On the first Christmas Day, God gave us the greatest gift we will ever receive. That gift was His only Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is one of the best-known verses in the Bible. It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That one verse sums up the Christmas story like no other single verse does.

But the subject of Christmas is not that simple. It means different things to different people. People celebrate Christmas for different reasons. People have different expectations during Christmastime.

Those of us who follow Christ represent one side of Christmas. It’s one of our favorite times of the year if not the most favorite time. We know the real meaning of Christmas. We rejoice in the birth of Christ because He is our personal Savior.

But that’s not everybody’s Christmas story. Because of the dominant role of today’s consumer culture during Christmastime, some people dread this time of the year. Some are saddest and most depressed this time of the year. That’s the other side of Christmas. In this episode, Frank King addresses what he refers to as the two sides of Christmas.

Numerous reasons exist why Christmas is not a good time of the year for many people. For some people, they get depressed at Christmas and even angry because of the excessive commercialization of Christmas, with the focus on gifts and the emphasis on "perfect" social activities.

Some dread Christmas because of the pressure to spend lots of money on gifts and incur increasing debt.

Many people feel very lonely at Christmas, because they have suffered the loss of loved ones or their job. The constant reminders of other people’s happy seasons can serve as a painful reminder of the happiness and love that’s lacking in their own lives due to family conflict, loss, break ups, divorce, loneliness, etc.

The truth is that none of the reasons just stated have anything to do with the real meaning of Christmas. One reason many people are sad and depressed during Christmastime is because they have bought into a false narrative of what Christmas is all about. Frank reminds us that Christ came to give us peace in spite of our external circumstances.

Being a Christian does not shield you from being tested. It does not exclude you from suffering at times. What’s clear throughout the Scriptures is that God allows suffering among His people, sometimes in extreme ways. In this episode, Frank King addresses the subject of suffering as a Christian.

In 1 Peter 4:12, Peter writes, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (KJV). In different Bible versions, this verse is translated somewhat differently. For instance, the KJV refers to “the trial which is to try you.” The NASB says, “concerning the fiery trial among you” as if it was happening at the time of Peter’s writing. The ESV renders, “the fiery trial when it comes upon you.”

The bottom line is that Peter was writing to those whom he wrote about fiery trials and telling them not to regard them as being strange. All three of the Bible versions mentioned above reveal that the purpose of the trial is to try us or to test us or to prove us.

Those of us living in the Western World tend to have a different view of suffering than those in other places. Real suffering as a Christian happens when you are a Christian living in Communist or Islamic territory. And you are asked to either renounce your faith or die. And you choose to die for your faith. We happen to be blessed to live in a country that’s still somewhat friendly to Christians. At least that’s true now.

 Accordingly, it’s easier for us in the US to become numb to the idea of real suffering for Christ. In many churches today, we preach more about prosperity and blessings than we do about being faithful to Christ. But God wants us to boldly live out our faith even when it costs us some suffering to do so.

During His public ministry, Jesus called on the first twelve disciples to give up everything and to follow Him. And during His teachings to the multitudes as He went from place to place, He called on His followers to lose their life for His sake. In this episode, Frank King’s message is a challenge to believers to be all in for Christ. By that he means to be fully committed to following Christ.

Perhaps we all would agree that Paul the apostle was a man who was all in for Christ. In his letter to the church at Philippi, he writes this about his commitment to following Christ: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (Phil. 3:10, KJV). Anyone with such a conviction as Paul’s is one who is all in for Christ.

Still, Paul was never content with where he was in Christ. He was always pressing forward in his walk with the Lord. He writes, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (verse 12).

To apprehend means to get a hold of.  In effect, Paul was saying that his goal in life was to get a hold of what Christ had gotten a hold of him for. God had a specific purpose for Paul’s life, and he has a purpose for each of us. The question is, are we committed to getting a hold of what Christ has gotten a hold of us for.

Ministering the Word of God is important because according to the Bible, the Word of God is quick-or living-- and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). Jesus said the words He spoke are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). It goes without saying that the only time that we are ministering the Word of God is when what we preach and teach is based upon the Scriptures. In this episode, Evangelist Frank King teaches on the importance of ministering the Word of God.

The most important part of morning worship in a local church is the ministry of God’s Word. Some local churches have amazing music ministries. Their praise team and/or choir know how to usher the people into worship. But the goal of all of that must be to set the stage for preaching. That’s when the people get to hear from God through His Word.

Of course, not all preaching and teaching is the same. That brings us to the importance of sound doctrine. By sound doctrine, we mean sound teaching. Sound doctrine is important because it assures us that we are walking in truth. There is only one way to provide sound doctrine. That’s through ministering the Word of God.

In 1 Peter 2:2, Peter writes, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (NASB). By the pure milk of the word, Peter means the unadulterated or undiluted word. Believers can’t properly grow through watered down preaching. Admittedly, a minister can grow an audience with watered down preaching. But a congregation built on a diluted version of the Word of God will not be spiritually strong.

The power of the ministry of the Word of God is evident in the words of Paul the apostle found in Romans 10:17. He writes that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. The truth is that there is but one message one can proclaim that can bring men and women into a personal relationship with God through faith in Christ. That is the ministry of God's Word.

Doing the work of the Lord always requires you to walk by faith. No matter how much you try to get around that reality, that will always be the case. If you must have all the resources at hand before you begin a work for God, you will never get started. In this episode, Frank King teaches on God's faithfulness to supply the needs of the work He calls us to.

The mission and work of the church is God’s mandate. Because of that we can trust Him to be faithful whenever we embark upon some aspect of the work of the ministry.

For instance, God called Moses to lead the people to build Him a sanctuary in the wilderness (Ex. 25:8).  This was unfamiliar territory for Moses. He had no idea how to do what God was calling him to do. But we don’t need to know how to do what God has called us to do. We just need to know what God has called us to do.

God gave Moses the plan for how to build the sanctuary and how it was supposed to look (verse 9). He gifted the people to do all the meticulous work (Ex. 31:2-6). And He touched the hearts of the people to give more than enough to fund the work He had called Moses to do (Ex. 36:3-7).

The same thing is true for us today. God can call us to do things that we feel ill-equipped to do. He tends to call us to do things that are bigger than we are because He is a big God. But equally important, God is faithful to supply the needs for whatever He calls us to do. We are simply tools for God to use. And when He calls us to a work, He is faithful to supply the needs to do the work.

What has been said above is not limited to those who are called to pastoring or church leadership. The premise is that God will call all of us to a work. He has gifted every one of us who is in Christ with the ability to do work for the Kingdom. The purpose of this message is to challenge and stir believers to have a big heart for God.

In this episode, Frank King addresses what the world will be like leading up to the return of Christ and what Christians refer to as the rapture of the church. The rapture refers to the time when Christ will descend from heaven, though He will not physically touch earth, and all who are in Christ, both the dead and the living, will be gathered in the air to meet the Lord. Then shall they ever be with Him. Paul addresses this event in 1 Thess. 4:17.

Jesus compares His return to the days of Noah when the floods came. “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be,” He said (Matt. 24:37, KJV). As Noah built the ark to prepare for the flood, the people of the world were eating and drinking and marrying. They knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away (vv. 38-39).

Similarly, when Jesus returns, most people will be taken by surprise. Jesus says, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left” (verse 40). This event, the return of Christ and the rapture, will occur throughout the world at one time in history in the twinkling of an eye.

If Jesus returns at night while we sleep, those who are saved will be taken to meet Him, and those who are not saved will be left behind. For those aboard a plane at the time, if the pilot is a Christian, he will be taken, and those aboard who are not saved will be left behind. Jesus knows those who are His.  Not one person who is saved will be left behind at His return, and not one unsaved person will be mistakenly gathered to the Lord.

Nothing in our life should be more important than to be ready when Jesus returns. Ironically, that’s one of the subjects we seldom talk about in the local church. In some churches, you can hear preaching weekly about prosperity and God’s desire to shower blessings upon you. Or you can hear about spiritual gifts and particularly the prophetic ministry. But how often do we hear messages on the return of the Lord and the need for us to live in readiness for Him?

Just because a person is a Christian does not mean his life will reflect a Christian mindset. What that tells us is that having a Christian mindset in life is not incidental to becoming a Christian.

In Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi he writes, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5, KJV). More accurately, this is an appeal for us to have the same mindset as Christ. In this episode, Frank King addresses some areas of Christian living that are vital to developing a Christian mindset. These areas are found in chapter four of Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Paul’s appeal is consistent with who we are as Christians. But some Christians will read the verses focused upon in the episode and dismiss them because some believers don’t think they can live accordingly. But God never calls on us to live on a level that He has not equipped us to live on. In Christ, He has changed our lives to live a Christlike life. Success won’t happen overnight, but if we never take the first step, we will never get there.

We have a saying in life that attitude determines altitude. This is true in our walk with Christ as well. For instance, when we commit to rejoicing always, and to not living in anxiety mode, and to occupying our mind with thoughts that are honest and pure and of good virtue, as Paul writes, our doing so will take us to another place in our relationship with the Lord. But if we are always having a pity party and worrying about everything in life and thinking negatively, the devil will have a field day with us. How committed are you to developing a Christian mindset?

According to the Bible, the devil is our adversary, and as a roaring lion he goes about seeking whom he may destroy (1 Peter 5:8). That one verse is the reason for a lot of the things happening in our world today. Not all the things you and I face in this life stem from normal occurrences. Some of them are the result of spiritual opposition. In this episode, Evangelist Frank King explains why sometimes, we must do more than the norm to receive from the Lord.

In Matthew’s record of the gospel, he tells of a man who brought his epileptic son to the disciples, and they could not heal him. When the man told Jesus about this, He was disappointed with the disciples. That’s because at this point, Jesus had given the disciples the power to heal the sick and to cast out demons (Matthew 10:1). So, they had power to do what needed to be done, but when they did what they had done in the past, it didn’t get the job done.

Subsequently, Jesus healed the man’s son. If it was not the will of God for the young man to be healed, Jesus would not have been able to heal him either. And remember, Jesus had given the disciples the power to heal the sick and cast our devils. This power was the very thing this epileptic young man needed to be healed.

The disciples came to Jesus and wanted to know why He could heal the young man and they could not. Jesus replied, “Because of your unbelief” (Matthew 17:20, KJV). “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer AND fasting,” Jesus added (verse 21).

In effect, Jesus was saying that this one is not business as usual. In this case, the disciples needed to do more than the usual to minister healing. Yes, they needed to pray, they needed to have faith, but in this case, they needed to fast as well. The point is that sometimes, it’s not true that it’s not the will of God to do what we ask of Him. But sometimes, we need to go deeper, fight a little harder in the spiritual realm to get what we need from the Lord.

Our faith is only as good as the person or thing we choose to place our faith in. In this episode, Frank King addresses Jesus’ commandment for us to have faith in God.

At times we all struggle with exercising our faith in God. In Hebrews 11:6, we find two important requirements for exercising faith in God. One, the verse says we must believe that God exists. All genuine believers get an A-plus on that one. Secondly, this verse says we must believe God rewards those who diligently seek Him. That last part is the challenge. Faith requires us to hang in there with God. And too many people today are too spiritually impotent to endure that.

One day, as Jesus was headed to the temple in Jerusalem, He was hungry, and He saw this fig tree. He came to the tree hoping to find some figs. Because the tree was barren, Jesus cursed the tree. The next day, He and His disciples passed that same tree and it was dead. Peter remembered that Jesus had cursed the tree the day before.  So, he says, Master, the fig tree you cursed is withered away. Jesus replied, “Have faith in God” (Matthew 11:22, KJV). He said those words to reveal the means by which He had cursed the tree. He did it by faith in God.

Faith in God revolutionizes our outlook on life. We no longer live in bondage of the fear of dying. Even if the economy were to tank so that everybody’s worried about it, we believe that God is able to sustain us even then. That’s what having faith in God will do for us.

We are so blessed to be able to go to the house of God each week and hear the good news of the gospel. We are blessed to have Christian TV and programming we can watch and listen to deepen our faith.

It is our faith in God that determines the quality of Christian life we can have. Not how often we go to the house of God. Nor the kind of church we attend. But it’s our faith that determines that. The healthier your faith in God is, the more vibrant and victorious your Christian life will be.

What is the relationship between your heart and God’s Word? In the parable found in Matthew, chapter 13; the takeaway is that we can know a lot about the heart of a person solely by how that person interacts with the Word of God. In this parable, Jesus addresses four types of hearers. Each of us should be able to see ourselves in one of these four types of hearers.

The message of this parable is cut and dry. It says, in effect, either you have a solid relationship with the Lord, or you don't, and that is reflected in your interaction with the Word of God. In other words, there is a dynamic chemistry that exists between God’s Word and the heart that God has changed.

In this parable, the seed fell upon four different kinds of ground. Some fell by the wayside, some in stony places, some among the thorns, and some into good ground. And it was the type of soil that determined what became of the seed.

If you plant good seed in good soil, you will get a good yield. If you plant good seed in bad soil, however, you won’t get a good yield. This is not to minimize the importance of a preacher’s ability to minister the Word of God effectively. But it does not matter how good his communication skills are, when he sows seed in the heart of a person whose heart is bad soil, the yield will be little if any.

In the parable, the Sower represents the preacher, the seed represents the Word of God, and the soil represents the heart of the listener. Of course, if you want to please the Lord, your heart must become like good soil so God's Word can be fruitful in you.