One More For JC

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.  (Titus 2:11-14) For years I kept a journal to document the events of the calendar year gone by:  my accomplishments and failures, my highs and lows, my goals and plans.  With this web site, those journals have become a thing of the past as I now have an on-line journal that is accessible for anyone (most notably myself) to see.  Unfortunately, this isn’t always such a good thing.  It can be a bit disconcerting as I flip over to the archive sections of the site and review the things I did and said in each ...

Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.  Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?  God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.  And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”  (2 Chronicles 1:9-12) The 2000 U.S. presidential election has been a wild and crazy one.  On election night, the press kept us on an emotional roller coaster; first declaring Al Gore the winner of Florida (and essentially the next president), then declaring ...

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  (Matthew 7:7-8) Nine months ago, I wrote the following in my “ The Competitive Fire Within ” verse application:  “I still enjoy winning and I still love to compete.  But I pray I never let those desires negatively impact another person’s life again.”  After Game 1 of the World Series last Saturday night, I realize I still have a long way to go.  Throughout the game between my most beloved team (N.Y Mets) and my most despised team (N.Y. Yankees) I was a nervous wreck.  I couldn’t sit still, I couldn’t relax, and I could barely speak to my family who I had flown half way across the country to visit for the weekend.  At the time, I rationalized it as a once in a lifetime event transpiring before my very eyes.  The Mets and Yankees had neve...

Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by his decrees and obey his commands.  (1 Kings 8:61) What a challenge it is to have our hearts fully committed to the Lord.  I don’t know if there has ever been a time in my life when this has been true.  There have been occasions when this has been 50% true or even 75%; but 100% true is another story. Quite honestly, it’s been too easy for me to get caught up in the cares and pleasures of this world.  Who has time to read the bible when there is a good show on T.V.?  Who has time to go to a nursing home or soup kitchen when there is a football game to be seen?  Who has time to give when so much time is spent on the receiving end? When I think about the time that I spend giving, caring, and praying for others and compare it to Christ, it sickens me.  It’s clear that we are two men that live for different motives:  Christ’s sole mission is to serve, my sole mission is to...

Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God my God.  (Ruth 1:16) The above verse is a powerful verse from a lesser known book of the bible; the book of Ruth.  It expresses the loyalty and love of Ruth for her mother-in-law Naomi, who had just lost her two sons and husband.  After her own husband died, Ruth had the option to return to her homeland but opted instead to remain with and share in the plight of Naomi.  The Lord greatly rewarded Ruth for her faithfulness with a husband and son. After recently getting married, moving to a different state, and leaving behind a number of family and friends, this verse really hits home.  It shows the type of loyalty and love I want to express to my wife in our new life together.   We have the exciting opportunity of discovering a new church, making new friends, and fulfilling new dreams...

My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.  (Hebrews 12:5-6) I remember the summer of 1993 like it was yesterday.  I spent almost every day at the newly constructed gym at my college campus.  I would lift weights religiously for over an hour then head over to the basketball courts to play a few pick-up games.  I was a physical and cardio-vascular machine; unfortunately I knew it all too well.  I took great pride in being strong in the weight room and excelling on the basketball court.  I couldn’t walk by a mirror without admiring the handiwork of all the long hours at the gym; a camera was ever present to capture my body’s progression month by month. But everything changed on August 4, 1993.  The afternoon started the same way every other one did that summer; I went to work then headed over to the gym a...

I ask that we love one another.  And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands.  As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.  (2 John 5-6) Dee and I enjoyed 6 days in Northern California on our honeymoon.  We enjoyed the breathtaking views of Monterey, Sausalito, and San Francisco.  We were awed by the beauty of Napa Valley, shopped until we dropped in Carmel, and wined and dined each day like we never had before.  But amazingly the most powerful moment of our journey did not take place on the Pacific Coast Highway, “17 Mile Drive,” or Golden Gate Bridge.  It occurred near the end of our trip as we made our way back to the San Francisco airport.  As we drove through the streets of San Francisco, we encountered a beggar at four consecutive lights.  With each passing encounter, my heart was moved more and more.  One beggar held a sign that read “Even a Smile Helps.”  Another held ...

Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  (Psalms 37:3-4) Over the past few months, I’ve been flipping through the pages of the chapters of my life.  I recalled all the good years and all the ones that were thrown away by pain, sorrow, and depression.  I cried as I recalled the darkest moment of my life when my desire to live had all but faded away.     However, it was at that darkest moment that I made the most important decision of my life, and that was to trust in the only person I knew who could restore me – Jesus Christ.  At that lowest point, I said to Him, “this is now your life to live, for I no longer have the strength to live it.” I felt Christ’s presence like never before that night and I could feel Him carry me through.  He reminded me of all those that loved me; none more so than He.  He asked me to...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4:6-7) This is another powerful verse I’ve been leaning on during the hectic pre-wedding months.  What a joy it is to know that the Lord is ever ready to take all my burdens upon Himself.  I’ve just got to be willing to turn them over to Him.  Sometimes I fool myself into thinking that I’ve got everything under control.  It is exactly at those times that I fear myself the most.  Truth is, by myself I would be a ship without a rudder – without the Lord, I would be drifting endlessly against a powerful current. As Paul writes, I want to live my life in constant prayer and petition.  I want my heart and my mind to be guarded by the one who has no limits or weaknesses – Jesus Christ. ...

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.  (Matthew 11:28-30) I’ve learned the hard way over the past couple weeks just how hectic life can become two months before a wedding.  There’s invitations to mail, flights to book, hotels to reserve, and honeymoons to plan.  Things get so hectic so fast, it is easy to lose perspective on what the wedding day is all about.  However, I don’t want to get so caught up in the pressure of the moment, that I lose sight of what is truly important – my relationship with Dee, my relationship with my family and friends, and most importantly my relationship with God. I want my wedding day to be a day of smiles not frowns.  I want to be able to relax enough where I can enjoy being in the company of all my family and friends...

I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.  (John 3-3) “Born again.”  “Saved.”  They’re words most people shy away from or apply a negative connotation to.  Personally, I do not like describing myself as “born again” or “saved” because I think it gives off an “I’m a part of the exclusive club” air. The truth is, the club isn’t so exclusive.  God extends an open invitation to ALL to reconcile themselves to Him through His son, Jesus Christ.  Just as through one man’s disobedience (Adam) we were all separated from God, through one man’s obedience (Christ) we can all be reconciled to Him.  Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  The choice is ours to make.  If we feel we can stand before a perfect God on our own righteousness – God will respect that decision; He has given us all free will.  However, be warned....

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.  (Philemon 1:6) One year ago today “Frank’s World” was born.  It started with a Verse of the Day and Sports page, and has grown considerably ever since.  I’d like to thank all of you for your support and encouragement for there have been times when I wished I never made this daily commitment.  I’ve had files corrupted and spent days completely rebuilding the pages from scratch.  I’ve anguished over the design of the site and struggled to find ways to make it more interactive.  I’ve encountered hotels with no dataports and lines that refused to keep a connection. But all these battles are something I’ve come to embrace.  I take too much joy in sharing the gifts the Lord has provided me with to allow these things to affect me.  I also take great pleasure in watching the Lord work within me:  I remember ...

I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.  (Jeremiah 10:23) Twenty nine years ago today I breathed my first breath on this earth.  Little did I know then what my life would be like or what type of man I would become.  Fortunately, from an early age my parents rooted a foundation of faith in Jesus Christ within me.  I developed a quick sense of right and wrong, and I tried to live my life as Christ would want me to live it.  However, too many times I came up woefully short.  I was judgmental, envious, proud, and selfish – a far cry from the man I knew Christ wanted me to be.  In college, I got involved with a service organization that helped instill a desire within me to serve someone other than myself.  I visited nursing homes, served at soup kitchens, and worked at shelters.  One of the most fulfilling days of my life came when I was serving at a Christian shelter in New York City....

When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it.  He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.  It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.  (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5) This verse pierces me deep down to the soul.  It forces me to think about all those times I brought empty promises before the Lord:  “Dear Lord, if you could please help me through X, I’ll do Y in return.”  Time and time again, the Lord helps me through X, but I never even attempt to fulfill Y.  Why on earth do I do that??  Do I not take my promises to the Lord seriously?  Do I consider Him so loving and forgiving that I find it acceptable to break my vows to Him?  The truth is, I would do almost anything to avoid breaking a vow to a family member or friend, but when it comes to the Lord I am considerably lax.  This is something I must make every effort to change – not for the Lord’s sake but for my own.  The Lord doesn’t need an...

Should you not fear me? declares the Lord.  Should you not tremble in my presence?  I made the sand a boundary for the sea, an everlasting barrier it cannot cross.  The waves may roll, but they cannot prevail; they may roar, but they cannot cross it.  But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts; they have turned aside and gone away.  They do not say to themselves, ‘Let us fear the Lord our God, who gives autumn and spring rains in season, who assures us of the regular weeks of harvest.’  (Jeremiah 5:22-24) Do I fear the Lord?  Do I tremble in His presence?  I love, praise, and respect Him, but do I fear Him?  There are times in my life when I take the Lord’s goodness for granted:  “Oh He’ll forgive me!”  There are other times when I defiantly disobey Him. Fortunately for me, the Lord and I have come to an understanding.  When I take Him for granted or I defiantly disobey Him, He punishes me - swiftly.  Fo...

