Biblical Moments with Frank King

Preparing for the Coming of the Lord (Episode 127)

Sad but true, many churchgoers today are not prepared for the coming of the Lord. Jesus warned us about that during His time on earth. He said, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’” (Matthew 7:22, NASB). “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” (verse 23).
In this episode, Frank King addresses the importance of us being properly prepared for the coming of the Lord. People often talk passively about the Lord’s return. For instance, they may have a favorite verse they often quote about His return. Or they look at the signs of the times around us and say something like, we must be close to the Lord’s return. But the question is, how seriously do we take the idea of the coming of the Lord?
Jesus taught a parable about ten virgins going to meet the bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). Of course, the bridegroom is a foreshadow of Jesus. The virgins represent those who aspired to attend the marriage feast. The fact that they are referred to as virgins denotes their purity. Still, Jesus referred to five of the virgins as foolish.
These five failed to be adequately prepared to wait for and to meet the bridegroom. Unlike the wise virgins, they did not take enough oil for their lamps. Their lamps went out at the worst time possible. So, they could not go and meet the bridegroom at midnight. Accordingly, they missed out on attending the wedding feast.
The "Oil" We Need
In the parable, Jesus focused on the oil. The wise virgins took adequate oil for their lamps, but the foolish virgins didn’t. In the Bible, oil often represents the Holy Spirit. An analogy can be made between some churchgoers today and the foolish virgins. The latter were not prepared to meet the bridegroom because they had no oil. Similarly, any churchgoer who does not have the Spirit of God indwelling himself is not prepared for the coming of the Lord.
Jesus told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3, KJV). Many people today attend church regularly. They join in singing songs of worship and praise, and they listen to the Word of God being preached. But they lack a born-again experience through Christ. They are like the five foolish virgins in this parable. It’s not an option. We must be born again. That’s how we get that spiritual oil, the Holy Spirit.
In the parable, all ten virgins went to meet the bridegroom. But the foolish virgins, to put it in modern-day language, were just playing church. They hung out with the real folks, but they themselves lacked diligence in preparing to meet the Lord. They chose to wing it and hoped it would turn out all right—but it didn’t.

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 Name of Jesus (Episode 125)

In this episode, Frank King addresses the authority of the name of Jesus when we pray to the Father, and we believe in the authority of Jesus’ name.  According to Philippians 2:9, God has highly exalted the name of Jesus and given Him a name above every other name.
The names of some people in this world carry great authority. For instance, the CEO of a large, powerful company; or the President of the United States, etc. When these individuals sign a document, their name commands respect. But no matter how great a person's name may be in this world, it pales in comparison to the name of Jesus. Every other name is subject to His.
Near the end of Jesus’ time on earth, He instructed His disciples on how to pray going forward. He said, “And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you” (John 16:23, KJV).
This was a major paradigm shift for the disciples. They were used to coming to Him for everything they needed. Why not? He was God in the flesh. He was right there with them. Whatever they needed, He had access to it in heaven.
But He was telling them that was not how it was going to work going forward. He says you will ask me nothing. But whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, He will give it to you. That means going forward, you are to pray to the Father in my name. That is also how we should pray today.
Are You Really Praying in His Name?
Frank King stresses the point that just because you say “in the name of Jesus” at the end of your prayer does not necessarily mean you are praying in the name of Jesus. You are only praying in His name when you pray consistently with the teachings and principles that He taught and modeled while on earth.
For instance, suppose on the job your boss was giving you a difficult time for no apparent reason other than the fact that you are a Christian. No matter what you do and how nice you try to be, he gives you nothing but a hard way to go.
After a while, you are at your wits end. You pray to God and ask Him to bring the fire of judgment upon your wicked boss. Then you end your prayer by saying “in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.”
The truth is that even though you prayed that prayer in the name of Jesus, you have not prayed in His name. Why not? Because that’s not how Jesus taught that we should pray for our enemies. He says, for instance, we should bless those who despitefully use us and persecute us.
Please know that there is prayer and there is effective prayer. The question is do you just want to pray, or do you want to pray effectively?
The point is that if you are not truly praying to God in the name of Jesus through faith in His name, you are not praying effectively. If this were not an important point, Jesus would not have made it so to His disciples.

