Giga Faith

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

When a lawyer asked Jesus which commandment was the greatest, He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37, 39).

What an overwhelming assignment!

In our own strength, none of us can live up to this obligation, but the Lord has provided a way for Christians to do the impossible. The indwelling Holy Spirit works to produce His fruit in us, and first on the list is love (Gal. 5:22). In fact, the other eight qualities are really just descriptions of its expression.

Whenever we demonstrate kindness, patience, or gentleness, we see the Lord’s love at work through us, especially when the other person has been unkind and doesn’t deserve such pleasant treatment.

This fruit is not produced by trying harder to muster good will toward someone who is irritating or hard to get along with. Instead, think of the process more like sap running through a branch on a grape-vine.

The branch doesn’t make grapes; the sap does. In the same way, the Spirit flows through us, producing God’s love in us, so that we can pass it on to Him and others.

Agapelove is the reason we are able to care for someone who mistreats us—it’s God’s doing, not ours.

Even the adoration we offer the Lord is not something that we can produce in our own heart apart from His assistance.

Though the command to love is enormous,God’s grace makes it possible.

Romans 12:2

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Today’s verse outlines the commitment and steps necessary in developing a godly lifestyle.

Paul was urgently warning believers not to be conformed to the world. Our susceptibility to compromise is one of the greatest dangers in the church today.

Through ungodly relationships and the impact of media, we’re being influenced by people who are not following God’s ways. Our society tells us to to put self first, take what we want, protect our rights, and promote our own interests above others’. In contrast, Jesus said that our heavenly Father will provide what we truly need (Phil. 4:19), we are to deny self and follow Him (Luke 9:23), and the humble–not the proud–shall receive honor (James 4:10).

Conformity to the world’s ideals will lead us away from God.

At the same time, Paul urged us to pursue godly transformation of our minds: to set our thoughts on things above (Col. 3:2) and to focus on what is true, right, pure, and admirable (Phil. 4:8). Adopting a Christian worldview will lead to Christlike actions. It requires making adjustments in how we view life until our thoughts line up with Scripture.

We must also protect our minds with biblical truth and surround ourselves with mature believers who can warn us when we start to stray.

Ask yourself, Am I focusing on what is important to the Lord?…avoiding compromise?…making a conscious effort to adhere to biblical truth?… demonstrating a pattern of godly transformation?

Let God’s Holy Spirit empower you to make the changes necessary to be more like Christ.

 Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (KJV)

6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

What a great responsibility this places on parents. Records of royal lineage (1 Kings 15-16) illustrate that one’s level of submission to God is often mirrored in the offspring’s life.

Now, it’s true that children eventually grow and make their own decisions.

There are godly parents who are heartbroken by their kids’ poor choices. Similarly, some from backgrounds full of sinful bondage become righteous people of integrity.

As mothers and fathers, we are given a momentous task: to model and teach how to live according to God’s Word. Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on ourselves for wisdom.

Good parenting involves prayerful self-evaluation, godly counsel, and thoughtful course corrections.

Start by considering how you’d answer the following questions if your children were to walk in your way: What place will Jesus, the Word of God, and the church have in their lives? Will they seek God’s direction as the ultimate guide for decisions? Will they develop strong godly relationships? Will they know how to handle money wisely? Will they do their best in their vocation? As you seek answers, ask God to reveal truth, since self-examination can be difficult.

In prayerfully considering your impact as a parent, expect to see positives and negatives.

The goal isn’t self-condemnation, so keep in mind 1) there’s no perfect parent and 2) it’s never too late.

Even if the kids are grown, you can ask forgiveness, share what you’ve learned, and model a godly life starting now.

Isaiah 53:1-3 (KJV)

1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?s
2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.s

The Jews were expecting a Savior. Yet Jesus didn’t match the Messiah they anticipated.

The people imagined a strong ruler who would lead their nation with worldly power, but the Lord was a servant who spent time with outcasts. They hoped for a man who would end Israel’s persecution; He died a criminal’s death and warned His followers that they would not be accepted by the world.

It is, then, no surprise that the Jewish people rejected Him.

He did not fit what they wanted—yet He was so much more than they understood.

For all of us will one day stand before God, and in our iniquity, we would be unworthy to remain in His presence. His judgment of sin will be death, an agonizing eternal existence apart from Him. This is what He warned Adam in Genesis 2:17—that if he sinned, he would die.

Yet Jesus bore our sin so that whoever trusts in Him can look forward to eternal life instead (John 3:16).

Christ chose to bear our punishment—the Holy One voluntarily dying the death of a criminal so we could live forever in His presence.

Jesus was “the way” (14:6) that God could satisfy His justice yet love His people.

