Giant Slaying

(I'll be posting the article "Giant Slaying" in three parts over the next three days. Enjoy!)

Have you ever been doing something and you met an opponent who seemed impossible to defeat? I remember a basketball game during my last year in high school. My team was playing in an invitational tournament composed of four teams-we had won the tournament the previous three years and wanted to make it four in a row. However, when we saw our first round opponent in warm-ups, our jaws dropped to the floor. The other team had a player who was well over 2 meters tall, taller than any of us had ever played against before. He barely had to jump and he was already above the rim. We all imagined this giant blocking our shots without even jumping, slamming the ball right over our heads, clobbering us into submission until we wanted to quit and run home to our mothers-and we all talked about how impressive our opponent looked. But after a few minutes of this fearful talk, we looked at each other and decided there was no sense in giving up, no sense in losing hope. Instead, we would go out there and play our best game, taking the action right to the giant and focusing on our efforts and not his. And do you know what we discovered as we played the game? The giant couldn’t play basketball at all! He sure looked impressive, but he posed little challenge during the game-he surely was tall, but he couldn’t dribble, play defense, or shoot. My team ended up winning the game quite easily, and winning the tournament the next day. It all happened because we chose not to fear the giant.

Many times in life we face problems that seem too massive for us to overcome. Ephesians 6:12 speaks about these “giants” as being the principalities and powers, the evil forces of Satan that wrestle against us believers. Perhaps God has given you a calling, a vision, or a dream, but while seeking to fulfill that vision you run into trouble. Maybe there is a sin in your life that you have been struggling with for a long time or you could have a sickness or disease that causes you great suffering and pain. We know that God has called each of us to carry the message of salvation to our generation, but when we look at our friends and schoolmates, we see so many gigantic problems-suicide, drug abuse, materialism, unbelief, and a host of others. These are all examples of giants that could stand in our way of fulfilling God’s will. Unfortunately, so often our reaction to that giant is to stop moving forward, to surrender in fear to our problem.

There is good news, however. God has not called you to cower when faced with your giant-He has not called you to run away, hide in a corner, and hope that the giant does not squash you. Instead, God has called you to be a giant-slayer! We can rise up in faith, and with God’s help nothing can hinder us from fulfilling His plan. Just like my basketball team discovered that the two meter plus player wasn’t difficult when confronted, we will discover that spiritual giants will topple when we come against them in faith. So in this article, we are going to look at Scriptures most famous “giant-slayer”, picking up keys on how we can slay giants as well (1 Samuel 17).


Facing Off

The two armies were resting on opposing mountains, with a valley in between them. The soldiers, battle-hardened men who had seen their share of fighting, were tired from months of war and were glad for the respite. However, the break could not go on forever, and so out from the Philistine mountain walked a gigantic figure toward the side of the Israelites. Birds flew away, the ground creaked, and armor clashed against itself as the man’s shadow hovered over the Israelite camp. Who was he? This was none other than Goliath of Gath, who stood over three meters tall. He was covered from head to toe in bronze armor-his breastplate alone weighed almost sixty kilograms, more than some of the Israelite soldiers! Even the tip of his spear weighed 7 kilograms, far more than most of the Israelites could have ever thrown. He carried the spear, a javelin, a sword, and even came equipped with an armor bearer to carry his huge shield.

Suddenly, the giant’s booming voice cried out, “Do we really need a whole army to settle this? There’s no need for such a big fight-I have a better idea. Why don’t you send out one man to face me in a one-on-one battle? If he defeats me, we Philistines will all become your servants. However, if I defeat him, all of you Israelites must serve us. I defy, I dare, I challenge the armies of Israel-stop being chicken and send me a man to fight!” When the men of Israel heard this challenge, they shrank back in fear. There was no way one of them could face this Philistine! Goliath intimidated even their most experienced warrior and king, Saul. The taunts and challenges of Goliath continued to ring out in the Israelite camp for forty days. Still, none of Israel’s warriors would face him. They were paralyzed by their fear.

We can learn several lessons from this mistake of the Israelites. The first question we should consider is this-when did Goliath become a problem for Israel? It was when they were resting on their mountain. God had called them to fight, it was a time of warfare when He wanted to give them victory over their enemy. But in this period, the Israelites grew tired, and decided to take a break and stop moving forward. This rest period was the very moment in which Goliath revealed himself! Likewise, our giants will often reveal themselves when we stop moving forward, when we stop going to battle. Suddenly we begin to think, “I can’t witness to my friends! They won’t like me anymore.” Or in our time of idleness we become tied up in sinful, worldly things, developing giant-like habits. God has called the Church to be an attacking, victorious army (Matthew 16:18), so let’s not sit back when our Commander has called us to war! As we move on in God, as we are attacking the enemy’s gates, the “Goliaths” won’t seem so big.

