James 4:13-15 - Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." NASU
So what are we going to hear tomorrow? Are we going to hear some great news? Or are we going to hear some very bad news? Or maybe we won't hear anything good or bad it will just be one of those days. Yet, for some, the news will be good and for others, it will be bad. As I sit in my office and type this Pump Up I know there are people who are going to hear their loved ones died today and there are others who will give birth to a precious child.
One was my cousin and he was in his 80's, one was a close friend of the families and she was in her 90's and one was 21 years old who I knew from my time spent with the University of Wisconsin's wrestling team. The one that makes me stop and reconsider my life was Eli, the 21- year-old. He was such a nice young man, very polite and a very hard worker. He had his whole life in front of him one would think. Yet, the truth was his life was like a vapor appears for a little while and then vanishes away. His whole life was 21 years. I highly recommend today that you look at the ones you love and ask yourself, "What is going to happen to them tomorrow, next week, next month or next year?" The truth is you really don't know. We don't know what is going to happen to us tomorrow. Therefore, do yourself a favor and seize the moment today. Say some things you have been thinking about saying to the people around you, but you haven't done it. REMEMBER: your life, my life, and everyone's life are like a vapor they appear for a little while and then they vanish away. Some people's "little while" is a lot shorter than others. Think On These: The only thing worse than growing old is to be denied the privilege. When we die we leave behind all we have and take with us all we are. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Galatians 6:7 - "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap." NASU
You reap what you sow.
You would be surprised in life how many people believe they can sow discord and expect to reap happiness. How many people have you known sow destructive tendencies in their lives and when they reaped disaster they were shocked by the outcome?
He not only was fired from the Ally McBeal show, he was arrested numerous times, ordered to rehabs by the courts and incarcerated in a California state prison. Finally, he woke up and decided to start sowing a different type of seed and his career and personal life has sky rocketed to new heights. How many people do we know not as famous as Robert Downey, Jr. have followed the same life style only to end up wrecking their lives as well?
Here is what you do before you plant. Ask yourself, "What will be the final result this action will produce or in other words what crop will be produced?" Will it produce shame and embarrassment? Or will it bring blessings and honor? What exactly do you want your legacy to say about you? If you were to die right after your planting produced a crop, how would you be remembered? How is it that you would like to be remembered? Then always remember to plant the types of seeds which will produce the crop you desire. Think On These: Always take plenty of time to make a snap decision. Wise people sometimes change their minds, fools never do. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Revel. 21:3-5 - And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." NASU
If you ever arrive at this point in your life please read the scriptures above over a couple of times. Let the words "God is among men, and He will dwell among them…" resonate within your mind. God is going to dwell among us. The ONE who created all things is going to be right there with us. Nothing will ever be able to harm us again. We will be safe in the presence of our almighty God.
Have you ever wished for a new start, a do-over or as amateurs say in golf a "mulligan." Then how great is the promise from God when He says, "Behold, I am making all things new." If you have some regrets in life because of some of your actions or non-actions then the good news for you is "a brand new start." God promises to make "ALL THINGS" new.
Do you know God has never lied nor can He? Paul says in Titus 1:2 - "…in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago…" God will fulfill His promises to us. Therefore, when life gets a little rough and you have started your "stinking thinking" that you can't go another day replace your thoughts with the promises made to you by God. There is a day coming when God will be with us and nothing will ever be able to cause us pain or stress again. Think On These: When you get to the end of your rope be thankful - God is there. God will never allow anything to come to you that you and He can't handle. 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 Matt 27:46-47 - About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" NASU
Moses says, "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." Deut. 31:6 NASU Moses is dead and God speaks to Joshua as the leader of the Israelites. He tells Joshua, "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." Joshua 1:5 NASU God also told Jacob and Solomon He would be with them and He would not forsake them either.
"THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?" Heb 13:5-6 NASU Christians today have the same promise made to us about God and the promise is He will NOT Ever Desert or Forsake us.
Here is my belief about what Jesus was saying on the cross. First, this is an Old Test. quote and one must return to the original quote and study the context where it is used. Once you do this I believe the answer becomes clear. This quote comes from Psalm 22. Jesus is hanging on the cross when He speaks these words. The only scriptures they had at this time was the Old Testament. The OT was not divided into chapters and verses. Therefore, Jesus couldn't say turn to Psalm 22 and you will find the answer. The first entire Bible in which chapter and verse divisions were used was Robert Stephanus' edition of the Latin Vulgate (A.D. 1555). When Jesus quotes the first words: "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?" He was telling His disciples to read the Psalm that begins with those words. When you read that Psalm the truth will be revealed: Ps 22:3-5 Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed. Ps 22:23-24 You who fear the LORD, praise Him; All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him, And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel. For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. NASU In verses 3-5 the Psalmist is saying, God is holy, and the Israelite fathers trusted in God and were delivered. In verses 23-24 he is saying God has not hidden His face from this person who is suffering. In fact, this person cries out for help and God heard His cry. This Psalm is considered a Messianic one which means it is about the Messiah and I would agree. Therefore, Jesus is NOT saying God has forsaken Him, but the exact opposite. God had heard His cry for help and helped Him.
Think On This: When we do what we can, God will do what we can't. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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