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

The Power of Godliness (Episode 51)

In simplest terms, to be godly means to be Christlike.  Godliness denotes a deep reverence for God. Based upon that simple definition, every Christian should pursue a life of godliness. It is the means by which we become more like Christ, the One whose ways we are to emulate.
It is true that we are saved by grace and not by how we live or by the things we do. None of us can live good enough to earn salvation. But that does not nullify the case for godly living. In 2 Timothy, chapter 3, Paul writes about the difficult times of the last days. He says that in those days, men will have a form of godliness but deny the power of it (2 Timothy 3:5). The resulting problem is that if one denies the power of godliness, he will lack conviction to live a godly life.
People today are looking for evidence of the difference Christ can make in a person’s life. It’s one thing to say you are a Christian. It’s another thing to positively impact others by your life even when you don’t advertise your Christianity. Therein lies the power of godliness. 
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Believe Not Every Spirit (Episode 48)

Many voices exist among us. All of them claim to be telling the truth, and so many people are confused. That is the state of our world today. This episode addresses the reality of false prophets and our need to be more discerning about what we hear. False prophets claim to be sent by God but were not. They claim to be saying what God told them to say when He did not.
Even during the days of the apostles, false prophets were a problem. In 1 John 4:1, John writes, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (NASB). John juxtaposes false prophets with those who are sent by God. We must be able to discern one from the other. That means we should not openly believe every person who comes before us in the name of the Lord.
As we draw closer to the return of our Lord, false prophets will become a bigger problem. It will become increasingly important for us to heed God's warning for us to not believe every spirit. "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24, NASB).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

You Can Always Come Back to God (Episode 47)

Just as it is true of our biological family, God’s family is not a perfect family. Just because you are a Christian does not mean you can’t blow it at times. Sometimes, we allow life or people or things to get the best of us. The devil would love nothing more than to cause us to become overwhelmed with the guilt of our moral failures.
But no matter how far we stray from the Lord, or how deeply we fall, we can always come back to God. We can always repent and revive our walk with Him. That is the story of the parable of the prodigal son that Jesus taught. Furthermore, Jesus says, all of heaven rejoices when a sinner repents and returns to God. 
Though we can always come back to God, this does not mean we should take sin lightly. Even under the grace dispensation under which we stand, it is God's will that we walk uprightly before Him at all times.
Because God is holy, He hates sin, but He loves sinners. Needless to say, it displeases Him when those who name the name of Christ practice sin. Still, the good news is that we can always come back to God. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, KJV).
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice (Episode 43)

Some churchgoers who are big on religious activities and rituals choose to live in disobedience to God’s instructions for their life. More than anything else, however, God wants our obedience to Him. That is what we mean by the religious cliché, “obedience is better than sacrifice.”
In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was an offering to God, such as a burnt offering, a sin offering, etc. For us today, our sacrifice refers to the religious things we offer to God. They include the songs we sing to Him, religious rituals, giving money, etc. These things have their proper place in our relationship with God. But more than these things, He wants us to obey Him. Without the latter, the former means little or nothing to God. That's why obedience is better than sacrifice.
Every Christian should attend church regularly, reverence God through their religious activity, and faithfully give financially. But churchgoers tend to place way more value on these activities than God does. He is not impressed with our external show of piety. What He wants is our heart; our obedience to Him. Frank King reminds us that nothing exists that we can offer God to compensate for our failure to obey Him.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

The Problem With a Carnal Mind (Episode 42)

Generally speaking, the carnal mind is the natural mind. The carnal mind is the mind of the flesh. We were all born with a carnal mind. The question is, what is wrong, in the eyes of God, with a carnal mind? That is the focus of this podcast episode.
In Paul's letter to the church at Rome, he gives us a simple definition of carnal mindedness. He writes, "For those who are according to the flesh sets their minds on the things of the flesh...." (Romans 8:5, NASB). Based upon this verse, if your mind is focused on the things that please the flesh, you are a carnally minded person. More importantly, there is something fundamentally wrong with that mindset that makes it impossible—not hard, but impossible—for us to please God in that state.
When we accept Christ as our Savior, we become a new creation. Through this life-changing experience, we are empowered to live a spiritually minded life. But that in no way means that carnal mindedness only applies to unbelievers. You can be a genuine Christian and still be carnally minded. Every Christian who is carnally minded should give due attention to this serious spiritual problem. That's if he wants to please God.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Who Is Your Neighbor? (Episode 41)

The term "neighbor" means different things to different people. Virtually all of us belong to a neighborhood of some kind. But in the eyes of God, who is your neighbor? Our normal way of thinking is that our neighbors are the ones who live on the same street we do. Some of us may extend our circle of neighbors to one or two streets over as well.
According to the Bible, you should love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus says this commandment is second only to the commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That places neighborly love extremely high on God's list. That means, if we want to please the Lord, loving our neighbors should be high on our list as well. So, what kind of neighbor do you consider yourself to be?
The Lord has a way of challenging our traditional views, our preconceived notions, and our narrow-minded or hypocritical views. That's why it's important to know, in the eyes of the Lord, who is your neighbor. That is the focus of this episode.
When our eyes become open to our errant thinking, we must bring our thinking in line with biblical truth. Perhaps some listeners will do that after listening to this episode.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

How We Overcome the World (Episode 40)

