God's Progressive Work in You (Episode 135)

No matter how long you live as a Christian, plenty room will always exist in your life to become more like Christ. The good news is that God is still working in your life toward that end. This episode addresses God’s progressive work in our life.
The basis of this episode is found in the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians. There he writes, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6, KJV).
Note that Paul refers to God’s work in us as a “good work.” Furthermore, until the day of Christ, should we live until then, God will be working to perfect His good work in us.
Accordingly, we must be careful and not judge a person based upon some current snapshot we see of the person. Every genuine believer in Christ is a good work in progress. How we see someone today is no indication of who he will be tomorrow. That this is true attests to God’s progressive work in us. He wants to make and mold each of us into the image of His Son.
It is important to note that this episode is not about salvation. Salvation is an instant and complete work of God in our life. If someone were to genuinely accept Christ as his or her Savior today and die tonight, that person will go to be with the Lord. This episode, however, addresses our spiritual growth, which is not instant but ongoing.
Cooperating with the Process
We can impede God’s progressive work in our life. We should instead cooperate with what God is doing in us. He does not force change upon our life. This is the reason some Christians grow more quickly than others do.
Imagine that you are on the interstate, and you find out that some road work is going on. The exit you need to take is closed temporarily. So, you must go down a couple more exits and then take some back roads to get to where you are going. Going that way still gets you to your destination; it’s just a longer route because of the roadblock.
That’s the situation with God’s efforts to further His work in some Christians’ lives. They build personal detours and roadblocks to what God wants to accomplish in their life. So, He has to work through those issues with them. He can still get them where He wants to take them. But it takes longer when we don’t cooperate with His ongoing good work in us.

Four Christian Principles to Live By (Episode 134)

We all have physical, emotional, and mental limitations. That means a limit exists as to how much we can be subjected to physically, emotionally, or mentally. No one is an exception to that reality.
Consider our men and women in the military. Upon entry, they are mentally and physically strong. But even for them, a limit exists as to what they can be subjected to before they become overwhelmed physically, emotionally, or mentally. Hence, it’s not unusual for some of them to return from the horrors of war experiencing mental and emotional trauma.
The reason this is true is because God has not made any of us to carry the weight of our world upon our own shoulders. Those who try to do so will learn that to be true. Our ability to endure and overcome overwhelming situations in life is a function of our relationship with the Lord. This episode addresses four Christian principles every Christian should incorporate into his or her life.
Salvation Is Not Enough
We have not arrived just because we have accepted Christ as our Savior and become born again. After this conversion, we have only just begun. Of course, that experience is enough to get us into heaven. But meanwhile, we must live down here. And our adversary the devil wants to destroy us.
About that Peter writes, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8, KJV). Paraphrase: If you are a Christian, the devil is your enemy, and he wants to destroy you. That’s why the Christian principles discussed in this episode are important. They will help you to be victorious, amid the enemy’s assaults against you.
Incorporating these principles into your life is not a requirement for salvation. Rather, they are a matter of your quality of life as a Christian. They will enable you to live a more effective and fulfilled Christian life. The better you are at incorporating these Christian principles into your life, the stronger and more rooted in the faith your life will be.
 

Focusing on What's Important (Episode 130)

In this episode, Evangelist Frank King addresses our need for time-management and setting priorities. He says these are two of the keys to success in life. God has given us only 24 hours in a day to work with. We must know what’s important in life and how to be a good steward with our time.
A limit exists to how much we can prevent life from imposing itself upon us. Each of our lives is inseparably connected to the lives of others.  For instance, you may need to help care for an elderly parent or family member. You didn’t ask for that, but you have it. The only way we can get through the challenges of life is by determining what’s important and disciplining ourselves to focus on those things first.
Think about Jesus. While He was on earth, He was clothed in human flesh. Hence, He was physically confined. He couldn’t be everywhere solving everybody’s problem. He didn’t try to because that was not His mission. Jesus knew what His mission was, He focused on the mission, and He did that with perfection.
We tend to overrate the importance of some things in our life at the expense of other things that truly are important. Overrated activities may include things such as a hobby or a personal routine. For instance, your daily trip to Starbucks for coffee. Or your weekly trip to the golf course. Those things in the life of some people are overrated. At the same time, we may underrate some things that really are important.
Sitting at the Feet of Jesus
One day Jesus stopped by the house of Martha and her sister Mary. When He arrived, Mary sat down at His feet and heard Him speak. Martha, on the other hand, was busy serving and trying to be a good host. She went to Jesus and said Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to serve.
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things.” Jesus said (Luke 10:41, KJV). “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (verse 42).
What Jesus says about Martha is true about many of us today. We are full of care and troubled about many things. Amidst it all, there is one thing that we need to make our priority. That is to spend time with the Lord daily and let Him speak to us through His Word and through prayer.
For some of us, however, we are so busy trying to manage everything in life that we may leave our need to connect with God to chance. We say if I get around to spending time with God, OK. But if not, that’s OK too. But if you are willing to leave it to chance, then it’s not important to you. One does not leave to chance what's important.
With time, life will become increasingly more demanding upon our limited time. The best single thing you can do to succeed is to make it a priority to spend time alone with the Lord each day. Your time with Him will positively impact every aspect of your day.  

