The Wrong Road to Heaven (Episode 69)

Have you ever been traveling somewhere and eventually noticed that you were on the wrong road for reaching your destination? Sad but true, that is the status of many people who are trying to make it to heaven. But the latter scenario is a matter of eternal consequences. One cannot afford to be wrong about his eternal journey.
No one can get right with God by way of his or her religion or good deeds. All who trust in these are on the wrong road to heaven. The Bible is clear that self-righteousness will get you no where with God. Paul writes, "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight...."(Romans 3:20, KJV). That means no one can do enough good in his life to be made right in the sight of God.
No one in his right mind wants to die and go to hell. But anyone who thinks he can earn his way to heaven has no idea how high God’s moral standards are. Salvation is a gift from God given to us when we repent of our sins and place our faith in Jesus’ redemptive work on the cross.
Alas, "The gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it" (Matthew 7:13, NASB).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Why God Allows Us to Be Tested (Episode 67)

Even Christians are tested in their lives. No one is exempted from trials and challenges in this life. But God does not allow these trials just for the sake of being tested. Rather, He uses the trials in our life to help us grow and to become more like His Son.
In his epistle, James writes, "Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials" (James 1:2, NASB). This verse implies that there is something good about being tested, and there is. For instance, according to James, "The testing of your faith produces endurance" (verse 3). But the potential benefits mentioned in this verse are not incidental to being tested. Rather, we must allow the tests in our life to have their perfecting work in us.
No one likes adversity. But having trials in our life is essential for deepening our faith. There is a limit to how much we can strengthen our faith simply by talking about it and learning more about it. To become more durable, faith must be put to the test. On the other hand, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13, NASB).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Embracing Your Divine Purpose (Episode 63)

Divine purpose refers to the purpose God has for our life. He gave us this purpose in Christ before the world began. Paul writes that God has "saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity" (2 Timothy 1:9, NASB).
It is each of our responsibility to seek and find God's purpose for our life. The more we understand and embrace that divine purpose, the more we will let it govern our life. But many people today, including some believers, live with no sense of purpose in their life. Those who view life that way will live life accordingly. That’s why we must know know that we are people of a higher calling. We weren't put here simply to go through life aimlessly and then die.
On the other hand, God gives each of us freedom of choice. Hence, we will no doubt do things counter to our divine purpose. The good news is that in spite of the misguided things we do, God knows how to make His purpose for us ultimately prevail. His hand is upon our lives to lead us to that divinely appointed place.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

The Power of Speaking the Word (Episode 61)

Jesus demonstrated the power of speaking the Word during His public ministry. Sometimes, as He ministered, the Bible says His Word was with power (Luke 4:32). He spoke to the winds, and they obeyed Him. He spoke to demons, and they obeyed Him. Even sickness and death obeyed Him when He spoke to them.
Jesus also taught His disciples to believe in the power of speaking the Word. He said if they were to speak to a mountain, telling it to be removed and doubt not, it would be done (Mark 11:23). That may sound somewhat radical, but we also have that authority to speak to the “mountains” in our life with faith and believe that things will change as a result of doing that.
No practical value exists in speaking to a literal mountain to be removed. But referring to the humongous size of a mountain underscores the power of speaking the Word with faith. In other words, if it can move a literal mountain, what about the relatively smaller things in our life? The Bible refers to God’s Word as the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17). Hence, when we speak according to His Word, our words have power in the spiritual realm. This amazing power does not reside in us but in our faith in the power of God’s Word.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay
 
 

The Works of Men vs the Work of God (Episode 60)

Some things the church does in the name of the Lord these days are really the works of men, wrongly called the work of the Lord. We can expect this trend to increase as we approach the Lord's return. We must be careful not to be distracted by the works of men at the expense of doing the work of God.
No matter what you aspire to do, you will have opposition. Whether you are doing what God has sanctioned, or you are doing your own thing in the name of the Lord, you will have opposition—guaranteed. The important difference is that when you are doing the Lord’s work, He is on your side. He will fight on your behalf. And He will enable you to triumph--even in the midst of opposition. No one or nothing can stop the work of God. 
After Jesus returned to heaven, the religious leaders tried to stop the apostles from preaching Christ. The apostles refused to stop. The religious leaders were at their wits' end. Then stood up a wise and reputable man by the name of Gamaliel. He warned the religious leaders against opposing the work of God: "Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought. But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God" (Acts 5:38-39, KJV).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Having a Hunger for God (Episode 59)