In the first epistle of John, chapter 5, he refers to those who have overcome the world. When we overcome the world, our life is no longer governed by the ways and the principles of this world but by the principles of the Kingdom of God. These two lifestyles diametrically oppose each other.
The first step to overcoming this world is to place your faith in Christ. Everything in this world is aimed at us conforming to the world. That is the relentless agenda of our enemy the devil. He blinds the minds of unbelievers so they can't see the glorious light of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4). Those who press their way and find faith in Christ, in spite of devil's vicious agenda, are the ones who have overcome the world.
Some may argue that people today can’t live for God in this ungodly world. But if you believe that it’s not possible to live for God in the 21st century, you will live according to what you believe. As Christians, however, we should believe what the Bible declares. According to the Word of God, we CAN overcome this world and live victoriously for the Lord.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Religion Is Not Enough (Episode 34)

Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with God. That relationship is made possible only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Sad but true, many churchgoers fail to ever move from the point of mere religion to relationship. In this episode, Frank King explains that mere religion is not enough.
The story of Judas the disciple should serve as a warning that mere religion is not enough.  Think about it. Judas had the greatest Preacher and Teacher in the world as his minister. He heard perhaps every message Jesus delivered. He saw the miracles Jesus performed. But in the end, Judas died apart from God.
It appears that Judas was just, as we say, playing church. Even near the end of Jesus’ public ministry, the Bible reveals some troubling things about Judas. For one, he went to the religious leaders and promised to betray the Lord for money (Matthew 26:15). From that point on, he sought the opportunity to betray the Lord.
Then at another place, the Bible referred to Jesus as a thief (John 12:6). This man was hand-picked by Jesus. He left the affairs of his life to follow Jesus. For three years he came to every service Jesus held. He heard every sermon Jesus preached—or at least he was present. He witnessed all the miracles Jesus did.
But for Judas, all of the above amounted to nothing but religious activity. And that will get you know where with God. Judas’ demise is a tragic reminder of the futility of mere religion.
Religion versus Relationship
Ask those whom you meet and who claim to know the Lord to tell you the basis of their claim to salvation. Perhaps some would mention when they got baptized, or how long they have been a member of a local church. But many who attend church faithfully and have been baptized still don’t know the Lord as their Savior.
Church leaders sometimes send the wrong message. They like to emphasize head count and faithful church attendance. They stress getting involved in so-called church work and faithfully giving tithes and offerings.
But the ultimate goal for each congregant should be to realize a personal relationship with the Lord. You get there by trusting in what Jesus did on the cross, and not upon what you do in church. You get there by allowing Christ to be the Lord of our life, and spending time with Him daily.
According to the Bible, the devil put it in Judas’ heart to betray the Lord (John 13:2). But that wasn’t the only voice speaking to Judas. The Lord was speaking to him. He heard Jesus preach about hell and how terrible it was. He heard Jesus preach about the need to repent, and how to be saved. Judas saw Jesus rebuke and cast out devils, etc. Yes, Judas had many opportunities to be saved.
The same is true for the lost today. Several voices are speaking to them. They include the voice of this world, the voice of the devil, the voice of our flesh, and the voice of the Lord. They are all trying to get our attention. One must choose to obey the voice of the Lord.

Not by Bread Alone (Episode 31)

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, NASB). Jesus responded to the devil this way in the wilderness when the devil tempted Him to turn stones into bread to satisfy His hunger. Jesus’ words underscore the importance of the Word of God in the life of a Christian. In this episode, Evangelist Frank King addresses the indispensability of the Word of God in our life.
You and I are not only a physical being but also we are a spiritual being. Accordingly, no matter how good and wholesome the foods that we eat are, they can do nothing to help us become spiritually strong or healthy. That’s why we can’t live on bread alone. And that’s why we have the Word of God.
To become the spiritually strong and vibrant Christian God wants us to be, we must develop a healthy appetite for God’s Word. Any believer who does not build himself up with the Word of God will be anemic and spiritually malnourished. This is the reason for many of the weak Christians in the truth today.
The premise of what Jesus told the devil in the wilderness is that we must heed the Word of God. In other words, the value of the Bible does not come through merely reading and hearing it, but through practicing it’s teachings.
God and His Word Are One
The fascinating thing about the Bible is that it is the record of words that came straight from the mouth of God. Or words that have been inspired by God for holy men to write.
Suppose somebody says, “I just need God to come and audibly speak to me about this serious problem.” If that were to happen, God would speak consistently with the Scriptures pertaining to the matter at hand. He and His Word are one.
In a nutshell, when we read the Bible, God is speaking to us. That precious time alone with Him deserves our undivided attention as He speaks to us.  Similarly, when a preacher preaches the Word of God, it is God speaking to His people through His servant. That’s why everyone present should pay total and reverential attention.
Because we don’t live by bread alone, it behooves us to become serious students of the Bible. Only a daily and generous diet of God’s Word can make and keep us spiritually strong. Admittedly, getting serious about studying the Bible can be intimidating for new believers.  That’s due to the mere size of the Bible. It has 1189 chapters. But many free Bible-reading plans exist that one can use.
Jesus says we live by every word from the mouth of God. Sad but true, some preachers today choose to be selective about what they will preach and teach from the Bible.
The bottom line is that you cannot be strong in the Lord if you don’t feed your inner man with the Word of God ideally daily.