Another mistake the Israelites made was their focus on Goliath. When the giant challenged them, they magnified his power, his might. They fixed their attention on the size of Goliath’s muscles, the grandeur of his armor, the ferociousness of his weaponry. And sometimes as believers, we tend to glorify the might of the problem that stands in our way. “God, I would love to take the Gospel to my school, but my classmates are so messed up! You don’t know how suicidal they are. My teachers, my principal are so tough, and they’re not Christians. My parents want me to focus on my work.” “I want to be holy, but this sin is so powerful. I can’t beat it!” “This depression always comes over me-it always has and it always will.” Even Saul, the Israelite king who had seen many victories, was afraid. It’s strangely true that sometimes, even after God has given us victories in the past, we tend to forget those, focusing on the size of our problem. What is the way to not focus on the giant? Tomorrow we will continue with our story.

Romans 8:28 His Purpose

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

This column is the final one in our 3 part series on Romans 8:28. In part one we saw that “all things” means exactly that-“all things” work for our good! We then considered how we need to be assured of this fact and “know” it in our hearts. Today we will look at the last phrase in the verse, “To those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.”

God works all things together for good for those who love and are called by Him. What is God’s calling for you? The answer to that question is found in the next verse, Romans 8:29, “To be conformed to the image of His Son.” God has a specific calling on your life (to be a pastor, doctor, missionary, etc.) but also a general calling; and that general calling to become like His Son goes out to all Christians.

This calling helps to explain why God allows difficulties, trials, and sadness to come into our life. As we faithfully follow God, these things have a way of transforming us to become like Jesus. Jesus was a man acquainted with sorrow and grief (Isaiah 53:5); He learned through the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8). And if we want to become like Him, we also need to go through trying situations. There are certain lessons we can only learn through suffering, and we can only suffer during our time on earth-heaven will be a time of eternal bliss and joy.

Becoming like Jesus is a higher prize than anything else. It is the goal of the Christian life, to be transformed into His image. We are created and called for that very purpose. That is why we can rejoice when the trials come! Yes, we will experience sadness, but we never have to be in depression! We may go through sickness, but we never have to feel beaten down. Because God is the One who will always give us the victory in the end, and He always has a plan to bring about our good.

So trust God today that all things are working together for your good. Every difficulty is just a stepping stone to something better. I assure you that if you will stay true to God, everything happening in your life will work out for your benefit. All things, all things, all things. All things! Never despair, never give up-God is working awesome things in your life. Praise Him!

Romans 8:28 We Know

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

In part 1 of our Romans 8:28 series, we examined the main point of the verse, “All things work together for good.” Today we’re going to backtrack to look at the first statement in the verse, “And we know.”

Have you ever worried about gravity working? Have you ever thrown a ball into the air and wondered, “What if gravity doesn’t work today? What if the ball doesn’t come back down?” Or as you’re walking down the street, have you ever been concerned you’re your feet are going to leave the ground and you’re suddenly going to fly up into the sky? I think your answer to my questions is, “No! Of course not! That’s just ridiculous. Everyone knows that gravity always works.”

And you’re right, of course. Gravity does always work. We don’t worry about it, we don’t have to think about it, we just know-what goes up, must come down.

We should have the same, or an even greater, assurance when it comes to the promises of God! Just as the laws of science always operate, so it is with the ways of God. We need to “know” that all things are working together for our good. We need to realize that God’s promises are absolute, His intentions towards us are good, and that every difficulty He brings into our lives is just a stepping stone for greater life and blessing in the end.

David is an inspiring example of a man in the Bible who knew this truth (Psalm 56:9). He had the confidence that God was always on his side. Be like David today. Let God place the truth in your heart that He is always working for you. Whether you are going through what seems to be a good time or a bad time is immaterial. God is on your side.

So know that God is working all things together for you. Don’t let the truth stay in your head, but let it come into your heart. Romans 8:28 doesn’t work some of the time-it works all the time. He is on our side.

Friday we’ll look at the last part of the verse, “To those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” Check back here to complete the series!

Romans 8:28 All Things

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)."

This Scripture is one of the most beloved and best known in the entire Bible. What does it mean for us today? We will examine this Scripture in 3 parts.

“All things work together for good.” When this Scripture tells us “all things” are working for us, it simply means all things! As believers, everything in our lives is meant to bring about a good purpose. Not just the happy things, but all things! Every trial we go through, every difficulty, every pain, is working to benefit us.

