1 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.  NASU  

• The Greatest Call 

The greatest call anyone can receive is the call where we are "called out of darkness into His marvelous light".
 
God, our Heavenly Father, called us out of the darkness or out of the sin where we were living.
 
Exactly how did this "calling" take place?
 
God called us with the gospel, the good news about His Son Jesus Christ and when we accepted this good news or calling we became the children of God and departed from the darkness into His Marvelous Light.
 
Romans 8:29-30 -For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become  conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 
 
We have been called, justified and glorified all by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. 

• Some Great Calls 

I am sure we all have received some great telephone calls.
 
The NBA and NFL make a big deal about having players receive a call from a certain team that has drafted them. No doubt this is a great call for the player and his family.
 
I was called by the Boilermaker's Union President and asked if I were still looking for employment and when I said, "Yes." He told me to report to the Shippingport, PA worksite the next day. No doubt this was a great call.
 
Some have received calls from doctors telling them the test result came back and the tumor is benign. Soldiers overseas have received calls informing them their son or daughter was born and no doubt this would be a great call.
 
BUT all calls fail in comparison to the call from God to leave the darkness and enter into His Marvelous Light. We can only imagine the ramifications that will be ours for accepting that call. You and I can be in Heaven with God for all eternity and there will be no more suffering of any type. 

• Have You Accepted The Call? 

I don't know the spiritual condition of all the readers of these Pump Ups so let me use this Pump Up to be your call from God.
 
God wants you to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When I say I believe in Jesus, I mean I believe He never sinned, died on a cross, shed His blood to make an atonement for my sins, (and the sins of all mankind), and was resurrected from the grave.
 
If you will believe that you are on your way to answering the call from God.
 
I also believe it was necessary for me to repent or change my mind which brought about a change in my behavior. I can guarantee you I am not the same person I was before I accepted the call from God to be a Christian.
 
I also have confessed that I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  Immediately after making that confession about Jesus I was baptized into Christ.
 
There you have my friends the greatest call of all time. The call to come out of the darkness you are in and become a part of the Marvelous Light of God.
 
What better gift could you give yourself today? Go ahead answer the call from God you will be glad you did.
 
This is no prank call. This is the real deal.
 
Think About These:
 
God still speaks to those who take time to listen.
 
An atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word
​

​Prov.15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."

• One Premarital Counseling Session

It was the only premarital counseling session that I ever had like it. The young and innocent were before me. I got to the part where I try to help them when they have their first fight.
 
He informed me, "We are never going to have a fight. We are in love." I said, "What?" He said it again, "We are never ever going to have a fight. We are in love."
 
How foolish of me not to know that.
 
You can only imagine what was running through my mind.
 
Well, I didn't push on this issue and let it drop. I'm sure they probably talked about me when they got into their car. I can hear them saying, "Wow, the preacher really doesn't know what he is talking about if he thinks we are going to ever have a fight."
 
Well, I did see them again. The first time in my office their chairs were right next to each other, they were holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. This time their chairs were apart, they were not holding hands and they would not even look at each other.  

• Words

Words have a way of really getting us into some hot water. I found out that he had said some things that really hurt her and the more he said the worse the situation became.
 
I commended them for calling and making an appointment to come in and at least seek some counseling. We were able to work together this time, as they now were ready to listen.
 
Words of truth will not do you any good if you will not listen to them.
 
When the time arrives listen to these words - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."

• Words of Wisdom From Dr. Roger Chambers 

Roger and I were speaking together at a men's retreat in the 1980s. This event gave us a lot of time to talk with one another as we were bunked in the same building. I will never forget this one nugget of advice that he gave me, "Just because something is true doesn't mean it has to be said." Wow! Now that is money in the bank folks. 
 
How many times have we said something that was true and all it did was exacerbate the situation?  

• Words of Wisdom From Solomon 

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." We all know Solomon is really on to something here. The problem most of us have is we know this scripture is correct but it is so hard to practice.
 
I mean really if someone is yelling at you the last thing you want to do is give a soft or gentle answer. You want to yell back. He/she said something hurtful so it becomes an "Oh Yeah", well take this and we serve up another red-hot put down on our loved one. Who then has to throw back something more hurtful and the cycle is vicious and ugly. 

• One Couple's Solution 

I found this to be a great solution for couples that may be headed in the wrong direction in an argument. The wife told me that when she and her husband get into a fight he is always the one who diffuses it. She said this is what he says, "He quotes their anniversary date and then says, I love you and would do again."
 
Now she doesn’t want him to do that because she wants to continue the fight because in her mind she hasn't won the argument, but when he says this she thinks no matter what I say I can't win now, so she drops it.  
 
The argument is over and putting it in the words of Solomon - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."  This same approach can be used in the workplace and with friendships.

• Your Solution 

Have a plan in your playbook that if an argument is getting started how to diffuse it before any emotional damage is done.
 
Remember the words of Solomon - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
 
You need to have something that you're going to say to your loved one, boss or friend that will be the gentle answer and turn wrath away.
 
You also might want to remember if you say the hurtful things it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Are you ready to pay the price for the explosion and damage that will be caused by this behavior?
 
You say the hurtful things and they will not go away no matter how many times you say you're sorry.
 
So do yourself a favor and don't say them. Speak the gentle answers that bring the arguments to an end without hurting anyone.
 
Think on This:
 
In an argument, the best weapon to hold is your tongue unless it is going to give the gentle answers.
 
When a person uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the person or the argument is weak and probably both. 

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word

Ps 99:6 - Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called on His name;
They called upon the LORD and He answered them.  NASU 

• God Answers Prayers 

The Psalmist informs us, Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called on the LORD and He answered them. However, I have known Christians who believe God doesn't hear nor does He answer their prayers.
 
Why would a Christian believe their prayers aren't heard or answered by our LORD?
 
Operator Error!
 
Yes, you read that correctly. We have put prayer in the hands of those who don't know how to pray or in other words they don't know how to operate "Prayer".
 
Prayer is a Powerful item.
 
In a sermon where I speak about getting better acquainted with our Heavenly Father, I speak about prayer. It is important you know this about prayer and God.
 
He answers prayer according to His time table, not ours. 
 
If you don't get this correct you will have a messed up view about prayer your entire life. His time table will almost always be different from our time table, but it is important that we are patient and wait on the LORD.
 
Look at what the Psalmist says:
 
Ps 27:14
Wait for the LORD;
Be strong and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the LORD.
 
God will answer your prayer, but it will be according to His time table. 

• If You Are In Christ 

Gal 3:27 - For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
 
When you and I pray, hold onto your seats for what I am about to say, it is like Jesus praying. What? Are you out of your mind Serago? No. No, I am not out of my mind.
 
We need to realize how God views us.
 
If we have been baptized into Christ we have clothed ourselves with Christ. Do you call yourself a Christian? If the answer is yes, do you know what it means to be a called a "Christian"?
 
It means "one belonging to Christ".
 
If we are members of Christ's church we are members of the body of Christ. Therefore, we have great access to the Heavenly Father because we are part of the body of Christ.
 
Eph 5:28-30 - So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. 
 
Col 1:18-20 - He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.  For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him,…
 
Jesus is the Head of the Body, which is the Church. We are the members who make up the Body or the Church.
 
Can you see why I stated that when we pray God the Father would see us as if we were Jesus? It is because we make up His Body.
 
You and I have peace with the Father. We are not at war with Him and He is not at war with us because Jesus Christ has made peace between God and us through His blood.
 
Amen and Amen.
 
It is time we realize who we are. 

• Saint or Sinner? 

My next point will probably scare some of you. I don't see myself as a sinner. Okay, that is it he has gone crazy. His much learning has really sent him off a cliff. Now by that, it doesn't mean I don't commit acts of sin because I STILL DO.
 
Let me explain: I believe it is important for us to have the proper mindset. Notice what the apostle Paul says at the beginning of some of his epistles.
 
Romans 1:7 - to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
1 Cor. 1:2 - To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints  by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours: 
 
2 Cor 1:1 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: 
 
Eph 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  
 
Philippians 1:1-2 - Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
If you want to really help yourself then I suggest you start by seeing yourself correctly. You need to see yourself as a Saint of God, who occasionally sins rather than a sinner who goes through life sinning and then when you sin you say well I am a sinner.
 
You are in the body of Christ. So see yourself correctly from here to the end of your life is the best gift you can give yourself.
 
Think About This:

Don't pray for an easier life; pray to be a stronger person.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago
 
Minister of God's Word
​