Why You Can Trust the Promises of God

What’s in a promise these days? Well, that depends on who makes the promise. If it comes from a campaigning politician, the promise may be no more than an attempt to scratch itchy ears or to outright deceive voters. Sometimes, a promise stems from the good intentions of someone who has overestimated his ability to deliver on his pledge. Defendants and witnesses promise to tell the truth in a court of law, and sometimes the only clear verdict the jury can render is that somebody’s lying.

God, however, cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He will never deceive us nor leave us empty. He is able to deliver on whatever He says. He is the only one who cannot lie. What sets the Bible apart from all other writings in the world is that in the Bible we find the sure promises of God.

Now, let’s think about this. First, according to the verse above, God cannot lie. Secondly, consider all the promises that are in the Bible. After thirty years of preaching the gospel and counseling believers out of the Word of God, I can honestly say that in the Bible we can find guidance and promises from God that speak to every imaginable problem we have. Since God didn’t have to make all these promises in the Bible—but He has—we must conclude that the promises of God are a reflection of His love toward us.

I am saying that since God has willingly made all the promises in the Bible that He has, and since He cannot lie, meaning His very nature obligates Him to deliver on whatever He has promised; His love for us is clearly the driver of His promises. He has considered every possible challenge in life we can possibly have, and He has already spoken peace to our soul through His promises. That’s why, my friend, you can trust the promises of God.

Notice, this post emphasizes trusting in the promises of God. Simply knowing a lot of His promises is one thing, but trusting them is another. Blessed is the man or the woman who is committed to trusting the promises of God. The Lord is more than able to do what He promises. Even those whose lives have been shattered through the broken promises of men can find healing and new meaning through the sure promises of God.

So what is it that you need God to do for you? My advice is for you to find the promises of God that speak to your situation, truly trust Him, and expect to see His faithfulness at work in your life.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

This Memorial Day, Let’s Not Forget

(Article first published as This Memorial Day, Let's Not Forget on Technorati)

Sometimes you can have it so good for so long that you take it all for granted. So as I was thinking about the upcoming Memorial Day, I felt such a concern for America and the freedoms we currently enjoy. Yesterday, for example, some of my friends and I were talking about what we plan to do this Memorial Day weekend. All of the conversation centered around big family and social gatherings they had planned. Nothing was said of the occasion for the holiday.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with the plans that were voiced. I truly thank God for our country and the freedoms we enjoy. But I am concerned that each year freedom continues to reign, it can become increasingly easier for us to take our freedoms for granted. Against the backdrop of this thought, it is sobering to think about the staggering costs of defending these freedoms even during the current generation: the ugliness of war, tens of thousands of dead service men and women, the deaths of innocent civilians, and tens of thousands of survivors who will never be the same after their selfless service, not to mention the untold grief to their loved ones.

The irony of it all is that--oftentimes--the less we have of those things we value, the more we appreciate the little we have but the more plenteous they are, the less the appreciation. For instance, if the loss of our freedoms were gravely imminent, we would treasure each additional day we managed to hold onto them. But that’s not where we are. Freedom is the order of the day for us. And I submit to you that because of that we should be just as appreciative, actually even more appreciative. What a blessing it is to live in such a free society!

So while we enjoy the fruits of the sacrifice of our fallen defenders of freedom, let’s not forget what it has cost and is costing us. As I am sure many of you do, I wish war was not a reality and necessity, but it is. And I believe it is a good thing for us to take some time to honor the lives of those who over the years have risen to the occasion and who have died to defend what we enjoy. Finally, to those of us who are people of faith, let us pray daily for the safety of our troops and our nation.  For God is the ultimate provider of our peace and freedom.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

Why We Can’t Separate Religion from Politics

Earlier this month, President Obama announced his support for same sex marriages, a decision that according to him had evolved over time. It goes without saying that the President’s announcement made some Americans happy, and some were disappointed. As for me, I was not surprised that he came on the side of the issue that he did.

Anyway, have you noticed that as the White House and Congress have been fighting their way through social issues like abortion rights, don’t ask, don’t tell, and same sex marriage that religion keeps coming up? And I know that many people are sick and tired of religion being so prevalent in the political dialogue. Their preference would be to keep the two, politics and religion, separate.

I submit to you that it’s just not going to happen. I can’t speak for all other communities of faith, but as for Christians, we can’t separate religion from politics because the Bible has much to say about issues pertaining to morality. More importantly, the Bible commands Christians to, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 2:22). The point here is the Christianity is not simply religion, but it is far more than that. It’s a way of life.

If Christianity were only a religion, we could attend a local church to go through rituals of worship and to be hearers of the Word of God and take it no further. But we are called to be doers and not hearers only.

So what does it mean to be a doer of the Word?  It means that as Christians, we should strive to base our daily actions on the teachings of the Word of God.  Accordingly, the teachings of the Bible should have bearing on what we do in the voting booths. So it’s a good thing that during the election campaigning, social issues are being discussed and debated. These discussions allow us to see where the candidates stand on important social issues.

The reason Christians can’t separate religion from politics is that although politicians must debate social issues and state their positions, it is God—not the President of the United States, not Congress—who defines what’s right and what’s wrong. As a Christian, I want political leaders whose moral values are close to mine. My values are based on my understanding of the Bible. And God is always right on the issues. Moreover, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12)

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

How to Please God

For a Christian, nothing should be more important than living a life that pleases God. And I believe that deep down, every genuine Christian wants to please God. This is not a natural desire. Rather, we receive it when God changes our heart and we become partakers of His Spirit. But living a life that pleases God is not happenstance. It can come about only through a daily commitment.

“No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier,” the Bible says (2 Tim. 2:4). This verse shares valuable insight on how to please God. You see, the Lord has called each of us to be a soldier for Him. And according to this verse, if we want to please Him, we cannot allow ourselves to be entangled with the affairs of this life. We know this is true even for soldiers in our nation’s military.

From this verse, I conclude that in order for us to please God with our life, our daily priority must be those matters that pertain to the Kingdom of God.

Even as a preacher of the gospel, I find my quest to live a life that pleases God to be a challenge. For instance, I am a father, a husband, an employee, and a preacher. These roles don’t always fit perfectly together.  I often find it hard to balance all of the associated activity. But I always bear in mind that my ultimate goal in life is to please God.  

That means I can’t attend every social gathering my family members want me to attend.  And sometimes, I can’t spend the entire day on Saturday working on my pet project at home, but I must abandon it to go and properly prepare myself to minister to God’s people on Sunday morning. I am saying that our passion for Christ must pervade everything else we do, if we want to please Him.

I know this is not a popular message, but it is vitally important. Some believers spend so much time on social networks such as Facebook that I wonder how they get much of anything else done in a day. And it amazes me how addicted we have become to all those little gadgets we buy such as smart phones, tablet computers, e-book readers, etc. I love all of these, but we must be careful not to allow them to consume excessive amounts of our time, lest we have little or no time for the things of God.

I think you get my drift. We are in this world but not of it. If we want to please God, He must be our consuming passion.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

The Power of Faithful Motherhood

Since I am writing this post on Mother’s Day, albeit kind of late in the evening, I think it’s befitting that I devote it to the mothers out there. It amazes me that God through His wisdom made women capable of conceiving and sustaining life in their womb. And I believe that during those nine months or so that a special bond develops between a mother and her child.

In the Old Testament, we find a biblical account of a woman by the name of Hannah who was born barren. In those days, it was a reproach for a woman to be incapable of bearing children. Anyway, this woman prayed to God about her problem and this is the vow she made to Him: “If you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life” (1 Samuel 1:11, NIV).

Those of us familiar with the story know that God did open Hannah’s womb and bless her with a son whom she named Samuel, and at an early age she gave him to the Lord to serve Him all the days of his life. She actually took little Samuel to the house of God and committed him to the care of a prophet there so the child could grow up at the house of the Lord!

OK, let’s get this straight. God miraculously blessed Hannah with a son and she in turn gave Him back to the Lord.  I submit to you that this God-fearing mother’s action had serious bearing on the fact that Samuel faithfully served God all the days of his life.

As Christian parents, God has called us to nurture our children in the ways of the Lord so they can be vessels committed to serving Him. Mothers play such a powerful role in this process because of the special relationship that exists between a mother and her child. In fact, in many homes, mothers choose not to work outside the home so they can fully devote themselves to the role of motherhood.

Motherhood is not an easy job. In fact, it is becoming increasingly more challenging. Single parenting by way of divorce, tens of thousands of dads doing extended duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a morally degrading society are a few of the reasons that motherhood has become increasingly challenging.

But mothers, be encouraged. As God did for Hannah, He will honor your faithfulness. And remember that His strength is made perfect in your weakness. Last but not least, behind the remarkable life of Samuel was a remarkable mother; similarly, behind the remarkable lives of many servants of God and achievers in the world today are remarkable women who commit themselves to faithful motherhood. For that we say to you this Mother’s Day and every day, thank you and blessings from God our Father.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

Ask Not, Have Not

Since God knows what our needs are, He wants to provide for His children, and He has the resources to do so, why must we pray to Him about what we need? Why doesn’t He just do what He knows we need Him to do for us?

That’s an interesting line of questioning that sometimes makes its way into the conversations of people of faith.  But you know, sometimes logic has no place in our dealings with God. And this is one of those times. For the Bible says, “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2).

