Prov. 15:31-32 - He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. He who neglects discipline despises himself, but he who listens to reproof acquires understand-ing. NASB

•     Ears That Listen

If you are one that is able to listen to someone else giving you correct advice you will be blessed. If your ears are able to listen to the life-giving reproof from others you will prosper. The item we need are ears that will listen to others when they share correct information with us.

•     How Many Times Have We Said,

As I sit here and write this Pump Up I am smiling, but when I was going through life looking back on another mistake I made because I would not listen I wasn't laughing. I wasn't even smiling. I was asking myself, "Why didn't you listen?"

The answer is right there in Proverbs because I didn't have ears that would listen. I thought I knew what was best. The one thing I find amazing is the times I didn't listen and I was correct I can't remember those situations as easily as I remember the ones where I didn't listen and was wrong.

• Reminds Me Of The "How To Be Successful Story"

A young college student was sitting in the 5,000 member congregation. He was going to graduate from the local seminary that year. He asked the preacher after service if he could meet with him for 5 minutes. The preacher told him to stop by the office tomorrow morning at 9 am.

The young man was there promptly. As he sat in the preacher's office he explained that he would be graduating in the spring and wanted to have a successful ministry like his and was there any advice he could give him.
 
The preacher told him why sure. "I can tell you how to have a successful ministry in three words."

The young student said, "Are you kidding me?" The preacher said, "Not at all. Are you ready to write them down?"

"Yes." he replied.
 
"Make Right Decisions." the preacher said.

As the young student wrote down those three words he asked, "How will I know if I'm making the right decisions?"

"I can answer your question with one word. Experience!" said the preacher.

With a pondered look on his face he asked, "And how do I get this experience?"

With a big smile on the preacher's face he said, "By Making Wrong Decisions."

There my friends is how to be successful. You will make decisions in life and not all of them are going to be the right ones. You just have to learn from your mistakes. Make the necessary adjustments, make another decision, and continue to move forward.

•  The Choice Is Yours

You can either listen to others when they give you correct advice and be successful as Proverbs states or don't listen to others and learn from your own mistakes.
Hopefully, your mistakes will not be too costly, you will be able to rebound, and move forward becoming successful.
 
The choice really is yours.

Think On These:

The biggest fool of all is the one who refuses to learn from his mistakes.
 
Making mistakes isn't stupid, disregarding them is.
 
A mistake is proof that someone was at least trying to accomplish something.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

2 Sam. 11:1 - In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

• David Wasn’t Where He Was Supposed To Be

David was the king. It was the time of the year when kings go out to battle. Instead of David leading his men into battle, or simply encouraging them by being with them. He has decided to stay in Jerusalem.

When was the last time you got in trouble because you weren’t where you were supposed to be?

When I was a youth it seemed like I was always getting into trouble because I was always some where I shouldn’t have been. David is going to bring some serious harm to his family because he was not where he should have been.

• David Crashes And Burns

If you want to read a soap opera start reading 2 Sam. 11:1 and read to the end of the book. Let me share with you a synopsis of what is going to take place in David’s life and it all starts right here when he was where he shouldn’t have been.

David is going to have a sexual relationship with Bathsheba, and she is married to Uriah, who happens to be one of David’s mighty men. This man is a warrior. He is a hero. He has a beautiful wife, and the king is going to sink to a new low.

David will get Bathsheba pregnant. David will try to hide his sin by bringing Uriah home from the war. He hopes Uriah will go home that night and have sex with his wife.

Uriah will not go home and have sex with his wife because his brothers are on the battlefield and his moral compass will not allow him to do this. David will hear Uriah never went home. David will keep him in Jerusalem one more day and David gets Uriah drunk, hoping that when he is drunk his moral compass will not guide him correctly, and he will go home and have a sexual relationship with his wife, and in so doing David’s sin will be hidden.

Uriah drunk has a better moral compass than David at this time. Once again he will not have a sexual relationship with his wife. David’s next plan is to write Uriah’s death sentence. He gives it to him and tells him to deliver it to Joab. Joab obeys David and has the opposing army kill Uriah.

• David Rebuked

The prophet Nathan will come before King David (1 Sa.12) and tell him a parable about a rich man who killed his neighbor’s sheep and served it to a traveler who stopped at his house. David is infuriated by this parable and tell Nathan this man deserves to die. Nathan says to David, “You’re the man.”  Again, please remember why this is happening. David wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
​

• David’s Life Of Pain Comes From This One Bad Decision

Here are some of the things that will happen in David’s life because of this one bad decision.

Bathsheba’s son to David will die. Amnon is David’s son and Tamar is David’s daughter but they have different mothers. Amnon will rape Tamar. David’s son Absalom will kill Amnon because he raped his sister, Tamar.

Absalom will lead a coup against his father, David, and try to become king. Absalom will have sex on the roof top with all of David’s concubines during this coup. Joab will kill David’s son Absalom. Later, when David is close to death his son, Adonijah, will likewise lead a coup and try to take over being king.

How could all of this been prevented? David should have been where he was supposed to be.

If you ask yourself the question, “Should I go there?”

Hopefully, you think about what happened to David because of one bad decision, which led to another, which spiraled downward and out of control.

