How to Have the Peace of God

You don’t have to look at or listen to the news long to realize that our nation and our world have some serious challenges ahead. They concern us because they threaten the quality of life we have come to know and love. The question is, how can we have peace in a world as turbulent as ours?

During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said these words to the multitudes: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink: or about your body, what you will wear” (Matthew 6:25). I believe that many people today would have difficulty obeying what Jesus says here. That’s because these basic needs—food , water, and clothing—are among those things that many people today do worry about daily. In fact, if it were not for food stamps, homeless shelters, charities and the like, many Americans today would literally starve to death.

So how can we possibly live in this world of uncertainties, under all the pressures of life, and not live in worry and anxiety? Well, first let’s talk about what causes anxiety and worry. They result when we face challenges in life that overwhelm us and we can’t figure how to bring them under control. You see, as long as we have everything running smoothly, we have peace. But it’s when things come off the rail and we can’t get them back on track that we experience anxiety and worry.

So let me share with you a couple of pointers on how to have the peace of God in your life. First, the Bible says that God will keep those in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him (Isaiah 26:3). So to realize perfect peace, we must do those things that help us to keep our minds on Him. These include coming to church to hear the Word of God, personal Bible study, listening to and viewing Christian content on the Internet, TV, radio, etc. We must do these things in lieu of abiding in empty, worldly environments and listening to the local and national news all day long.

Secondly, to have the peace of God the Bible says, “Do not anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV). This passage, written by Paul the apostle, echoes what Jesus said earlier. We are to be anxious about nothing. When we obey God in this regard and simply make our requests known to Him, He gives us supernatural peace.

God wants us to make wise decisions in life. He wants us to do smart planning for the future. But He does not want us to worry. He is our heavenly Father, and  He promises to take care of us completely. When we truly believe that, His peace will fill our lives.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

How You Should Come to Worship God

It is vitally important for us to realize that when we attend worship service, our goal is to worship God. Not the preacher, not the choir, not the building, not the sacraments, but God Himself. This one fact really says it all.

God has no problem with contemporary music or casual dressing or buildings that don’t look like a church building (whatever that means), but He always requires that when we worship Him we must reverence Him as God. Coming to worship Him on Saturday or Sunday mornings is more than getting up just in time to wash, grab a bite to eat, get dressed, and rush to the house of God.

I believe this casual routine is void of true reverence toward God. Moreover, I believe that this attitude toward worship is one of the reasons the glory of God does not show up in our worship services in a mightier way. I am saying that there is a certain way we must come to worship God if we want to experience His glory.

The spirit of what I am saying is captured in Psalm 100:4 which says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Note that we should render thanksgiving when we enter his gates (that would be the church's property line for us), and we should praise Him in His courts (for us, that would be the area between the parking lots and the building).

Too many churchgoers come to the house of God expecting the choir and the preacher to inspire them and motivate them to a point of worship during the service. But every church member should have begun worshiping God at home, prior to coming to the house of God. That means they should already be in an attitude of worship—before worship house officially begins.

I submit to you that we will not experience the fullness of the power of corporate worship until we learn how to worship God this way. Moreover, when we learn how to worship God this way, we will experience His awesome glory in far greater measure.  If you do not already have this mindset toward corporate worship, I invite you to try it; doing so will revolutionize your worship experience.

Copyright  © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

What Will a Conservative-Christian-President Mean?

(Article first published as What Will a Conservative-Christian-President Mean? on Technorati)

During the Republican candidates’ ongoing quest to become their party's nominee for President, evangelicals have cast their vote a few times. At first, they were excited about Governor Rick Perry. After he dropped out of the race and they sought an alternative to Mitt Romney, some evangelicals were even willing to embrace Newt Gingrich; never mind that he has been married three times, among other things.

Now it seems that the dominant choice among evangelicals is former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum. Recent polls show him surging, making it a real possibility for him to defeat Romney in the upcoming Michigan primary, which had been regarded as a sure win for Romney just weeks ago.

OK, so evangelicals have been rallying behind one conservative candidate after another, and for some reason it becomes national news when they do. And it is no secret that a number of the Republican candidates have courted evangelicals for their endorsement. Being a Christian myself, it is my desire to see God-fearing men and women occupy political offices. And we should labor to that end.

But let us bear in mind that we can never fulfill Christ’s mandate through politics. The Office of the President of the United States provides the occupant a powerful platform through which he can influence the moral fabric of the nation-- to some degree. On the other hand, there are so many strings attached to almost everything that gets accomplished in Washington.