Why Go to the House of God (Episode 124)

These days, less people attend local churches. Of course, you don’t have to attend church to be saved. And you don’t have to be saved to attend church. So why should one go to the house of God? That is the focus of this podcast episode.
It is not unthinkable that someone who does not currently attend church will ask you why he or she should start attending a local church. What would be your reply?
In Psalm 73, the psalmist highlights an important benefit of going to the house of God. He writes of a time in his life when he lost focus and became spiritually unstable. “As for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped,” he writes (Psalm 73:2, KJV). “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (verse 3).
The psalmist is not alone in that area of struggle. Some Christians today believe that since they serve the Lord, they should have more than those who don’t. Accordingly, they have trouble coming to terms with the prosperity of the wicked. The Bible does not denounce having material wealth. In fact, God promises to bless us when we walk with Him. But nowhere in the Bible are we promised that if we serve Him, we will have more materially than everyone who doesn’t serve God. 
In the psalm, the psalmist expands on the prosperity of the wicked that caused him to be envious. He even questioned the value of living a life committed to God. He writes, “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure. And I have washed my hands in innocence” (verse 13, NASB)!
A Trip to the House of God
So, how did the psalmist regain his footing? “Until I went to the sanctuary of God, then I understood their end,” he says (verse 17, KJV). At the house of God his eyes became open to see things in proper context. There, he understood what the end of the wicked would be.
Through the psalmist’s experience, we can see a priceless benefit in faithful church attendance. Like him, we need a place we can attend to help us become or remain properly focused. Also, in this episode, Evangelist King shares three facts about every genuine believer. He said because these things are true about us, they are three more reasons it behooves us to faithfully go to the house of God.
It’s important to note that the person the psalmist is talking about in this psalm is himself. Think about that. God used him to write a portion of the Bible, and he had a moment in which he failed to see the benefit of living for God. The good news is that God uses fallible people to do extraordinary things.
Finally, the writer of the book of Hebrews calls on believers to be faithful in church attendance during these last days:
"Not forsaking our own assembling together but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25, NASB).
An important takeaway in this verse is that in these last days, the ministry of exhortation will become increasingly more important at the house of God. This should be understandable given the increasingly intensive spiritual opposition that the people of God will encounter in these last days.
 

Increasing Your Capacity for the Word of God (Episode 123)

In this episode, Frank King teaches on how to increase your capacity for the Word of God. Every churchgoer has a certain capacity for understanding and receiving God’s Word. That capacity differs for each of us. Some churchgoers receive very little of what is preached from the pulpit. Some leave with a practical understanding of what God is saying through His Word. Most will fall somewhere in between.
This reality is not a reflection of one’s intelligence. Some churchgoers are greatly educated but have little capacity to receive the Word of God. Some with little education have a large capacity for the same. This is not about education. Rather, spiritual reasons exist as to why our capacity for the Word of God differs from person to person.
To explain why we differ in our capacity for the Word of God, Jesus taught a parable we refer to as the parable of the Seed and the Sower. In it, this farmer went about sowing seed in the ground. As he sowed seeds, they fell upon different places. Some went by the wayside, some fell upon stony places, some fell among the thorns, and some fell on good ground.
After Jesus had finished speaking the parable, the disciples came to Him wanting to know what it meant. Jesus explained the parable in terms of people who come to hear the Word of God. Each type of ground where the seeds fell represents a type of hearer. The interesting thing about this parable is that each of us falls into one of the categories of hearers in this parable.
Why Your Capacity for the Word of God Matters
This subject is important because you cannot live for God beyond your capacity for His Word. If you only have the capacity to receive the elementary teachings of the Word, then you can only live for God on an elementary level. But that’s not where God wants any of us to be. He wants us to have the capacity to receive the deeper teachings of His Word so we can live for Him on a deeper level.
The good news is that if you don’t like being where you currently are, you don’t have to stay there. You can increase your capacity for the Word of God. That is the focus of this episode.
Some churchgoers tend to blame the preacher for their lack of spiritual growth. Admittedly, preachers can have a negative impact on a person’s ability to hear God’s message. In other words, if we as preachers fail to make a clear presentation of the gospel, we can make it harder for people to understand and receive what God is saying so they can grow.
But that’s not the premise of the parable of the seed and the Sower. The premise of the parable is that the seeds that were sown were good seeds. We know that because when the seeds fell upon good ground, Jesus said they produced fruit. 
The bottom line is that if your heart is good ground for the Word of God, it will produce fruit in your life. By contrast, if your heart is not good soil to be sown in, not even the best of preaching can render you fruitful.
 

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.

A Sign from Heaven--Christmas Message (Episode 120)

For many, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. In America, people travel far to be with loved ones this time of the year. But this episode focuses on the real meaning of Christmas for people of faith.
The birth of Christ is the most enduring event in history. Nearly 2000 years later, the world is still talking about Him. Millions around the world are passionately following His teachings.
In the days of King Ahaz, Isaiah the prophet gives us an amazing Messianic prophecy. “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel“(Isaiah 7:14, KJV). This virgin birth was given as a sign to King Ahaz that God was with His people.
Why? Because the king of Israel and the king of Syria had joined together to make war against king Ahaz who was king of Judah. They had vowed to destroy Jerusalem and to replace Ahaz with another king. King Ahaz was afraid, and the people of Jerusalem were afraid.
In hindsight, we know this sign from heaven was a reference to the birth of Christ. That’s because the verse refers to a virgin bearing a son. Furthermore, according to the verse, this son shall be called Immanuel. This is consistent with the words found in Matthew 1:23: “They shall call his name Immanuel.”
Though God promised to give this sign from heaven, Ahaz didn’t live to see it. It was more than 700 years after God promised it that Christ was born. To us that is a long, long time. But to God a thousand years are as a day, according to 2 Peter 3:8. So, to God, it was only a few days from the prophecy to the birth of Christ.
"God With Us"
Immanuel, the prophetic name assigned to Jesus, literally means God with us. This name is a reference to the deity of Christ. When Jesus was born, He was the Almighty God living in human flesh among us. He said to Philip, He who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9, NASB).
Because of this incarnation, Jesus can personally relate to our struggles in the flesh. While on earth, He was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, NASB).
The good news of Christmas is that the Son born of a virgin was a sign from heaven that God is with His people. if you have placed your faith in Christ, know that God is with you. Sometimes, it may not feel that way, but God is with you. Moreover, through Christ, you have peace with God.