You might ask, “How can this be?” How can persecution work for my good? How can having trouble with my parents work for my good? How can sickness or pain or sadness work for my good? The answer lies in trusting the sovereignty and the goodness of God.

The sovereignty of God refers to God's complete control of all things on earth. Nothing happens outside of God's knowledge. His purposes cannot be thwarted. When seemingly bad things happen to us, God knows and understands it. The enemy can do nothing against us that God does not allow him to do.

That is why we also need to trust in the goodness of God. As a Christian, you are under God's favor and blessing. He is your Loving Father and only allows things in your life that will benefit you, if you stay faithful to Him. Every difficulty you face (tough exams, disappointments, betrayal) in the natural is working a far, far, far, far greater spiritual reward. Sometimes we see the reward here on earth-sometimes we may not realize it until we are in heaven. But the reward will be very real.

Sometimes here on earth we don't understand why we go through difficult situations. The pain is too great. But when you are in a trial, always remember to trust in God's goodness. He sees you, He knows you, and He is going to bring you through. Trust that He is control, and trust that He is good. And you will see “all things” turned around for eternal blessing in your life.
In part 2, we'll go backward to look at the beginning of the verse, “And we know.” See you then!

A Ransom for Many

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).”

Earlier this week, we saw that we were saved in order to serve others. Jesus left us the ultimate example, by washing the feet of those He came to save. We will consider that same theme in another verse today.

One day, the mother of James and John came to Jesus and asked if her two sons could have the most exalted positions in Jesus’ Kingdom. The other disciples heard her selfish request, and an argument started among them all about who would be the greatest. Jesus responded by telling them that the greatest among them needed to be the servant of all (Matthew 20:20-28).

This statement is such revolutionary thinking! Why should the greatest be the one who serves? This statement runs against the entire thinking of the world, and even runs against the way we often view things as Christians. Shouldn’t the greatest among us be served by all? That is not what Christ said.

Once again, Christ pointed the disciples to His own example. He is the King of heaven, the Lord of lords, the omnipotent Creator of the universe. And yet why did He come to earth? Not to be served by others, but to serve them, and to give His life as a Ransom for our sins.

Why didn’t Christ come to earth to be served? If Christ had needed to be served, it would imply that He had some deficiency, or some need in Himself that He was coming to earth to fulfill. However, Christ had no need, no deficiency. He was eternally complete in Himself, and thus wasn’t coming to earth for people to meet His needs. Rather, He came to earth to meet our needs.

And that is the example we are to follow. We are not complete in ourselves, but we are complete in Christ. And out of our fullness in Him, we can meet the needs of others. We can condescend and look out for their interests. We don’t need earthly glory to be fulfilled, so we don’t need earthly kingship. All of our fulfillment is in Christ!

Only Christ could give His life as a ransom (payment) for sins. Our lives cannot pay for sin, but through the sacrifice of our lives Christ can reveal to others the sacrifice that He has made, and His sacrifice will serve every need anyone will ever have. Let’s give our lives to be servants of others.

Just Like Jesus

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29).

If we are going to experience a victorious Christian life, we need to have a goal always before us. And Romans 8:29 reveals to us what that ultimate goal is-to become just like Jesus. We are told that God has predestined us to be “conformed” into His image; that means He has a plan to mold, shape, transform us until we are like Him.

Becoming like Jesus is the greatest call we could ever have. It is the highest goal, the most glorious promise. It is the ultimate hope of every believer. Can you imagine how awesome it is? To love like Jesus loves, to be righteous and holy and pure like Him? It is exciting to even think about. And that is our eternal destiny, to be in the presence of our Lord Jesus forever, as He continually changes us to be more like Him. That is our goal.

But you may ask: what does that have to do with my life today? What do exams or CCA’s or cell group or cleaning my room have to do with becoming like Jesus? The answer is, these natural things have much to do with our calling to be like Christ.

You see, as Christians we live in two realms. We are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Ephesians 2:6), yet we are also still living on this earth. God has given us physical bodies in a physical world surrounded by physical beauty with physical tasks to accomplish. And if we are going to accomplish the ultimate goal of being like Christ in the ultimate reality, we need to live up to goals in our natural living. If you are half-hearted in this world, you will never be fully committed in your spiritual life. God wants us to live a purposeful life.

So set goals for yourself in the natural. Do the absolute best you can on your exams. Excel at your CCA’s. Be a good son or daughter to your parents. And in all of these natural goals you set, keep in mind the Ultimate Goal you are seeking-to become like Jesus. That is our greatest hope.

Saved to Serve

"For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (John 13:15)."