So even if a presidential candidate has solid, conservative, Christian values and he promises us the world in terms of what he will do and what he will overturn if elected, there is very little that he can get done. Excuse me for sounding a little sarcastic, but it’s just that I have been around awhile, and I have heard lots of empty promises made on the campaign trail over the past few decades. This is not to question a politician’s sincerity. It’s just that change in Washington comes painfully slow.

Like all other sectors of our society, evangelicals should rally behind candidates that espouse their interests and values. But let us make sure that we stay focused on the real deal. The most effective way for Christians to effect change in the moral fabric of our society is by passionately being about our Father’s business at the grassroots level. No one in Washington can get that done for us.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

The True Measure of Our Strength

Have you ever seen a big muscular man who responds to the challenges of life like a big baby? Just because a person looks strong physically does not mean he or she is a strong person. So how do you assess the true strength of a person? Just observe how he handles difficult times in life. The Bible puts it this way: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small” (Proverbs 24:10). Hence, the true measure of our strength is determined by our ability to handle times of difficult testing.

People tend to have exaggerated impressions of their strength when life is good on all fronts, and they have not known hardship. Like a poorly constructed building that has never been subjected to a storm, these people appear to be strong. But you know, even a poorly constructed building can stand when the weather is good. I am far from being even an amateur builder, but if you pay me to, I can build you a building that will stand when the weather is perfectly good. But you don’t want to be in that building when a storm comes.

Similarly, it is the storms of life that  reveals our true strength.

As Christians, we are called to live by our faith in God. That means we are to face every challenge in life by trusting God to enable us to overcome. This is how Christians are supposed to live. If we are truly living that way, then we can be no stronger than our faith in Him is. That’s why we must do those things needed to grow in our faith in God. You see, the stronger our faith is, the less we are moved by our circumstances, and vice versa.

God wants you to discover the real you. He allows you to be tested in life is so you can see for yourself what you are made of.

Over time, I have had some tests in my life that revealed that I was not all I thought I was. They tested me in areas I had not been tested in before. We must boldly embrace these challenges if we want to become more complete in the Lord. He is faithful to never subject us to anything that will break us. His desire is to see us grow to the point that we no longer faint in the day of adversity.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

What is a True Friend?

I believe everyone wants to have a friend or friends. No one in his or her right mind wants to be friendless. God did not create us to live alone. His desire, among other things, is for us to build wholesome relationships.

But what is a true friend? The reason I pose this basic question is because of huge social networks such as Facebook. Some users have tens of thousands of “Facebook friends.” Because of the resulting casual use of the word “friend,” I believe a serious blurring of the line has occurred. Facebook friends are not real friends. Most of these so-called friends, you will never meet, not once in a lifetime.

So, again, what is a true friend? “A friend loves at all times,” the Bible says (Proverbs 17:17). That means a true friend loves unconditionally. You see, if a person abandons us because we have disappointed him or her, that person is not a true friend. If our relationship with another person is contingent upon us always doing the right things in that person’s eyes, we have not yet found a true friend.

Who wants a friend you have to live your life trying to please? That would require you to lose yourself in the process. Unfortunately, many people have those kinds of “friends.” A true friend is a person with whom you can be comfortable, as opposed to intimidated, being yourself.

It should be abundantly clear that a true friend is not easy to find. In fact, it’s safe to say that true friends are few in number. Most people you meet will not qualify to be called a true friend.

Nevertheless, it is worth the investment for us to seek out and to find a true friend or two. Perhaps some of you reading this post are feeling as though you are on top of the world and you don’t need anybody. But I submit to you that life will not always be that way. Not that I wish for you to be visited with trying times. Nor do I wish to see you just blow it to the point of personal humiliation. It’s just that that’s a part of life.

Doing such times, having a true friend is priceless. If you already have such a friend or friends, treasure them and consider yourself extremely blessed. If you don’t, time to get busy. Seek and you shall find.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

Movies Promoting Conservative/Biblical Values a Hit in Hollywood

(Article first published as Movies Promoting Conservative/Biblical Values a Hit in Hollywood on Technorati)

Who says Americans are not interested in content that promotes conservative values and biblical values? According to Movieguide, movies falling into these categories are bigger money makers than movies that fall in the ”liberal/leftist” category.

Movieguide rates movies using more than two dozen criteria. It identified 91 films that scored high in the “conservative/moral” categories. According to its findings, these movies earned an average of $59 million apiece. By comparison, it identified 105 movies that fell in the “liberal/leftist” categories, and these earned an average of only $11 million.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, On Friday, February 10, Movieguide plans to present its report when it celebrates its 20-year anniversary on The Hallmark Channel.