Jesus’ gift of salvation is free.

It requires nothing on our part except acceptance and surrender. Have you accepted His death on the cross as the atonement for your sin?

The Redeemer’s death leads to life, and though He doesn’t guarantee an easy road, He promises to stay with you always.

1 Kings 11:4(KJV)
“And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king’s seed in Edom.”

The wise learn by watching others.

Every person we come into contact with is a walking textbook on how to succeed or, as some would say, how not to fail. An invaluable lesson is we learn from people who cross our paths concern the ethic of give-and-take. If you’ve ever had to compromise on what restaurant you were going to eat at, or what you were willing to pay for a car you want to buy, you don’t need me to explain how it works.

Healthy compromise is demonstrated when we are able to give in without sacrificing our values and beliefs.

Every relationship we enter into has an element of give-and-take if it is to remain healthy. One example of compromise that ended in tragedy is the story of Solomon.

The Bible says, “So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart”(1 Kings 10:23-24).

He sounds like a man I would have wanted to know Wise. Respected. The consummate ruler, who understood the value of obedience to God’s laws.

Yet he deliberately disobeyed God’s warning in Deuteronomy 7:3 about intermarriage with people of other religions. There was not even the slight hint or pretense about ignorance of the law. He compromised what he knew was true and took “seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart” (1 Kings 11:3).

No man ever soared so high and fell so low.

If you are looking for a single event that bought Solomon to his ultimate end, you have to start with a thought.

That’s where compromise begins and spirals into a tragic conclusion.

In Solomon’s case, you can tract the process. There were signs that he was headed in the wrong direction. Disobedience is the first clue. Ignoring God’s warning, Solomon set the process in motion with a decision to do what felt good.

The process went like this:

1 – Admiration inevitably led to association.
2 – Association was the prelude to involvement.
3 – Involvement resulted in possession.
4 – Possession concluded in collapse.

There wasn’t anything terribly ominous or threatening in the beginning of the process- and that’s the first point to note.

Satan never comes on like a herd of wild horses to scare us away.

Rather, he disguises his true intent. What started as a thought in Solomon’s mind exploded into tragedy.

There are consequences for our decisions.

Even when our actions are based in what we believe to be good reason.

The next time Satan attempts to entice you with wrong doing, consider the ultimate consequences and reject his advances.

Although you may not pay the price for your decision immediately, the price will be paid and in most cases it will result in tragic circumstances.

John 6:22-27 (KJV)

22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;
23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)
24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.
25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?
26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you?

I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what He can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had this problem when He walked on earth.

The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were quite often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles.

Some of the issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will.

At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever.

If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, we’ve missed a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we’ll spend eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with Christ. Then we can enjoy the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones?

Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord?

Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

Exodus 20:12 (KJV)

12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

The command to “honor…your mother” is not a suggestion, and there are no exemptions.

Her character or effectiveness as a parent is not the issue. God established this guideline for Israel because a respectful home was crucial to their future success as a nation.

The same is true for us today. God blesses our homes when we respect our mothers with words, attitudes, and actions.

Love her unconditionally.

We’re called to love our moms as God does. He didn’t qualify His love for us with expectations and conditions that must first be met. He simply lavished His affection upon us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8).

Show her compassionate forgiveness.

Since there are no perfect mothers, at times we’ll have to forgive them. If your mom seems harsh or unloving, show her compassion. She may have experienced hardships as a child that wounded her spirit.

Remember her gratefully.

Thank Mom this Mother’s Day for all she did for you as a child. But don’t let it end there. Nothing is more hurtful than feeling forgotten. Make room for her in your busy schedule. After all, she made countless sacrifices for you.

Treat her kindly.

Let your mother know that she’s valued. Take time to listen attentively when she speaks, and help herout when she is in need.

Does your mother feel loved and honored?

What can you do that will bring a big smile to her face?

In our adult years, it’s easy to distance ourselves from our moms because life gets hectic and multiple demands steal our time.

Make it a habit to pray for her daily and contact her regularly.

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Thank God for Mother’s Love – Anonymous

A mother’s patience of a saint could only be by the hand of God.

There is no love, like a mother’s love,
no stronger bond on earth…
like the precious bond that comes from God,
to a mother, when she gives birth.
A mother’s love is forever strong,
never changing for all time…
and when her children need her most,
a mother’s love will shine.
God bless these special mothers,
God bless them every one…
for all the tears and heartache,
and for the special work they’ve done.
When her days on earth are over,
a mother’s love lives on…
through many generations,
with God’s blessings on each one.
Be thankful for our mothers,
for they love with a higher love…
from the power God has given,
and the strength from up above.