The Costs of Following Christ (Episode 94)

These days, we seldom talk about being a disciple. We talk about being a Christian. Or about being a church member. But being a disciple, not so much. In this episode, Frank King addresses the costs of following Christ.
Generally speaking, a disciple is one who believes in and follows the teachings of another. So, when we talk about the costs of following Christ, we are talking about the costs of discipleship. One of the main goals of church membership should be Christian discipleship. Sometimes, however, it seems as though church leaders are more interested in head count than they are in discipleship.
If the truth be told, many believers today regard Jesus’ demands for discipleship, as recorded in the Scriptures, as radical. His teachings are deemed out of touch with today’s world, where conforming is the order of the day. Perhaps that’s why we don’t talk about this nearly enough in our pulpits. This kind of message is not popular. It certainly won’t motivate people to come running to fill the pews in your local church. But this is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that’s what we are to proclaim to all generations.

A Biblical Perspective on Prosperity (Episode 93)

Like many other things, Christians and church leaders have divergent views on the subject of prosperity, as addressed in the Bible. Some preachers today proudly refer to themselves as prosperity preachers. As that label implies, these preachers proclaim a message that emphasizes material gain and wealth. This podcast episode addresses biblical prosperity as distinguished from some of the controversial teachings in the church on prosperity.
Does the Bible teach about God blessing us through giving? A resounding yes. God loves a cheerful giver. And doesn’t the Bible teach that if we give, we will receive back in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over? Yes, it does teach that.  But we must be careful to identify and reject all erroneous and unbalanced teachings on the subject of prosperity.
Being a Christian and being successful or even being financially prosperous in this world are not incompatible. Biblical prosperity enables us to be both at the same time. But we must reject all erroneous and unbalanced teachings on the subject of prosperity. We must reject all the so-called get rich schemes being presented in the pulpit.

The Supremacy of Love (Episode 92)

Each of us has many attributes that define us. For instance, we may be a person of integrity; or someone who is always happy; or someone whom you cannot depend on; etc. One of the most powerful qualities that can be used to describe us is that we love others. The podcast episode addresses the supremacy of love.
In chapter 12 of his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul the apostle shares insights on spiritual gifts. He told the believers to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. In the next chapter, chapter 13, he addresses the supremacy of love. He refers to love as the “more excellent way." His point is that walking in love is superior to simply being a deeply spiritual person. Love is the most powerful thing we have for impacting the lives of others for the Kingdom of God.
There is a difference between like and love. When we like something, it means we naturally have a favorable disposition toward it. You may meet someone whom you do not like. In other words, you don’t have a naturally favorable disposition toward the person. But you can still choose to love him or her. Because of the supremacy of love, Jesus even commands us to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

When God's Priority Differs from Yours (Episode 89)

Sometimes when you pray to God, it may seem as if you and He are not on the same page. Well, guess what; sometimes, that is the case. God's ways and thoughts are higher than yours. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are God's ways and thoughts higher than yours (Isaiah 55:9). The difference is immeasurable. That's one reason why what you expect God to do may differ from what He actually does or how He goes about doing it.
God is always interested in whatever concerns you. But the difficulties you face in life are not always just about you. Sometimes, God's priority differs from yours because only He can see the big picture. Some things He allows in your life are to the intent that He might be glorified.
We tend to be selfish in our expectations from God. That’s understandable when we pray to Him about something that concerns us. When we hurt or struggle, for instance, we often just want to know how to spell relief. But that is not always God's priority. We must learn to trust Him even when we don’t understand what He is doing. 

When Your Back's Against the Wall (Episode 87)

When your back is against the wall, it means you are in an extremely bad situation--one in which your ability to move forward is limited. Being a Christian does not mean that you can’t find yourself in a position such as that. Sometimes, God will allow that to happen so He can prove himself in your life.
In Philippians 4:19, Paul the apostle writes, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (KJV). That means God has resources for meeting our needs that are out of this world. Paul refers to these resources as God’s riches in glory. So, when your back is against the wall, God’s hands are not tied by your circumstances.
There exists a place in life where only one viable option exists, and that is to trust God. He can take the little we have and do great things on our behalf. He is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think...." (Ephesians 3:20, KJV). Accordingly, if we trust God, life is never hopeless. It can only seem that way.

