or fill up my car with gas. Many times I had just enough gas money to make it to the church where I was speaking. If they weren't generous, I wouldn't make it home. But I was never stranded--God's people always came through for me. During those years, I came to really appreciate 3 John. You see, 3 John encourages God's people to show hospitality to those who are traveling for the sake of the gospel (vv5-8). It also gives us an example of someone who did the opposite. A man named Diotrephes loved to "have the preeminence among them" (v9). This church member was self-serving, hurtful with his words, and hostile towards those who were traveling for Christ's sake (v10). The sad thing is that I'm afraid too many churches--maybe even most--have at least one Diotrephes in their congregation. Even sadder, there have been many church splits, church disbandings, and ministers forced out of churches thanks to modern day Diotrephes. May it never be said of you or me that we acted like Diotrephes. Instead, let us respond with love and selflessness towards others in our churches and let's do what we can to support those who tirelessly travel to proclaim Christ.
____________________
Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.