Think About These:

You are only one bad decision away from a totally different life.

Bad decisions made with good intentions, are still bad decisions.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

I would like to invite everyone to Severn Christian Church 8132 New Cut Rd, Severn, MD 21144 . I will be preaching there May 21-23, 2021. It would be great to see you. For more info you can call (410) 969-0384.

Rom. 13:7 - Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. NASU

I first wrote this Pump Up in 2013. For some reason it has been on my heart to share this story about Rufus Griffith again.
​

• The Year Was 1984

It is only right for me to share this story with you. I will then be able to give honor to whom honor is due according to the scriptures.

In 1984, I was a Minister for a church in Glen Burnie, MD. One of my goals was to purchase property so that the Lord's Church would be able to expand and reach deeper into helping the local community.

One of our members told me about a farmer by the name of, Rufus Griffith, and that he was interested in selling some of his farmland. I drove to Rufus' farm and met with him and discussed purchasing 24 of his 30 acres. 

• Purchasing 24 Acres of Land

I shook Rufus' hand and told him we were interested but it would have to go to a congregational vote.

He said, "The property is yours until you tell me differently."  We did have the congregational meeting and the vote was 58 in favor and 2 opposed to purchasing the land. 

• Meeting At The Attorney's Office

Rufus went to his attorney and told him about our deal and that he would be selling the property to us for $10,000/ acre.

The attorney immediately told him that he was not selling the property for enough money and that he could get Rufus $15,000/ acre. Rufus told him, "I shook the boy's hand." (He always called me the boy, when referencing me to someone. I have no clue why, but it really didn't matter. We were friends and he could call me whatever he wanted.)

His attorney told him, Rufus a handshake is not a legally binding contract in the state of MD and Rufus stood up and looked him in the eye and said, "It is with me. The boy and I have a deal. Now draw up the necessary papers." Then he walked out of the attorney's office. If you knew Rufus you know I toned down the language of what he really said to his attorney.

You know the attorney was correct when he said, "You are not selling the property for enough money." There is no doubt in my mind he could have sold it for $15K/ acre and that would have made him another $120,000 but he didn't.

• Rufus A Man Of His Word

Rufus was a man of his word. He honored his word even though he knew he could get out of that handshake deal according to his attorney.

But you see Rufus was a man of his word and in his day as he grew up a handshake was better than a signed piece of paper. His word was his bond.

A few years later when I did Rufus' funeral I told this story about him. You see God says, "To give honor to whom honor is due." He also says in Prov. 27:2 - Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips. NASU
 
Who do you know today that you should give honor to whom honor is due or one that you should praise?

Well, then what are you waiting for? Go and give the honor or praise to the one who deserves it.

• Think About These:

It pays more than it costs to be honest.
 
Common honesty should be more common.

Our Country was in better condition when there were more whittlers and fewer chiselers.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Ps 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God;…"  NIV 

            The Best Advice
 
This friends is the best advice I can give you when your life is filled with frustrations. It is at this time that you want to find a place where you can "be still". The Hebrew word used here means "to be astonished, be silent, or to quiet yourself".
 
Now that is not all you are to do. While you are being silent, "KNOW that I am God," the Lord says.
 
As you read all of Psalm 46 you will see the Psalmist is letting us know God is the one who protects us. He is our refuge, strength and ever present help in trouble.

             Your Most Frustrating Time In Life
 
As you read this Pump Up think back on a time in your life when you were totally frustrated with your life. Ask yourself this question, "What brought on your frustrations?"
 
A lot of our frustrations come as a result of "unmet expectations". We expect something (a promotion or a financial raise at work) to happen to us or for us at work and if it doesn't happen we become frustrated with the situation.
 
Similar expectations can take place at home, school, or in our personal lives, and when they don't happen the frustrations come upon us quickly.

            How To Handle Frustrating Situations
 
The Psalmist says, "Be Still, and know that I am God…"  In other words, he is saying, "Trust in God." God sees what is going on in all of our lives. Some of these very things may be happening to us as a test.
 
Heb 11:17 - "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,…"  NASU
 
How frustrated could that command have made us? God tells Abraham now to go and sacrifice his son, Isaac. It took 25 years for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham that he would have a son.
 
Now he has a son and he is told by God to sacrifice him. I am sure that didn't meet his expectations of things to do with Isaac.
 
But God's word informs us it was a "test". Instead of becoming frustrated control your emotions and keep telling yourself this is a test from God and He would not be giving it to me if He didn't think I could pass it.
 
            How Are God's Tests Frustrating You Today?
 
I would like for you to think on that question for a minute.
 
Are some of the frustrations you are experiencing from God? Is He trying to give you a test that will make you spiritually stronger?  
 
It really doesn't matter if God is giving you a test or not. The key here is Ps. 46:10 -"Be Still, and know that I am God…" is the answer to our frustrations.
 
The frustrations you are facing could be coming from someone else besides God but the key is Being Still, and know who your God is, and what He is capable of accomplishing with you.
 
Think on These:
 
What chance can a man have to control his destiny when he can't control himself?
 
During times of frustrations the best weapon to hold is your tongue.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word