Frank's Bible Blog

The Homeless and the Aged: How Will You Serve in 2014?

Galatians 5:13b “But do not use your freedom to indulge in sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love.”

Last Sunday—the Sunday before Christmas—our family had the privilege of working with our church to serve the homeless of downtown Dallas. In the pre-dawn hours the homeless began to line up on one side of a parking lot, while others mingled around hot coffee on the other side where the weekly outdoor church service and breakfast would be held. The line, I learned, was to get clothes. One shirt and one pair of pants per person. My assignment was to enforce that “one and one” rule. Most people were very respectful of the rule, but then there was one guy who tried to leave with his arms full of clothes. We got him to put a couple things back that clearly would not fit him, but he begged us to let him keep the rest. “Construction workers threw everything I owned over the bridge,” he said. Apparently he had been making his “home” at a nearby construction site. We let him keep the extra clothes.

As the sun rose the church service began. I stood on the side and watched as people began to take their seats on cold metal chairs. One woman caught my attention. As soon as she sat down she started to cry. I slipped into the seat beside her. “Is there something I can pray with you about” I asked. “Yes,” she sobbed. She then began to tell me how child protective services recently took her three children. “All I want to do is tuck them in bed at night” she cried. “I’ve been real good lately. I stopped doing drugs. I don’t know why I lost them” she said. I shared the gospel with her and she told me that she had accepted Christ as Savior several months ago but had stopped going to church because she felt she wasn’t good enough.

Fast forward three days—Christmas Day—and our family found ourselves out early once again, this time to sing Christmas carols at a nursing home during their breakfast hour. We try to do something like this every Christmas that we are in town as one way to model service to our now-teenage children.

That brings us to my quiet time this morning. I read the familiar Galatians 5 passage about the fruit of the Spirit, but what really struck me were the verses leading up to them, particularly verse 13. It seems that many people struggle living by the Spirit because they don’t practice serving others. As I read this verse what came to my mind were the faces of the homeless man who lost his possessions, the woman who lost her children, and the elderly men and women who I talked with in that nursing home. I thanked the Lord for these opportunities to serve them with my family. These service opportunities were different from my normal “ministry” and it helped remind me of the importance of serving others and living by the Spirit, not just at Christmas but all year long.

So what about you? As you think about the upcoming year, how are you planning to serve others in love? You may find that it is much easier to live in the Spirit when you are walking in service to others.

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P.S. Yes, it’s been a long time since I’ve written a Bible blog! 2013 has been a very busy year for me and our ministry, MaxPoint Missions, with trips to East Africa and assisting with work literally all over the world. In case you haven’t kept up, I would encourage you to visit our website at www.maxpoint.org to see what is going on these days and to sign up for our periodical eNewsletter.

Galatians 6-- Bonus Features

A lot of DVD movies today come with "bonus" features. These may be a behind the scenes look at how the movie was created, outtakes from the film, or even additional scenes that were shot but didn't make it onto the screen.  Often these special features help put the whole movie into perspective. Galatians 6 is kind of like that--it is the bonus feature of the book. As Paul moves into this final chapter of Galatians, there is a clear move from the theological to the practical. He puts all of the theological discourse into perspective as he tells us how to practically live it out. Basically, Paul says two things: think about others and take care of yourself. Think about others by reaching out to those who have fallen into sin (v1) and coming alongside those carrying difficult burdens (v2). Be generous to those teachers and preachers who expound God's word to you (v6) and pro actively seek ways to help others (v10). Take care of yourself by staying humble (v3), avoiding comparing yourself to others (vv 4-5), and sowing seeds of righteousness (vv 7-8). Don't be discouraged as you do these things, for your actions will eventually reap rewards (v9). That is the ultimate bonus feature!

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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.

Galatians 5-- It's in the Soil

There is a Texas company advertising a special plant soil. This unique dirt is supposed to be the best your garden can get because of the unusual ingredients in it.  Ingredients like soda pop, energy drinks and even beer are mixed into their dirt. "It won't give your plants a beer belly, but they will be bigger" is how the ad goes. I have no idea if this soil lives up to its claims (frankly, I would be afraid to find out!) but the premise is correct. The soil is critical to the plant growing great fruit. The same is true in life. Galatians 5 contains a list of attributes that we call the "fruit of the Spirit." It is in the context of living a life of freedom in Christ, rather than slavery to sin and the law. Usually when I hear people talk about these verses they focus on the individual fruit. They say we need to be better at love or joy or peace. I think, however, they may be missing the big picture. This kind of fruit comes not by focusing on the fruit itself but rather on the soil in which the tree grows that produces the fruit. The fruit comes from "walking in the Spirit" (vv16, 25). The Spirit is like the tree. But how do you walk in the Spirit? That is the soil in which the tree is planted, and it is found in verse 24. "And those...have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." The soil is comprised of your passion and desires. Whether or not you will walk in the Spirit and consequently bear the fruit of the Spirit is determined by your passions and desires being right. Ask yourself, "what is it that I am most passionate about right now?" What is it that gets you the most excited and energized? Is it your job? Is it your sports team? Maybe even your family?  If it doesn't relate to God, then you have a problem with your soil. Now, make a list of all the things that you long for--what you want to have, be, reach, become, etc. If the top things on that list doesn't relate to God, then you have a soil problem. Do you want great fruit? Focus on the soil. Deal with your passions and desires.