What is your appetite for the things of God? Your answer to that question determines the kind of relationship with God that you will have. Your physical body, for instance, will not be strong and healthy if you lack appetite for nutritious food. The same thing is true about your spiritual health if you don't have a spiritual appetite. This podcast episode addresses the importance of having a hunger for God.
To have a hunger for God means that no matter where you are in your relationship with Him, you want more of Him. Accordingly, you do the things that help you realize that kind of progressive relationship with God. Jesus promised, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6, KJV),
In the Scriptures, the great servants of God and how God used them inspire and challenge us. These men and women of the Bible had at least one important thing in common. They were not casual in their relationship with God; they were all passionate about Him. Sad but true, in the church today, many people want to have a strong relationship with God, but they don't want to pray the price to have that kind of relationship with Him.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Our Flesh versus Our Spirit (Episode 57)

Even after we become a Christian, we are still clothed in human flesh. Hence, we remain subject to human desires and shortcomings. In effect, we are both a natural being and a spiritual being. These two don't get along. They oppose each other. "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another....," Paul writes (Galatians 5:17, NASB).
All Christians experience this tug of war occasioned by our flesh versus our spirit. We will not outgrow that dynamic in this life. The good news is that we can live a life that pleases God in spite of that reality. That is the focus of this episode.
We all know that the desires of our flesh can be intense. They include illicit sexual desires, hatred, envy, anger, etc. But we have been born again, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Through these, we have been empowered to win the war between our flesh and our spirit. We no longer have to obey the wrong desires of our flesh. We can choose to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill our wrong desires.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay
 

The Problem with Judging Others (Episode 55)

Today, we live in an extremely judgmental society. We are so quick to weigh in on others. But what does the Bible teach us about that? During His public ministry, Jesus had some things to say about this all-important subject.
As for judging others, people often quote the words of Jesus when He said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” (Matthew 7:1, NASB). Many take those words to mean we should never judge. Some people use those words to suppress judgment from others. But we must be careful to not simply utilize one verse in the Bible to form our theological view on a matter. Rather, we should look at the total biblical picture. For instance, in another place, Jesus says we should not judge according to appearance, but we should judge with righteous judgment (John 7:24).
This podcast episode addresses the problem with judging others. We can exercise righteous judgment only by way of the Word of God and by being led by the Holy Spirit. If we use ourselves or our personal perspectives as the standard for judging others, they will be flawed. That’s because even though we are born again, we are still human. And the human perspective is extremely flawed. 
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

The Importance of Guarding Your Heart (Episode 54)

We all know how vitally important the human heart is. Our entire physical well-being depends on its life-giving and life--sustaining blood. That's why maintaining a healthy heart is so important. When your heart is not healthy, neither is the rest of your body.
Equally important, when the Bible refers to your heart, it is referring to the very core of your being. It is the essence of who you are. Guarding your heart is important because your entire life is shaped by what flows from your heart.
Today, like never before, so much exists out there trying to negatively influence what you do, the way you think, and how you view life. That’s why the proverb writer says you should guard your heart: "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life" (Proverbs 4:23, NASB). That means the things you allow into our heart will shape the core of your being and in turn become the wellspring for your life.
Many today try to argue that no correlation exists between their spiritual status and the things they feed upon. But it’s not possible to sow all negative stuff in your spirit and still reap positive outflow from your heart to shape your life. 
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Hope for the Hopeless (Episode 53)

One definition for the word hopeless is “having no possibility of solution.” Many people today find themselves living in a state of despair. It does not matter if a situation is truly hopeless, or it is imagined to be so. To the person who feels a sense of hopelessness, no difference exists between real and imagined hopelessness.
The message of Jesus Christ is called the gospel because it is the good news. This message of faith in God and His word has the power to give hope for the hopeless. Wherever Jesus went during His public ministry, multitudes thronged Him. To Him, nothing was impossible. Rather, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23, NASB). It was this bold outlook on life that undergirded His message and transformed lives. Our world today desperately needs to hear that same gospel. That this is true becomes evident when you watch your favorite national news network.
No alternative to the gospel of Jesus Christ exists for giving hope for the hopeless. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). When we have faith in God, nothing is hopeless because with God nothing is impossible. No situation exists for which we can’t find hope and a way forward through faith in God and His Word.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay