1 Peter 1:8-9 -"…though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.  NASU 
​

• Peter's Words Of Encouragement 

Peter is writing to Christians who have suffered through various types of trials and tribulations. He is giving them a pep talk as they do daily battle with the evil one. He wants them to know they have an inheritance awaiting them in heaven and it can't be taken from them as long as they remain faithful.
 
Peter states they have not seen Jesus Christ, but they love Him. They have heard about Jesus being crucified and resurrected from the dead.

When I read those words the other day it was like they jumped off the page and said, "Serago, this verse is describing you and your Pump Up readers".
 
I have not nor have you ever seen Jesus Christ, but we love Him. Think about how the knowledge of Jesus Christ has changed our lives.
 
Peter continues with not only do we love Him but we believe in Him. We believe in Him so much Peter exclaims, "we greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."
 
We believe in Jesus tremendously and in our belief, we greatly rejoice. 

• What Our Faith Accomplishes 

One thing having faith in Jesus Christ has taught me is how to endure suffering. Now I don't believe I suffer in any way close to the resemblance of how our brothers and sisters suffered in the first few centuries. They were suffering unto death on a daily basis.
 
We suffer or are persecuted today in the United States for Jesus, but it is in a much different way. I believe the overabundance of material items that causes lust and greed to form in our hearts, which if left alone to take control of our lives will bring about our spiritual death.
 
In order for lust and greed to take control of our hearts then our faith in Jesus Christ must be pushed out of our lives.
 
Paul says this in 2 Timothy 3:12- Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. What he doesn't say is how the persecution will come.
 
As Peter encouraged those 1st Century Christians he let them know that by keeping their faith the final outcome would result in the salvation of their souls. 

• Let Me Encourage You 

As you know Christmas is one week away and I would like to give you a Christmas gift today. I want to tell you something I believe about all of you, my readers:

I know you have never seen Jesus Christ, but I know you love Him. Not only do I know you love Him, I know you believe in Him. You believe Jesus was crucified on the cross of Calvary, buried in a tomb, and resurrected on the 3rd day from the dead. 
 
You believe this truth so much you greatly rejoice with joy to the point it is inexpressible. All you have to do is keep believing this about Jesus and it will bring the final outcome of salvation to your souls.
 
My gift to you is I believe in you. I believe this about you all. I believe with all my heart you can endure any persecution or suffering and remain faithful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
Keep CHRIST in Christmas.
 
Think About This:
 
Truth is not always popular, but it is always right.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Judges 7:2 - The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.' …" NASU 
​

• Origin Of Victories 

God informs Gideon if he went into battle against the Midianites with 22,000 soldiers the Israelite's victory would be their downfall. They would become puffed up with pride, boastful, and believe the victory happened because of their strength.
 
God wanted Israel to trust Him then. God wants us to trust Him today. 

• Faith 

Are we walking each day in faith so that no matter what enemy we meet we know we will be victorious because we walk with God?
 
Are we facing prideful enemies today?
 
Has the job promotion helped us or hurt us? Has leading a Bible study helped or hurt us? We have an enemy who is constantly trying to get us to believe we can get through this life without God's help.
 
There is one who wants us to believe what we have accomplished we have done it on our own. 

• The Way Temptations Come 

In I John 2:16 we are told the three ways we will be tempted. There will be the Lust of the Flesh, The Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. The temptations you and I face will be able to be placed under one of these three categories.
 
The devil has been very successful in getting God's children to sin. Sin has conquered all people except Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve's sin in the garden, David's numbering Israel and Samson's sin of using his strength incorrectly were all three sins which fall under the category of Pride of Life.
 
You and I need to know the devil will use the Pride of Life to conquer us. We must stay alert for we have an enemy who seeks to hurt us by getting us to be prideful.
 
One of my mentors told me this on numerous occasions: "Don't believe everything people say about you, good or bad." 

• The Way To Defeat Temptations 

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 
 
The way to defeat temptations is to know God has provided for you a way to escape.
 
While visiting with some friends in Florida we all decided to go to an Escape Room. They go over some rules with you and then place you in a room and give you 45 minutes or an hour to escape. If you escape you can have the feelings of accomplishment. If you don't they show you how you could have escaped by using the clues that were in the room.
 
God has given us all the clues we need to escape every temptation the devil throws at us.
 
You have not been left alone. God has not only provided the way to escape He has given us a map (The Bible) how to get out of the temptations we are facing. 

• Temptations Didn't Work On Jesus 

When tempting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:1f) look at the devil's plan:
 
First, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God turn these stones into bread."
 
The devil tried to get Jesus to doubt Himself. Jesus had been fasting so the devil tries tempting Him with a Lust of the Flesh temptation. Jesus quotes scripture to the devil, the same road map we have in our possession and we have the example of Jesus defeating the devil. Therefore, we can defeat him as well if we will follow the course Jesus used.
 
The devil will try and get you to doubt yourself.
 
Secondly, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You;…"
 
With this temptation, the devil uses the Pride of Life against Jesus. It fails also. Jesus quotes scripture to him.
 
Thirdly, he said to Jesus, "I will give you all these kingdoms if You will worship me."
 
Jesus once again will quote scripture and the devil's Lust of the Eyes temptation is defeated. God had provided a way to escape and each time it was using the Holy Scriptures.
 
The more of the Word of God you know the better equipped you will be to overcome all temptations.
 
Think About These:
 
Pride hides a man's faults to himself and magnifies them to everyone else.
 
When success turns a man's head, it leaves him looking in the wrong direction.

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

I Kings 19:2-4 - Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So may the gods do to me and even more, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." And he was afraid and arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.
​

• Forgetting God Is In Control

Elijah is making the biggest mistake a believer in God can make:
1. He is forgetting what God has done with him.
2. He believes Jezebel, a liar.

Elijah had displayed great faith in God and defeated 450 false prophets of Baal. He challenged them to pray to their god and he would pray to his God. The God who sent down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice would be the true God to be worshipped.
 
Baal failed to answer his 450 prophets, because Baal is not a real god. Yet, the God of heaven and earth did NOT fail to answer his one prophet Elijah.
 
Yet, when it was really important Elijah forgets what God has done.

• What Happens To Us

What causes us to forget what great things God has accomplished with us?

Elijah has just defeated these false prophets. Their god Baal was useless to them but Elijah's God was not useless. He was the true God. We don't worship Baal. He is useless. We worship and serve the only true God.

How can we forget so quickly what He has done for us?

• How Is It Possible Elijah Would Believe A Lie?

Jezebel threatens to kill him and he believers her lie. He runs for his life rather than standing his ground. Why didn't he display his faith once again?
 
He could've said, "What happened to your 450 false prophets is now going to happen to you."

What lie is the devil telling you now that you believe?

• Displaying Your Faith Produces Positive Rewards

In the past you have stood your ground and displayed your faith and you were rewarded.
 
If your faith is being tested don't run because you are afraid as Elijah did. Stand your ground! God will reward your faith.

• We Need To Remember What God Can Do

We would be wise to remember that Jesus Christ was crucified and God raised Him from the dead. God has the power over death. Whatever trial you are facing the worse that can happen is you die physically. Then God will show you once again His power as He resurrects you from the dead.
 
Romans 8:11 - But if the Spirit of Him (God) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 
 
We can not beat this promise from God. You die in Christ and you will come alive by God's Spirit.

Think On This:
 
Anyone in the world can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else in the world would understand if you quit, that is true courage.

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

​Luke 1:45 - "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."  NASB 

• Mary Believed What Gabriel Revealed 

The angel Gabriel had appeared to Mary and informed her of what God was going to accomplish through her. This is what he says to her:
 
 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."  NASB
 
Mary believed what Gabriel revealed to her about what was soon to take place in her life. She believed what she was told by God. The scripture says, "And blessed is she who believed…"
 
If you and I want to be blessed in this life I believe all we have to do is READ GOD'S WORD and believe what God has said. 

• Believe This 

Gabriel told Mary Jesus' kingdom would have no end.
 
Paul tells us in Colossians 1:13-14 - For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 
 
We need to believe this. We have been rescued from the domain of darkness, we have been transferred into the kingdom of Jesus, we have been redeemed, and our sins have been forgiven. What better news could I share with you?
 
We should wake up every day with a smile on our face because we are a part of Jesus' kingdom. We have been redeemed and our sins have been forgiven. In other words, we are like Mary, we are blessed to have God change our surroundings.
 
March 2, 1975, God changed my surroundings. I confessed Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior and was buried in a watery grave called "baptism". This is exactly what Peter told the first converts on the day of Pentecost:
 
Acts 2:38 - Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
 
Let me encourage you today to become apart of Jesus' kingdom and you will travel the remainder of your days as a "Blessed" person.
 
That my friend is good news!
 
Think About This:

Knowledge knows a fact. Wisdom knows what to do with that fact.

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

1 Sam. 17:37 - And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."   NASU
 

• David and Goliath

 
In the above passage, David is talking with King Saul about going out to fight Goliath. David was outraged by what he heard Goliath say to the Army of God. He makes it very clear God has delivered him before when he fought a lion and a bear.
 
He now proclaims very emphatically his belief in God and God will deliver him from Goliath.
 
I am pretty sure we all know the story's outcome. David goes out and he defeats Goliath, but it all started with David's faith in God's deliverance and protection.
 

• David and King Saul

 
1 Sam. 26.24 - Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress."


King Saul becomes jealous of David and tries unsuccessfully to kill him.
 
One night as David was being hunted by King Saul David sneaks into Saul's camp while the king was sleeping and stole his spear and water jug. Once he is safely outside the camp he yells and wakes up the king and his men.
 
He lets Saul know if he had wanted to he could have killed him minutes ago.
 
The reason David didn't kill the king was he highly valued his life. He finishes his communication with the king by saying, "…so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress."
 
It has been years since David killed Goliath and he is still displaying his faith and trust in God here in his communication with king Saul when he says, "and may He (The Lord) deliver me from all distress."
 

• David and David
  
  

David is talking to himself in the passage below. He is preaching doom and gloom to himself. Woe is me. My life stinks. Saul is going to kill me.
 
1 Sam. 27:1 - Then David said to himself, "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand."


Really! Are you kidding me? Is this the same David that went after Goliath, killed him because he knew God would deliver him, and now he is afraid of King Saul?
 
What is going on in David's life?
 
David was losing his trust in God's protection and starting to fear for the safety of his life. He had grown weary from the trials of life. He forgot God had Samuel anoint him as the next king after Saul.
 
This is a clear sign your faith is faltering when you are losing your trust in God's protection and you're forgetting His promises.
 
What is the solution to this problem?
 
The solution is doing what David did when going to fight Goliath remember what God has already done for you. David remembered the victories over the lion and the bear.
 
You must remember the victories God has already given you and He will deliver you as He has done in the past.
 
God is FAITHFUL. You must continue to read His Word.
 
Think About This:
 
God promises a safe landing but not a calm voyage.
 
 Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word