God's Saving Grace (Episode 119)

The grace of God manifests itself in countless ways. Anytime He shows us His goodness when we deserve otherwise, that constitutes grace. This podcast episode focuses on the grace of God pertaining to our salvation. This grace is sometimes referred to as God’s saving grace.
The doctrine of salvation is the most important Christian doctrine in the entire Bible. We can disagree on, even be wrong about some aspects of Christian theology and still be OK. But we can’t afford to be wrong on how to be saved because that has eternal consequences.
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul writes, “By grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:5, NASB). Grace refers to things that are unmerited, meaning things we don’t earn or deserve. Accordingly, God’s saving grace refers to our unmerited salvation through Christ.
 Paul said what he said because God saved us “even when we were dead in our transgressions” (verse 5a). In other words, we did not earn our salvation. And there is a good reason for that. We can’t, no matter how hard we try. None of us deserves salvation. The only way we can receive salvation is that God gives it to us when we place our faith in Christ.
God's Grace Under the Law
But those who lived under the Old Testament (OT) dispensation were under the Law and not under grace. So, were they more righteous than we are so that they earned their salvation by successfully keeping the Law? Or did God lower the bar and grade the OT believers on a curve so they could make it into heaven?
To answer that question, consider what the Bible reveals about Abraham. At the age of 75, he and his barren wife Sarah were childless. Given their reality, it was not naturally possible for them to have a child. Nevertheless, God promised Abraham to bless them with a child. Moreover, God promised to bless Abraham with as many children as there were stars in the heavens. This because he would become the father of nations.
"Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6, NASB). This means that even Abraham was justified by what he believed and not by what he did.
The point is that no one has ever earned salvation or righteous standing with God. Even the OT believers were recipients of God’s saving grace.
Sad but true, so many people in the world today need to be saved. The good news is that everyone can afford to be saved because Christ has paid the cost for all who believe to be saved.

How to Win Through Prayer (Episode 118)

Prayer was never meant to be a religious exercise. But for many people who pray, it’s no more than that. Prayer is supposed to revolutionize your life. In this episode, Evangelist Frank King addresses how to win through prayer.
The devil wants your prayer life to be no more than a religious ritual. He wants you to think God does not answer prayer. Because if you ever arrive at that wrong conclusion, you will cease to be serious about prayer.
Prayer is one of the most phenomenal weapons God has given us. Think about it; what is the main thing we do when we have loved ones who are not saved and are not open to someone talking to them about the Lord? We can’t make them listen to us. But we can pray to God and believe He can reach them to open their heart. 
And parents, what do we do when we have a child a thousand miles away in college, and we can’t be there to try to keep him or her out of trouble? We can cover them in God’s divine protection through prayer.
Prayer can stay the hand of the enemy. It has the power to move mountains in our life. The devil knows the power of prayer. That’s why he so vehemently opposes those who commit themselves to a life of prayer.
Daniel's Prayer
Daniel the prophet is a good example of how to win through prayer. After praying to God, he fasted and sought the face of God for twenty-one days (Daniel 10:3). He did not stop praying until he received the answer to his prayer. One reason many people fail to receive from God is they fail to be persistent in prayer. Jesus says we must pray always and not lose heart (Luke 18:1, NASB).
When the angel arrived to answer Daniel’s prayer, he revealed that God heard his prayer the first day he prayed (Daniel 10:12). But the angel encountered opposition from one he referred to as the “prince of the kingdom of Persia” (verse 13). The angel from heaven was detained for 21 days.
This account of Daniel’s experience is priceless. It gives us a peek into the spiritual realm when we pray to God. It also gives us a model of sorts for how to win through prayer.
We must keep on believing God for what we are praying for. And we should act as if we expect God to answer our prayer. Jesus said, “All things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you” (Mark 11:24). In other words, believe now that you receive it, and then you will.
A clear takeaway from Daniel’s experience is that the devil understands the power of prayer. That’s why he will do anything and everything he can to keep you from having an effective prayer life. But if you believe when you pray, if you diligently seek the face of God, and if you refuse to give up, you will win through prayer.