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How To Obtain A Good Reputation With God
Proverbs 3:3-4 - Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. NASU
Always be kind to people and be truthful with God. The Hebrew word for kindness means to "show mercy" to people you meet. In our world where we hear the words "show them no mercy" we read exactly the opposite in God's Word. When you deal kindly with others God takes notice of your actions. In fact, you can actually acquire this reputation with God. If someone were able to ask God about you, what would His answer be? Would He say, "He has a reputation of being a "kind and merciful" person in my eyes." Let me inform you this is a REAL possibility. Solomon says, "Do not let kindness and truth leave you…so you will find favor and good repute (or reputation) in the sight of God…" It is not enough to agree with scriptures. In other words, we need to search out opportunities to be kind to people and speak the truth about God. We need to apply the scriptures to our lives. I had this exact conversation with a friend of mine last week. He told me he reads the scriptures every day. I then told him, "You need to apply them in your life." The reason I was able to say that was earlier in our conversation he shared with me some of his actions. (He was not being kind. He was being antagonistic towards others.) After I said those words to him there was a pause and then he said, "You just hit the nail on the head. I need to apply what I have been reading." Lets be proactive TODAY. Lets find things that we can do for others in order that we might obtain a reputation with God for being "Kind" to His creation.
This is one of the hottest topics on TV News. News reporters are in such a hurry to break a story they don't take the time to research it. Then in a few days after it has been researched it is reported that it was a lie or as President Trump calls it "Fake News." Truthfulness is to be a characteristic of a Christian. It is your choice. You can lie or you can speak the truth. Paul says in Eph 4:15 - "speaking the truth in love,…" NASU. I love how the Psalmist wrote it: Ps 15:1-3 - O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart. He does not slander with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor takes up a reproach against his friend; NASU If you want to have a great reputation with God, His formula isn't that hard: be Kind and speak the Truth. Think On These: Truth is often violated by falsehood, but can be equally outraged by silence. To hear truth and not accept it doesn't nullify it. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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2 Tim 1:15-17 - You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus , for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains; but when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me -- NASU
They bailed out on him when he needed them the most. I am sure that most of us have suffered in this way at least once in our life. Life seems very dark and dim when those who are supposed to be your friends abandon you.
Onesiphorus had made one really long trip from Ephesus to Rome and while he was there he searched and found Paul in prison. It is my prayer for all my readers to have an Onesiphorus come into your lives. When Onesiphorus comes may he or she bring the same item and that is a "time of refreshing for your spirit." Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul being in chains in prison. I pray that you will have a friend who will not be ashamed of you and this friend will bring encouragement to you.
As we travel through life we likewise should be looking for people who are going through difficult times. I can tell you people who are going through a divorce feel like they have been abandoned. Give them a call and let them know you are thinking of them. See if you can meet them for lunch and refresh their spirit. Some so called friends remind me of the old saying, "I'd love to help you out, which way did you come in?" Friends are those who speak to you after others don't. Onesiphorus was not afraid of Paul's chains. I pray you won't be afraid of your friend's chains whatever they are. Think On These: A breath of kindness is more moving than a gale of flattery. If you must exercise, why not exercise kindness? Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 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
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. I was a Minister for a church in Glen Burnie, MD in 1984. 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 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 farm land. I drove to Rufus’ farm and met with him and discussed purchasing 24 of his 30 acres.
He said, “The property is yours until you tell me differently.” We did have the congregational meeting and the vote was 58 – 2 to purchase the land.
The attorney immediately told Rufus that he was not selling the property for enough money and that he could get him $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 legal contract in the state of MD. 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. 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.
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.” 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.
Our Country was in better condition when there were more whittlers and fewer chiselers. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 1 Peter 2:15-17 - For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. NASU
Yesterday, was another day where we the citizens of the USA were able to celebrate being free from the British. It was our 241st year of freedom. I wonder how different it is for the illegal alien in our country to watch us celebrate, but not be able to enjoy the same experience.
Romans 6:3-7 - Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. It was a Sunday night when I was baptized into Christ, or I could say, it was a Sunday night when I received my FREEDOM from sin. I died in that watery grave of baptism and I have been free ever since. Does that mean I have never sinned since then? Heavens No! It means that sin is not my master, Jesus Christ is.
When were you baptized into Christ and freed from the bondage of sin? If you are reading this Pump Up and saying, "I have never been immersed or baptized into Christ." Then please contact me and let me help you obtain your freedom.
God's Word says, "Honor all people, Love the Brotherhood, Fear God and Honor the King." We are to treat every person with the same respect. In the first century as today the wealthy were many times treated with greater respect. God's Word says, "Honor all people." We are to treat everyone with respect. "Love the Brotherhood." This would be awesome if every Christian loved every Christian. I remember a banker in MD telling me why the bank wouldn't loan money to churches. He said, "Churches sometimes go through splits, not saying where you preach would but we can't take the chance. Could you imagine how bad this would make us look in the community if we had to sue the church?" I remember thinking, "What a horrible reputation to have." "Fear God." If the world had more of this we would have less crime of every kind. "Honor the King." When I read this it makes me think about how our Presidents are treated. I am pretty sure that the Kings and Caesars were a lot worse in their behavior than our Presidents. Yet, Peter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit informs them to Honor the King. The King at the time of the writing of this epistle is Nero. Need I say more? Nero killed his own mother, is blamed for setting Rome on fire in 64 AD, he then blamed this on Christians and had them burned at the stake. The good news by the age of 31 Nero had committed suicide.
When you watch the nightly news it is easy to become discouraged by all the evil that is going on in our world. Peter's words are still applicable for us today. Honor all People. Love the Brotherhood. Fear God and Honor the King unless you live in the USA, then we are to honor the President. Most of all enjoy your freedom in Jesus Christ. Think On This: Freedom is a package deal - with it comes responsibilities and consequences. Freedom is like the air we breathe, we don't miss it until we are deprived of it. |
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