The message in this verse is that even though God loves us, and though being omniscient (all-knowing), He knows what we need, we still must ask Him for what we want and need through prayer. To me, this is one of those simple biblical principles that we can either embrace and become more fully blessed, or we can ignore to our own neglect. How sad it would be for us to have a heavenly Father who is ready, willing, and able to supply our every need, but we have not because we ask not. And I believe that is the case with many Christians today.

On the other hand, I don't want to oversimplify the point. As our heavenly Father, God promises to meet our needs, but we must understand that our relationship with Him goes so much deeper than that. Oftentimes, He uses our needs as a vehicle to help us grow spiritually. For instance, as I pen this post, there are a number of things I have been praying to God about for several months but He has not yet granted them. During this process, something very powerful happens to me.  It is that I must patiently wait on Him, and in turn I am learning how to walk by faith more perfectly as I wait.

I share this point because I believe it helps us to put the abovementioned verse in the proper perspective.  According to the verse, we have not because we ask not, which implies that in order to receive we must ask. And it is true that when we pray to God in faith and according to His will, He promises to answer our prayers. But He wants us to view Him as more than just a Provider. He also wants us to pursue a passionate relationship with Him. 

So to this end, oftentimes, God does not immediately grant us what we ask for. But He requires us to patiently wait on Him and to trust Him that in the process we might experience Him on a more intimate level. Nothwithstanding, God hears and answers the prayers of His children.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

How to Start Your Day with God

For most of us, this is one crazy world. So many things vie for our limited time in each day. But let’s face it; as for many of the daily activities we feel we just have to get done, the world won’t stop turning if we don’t get them done. The key to surviving and striving in this chaotic society is to make sure that we know what matters most, and to place them as priorities for our day.

If you are a Christian, I submit that the most important thing for you to do each day is to start your day with God. In chapter 10 of the Book of Luke, the Bible talks about a time when Jesus visited the house of a woman named Martha.  While He was there, she was busily working around the house. But her sister Mary, the Bible says, “sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word” (Luke 10:39). This aggravated Martha, so she complained to the Lord and asked Him to order Mary to help her. But this is how Jesus responded:

“Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things: But one things is needful: and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (verses 41, 42).

Wow! This is such a powerful statement by our Lord. Perhaps some of Martha’s busyness was aimed at being a good host to the Lord Himself. But He says that what her sister had chosen to do—sit at His feet and hear His Word—was the one thing that really needed to be done.

So how do we “sit at His feet and hear His Word” in our home? By praying and attentively studying the Bible.

I am convinced that out of all the things we have on our calendar each day, what matters most is that we make our time with the Lord our priority. You see, when we start our day with God, we invite Him to be an active part of our day. Through prayer, we can fight and win some battles before they even manifest themselves. Through the Word of God, He speaks to us to embolden our faith and to enlighten us with truth.

Now I can imagine some of you saying in your heart that you are just too busy to do what I am suggesting. But, remember, we have already established that we must set priorities in our life. And I am telling you that what matters most in your life is that you make it a priority to start your day with God. I promise you that when you learn how to make God first in your life, you will have a much more victorious and fulfilling Christian life.

Copyright ©2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.

Study: Mormonism among the Fastest Growing Religious Groups in America

According to The 2012 Religious Congregations and Membership Study released last Tuesday, Mormonism is now the fastest growing religion in 26 states in America. The second fastest growing religious group, according to the study, is Muslims.

The study was conducted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. According to the report, the Mormon Church, also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reported having new congregations in 295 counties in America where they didn’t exist a decade ago.  And of course, with Mitt Romney who is a Mormon all but certain to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States, this religious group has remained in the news lately.

Before I go on, let me share a couple important points about the study: It relies mainly on self-reported data from churches and denominations.  Two, the most recent study provides the most extensive data to date for African American Protestants, but this subgroup has traditionally lacked resources to gather data, meaning the resulting info is incomplete. My point is that the study is not perfect, but it is the most extensive one that has been done to date in this series of studies. The value of this report is that we can use it to see trends and perhaps draw some important implications.

Understandably, all religious groups in America aim to expand their reach. And what the study suggests is that some religious groups such as the Mormons and Muslims are doing a better job in that regard. Even though most Americans claim to be Christians, those of us who belong to the Christian faith can't presume anything. In other words, just because a person is born in America that does not mean he or she is inclined to embrace Christianity. There are many alternatives out there, and based on the study some of these religious groups are gaining traction. That means we must become more proactive in our efforts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and to win the lost.

Not only must we become more proactive but, more importantly, the Christian church must become more effective in her efforts to spread the gospel. People today need to experience the life-changing power of God in their lives. They need answers for life’s tough problems.  Christianity offers both. The irony of it all is that people who need what we have to offer will not break down the doors of our church buildings to come in and get it. Rather, we must go beyond the walls of the church and be about our Father’s business.

Copyright © 2012 by Frank King. All rights reserved.