Having a Different Spirit (Episode 126)

The most transformative aspect of becoming a Christian is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. That’s how Christ lives in us. We may look the same as the world does on the outside. But on the inside, we have a different spirit. And people should be able to see the evidence of Christ living in us. In this episode, Frank King focuses on this unique spirit living in us.
When the Israelites came to the land God had promised their fathers, Moses sent12 spies to evaluate the land. When the spies returned, they revealed that giants lived in the land. The heart of God’s people melted when they heard about the giants. They did not believe God could deliver the land into their hands because of the giants.
But two of the twelve spies believed God could and would give them the land. Caleb said to the people, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30, KJV).
Caleb was not just speaking empty words when he said that. He really believed what he said because of what he believed about God. This we know because of what God said about Caleb:
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it” (Numbers 14:24, KJV).
Note two things God said about Caleb. One, he had another spirit, relative to the other spies. Two, he had followed God fully. The point is that a direct correlation exists between a person’s spirit and how he interacts with God.
What Difference Is It Making?
Everyone who has been born again has been given a different spirit. That would be the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
But just because you have been born again does not mean you manifest a different spirit in your daily living. You can be born again and still act like, think like, and talk like the everyday unbeliever. A vast difference exists between the Spirit of God being dormant in you and the Spirit of God being alive in you. You can be a Christian and still persist to be carnally minded and worldly minded.
Accordingly, in Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth, he writes, “I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1, KJV). He called them brethren because they were believers, but he also said they were carnal and not spiritual.
Caleb talked and believed differently from the other spies because God said he had another spirit. Similarly, Christians should talk and act and believe differently from the way this world does because God has put a different spirit on the inside of us.
But the question is, what difference is this new spirit making in your life? You have this divine power to live for and to serve and to fellowship with God. This should radically change how you live in the world, and how we interact with God. But what difference is it making in your life?

The Letter Versus the Spirit of the Word (Episode 122)

Some churchgoers can quote lots of the Scriptures. Some of them have gotten good at that because they have practiced memorization of Bible verses for many years. But being able to quote Scriptures is not even close to properly understanding them.
In this episode, Frank King addresses the letter of the Word vs the spirit of the Word. The letter of the Word is what the Scriptures literally say. The spirit of the Word refers to God’s intended meaning of His Word. Jesus said, “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63, KJV).
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day, namely, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, considered themselves to be the authorities of the Law (better known as the Old Testament). They had rigid views about what the Law said. And they judged everybody’s conduct by their rigid views. But they understood just enough about the Law to be dangerous.
For instance, they took the Law literally regarding the Sabbath day as a day a rest. To them, that meant absolutely nothing could be done on that day. That was the letter of the Law. But Jesus told them it was lawful to do good even on the Sabbath day.
One reason the Pharisees and the Sadducees knew only the letter of the Law was because they rejected Christ. They saw Him as the enemy. Hence, whenever they read the Scriptures, there was in effect a spiritual veil over what they read. And Paul tells us that veil remains until one’s heart turns to the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16).
What's Wrong with the "Letter"
When one cannot see beyond the letter of God’s word, legalism will be the result. Just think of all the commandments in Jesus’ teachings and the many calls to action in Paul’s epistles. Some may be led to believe that Christianity is a life of dos and don’ts.
But the clear message in the New Testament is that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ. No one can earn salvation by keeping lots of dos and don’ts, “lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:9, KJV).
Moreover, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life,” Paul writes (2 Corinthians 3:6, NASB). These words underscore the life-giving message of the New Testament versus the legalism of the Old Testament.
Still, many people in church today are bound by legalism. They view Christianity as a religion of strict adherence to the commandments and dos and don'ts found in the Scriptures. Those who do so have failed to grasp the spirit of the Word of God. The Christian life is not characterized by rules and regulations but by faith in Christ and being led by the Holy Spirit.
When someone has a legalistic view of Christian living, they view others through their faulty lens. That’s what Jesus encountered in His day. For instance, the Pharisees had a view of what the Law said about the Sabbath Day, albeit wrong it was. They tried to impose their twisted view upon Jesus—who was God and who was Lord of the Sabbath. Perhaps we all know someone who knows just enough of the truth to be dangerous.
 

