Kingdom Teachings by Frank King

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5:7, KJV). The merciful refers to those who are kind, who show pity, and who are compassionate. This verse seems to suggest that showing mercy is a requirement for us to receive mercy. The truth is, however, that we all receive mercy from God—even the unmerciful.
But in the verse above, Jesus is addressing the mercy that one obtains through being merciful. It is a blessing reserved for those who are called the merciful.
It is not an easy thing for a genuine Christian to refuse to show mercy. Christ lives in us by way of the Holy Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit includes love (Galatians 5:22). Hence, when a demand is placed upon us by someone asking for mercy, we can’t easily shut up our compassion. Not easily--not if we are a genuine Christian.
The Holy Spirit will always lead us to be merciful toward others. When we go with the flow of the Holy Spirit, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” Moreover, when Jesus says we will obtain mercy, He is not only talking about mercy from the Lord but also, God will also cause others to be merciful toward others.

Staying positive while going through negative experiences can be hard. Our attitude tends to be shaped by how things are going in our life. When things are going well, people see our best side. But when times are bad, our smile may become turned upside down.
In this episode, however, Frank King shares a reason for Christians to be positive even during their negative experiences. Paul the apostle writes, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God….” (Romans 8:28, KJV). Note the words “all things.” This verse makes a powerful statement about God’s involvement in our life so we can triumph in all things.
It’s important to note that Romans 8:28 is not addressing salvation. Furthermore, it does not apply to every believer in Christ. This verse is a promise from God to those who love Him. They are the ones for whom He will make all things work together for their good.
Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find a promise that bad things, terrible things, can’t happen to those who have placed their faith in Christ. But we have this promise in God’s Word that all things will work together for good for those who love God.

Staying properly focused is a vital key to success in life. In this episode, Frank King addresses the subject of focus as it relates to being a Christian in today’s world. How can we stay properly focused amidst the many distractions? If we simply go with the flow of this world, that’s not a plan for success.
In the book of Hebrews, we find these words: “… let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” (Heb. 12:2a, KJV). The question is how can we look unto Jesus, since He has gone to be with the Father? We can do that by focusing upon His life and allowing His life to speak to our life.
Jesus’ life on earth was not a cakewalk, and neither will ours be. Some may teach that it is, but it’s not. Those who go through life thinking that it is are in for a surprise. That’s why, as believers, we must not keep our eyes upon the news or upon the church, upon politicians or anyone else. 
Our focus must be upon Jesus. He is the author of our faith, and He wants to be the finisher of the same. But that can happen only if we keep our eyes upon Him.
 

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, Jesus said” (Matt. 4:4, KJV). This was His response to the devil who tried to tempt Him to turn stones into bread because He was hungry from fasting. This one verse speaks volumes about the value of the Bible. It is our record of the words that have come from the mouth of God or His prophets. In this episode, Frank King addresses why it is so important for Christians to be faithful in the area of daily Bible reading. 
We all have our favorite books of the Bible. We may have our favorite Bible topics we prefer to read. Some churchgoers only want to hear sermons and Bible teachings on selected subjects. But we need to read and hear all of God’s Word. Why? Because every word from the mouth of God is life-giving. That’s what Jesus said.
You may read something that God said or that a prophet said on God’s behalf and regard it as irrelevant. But God never speaks just for the sake of speaking. When understood in its proper context, everything He says is relevant.
All Christians wanting to become or remain spiritually strong must develop a healthy appetite for daily Bible reading.

In church settings, we sometimes refer to our gatherings with each other as a fellowship. But in this episode, Frank King addresses having fellowship, not with fellow church members, but with God.
The main word translated as fellowship in the Bible is the word koinonia. The base word koinos means common. You see, fellowship can exist only when we share common interests.
Some people dismiss the idea that we can have fellowship with the true and living God. After all, we are mere mortal creatures, and He is the Creator of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them. To some, it may even border on blasphemy to say we can have fellowship with God.
But according to the Scriptures, we can. In 1 John 1:3, John writes, “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ”—1 John 1:3, KJV.
This verse reveals the key ingredient to us having fellowship with God. It is those things the disciples saw and heard while with Jesus and that they in turn declared to us through their writings.
Remember that fellowship occurs when two or more people share common interests. But as for God, how can we possibly know what His interests are? How can we know what He likes and what He dislikes? We can know those things only through what the apostles have declared to us based upon what they heard and saw when they were with Jesus.

Every one of us will be tested in this life. Living in this world and having challenges in life go hand in hand. Being a Christian does not exclude us from that reality. The question is, how do we prepare ourselves to successfully endure life’s challenges during our Christian journey? In this episode, Frank King shares some practical points on how to stand and not fall. 
Referring to Paul’s first epistle to the church at Corinth, Frank cautions believers against being overly confident of their ability to stand. Paul writes, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12, KJV). The more confident we are of our ability to stand, the less likely we are to safeguard ourselves from potential danger or from our weaknesses or vulnerabilities. That in turn makes us more likely to fall and less likely to stand.
Paul’s appeal to the believer to “take heed lest he fall” is a clear message that God wants us to know how to stand and not fall when we are tested. Listen to this episode for the practical points Frank shares on this very relevant subject.