The Master got up from the table and wrapped a towel around His waist. It was dinner time, but first it was time to teach His disciples an important lesson. He filled a pail with water, and began to go around the table washing His disciple’s feet. How shocked His disciples became! In their culture, only the lowest rungs of society performed foot washing; it was a task humiliating even for a slave. Yet here was Jesus, the Master of All, the Creator of the Universe, taking a towel and washing the feet of mere men.

Can you imagine being in that room? Can you imagine the hands that had fashioned the mountains now washing the dirt off of your feet? Can you fathom the awesome humility of Christ? Jesus told the disciples that they should act as servants for each other, that just as He had humbled Himself to wash their feet, so they should humble themselves.

The Christian life is really a paradox of the way things are run in the world. Here on earth, we consider great men to be those with money, power, and privilege. The greatest men on earth do not serve others but are served by the masses. From a Christian perspective, things are the opposite. Greatness is not defined by how many people serve you, but by the level to which you serve others. The greatest of all is the one who is servant to all (Mark 10:44). Those who are high in their pride are really the lowest in the eyes of God, and those who are low in humility are the ones whom God exalts.

That is why your goal as a Christian must be to serve and not to lord. As a Christian, you are called to be a servant! Do not set your heart on the approval of men, but instead focus on the approval of God. Spend your time helping the poor, the sick, and the needy. Put the needs and concerns of others before your own. Be willing to do the right actions even when no one is watching and you will not get credit. The King of all Heaven took upon Himself a servant’s form and died for us so that we could be saved! Let that same mind of humility and servant hood that was in Christ be in you.

God's Joy in Creation

"Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed it was very good (Genesis 1:31)."

Don't you love the sense of accomplishment you get after doing something well? An artist is most pleased after finishing a great painting, a chef after preparing an exquisite meal, and an evotion writer after posting the latest evotion!

God is also pleased with the work of His own hands. And one of God's greatest pleasures comes from the creation. When God saw the completed work, He said that it was all “very good.” God derives great joy from this natural world that He created!

He takes pleasure in floating butterflies and running streams and green valleys and snow-capped mountains and majestic lions and chirping crickets. He is interested in the intricacies of the human eye and the interaction of microscopic atoms and the vastness of the galaxies spanning across the universe. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are thrilled with the world that has been created through the Word of their Power.

God has placed each one of us as natural people in a natural world. We need to realize this fact and understand that natural things do matter. CS Lewis, the famous Christian apologist and author (most famous in modern times for writing the Chronicles of Narnia ) once observed, “Some Christians try to be more spiritual than God.” In other words, it is possible to neglect this world to such a point that we miss out on God's purposes for our lives.

It is true that our ultimate home is not this world, it is heaven. It is true that we are pilgrims on this earth. But we are still here for now! We are in a beautiful place that has been created by the hands of God Himself. Therefore, we should put our best efforts into our natural concerns as well. We should labor at work and at school. And we should derive enjoyment and joy from the world God has created. Our ultimate joy comes not from the world but from God, but God gives us not only spiritual joy but natural joy in the world He has created.

So next time you're walking around outside, look up at the sky. Marvel at its blueness or grayness or darkness. Some day, go to a park and be amazed at the nature all around you. God has great joy in the world He has created, and through Him we can have joy in it as well. God is a great creative God, and what He has created is very, very, “very good.”

The Power of God's Word

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).”

In the above verse, we see the answer. All Scripture is given by inspiration from God. That's right-every book, every chapter, every story, every word comes directly from God Himself. That is why it is so important for our lives to be built around and focused on the Scriptures. They are God's very Word to us! The Bible is indeed an amazing book.

And as God's Word, the Scriptures contain tremendous power. The Bible is like a living, sharp sword (Hebrews 4:12) that can cut through all the lies of the enemy. When we witness, when we pray, and in all of our daily activities, the Scriptures contain the keys for our victory over the enemy.

We also have the assurance that all of God's Word is true (John 17:17). In our modern world, truth is so valuable! We are bombarded every day with advertisements and messages telling us one thing or another. We read books, surf the internet, hear teachings and end up with a thousand different opinions about a thousand different things, often contradicting each other. There is only one source that we can always be sure is 100% true-that is the Word of God. Let's know the truth!

So let's be people who know God's word in a personal way. Our lives will not be changed through hype, excitement, or our own efforts-the only way we can be transformed is by the power of God's Word. Let us develop a love for the Word of God, read His Word every day, and pray that He shows us more and more of His truth through the living, powerful Word. Do you want the power? Then plug into the Word.

Welcome to the blog

Thanks for stopping by. The purpose of this blog will be to, in the words of the Moravians, "Win for the Savior His Reward for His Suffering." I will post the different things I'm writing for the Generations website and magazine, as well as personal updates. Hope you all enjoy and visit often!

God Bless you all.