The Kind of Servant God Wants (Episode 121)

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37, KJV). This was Jesus’ assessment of His day. It is still true today.
These days, God is seeking more laborers to work for the Kingdom. More people who want to be a part of what God is doing these last days. In this episode, Frank King addresses the kind of servant God wants.
Our idea of the kind of servant God wants can differ significantly from what He actually wants. Young David is a good example. He was the youngest of the sons of Jesse. His seven brothers came before Samuel the prophet one by one. Even Samuel thought the oldest son was God’s choice for king (1 Samuel 16:6). But God rejected them all and chose David.
What did God see in David that He did not see in his seven brothers? He saw David as a young man after God’s heart.  That’s what God was looking for in the new king after He rejected Saul the current king (1 Samuel 13:14).
To be a man after God's heart means you are passionate about the things that please God. You like what He likes, and you shun the things He hates. We can be that kind of person only after we have become born again by the Spirit of God.
But being born again is not enough. To be a woman or a man after God’s heart, you must allow the Holy Spirit to govern your life. The more time you spend with God and in the things of God, the more your heart becomes one with His.
What Being a Person After God's Heart Is Not
Being a person after God’s heart does not mean you are perfect. David sinned a great sin. He got another man’s wife pregnant. Then he ordered the husband to be murdered to cover up his sin. That is certainly not the behavior of a perfect person.
But God’s not looking for perfect people because they don’t exist. He wants servants who are passionate about Him. And when they miss God, they become broken before Him. That’s what David did when he acknowledged his sin. That is reflected in the words of David in Psalm 51.
Also, being a person after God’s heart does not mean you know how to do what God wants you to. David certainly didn’t know anything about being a king. He was just a shepherd before. But he had a heart after the heart of God. And being that kind of person means more to Him than your experience or ability. When your heart pursues God’s heart, He can take you where He wants you to be.
What the World Needs Now
As it was in Jesus’ day, so it is today. The harvest is plenteous, and the laborers are few. The question is, are we or will we become the kind of servant God wants us to be. Will we commit to being a woman or man after God’s own heart. That’s the kind of servant He wants in these last days.

Allow God to Prove Himself (Episode 117)

As Christians, we often make claims about God based on the declarations of His Word. We say He is our healer or our deliverer or our provider, etc. But how willing are you to allow God to prove Himself to be the God you say He is in your life?
The world is looking for proof of our assertions. It’s one thing to quote the Scriptures about God’s goodness and His awesome power. But it’s another thing to produce some proof of the same.
Also, a big difference exists between trusting God because you have no other choice and trusting Him even when you have other options. Many times, when we face a challenge, we have options other than trusting God. If we stand in need of financial help, for instance, we can choose to trust God. Or we can go to a lending institution or to a person and borrow money.
But in this episode, Evangelist Frank King challenges believers to choose to trust God even when other options exist. This is how we allow God to prove Himself to be who we go around saying that He is to us.
It’s human nature, however, for us to not want to put ourselves through the rigor of trusting God—especially when we have other more comfortable options. Perhaps that’s why today we have so much comfortable Christianity and so few living testimonies about the goodness and the greatness of our God.
Religious Talk Is Cheap
Some believers talk a good game with respect to their faith in God. But it’s not enough to just talk about what we believe about Him. He wants us to live out our faith. That’s the gist of Christianity.
If we always talk about what we believe but are never willing to allow God to prove Himself in our life, all we have is dead faith. And guess what; even the devil has dead faith. They also believe and tremble (James 2:19). Moreover, God cannot prove Himself to be the God we claim He is if we don’t trust Him enough to allow Him to do so.
For example, consider the Israelites in the wilderness. When they arrived at the land God had promised their fathers, Moses sent twelve men to check it out. After 40 days, they returned to report their findings to Moses and the congregation. The spies confirmed that the land was fruitful. They brought back fruits as proof.
“Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled,” the spies said (Numbers 13:28, KJV). Hearing this, the people wept. Because of the giants in the land, they did not believe God could give them the land. God decreed that those unbelievers would never put foot on the Promised Land (Numbers 14:23).
They should have been willing to allow God to prove Himself. He had delivered them from bondage in Egypt. He fed them in the wilderness. They lived in the presence of His glory. It was their light in the darkness of night and their shade in the heat of the day.