What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved and have given us a remnant like this.  (Ezra 9:13) This verse provides a wonderful example of how I should be communicating with God.  Countless times in my life I’ve come before Him with a shopping list of needs and desires I fully expect Him to fulfill, whether it be for good grades, a good performance on the baseball field, a good job, a wife, etc.  Other times I’ve come before God questioning His goodness:  “How could you do this to me?  How could you abandon me?  Will you ever answer my prayer?”  On the contrary, I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I’ve come before God acknowledging a well-deserved punishment.  I can’t remember the last time I got down on my knees and said “Lord, thanks for the whipping you gave me!  I was clearly disobedient and yet you were just ...

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  (Romans 10:9-11) Is salvation by grace or is salvation by works?  Most religions profess salvation by works:  How did you treat others?  What did you do in your walk on earth?  Did you follow all the commands of the faith?  Were you a good person?  Christianity offers a unique view of salvation – salvation by the grace of God:  Did you confess Jesus as Lord?  Did you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead?  Did you accept the one means of salvation that God graciously provided? There was a time in my life when I believed in salvation by works.  It encouraged me to serve...

Do not be deceived:  God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  (Galatians 6:7-8) “Who wants to marry a multi-millionaire?”  They should have called it “Who wants to make a mockery of God” or “Who wants to watch two people completely remove God from their union?”  Twenty five million people tuned in to watch two complete strangers give themselves to each other in “holy” matrimony.  What a joke.  Unfortunately, it was a perfect description of the sad state of affairs our society is in. Prayer was removed from schools years ago, and now we all reap the results on a regular basis with shooting after school shooting.  Now God is slowly but surely being removed from marriage as well.  Divorce rates are skyrocketing, states are starting to recognize homosexual marr...

My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  (John 15:12-13) Another Valentine’s Day has arrived; a day of flowers, candy, romantic dinners, etc.  Before I met Dee, Valentine’s Day was a day I dreaded; it was the one day out of the year that reminded me like no other just how single and alone I was. But five months from marriage, I am as equally thankful to have a special person to share the day with as I am remorseful at having felt single and alone all of those years.  Truth be told, I never was.  The greatest love I’ve ever known and ever will – Jesus Christ – was ever willing to spend each Valentine’s Day with me; I just chose to be bitter and ignore Him instead.  How could He sit idly by as another calendar year passed me by?  Wouldn’t He ever provide the woman of my dreams?? If I could turn back the hands of time to each February 14 th ...

Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.  (Romans 12:9-13) February marks the fifth month in the past ten that I’ve worked in New York.  Most of my life I vowed that I would never work in New York; the fast pace, the traffic, and the multitudes of people were simply too much for me to bear.  But amazingly, I’m growing to like it.  On one side of the building, there’s the Statue of Liberty.  On another, there’s the Empire State Building and the Twin Towers.  The view is simply breathtaking.  When I first started my consulting trips last May, I was in awe of all the droves of people that filled the NYC su...

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.  (Galatians 5:24-26) Most people who know me consider me to be one of the most competitive people they know (if not THE most).  Most of my life I took great pride in that.  If you stepped onto the basketball court, the baseball diamond, the bowling alley, the ping pong table, or whatever with me, you knew full well you were not only going to get a challenge, but everything I had to give. Losing for me was not an option; I simply had to win.  This challenge I placed upon myself drove me to improve and drove me to succeed.  For years, I considered this a good thing.  What was wrong with striving to improve or striving to be the best?   It took a great deal of humbling to finally get the answer.  For ye...

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Hebrews 12:1-3) When I reflect upon this verse and think about those sins that prevent me from fixing my eyes on Jesus, one of the first things that come to mind is my pride.  A couple weeks ago I was reviewing some of the verse applications I had written last year.  I came across the following words that I had shared in the app entitled “Nothing is Hidden From God” written on 8/8/1999: “The main reason I created this site was twofold:  1) To share my love for Christ with others and  2) To overcome my resistan...

I heard, but I did not understand.  So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”  He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.  Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked.  None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.  (Daniel 12:8-10) Thankfully, Y2K has come and gone.  Fears over a nasty computer glitch swept the world.  Many people took extra precautions to avoid a potential disaster.  Holiday travel was at a low, baked beans and bottles of water were snatched from the shelves, extra money was taken out from the bank, generators were stockpiled, etc.  But nothing happened.  As each country successfully rang in the new millennium without any major problems, a collective sigh of relief was exhaled.  For my part, I took a number of precautions.  I withdrew most of my...