Receiving a Good Report Through Faith (Episode 132)

The Bible contains numerous accounts of men and women who successfully walked with God while on earth. We share something in common with them. They successfully walked with God, and we are currently striving to do the same. This episode focuses our attention on the Old Testament servants whose faith enabled them to receive a good report. We do well to heed the biblical accounts of their lives, if we want to please God.
According to the writer of the book of Hebrews, these heroes of faith, “Having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise” (Hebrews 11:39, KJV). We tend to think that if someone says he has faith in God and he does not receive what he desired, he must not have had faith. According to the verse, however, these servants obtained a good report by faith--even though they did not receive the fulfillment of the promise.
It can be hard to remain faithful to God when you don’t receive what you are believing Him for. But that’s what real faith is all about.
So, what is the promise they did not receive? This is a reference to the promised coming of Jesus Christ. These faithful servants didn’t live to see the fullness of blessings that would come through the promised Messiah. Still, they remained faithful while living in anticipation of the Messianic promises given them.
Our Cloud of Witnesses
The writer refers to the men and women of faith mentioned in the book of Hebrews, chapter 11, as our cloud of witnesses. He says we are “compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). A witness is someone who has experienced or seen something firsthand.
The heroes of faith mentioned in the book of Hebrews are witnesses because they know firsthand what it takes to receive a good report through faith.
When you read the Word of God, imagine that you are stepping into an arena to run a race. And there is this big cheering squad of faith heroes rooting for you. Abraham is saying, “Keep the faith.” David is saying, “Worship the Lord.” Job is saying, “Endure the hardness.” Samuel is saying, “Obey the Lord.” Through what has been recorded of their faith journeys, they are saying you can do this because we did it.
Now imagine stepping into an arena to run a race, and you have no one cheering you along. That’s how it is when you fail to read the Word of God so these great men and women of faith can pour into you along the way. The truth is that to be a winner in the faith, you need to connect yourself with other winners in the faith.
From the beginning of the Bible until the end, we have testimony after testimony of real people who had real challenges. They walked with God by faith, and they overcame. According to the Bible, the things that happened to them were written for our examples.

The Importance of an Environment of Faith (Episode 103)

When we gather in the house of God and sing songs and pray and hear the Word of God, one of the main objectives is to create an environment of faith in the atmosphere. When faith is in the room, all things are possible. By contrast, unbelief limits—severely limits--what God can do in our life. In one instance, Jesus came to His own country and could do very little works there because of the people’s unbelief.
Stressing the importance of an environment of faith may seem to be an insignificant point to some. That's because the Bible is sufficiently clear about the need for us to have faith in God. Yet, Jesus at times had to rebuke His disciples for their lack of faith. They were with Jesus, they saw His mighty works, and yet they struggled in the area of faith at times. It should be no mystery that the same can be true for Christians today.
Church attendance is a good thing. Regularly reading the Bible is good. But these must be mixed with faith. Faith is the key to experiencing God’s presence and power. Jesus says all things are possible to Him that believes. No one who came to Him with a need and in faith failed to receive what he or she came for.

Putting Your Faith in Action (Episode 95)

In a typical morning worship gathering, if you were to ask for a show of hands of those who have faith in God, most people present, if not everyone, would raise his or her hands. What’s complicated about that inquiry is the fact that different people have differing ideas about what faith is. This episode focuses on biblical faith; that is, faith accompanied by works.
A serious problem with failing to live by faith in God is that sometimes, faith in God is the only answer to your problem. With God, nothing is hopeless. But all things are possible to him who believes. There will come times in every one of our lives when we need to put our faith in action. The question is, how will we respond?
It’s vitally important to remember that Christianity is not simply a religion, but it is a way of life. That way of life is rooted in faith. There is a limit to how much you can grow simply by learning the Scriptures. Further growth can come only through putting your faith in action and experiencing God. Duration 11:54

Faith Under Fire (Episode 83)

It is a fact that everyone who follows the Lord Jesus Christ will be tested in this life. It’s what we do when our faith is under fire that reveals the true quality of our relationship with God. Hence, the importance of cultivating our faith in God.
Sad but true, some people will hate you just because you love God. That seems ironic since God is love. It’s understandable if people hate you or persecute you when you are on the side of evil. But Jesus warned His disciples that if the world hated Him, it would hate them as well. That is still true for His disciples today.
An example of faith under fire is found in the book Daniel. The king signed a decree forbidding anyone from praying to anyone except himself for 30 days. Daniel the prophet was not fazed by the king’s decree. He defied the decree even knowing what the consequences would be. Violators would be put in the lion’s den with hungry lions. Perhaps we won’t be tested to the degree Daniel was. Still, like Daniel did, we must cultivate depth in our relationship with the Lord. That is the key to standing firm when your faith is under fire. Duration 15:47
 
 

Faith in the Power of God (Episode 78)

According to Luke 5:17, as Jesus ministered, “the power of the Lord was present to heal them.” That means He didn’t just minister the Word of God, but also He used His power to help people. There are some things that the Word of God can accomplish for us, but there are some things that only divine intervention can do. This podcast episode encourages believers to believe in God's power for today.
In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul the apostle underscores the importance of believing in the power of God. Though he was a man of incredible Bible knowledge and revelation, he did not want the church to get hooked on those things. Accordingly, he came to them as if he only knew the basics of the faith. He said, "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2 :5).
Some believers in the body of Christ argue that the power of God manifested as signs and wonders and spiritual gifts are things of the past. They say those extraordinary works ceased with the apostles. But according to the Bible, God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay

Whose Report Will You Believe? (Episode 73)

In our journey with God, the company you keep and the voices you lend your ears to can be hazardous to your health. So many “voices” vie for our attention these days. But it is solely up to us as to which of those voices we will allow to influence us. So, "Whose report will you believe?"
We must not make the mistake of following the majority. Most people in the world today don’t agree with God. Most do not live by faith in God. We know that because most people in the world have rejected Christ as their Savior. That means, among the voices that we hear all around us and trying to speak to us, the majority are wrong. If you want to be blessed in your deeds, you must discern the voices speaking to you.
When the spies returned from checking out the Promised Land, they returned confirming the land was fruitful. But they also said giants were in the Land. Caleb, one of the twelve spies was a man of faith. He said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it" (Numbers 13:30, NASB). But the other 10 spies told the people, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us" (verse 31). Whose report will you believe amidst the many voices speaking to you?
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Keeping the Faith Until the End (Episode 65)

In a race, it’s not how you start but how you finish. If you start a race leading the pack but end up losing badly, how well you started won’t even matter. The same thing is true about this Christian journey. What matters in the end is how you finish.
It is possible to start out strong with the Lord and end up in a bad place. "The Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils" (1 Timothy 4:1, NASB). This podcast episode focuses on the biblical requirement for keeping the faith until the end. Evangelist Frank King share three things Christians should do to this end.
Some believers are too casual about their relationship with the Lord. But Paul writes, "Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12, NASB). The more presumptious you are about your ability to stand, the less diligent you will be toward keeping the faith until the end.
None of us will have a flawless walk with God. Between the beginning of our walk with Him and the end of our time here, we may have some periods that we are not proud of. But in the end, what really matters is how you finish with the Lord.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

The Importance of Faith in God (Episode 44)

The Bible defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Simply put, it is what gives us a conviction about things we can't see. More importantly, faith in God is the essence of Christian living. For without it, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
Life is filled with occasions for us to exercise faith in God. We all experience overwhelming situations, at one time or another. They may include serious illness, financial struggles, ministry challenges, overwhelming personal issues, etc. In this life, not one us is self-sufficient. That means there will be times in our life when exercising faith in God is not an option but a must.
Faith enables us to understand and embrace biblical teachings or biblical declarations that defy human logic. For instance, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God...." (Hebrews 11:3, KJV). If we require everything about God to satisfy our human logic or understanding, we won’t be able to walk with God. That's why Christians need to regularly hear and read the Word of God to deepen their faith.
Music Credits:
Intro Music: By Leva via Pixabay
Ending Music: By Oleksandr Savochka via Pixabay

Taking a Faith Journey (Episode 37)

According to Hebrews 11:6, without faith, it’s impossible to please God. Not hard; but impossible. If you must see the total picture, or if you must always know the total game plan before you move or act, you won’t accomplish much for God. In this episode, Frank King focuses on the importance of living by faith. He says that whenever we choose to follow God’s lead, His plan will always require us to take a faith journey.
When Abraham was past the age of 100, God tested his faith. He told Abraham to go to an appointed place and offer his only son Isaac as a burnt offering. What made this so challenging is the story behind Isaac’s birth. He was a miracle baby because his mother Sarah was born barren. God opened her womb to conceive Isaac when she was eighty-nine.
Isaac was Abraham’s only son. He was God’s answer to Abraham’s complaint that he had no seed.  But now God was telling Abraham to offer up his only son by fire. With child-like faith, Abraham proceeded to obey the Lord.
The angel of the Lord intervened to prevent Abraham form killing his son to offer him up. But God blessed Abraham for his obedience. He became the father of many nations.
I believe we would all agree that Abraham passed the testing of his faith.  A point we can draw from this account is that, sometimes, before God elevates us, He will test us. And for us to get through that test, we must be willing to make the associated faith journey.

Overcoming Fear by Faith (Episode 26)

Faith in God is the essence of Christianity. According to the Bible, without faith, it’s impossible to please God. One of the biggest impediments to living by faith, is the presence of fear.
Fear in and of itself is not a sin. All of us will know fear at times. We were born with the capacity to fear. It is what motivates us to take necessary actions to safeguard ourselves against danger. That's the good side of fear. But whenever fear prevents us from living out our purpose for the Lord, fear is a bad thing. And we must learn how to move beyond that kind of fear.
One occasion for experiencing fear is when we face seemingly overwhelming opposition, and we perceive that opposition to be greater than we are. We may be born again and have Christ living inside us, but whenever we have to confront opposition that we perceive to be greater than we are, fear wants to raise its ugly head.
During Jesus’ ministry, He didn’t teach one sermon about how to escape being tested in life. He never promised us that life would be free of challenges. But He taught a lot about the importance of having faith in God. And faith is the biblical cure for overcoming fear.
Overcoming fear in our life is vital because we are called to be people of faith and not of fear. Accordingly, Paul the apostle writes, "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:6, KJV).