The Sanctity of Holy Communion (Episode 114)

One of the most sacred moments in the local church is known as Holy Communion. It is also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist. We partake of this ordinance because Jesus told His disciples to keep it to remember Him. He said as often we do so, we proclaim His suffering and His death until He returns.
During the Holy Communion, the bread and the fruit of the vine served are virtually the body and the blood of our Lord. Paul the Apostle addressed this sacred affair in his first letter to the church at Corinth. He says believers should examine themselves before eating the bread and drinking of the cup. He warned the church members of the consequences of failing to examine themselves accordingly.
“For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep,” he writes (1 Corinthians 11:30, KJV).
Paul’s warning was to those he refers to as drinking unworthily (KJV). The truth is that none of us are morally worthy to eat the bread or drink of the cup. But worthiness here refers to the manner in which we partake of the Holy Communion. It is my view that at least two groups of people fall into the category of "drinking unworthily."
One is those who attend church but have chosen to reject Christ as their Savior. Some churchgoers refer to Holy Communion as communion service. But more correctly, it is the communion of the Lord’s body. And unbelievers do not belong to the body of Christ.
Another group that drinks unworthily are those believers who fail to examine themselves in light of the sanctity of the Lord’s Supper. Paul writes, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (verse 28).
It's About Calvary
The Holy Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is more than a religious act for us. It was occasioned by the impending death of Christ on Calvary. He instituted it during the last moments He spent with His disciples before being apprehended to die for the sins of the world. He specifically told them to do it to remember Him.
Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper, it points us to the barbaric cross of Calvary. The One who knew no sin was made sin for us.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church underscores a lack of a fear of God in the body. The same can be said for us today. People used to have more respect for the local church. Even when they walked by the church building. But now, a man will walk into the house of God and gun a pastor down. Or he will walk in the house of God and mass murder the people of God. This while they pray and study the Word of God. Sad but true, many believers today regard the Holy Communion as a common or unholy thing.

When God's Ways Make No Sense to You (Episode 110)

Sometimes, God’s ways won’t make much sense to you. It’s like you’re adding one and one and you’re getting three. This episode underscores the point that sometimes, God’s instructions or guidance to us will defy human logic.
A good example is recorded in the book of Genesis. God miraculously opened Sarah’s womb to bless Abraham with a son at the age of 100. Then God tested Abraham. He told him to offer young Isaac for a burnt offering.
This made no sense to Abraham. Isaac was Abraham’s miracle baby. He was God’s answer to Abraham’s complaint that he did not have a son to be his heir. How could Isaac become Abraham’s heir and be a burnt offering at the same time?
Nevertheless, Abraham obeyed the Lord. He had to believe that God knew what He was doing because Abraham surely didn’t know what God was up to.
Another Example
One of the most perplexing events in the Bible is the experience of Job in the Old Testament. According to the very first verse of the book of Job, he was perfect and upright. He feared God and hated evil. But God allowed the devil to devastate Job’s life. He lost everything and everybody except his wife. And she told Job he needed to curse God and die.
To our human mind, what happened to Job makes no sense. The most righteous man in his day suffered more than the vilest sinner of his day. Some people may be tempted to ask themselves like, what’s the value of faithfully living for the Lord if things can turn out that way?
Conclusion
Sometimes, you may find yourself in a place in life where you can’t find any biblical reason why you are where you are in life. Remember that God’s ways are higher than ours. We don’t intuitively know His ways. That’s one reason we must study the Bible. It is our only source for understanding God’s ways—at least in part.
The bottom line is that when what God is doing in your life makes no sense to you, you must place your faith in Him. That’s what faith is all about—trusting God even when what’s happening in your life makes absolutely no sense to you. You must believe that God knows how to make all things work together for your good. Even when what’s happening in your life makes no sense to you.

The Truth Makes You Free (Episode 108)

Sad but true, today it is becoming increasingly harder for us to know the truth. Our politicians are more interested in getting elected than they are in being truthful. With artificial intelligence, we don’t know if what we are looking at or listening to is genuine or not. This episode addresses the importance of truth and its liberating power. Jesus says, “If you continue in My word…you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32, NASB).
The fact is that you can live in a free country and still be a servant or slave of some kind. For instance, you can be free physically but bound spiritually. Many people today are slaves to something or someone that they don’t have the power to break free from. And sometimes, this kind of bondage can be more difficult or even more cruel than physical bondage.
We live in a world with many voices among us. All are anxious to give us their version of the truth. We have bloggers and podcasters and radio personalities and cable news, to name a few. All of these add their own political or cultural spin to the message they promote. But the Word of God trumps all of that. It is our only reliable source for the truth.
But in his writings, Paul the apostle warns, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3, NASB). That time is now upon us. For in the church today, our appetite for sound doctrine –which is rooted in the truth--has been weighed and found wanting.