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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.

Galatians 4-- Facing Four Lanes of Oncoming Traffic

When I was nine, I went with my grandparents on a cross-country trip in their motor home. We  drove through the capital of Colorado, Denver, and tried to find the capitol building. My grandfather navigated a series of one-way streets trying to reach it. Grandfather turned a corner and approached an intersection--and I will never forget what I saw next. Facing us were four lanes of oncoming traffic! He had inadvertently turned the wrong way on a one-way street. Fortunately, we managed to turn onto another street before the cars reached us. Unfortunately, in life we sometimes make wrong turns and end up heading in the opposite direction of where we should be going. That is what happened in Galatians 4 as Paul confronts the church there for heading backwards. Even though Christ had set them free and made them heirs of heaven, they were turning back to the old ways--ways that lead to misery and destruction. They were living like slaves rather than sons of the King (v7). You and I need to be very careful that we don't do this today. It is easy to get caught up with things outside of Christ and the next thing you know you are headed in the wrong direction. It only takes one missed turn to find yourself facing four lanes of oncoming traffic.

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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.

Galatians 3-- Too Simple

Would you agree that the world is getting more and more complex? As new technology emerges to make life "easier" it actually makes things more complicated. My parents had a hard enough time figuring out how to set the clock on a VCR, now there are mp3 players, digital video recorders, high definition television, Blue Ray DVD, picture-in-picture, and a host of other techno-gadgets that you have try and figure out. These complexities extend far beyond gadgets--they go to every aspect of our lives from mortgages (do you want an adjustable rate, a fixed 30 year, a five year fixed that moves to an adjustable rate, etc?), doctor visits (have you ever read all of the privacy disclosure paperwork they give you?), even to buying milk (skim, whole, half, 2%, soy). Sometimes we want to apply these complexities to something that really is quite simple, like the gospel. We want to make it harder than what it really is. That is what Paul faced as he wrote to the Galatians in chapter 3. There were those who were adding to salvation through faith in Christ. They said you had to follow Jewish practices as well as committing your life to Christ. Today there are many people who want to add things to the gospel. They say "yes, believe in Jesus to forgive you of your sin, but you also must do..." By adding to the gospel they in fact erase the gospel. Don't get caught up with those who want to make the gospel more than what the Bible says that it is. Salvation still comes through faith alone in Christ alone. Nothing more, nothing less.

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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.

Galatians 2-- Are You the Problem?

Hypocrisy has always been one of the chief reasons non-Christians give for avoiding Christ. Their exposure to some Christians had been a turn-off. In unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters, the Barna Group's David Kinnaman documents hypocrisy as one of the main reasons young adults give for avoiding church. Hypocrisy in the church isn't new. In fact, it is exactly what Paul dealt with in Galatians 2 as he recounts his encounter with Peter and other early church leaders. Peter, it seemed, would act one way when he was around Gentiles and another way around Jews. Paul challenged that he and his message needed to be consistent. If even the early church leaders had trouble with consistency, then what can we do? Well, Paul goes on to explain that the key to consistency is crucifixion. When you and I daily consider ourselves crucified with Christ, then it isn't us trying to be consistent; rather, it is Christ living His life through us. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I know live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God..." is how Paul put it in verse 20. Unfortunately, too often the gospel is hidden behind the inconsistent lives of those who claim to embrace it. If more believers lived the crucified life, then maybe more outsiders would be able to see the gospel for what it is. So, is your life a turn-off to those outside of Christ or does your consistency allow the gospel to shine clearly through you?

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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.

Galatians 1-- Red Light Cameras

Here in my state of Texas, more and more cities are using cameras at traffic intersections to catch drivers running red lights. The program is controversial, but it does make drivers think twice before running a red light. When you know that someone--or something--is watching your actions, it usually causes you to be more careful. Well, whether you realize it or not, people are watching you and not just as you drive! People are forming opinions of you personally, and they form opinions of what you represent as well as your belief system. Galatians 1 is a great encouragement to the power of our testimony. The Apostle Paul in defending the one true gospel, points to his own life and how it had been radically changed by Christ. This persecutor of Christianity had become its most vocal preacher. Paul said "And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. But they were hearing only 'He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.' And they glorified God in me" (vv 23-24). Notice that last phrase--"they glorified God in me." Because of Paul's life, God was glorified. They looked at Paul and saw Jesus. Don't you want that to be said of you? Don't you want God to be glorified in you? Is there any greater compliment that you could receive than that? People are watching you. Hopefully what they see brings glory and not shame to God.

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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.