Moving Beyond Hopelessness (Episode 84)

A sense of hopelessness can occur when a person can’t see his way out of a bad situation that he finds himself in. But from God’s perspective, nothing is hopeless because with Him, all things are possible. No matter where we find ourselves in life, God always has a way forward.
Feeling hopeless is not limited to unbelievers. You can be a genuine Christian and still experience a sense of hopelessness in your life at times. This scenario suggests a lack of faith in God, without which, one is limited to human help.
But what about when no human or natural solution exists for the problem at hand? This is a recipe for hopelessness. That's when we must have faith in someone greater. Accordingly, the psalmist writes, "When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2, KJV).
The devil knows how to make life look and feel more hopeless than it really is. But the truth is that if you have faith in God, life is never hopeless.  It can only seem that way.
 

We Can Do All Things Through Christ (Episode 77)

We serve a big God. He does big things. He often calls us to do things that are bigger than we are. How shall we respond? In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul the apostle writes, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13, KJV). So, Christ was the source of Paul's boldness toward life, no matter what the challenge. Every Christian needs to arrive at a similar conviction in his or her life.
Too often, Christians take these words of Paul out of context. For instance, they do things they want to do and then try to justify their actions by quoting the words of Paul. But when Paul says he can do all things through Christ, he does not literally mean all things. Rather, he is referring to all things that God allows or that God ordains.
We don’t get to choose how life will unfold. No matter how proactive and how vigilant you try to be, sometimes life will deal you what we call a bad hand. And sometimes, God will allow you to endure hardship for a season. But we can overcome all these things--if we believe Christ is our source of strength.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

The Importance of Sound Doctrine (Episode 74)

Some people feel that theologians make too big a deal about the importance of sound doctrine. But its importance cannot be overemphasized. The truth is that every believer in Christ needs sound doctrine. We need it to help us become the person God wants us to be. Accordingly, Peter writes, "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation" (1 Peter 2:3, NASB).
But although sound doctrine is what we need, that’s not what many churchgoers want. It’s kind of like our natural diet. Our body needs foods that are healthy for us, but oftentimes, that’s not what we want. Unhealthy food choices may taste good to us, but they don't do us good. The same thing is true about bad doctrine. It may sound good to us, but it does not do us good. In fact, unhealthy doctrine makes for unhealthy Christians.
It’s not necessarily true that if you attend a so-called Christian local church that the teachings there will be consistent with the Bible. That's why every Christian should be discerning during his search to find a local church where the Word of God is rightly divided.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Christians Are the Salt of the Earth and the Light of the World (Episode 71)

During Jesus’ public ministry, He often used symbolism so His listeners could more easily relate to His message. In one of His sermons, He refers to His disciples as the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-14). Thereby, Jesus was underscoring two ways Christians should impact this world. One, they can positively impact the moral fabric of the world. Two, they can manifest the light of the truth.
In biblical times, they did not have mechanical refrigeration as we do to keep our foods. Salt was used to preserve perishables. The salt did not eliminate deterioration but slowed down the rate of spoiling. Similarly, as the salt of the earth, Christians can’t stop the moral decay of our society. But through the Christian lifestyle and evangelism they can slow down the rate of moral decay.
Though called to be the light of the world, many believers are like a light hidden under a bush. That’s because they don’t let their light shine but keep their light to themselves. Moreover, Jesus said when you let your light shine, not only do men see your good works, but also you "glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16, KJV).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Experiencing the Presence of the Lord (Episode 70)

Being in the presence of the Lord is one thing. Since He is omnipresent, we are always in His presence. But experiencing His presence is a totally different thing. But what does that mean, and what are the benefits of doing that? Being in God's presence simply means getting alone with Him and staying there until you feel some sense of having been impacted by your time with Him.
When Moses came down from the mountain of God, He did not know that his face shined from having been in the presence of the Lord so long. The people could not look upon him because of the brilliance of his face. He had been on the mountain with God for 40 days and 40 nights with no food. It was solely because of his extended time alone with God that Moses was so impacted.
Of course, experiencing the benefit of tarrying in the presence of the Lord does not take 40 days and 40 nights. If that were the case, no one would pursue it. But it also does not happen in a minute. This dynamic is an act of faith. You must believe in the reality of experiencing the presence of the Lord. If you don’t believe that, it’s hardly likely that you will be diligent in that regard.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay