Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sunday, May 20, 2018
You can with Jesus
Training in a Boot camp for the Christian is not easy
(John 16:33)
These things I
have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Hold on to faith that has saved you from death onto life
with our Lord Christ, Jesus trials will
come into your life to try your strength in faith. (Act 14:22)
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God.
Good comes unto them that wait in patience (Romans 5:3,4)
And not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience;
4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Who is going to separate us
from the love of God aren’t we more then conquerors! (Romans 8:37) Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. The
world didn’t give us life eternal and the World can’t take it away
(John 16:22) And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man taketh from you.
Remember we are sheep for the
slaughter seek for refuge. In the in the shadow of the winds of the lord for
strength, not in the flesh but in the spirit (Romans 8:35,39)
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 15:18
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.
Are you living in the Holy life for the Lord? Are
troubles hitting you from ever side, don’t worry. The Devil doesn't want you to
win the prize. You will go through
theses trials to strengthen your spiritual walk with God. (I Peters 4:12,13)
Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you:
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Cover yourself with the armor of the Lord to fight your
enemies working against righteousness. (Ephesians 6:16-18) Above all,
taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery
darts of the wicked.
17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.
The pay off!
Revelation 21:4 And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12
3Blessed are the
poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they
that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the
meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the
merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the
pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
11Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for
great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you.
Pastor Rolando Ramos
www.fghconline.com
Thursday, April 19, 2018
What does atheist believe in?
The atheist believes in scientific theory, what does that mean? The great big bang! Or we were developed from billons of molecules and formed to exist of all things. Guessing is not an excepted answer.
Yes, God created all things without him nothing
would exist.
John 1:3 All things
were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
In the beginning when God created the earth and
all the sea creatures and fish, and the birds of the air, and the mountains and
the land animals and the trees and plants and the moon and the stars, God said
that it was good.
The word good is the opposite of bad. God only
created things that were good and expectable.
Jesus Christ mentioned that there was one that
was good and that is the father in heaven
Mark 17:18 17 And
when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to
him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there
is none good but one, that is, God.
If we do bad then that is the nature of sin
that lives in us.
The Forbidden Fruit
Genesis 2:16-17 And
the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest
freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou
shalt surely die.
The Serpent's Deception
Genesis 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the
woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For
God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened,
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
When we are born into this world we have
inherited the nature of sin, Because of Adam and Eve they have invited the
nature of disobedient in which turned into sin.
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
We lack permission to service the Lord God
Why?
The bible tells us that we have all sinned
and have come short of the glory of God.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God;
Atheism is a form of disobedient the lack of
knowledge to the truth that unlocks the door to understanding.
Ephesians 4:18 Having the
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the
ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
God is not flesh and bones, as we are. But a
spirit that is truly very powerful and knows the thoughts of man.
I Corinthians 2:14 But
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned.
If we do bad things, aren’t we disobedient to God?
Because if we know how to do good to man wouldn’t we have an understanding of
God’s good? Remember when God created the earth all things were good.
Psalms 14:1 1{To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.}
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are
corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that
doeth good.
Why was Jesus Christ chosen to save us from our
sins? He was a perfect sacrifice without sin.
The bible tells us that if we confess our sins to Jesus Christ he is
faithful and just to forgive us for our sins.
I John 1:9 If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Hebrews 10:10 By the which
will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ
once for all.
God doesn’t think like we do, nor does he act
like we do.
Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not
your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Example: Image you have a bottle with a wide
bottom and a narrow neck. Inside the bottle there is a seed. Your job is to
reach inside the bottle and grab the seed and pull it out. Problem, you are not
able to remove the seed from the bottle because, you are holding unto the seed
and the narrow part of the bottle is preventing you from releasing your hand.
If you release the seed you are able to release your hand. The seed represents your
sins. If you let go of sin you will be free of sin through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Written by Pastor Rolando Ramos
4/17/2018
Written by Pastor Rolando Ramos
4/17/2018
www.fghconline.com
Sunday, April 15, 2018
If God be for us who can be against us
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If
God be for us, who can be against us?
Let’s mention why we ought
to be on God’s side.
1. We are giving Salvation from a death (The
bonus eternal life with Jesus Christ in Heaven)
2. Unlimited liability of protection in this
world with Jesus
3. The Lord will supply your every needs
4. Authorized to use the name of Jesus to rebuke
the devil and cast out devils in his name, and lay hands on the sick in his
name.
5. Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are
more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Satan was defeated at the cross
1 Corinthians 15:26 King James
Version (KJV)
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I
am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell
and of death.
Hebrew 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness;
and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us.
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon
that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall
rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the
heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of
me, saith the LORD.
Heaven is my throne and the earth is my
footstool
Acts 7:49 Heaven is my
throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me?
saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
Once you have invited Jesus Christ into your
heart there will not be anything that will force you to leave God (Remember you
have the authorize to rebuke the devil that brings temptation)
Romans 8:38-39 King James Version
(KJV)
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor
life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
**Now, if God has defeated the devil and God
is on your side. And for those that are not certain on their relationship with
Jesus Christ who do you think is fighting for you in your corner?
**If you don’t reflect the image of God how
can God fight for those that pretend to be Christian, does God pretend to be
God to us?
James 1:23-24 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a
doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way,
and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Written By Pastor Rolando Ramos
www.fghconline.com
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Rend the old garments and put on God
Destroy your burdens with the spirit
of God. Out of the abundance of the heart you worship God. Tear the old
tattered garment and put on the garments of God.
The meaning for tearing your garments .The
tearing of one’s clothes is an ancient tradition among the Jews, and it is
associated with mourning, grief, and loss.
Joshua 7:6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the
earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the
elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
Your body is more important than your clothes
Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body,
what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?
Exchange your garments for the beautiful
garments of praise.
The spirit of despair was replaced with the
spirit of praise
Isaiah 61:3 To appoint
unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Seating in ashes
Among the ancient Hebrews and
other Orientals, to sprinkle with or sit in ashes was a mark or token of grief,
humiliation, or pen-i-tence. Ashes on the head was one of the ordinary signs of
mourning for the dead.
The Meaning of Ashes
After Job's 3 friends seen Job, they couldn't
believed the punishment they thought God did to Job, so the three friends of
Job tore there garments thinking that they had no part in what they thought was
that Job sinned. "Never judge a book by its cover"
Job 2:12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off,
and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one
his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
Humble yourself before God and rend your
clothes
II
Chronicles 34:27 Because
thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou
heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst
rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also,
saith the LORD.
A good man brings good out of his
heart, and evil man bad things
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his
heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil
treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance
of the heart his mouth speaketh.
@@Tearing off the old garments that have
history of the old past. Put on the new with glory and praise the Lord with
honor.
Colossians 3:10 And have
on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that
created him.
Because we are in the world doesn't mean we
effect our spiritual relationship with God to compromise our faith with the
world.
I John 2:15 Love not the
world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him.
@@The world's sin reminds me of fly paper.
There must be something sweet on the paper to attract the flies. There is
nothing sweet about sin.
@@Satan
is called the “lord of the flies” (“Baal-zebub”) We need to stay away from
places that Baal-Zebub dwells. (Satan) Think
about this? where to you find flies? Things that are dead... If you follow
Satan you are hang out with the dead...
Example: We are in this world be not part of the sins that
separate from the love of God. It's like
having a boat in the water, not the water in the boat.
When you surrender your complete life to
Jesus Christ, we surrender all.
If we tear and remove our old tattered garments from our old life with the Lord Jesus, he will replaced them with a new garment of glory.
If we tear and remove our old tattered garments from our old life with the Lord Jesus, he will replaced them with a new garment of glory.
That means all pieces of garment from your
old life must go.
If you hold onto a scarf that was part of the old garment
you have not removed and, giving your life completely to Jesus.
If your eye offend thee cast it from thee
Matthew 5:29-30 29 And
if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from
thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and
not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And
if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee:
for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and
not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Closing scriptures: Matthew 5:14-16 Ye are the light of the world
Consider the change and
walk in faith and, the Lord will lead your way.
Pastor Rolando Ramos
www.fghconline.com
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
You can with Jesus
Training in a Boot camp for the Christian is not easy
(John 16:33)
These things I
have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall
have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Hold on to faith that has saved you from death onto life
with our Lord Christ, Jesus trials will
come into your life to try your strength in faith. (Act 14:22)
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to
continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the
kingdom of God.
Good comes unto them that wait in patience (Romans 5:3,4)
And not only
so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh
patience;
4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
4: And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Who is going to separate us
from the love of God aren’t we more then conquerors! (Romans 8:37) Nay, in
all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. The
world didn’t give us life eternal and the World can’t take it away
(John 16:22) And ye now
therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice,
and your joy no man taketh from you.
Remember we are sheep for the
slaughter seek for refuge. In the in the shadow of the winds of the lord for
strength, not in the flesh but in the spirit (Romans 8:35,39)
Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
36: As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 15:18
If the world hates you, understand that it
hated Me first.
Are you living in the Holy life for the Lord? Are
troubles hitting you from ever side, don’t worry. The Devil doesn't want you to
win the prize. You will go through
theses trials to strengthen your spiritual walk with God. (I Peters 4:12,13)
Beloved, think it not strange concerning
the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you:
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Cover yourself with the armor of the Lord to fight your enemies working against righteousness. (Ephesians 6:16-18) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
13: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
Cover yourself with the armor of the Lord to fight your enemies working against righteousness. (Ephesians 6:16-18) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God:
18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.18: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
The pay off!
Revelation 21:4 And
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12
3Blessed are the
poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they
that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the
meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the
merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the
pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they
which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
11Blessed are ye,
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for
great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the
prophets which were before you.
Pastor Rolando Ramos
www.fghconline.com
Sunday, December 17, 2017
Faith
F=Faith A=Act I=Inside T=The H=Heart
Faith
Hebrew 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.
Act
Romans 10:17 So then
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
How much faith is required to believe in what
the Lord can do for you?
Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your
unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove
hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible
unto you.
Act
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5,6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A feeling of uncertainty or lack of
conviction
Matthew
8:25,26 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him,
saying, Lord, save us: we perish. 26 And
he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and
there was a great calm
Inside
A promise giving if we
allow the word of God to live inside of you
I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the
world.
John 15:7 If ye
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall
be done unto you.
Romans
10:10 For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.
Does faith
come from heaven or is it from within yourself? I timothy 6: 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,
whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many
witnesses.
Focus your eyes on the Lord and doubt not
for the Lord is faithful to perform what he promise. Romans 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
Don’t try to figure out how and when it
will take place, just believe and trust in the Lord and he will make it right. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all
thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
How many prayer warrior are needed for God to be among
you? Matthew 18:19-20 19 Again I say unto you, That
if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask,
it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are
gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Believe in Jesus in all he has promised us and he will direct
your ways John 14:12 12 Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater
works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. Open your month let
your blessing be known testify, confess your testimonies and spread the work of
God to all that have a ear to hear. I
King 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God,
to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his
judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou
mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
Working for the Lord works hand and hand
like your faith. You can speak what you want but if you don’t act upon it
through the Lord, it may never come to you. You must be a go getter”.
Let’s
look at the event with the disciples of Jesus when they needed to depart for
the journey to witness on the road. Matthew
10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 10 Nor scrip for your
journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is
worthy of his meat. 11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in
it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. 12 And when ye come into an
house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if
it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city,
shake off the dust of your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land
of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Great is their faith that has not seen Jesus. Yet believes, and
are moved by faith and the works of Jesus in the spirit. John 20: 29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast
believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have
believed.
In this incident with Jesus and a man that had a child that was possessed. The father of the
child begged Jesus for prayer for the father of the child needed deliverance. The
father of the child asked Jesus to make him believe that his child would be
delivered.
Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears,
Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Doubting
Thomas needed proof of the Jesus
John 20:29 Jesus
saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
www.fghconline.com
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Fight your Giants
Romans 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If
God be for us, who can be against us?