I find the claims of Movieguide interesting but puzzling because I certainly don’t regard most of the content that comes across my television screen as promoting conservative values or biblical values. I have to look hard for that kind of content. One would think that the desires of the audience would drive the content provided. But the message I am getting from Movieguide is that when people go to the box office, where they choose what they are willing to dig into their wallets or pocketbooks and pay to watch, most of them choose movies that embrace conservative and biblical values.

Movieguide’s claims also speak to me as a Christian leader. You see, I believe that oftentimes, the Christian church tries too hard to conform to this world so as to fit in. But think about it; if there is any truth to what Movieguide is saying, there is still solid interest in biblical values. That means that when people attend church, they still want to hear preaching consistent with the Word of God. Let us not be ashamed of the gospel. Those who speak loudly against conservative and biblical values can be the most vocal, but the majority of Americans still have an interest in such values.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

It Pays to Discipline Your Children

There is no substitute for parents being proactive in disciplining their children. I’ll be the first to admit that it is much more difficult to discipline children these days. We live in an extremely mobile society. Because of mobile devices such as laptop computers, tablet computers, and smart phones, it is hard for us to control the objectionable content that our children can be exposed to through these mediums.

Many parents today allow these mobile devices, along with widescreen TVs and social networks like Facebook and Twitter, to virtually raise their children. Of course, our children have no objections. If we allow them to, they will indulge themselves in these activities 24/7.

As Christian parents, we should not allow this non-parenting approach to parenting. It will never yield positive results in the area of disciplining our children. It will come back to haunt those who practice it. “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame,” the Bible warns (Proverbs 29:15).

This verse reveals that in order for us to instill wisdom in our children, two things are required: the rod and reproof. For us today, the rod can be punishment, spanking or beating, temporarily taking away privileges, etc. Reproof refers to verbal correction. We can’t be passive toward the things we hear our children say that we know they should not because their words reveal what's in their heart.

I don’t want to oversimplify what the aforementioned verse is saying. Disciplining children is not a job for the passive. To realize success, we must be diligent. It’s not a one-time deal. We must be persistent. And we should never become discouraged. We know the Word of God works. If we are persistent, we will realize the results that God promises.

So what is the alternative if we are not up to the job to discipline our children? We can allow the high-tech gadgets and social networks to take our place. This is the same as leaving our children to themselves. And remember what the Bible says about that: “a child left to himself brings his mother to shame.”

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

NOTE: A fellow blogger wrote me and told me about a post she had written and asked me to mention it on my blog. It is entitled, "10 Situations Where Adults Often Model Bad Behaviors to Kids." I read it and found it interesting and edifying. Anyway, here is the link to the post: http://www.nannyclassifieds.com/blog/2012/02/10-situations-where-adults-often-model-bad-behaviors-to-kids/

T. D. Jakes Embraces the Doctrine of the Trinity

The Baptist Press reports that Bishop T. D. Jakes says he now embraces the doctrine of the Trinity. This revelation came last week at the second annual Elephant Room, an event involving Christians from different backgrounds. For those of you that did not know, Bishop Jakes came up in the Oneness Pentecostal Church. Members of this movement deny the Trinity. They don’t believe God is three distinct persons but one.

I knew as much as 20 years ago that Bishop Jakes embraced the doctrine of Oneness, but I was not aware until now that he still held on to that teaching. And since he is such a prominent leader in the Christian community and has embraced the errant doctrine of Oneness so long, it is highly probable that some of you who read this post may be unclear on the truth of this matter.

First of all, the word Trinity is not found in the Bible. But by that term we mean there is one God but that He manifests Himself in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As evidence, consider this passage: “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 1:16-17).

From this passage, we see all three persons of the Godhead involved—the Son being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending upon Him, and the Father speaking from heaven. Those who embrace Oneness believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, but they do not believe the three are distinct persons as the passage above indicates.

Moreover, in a number of places, the Bible teaches that in the person of Jesus, “God was manifested in the flesh” (see 1 Timothy 3:16). “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

I am glad the Bishop Jakes now embraces the doctrine of the Trinity. What amazes me is that the doctrine of the Trinity is not an advanced Christian doctrine but a fundamental Christian doctrine. For any of us, no matter what religious background we are from and no matter how long we have believed what we have, when we study the Bible and God opens our eyes to the truth, we must be willing to abandon error and embrace the truth.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.