We all will face giants at one time or another in our lives. The
giants, I am speaking of what seem to be too great to be overcome that are problems
and issues. These giants, but often they seem to only grow stronger with the
passing of time.
It could be a giant of fear. Or it might be a giant of some type
of personal sin that you fall into again and again. It might be the sin of
pride or envy or gluttony or lust or something else.
In a related way, your giant might be one of addiction,
something that has a grip on your life. Then again, it could be a giant of
threat that is taunting you today. Someone has slandered you. A lawsuit has
been filed against you. Maybe there is even a threat against your very life.
Or it might be a different kind of giant altogether, like an
unbelieving spouse or a prodigal child. You have prayed for them. You have
asked the Lord to reach them, yet they seem to become more hardened by sin as
the years pass by. You find yourself wondering how you will ever overcome this.
So how do
we deal with giants? We find the answer in the Old Testament account of David
and Goliath. I Samuel 17
What a
victory it was as David boldly defeated the giant Goliath, armed only with a
slingshot and five smooth stones. The will of the Philistines was broken. The
Israelites were reinvigorated. And it was all because a little shepherd boy
answered the call of God and cut down the giant.
So what can we learn from this story about facing off with our
own giants in life?
One - recognize that we all have giants. We all face severe
hardships, seemingly insurmountable obstacles and temptations. We all have
problems. We all have temptations.
We read in 1 Corinthians
10:13 There
hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the
temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. When you
are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure" While it
is true we all have giants, it is also true that every giant can be defeated.
After all, giants rarely start out that way.
Goliath was not always a giant. He was not always
9-feet-6-inches tall. He was once a baby. And with the passing of time and the
nurture of others, the baby became a child. And the child became a teenager.
And the teenager became a man. And the man turned into a giant.
In the same way, giants often begin quite small. When we have a
big sin in our lives, it started as a little sin that was allowed, nurtured,
fed, and even encouraged, and then became a giant that taunts us. It started
with a so-called Christian liberty that we proclaimed and is now getting the
best of us.
In time,
little things become big things.
Two - realize that the battle belongs to the Lord. David told
Goliath, "This is the Lord's battle, and he will give you to us!" (1 Samuel 17:47).
That is why giants defeat us again and again—because we face them in our own
strength and we lose. We need to realize this is the Lord's battle.
Three - attack your giant. Goliath had come into the actual
territory of the Israelites. He had crossed their line. He was taunting them.
And if you tolerate a Goliath, he will take over your territory. He will come
right up on your doorstep.
That is why you don't run from giants. You don't negotiate with
them. You attack them. The Bible tells us, "As Goliath moved closer to
attack, David quickly ran out to meet him" (1 Samuel 17:48). And
it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet
David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
Whatever
your giant may be, force it into the light of day. Stop rationalizing it. Stop
excusing it. Realize you can't defeat it in your own strength.
Call on God and pray for His power, and then attack it. Draw
lines and be accountable to others. Stay away from people or situations where
you would be easily tempted. And don't let that giant back into your life
again.
Finally,
trust in the Lord. Don't look at God in the light of your giant. Instead, look
at your giant in the light of God.
David asked
the question? Who is going to stop this evil man from damaging the reputation
of Israel that services the true living God?
I Samuel
17:26-27 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What
shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the
reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised
Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered
him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.
Eliab
David's oldest brother was angry with David for leaving the few sheep alone in
the wilderness to come to see what was going in Shochoh where the battle of
Israel and the Philistines and Goliath were going to begin.
I Samuel
17:28-29 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the
men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou
down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I
know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that
thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is
there not a cause?
David has
experience the might hands of God killing the Lion and the bear
I Samuel
17:37 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this
uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the
armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered
me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver
me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the
LORD be with thee.
Goliath
mocking David
I Samuel
17:42-44 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he
disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a
fair countenance. 43 And
the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest
to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said
to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and
to the beasts of the field.
David
claimed the victory of God
I Samuel
17:45-46 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a
sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of
the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast
defied. 46This
day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take
thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the
Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the
earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
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