Serago's Pump Ups
  • Home
  • Pump Ups
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Ask Gary a Bible Question
  • JOIN
  • Home
  • Pump Ups
  • Podcast
  • About
  • Ask Gary a Bible Question
  • JOIN

Here Is What To Do When People Lie About You?

11/18/2020

0 Comments

 
Gen. 50:20 - "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good." 
​
  • Evil From A Family Member
Can you remember a time in your life when someone lied about you? Or they planned to do some other type of hurtful thing to you? 

It might have been done by a person who you considered your friend, a teammate, a co-worker, or a family member. They deliberately tried to get you into trouble.

In the above text, Joseph is saying these words to his brothers.

What can be worse than having your flesh and blood do something evil to you? 
 
Joseph's brothers had sold him to the Ishmaelites (Gen.37:27) who in turn would sell him to the Egyptians. 
  • Family Lies
The brothers would return to Jacob, their father, and purposefully deceive him.  Yes, some people will indeed do some very mean, wicked, and cruel things not only to their siblings but to people they work with or people who are considered friends. 

How can one handle this type of treatment by family members or so-called friends?
 
I think the answer comes right after Joseph tells his brothers "…you meant evil against me, BUT God meant it for good." 
  • God Can Change Evil
God used Joseph to be sold into slavery for the good. Whatever evil someone has planned against us we need to keep in mind that God can use this for something good. 
 
That doesn't mean it will be beautiful for us to endure. It most likely will have times of extreme pain and mental anguish, BUT God can take the ugliness that is done to us and turn it into a masterpiece.

All we have to do is stay faithful and keep believing God can bring beauty out of something that is considered hurtful. This is a challenge that God is letting you experience because He has faith in you. He believes you will become a person of greater integrity after this trial.

So the real question here is this: Can you hang in there while God turns the negative into something positive?

When you read the story of Joseph it gets worse for him before it gets better. He is going to be wrongfully accused by his boss' wife. She said he was trying to seduce her. When the truth was he was running away from her advances. He will be thrown in jail because of the lies she told about him.
 
In the passage below read what Joseph endured and how he was in return blessed by God.

Ps.105:17 - He sent a man before them, 
        Joseph, who was sold as a slave. 
              18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, 
       He himself was laid in irons; 
              19 Until the time that his word came to pass, 
       The word of the Lord tested him. 
              20 The king sent and released him, 
       The ruler of peoples, and set him free. 
              21 He made him lord of his house 
       And ruler over all his possessions, 
 
God sees the evil that we are faced with every day. That is why He has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to help us overcome some of the injustices of life we all face at one time or another.

Ps. 25:2-3 says, "O my God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed."  

The challenge for us today is to become more like Joseph and strengthen our TRUST in the LORD.
 
Think About These:

When things get rough, remember: It is the rubbing that brings out the shine.

The best way out of difficulty is through it.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
0 Comments

This Is What You May Get For Obeying The LORD?

10/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Jere. 26:8-11 - When Jeremiah finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You must die!" Why have you prophesied in the name of the LORD saying, 'This house will be like Shiloh and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant'…. Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people, saying, "A death sentence for this man! For he has prophesied against this city as you have heard in your hearing."  NASU 
​
  • Obedience To God's Will Can Sometimes Be Painful 
I'm not quite sure where the teaching came from that says once you become a servant of God everything in your life was going to be a piece of cake, all of your prayers would be answered the way you wanted, and tough times would now be a thing of the past.
 
I can say without a doubt that Jeremiah was a man of God and he discovered that serving God brought with it some very painful situations.
 
He was a Prophet of God, called to be a prophet before he was even born. Jere. 1:4-5 -Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." NASU
 
I can guarantee you that he didn't believe his life was a piece of cake because he was a servant of God. 
  • Obedience To God Can Be Confusing 
Having read the book of Jeremiah the constant thought that crossed my mind was this, "I would not want to be a prophet of God." This was one of the most thankless jobs on the face of the earth. 
 
You obey God and the end result is suffering for you. This is what happened in Jeremiah's life.
 
The very people Jeremiah was sent to help were the ones that wanted him dead.
 
The people the prophets were sent to help would be the ones who either made their life very miserable or they killed them.
 
Here is a conversation Jesus had with the scribes and Pharisees about killing the prophets sent by God - (Mt 23:30-31 - 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' "So you testify against yourselves, that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets." NASU)
 
Jeremiah was obedient to God, and it caused him a lot of grief.
 
You may be a servant of God today and have lots of grief. If you do, don't let your thoughts get you to doubt your calling. Don't be led down the path that God must not care about you or He certainly would not allow this suffering in your life.
 
He called Jeremiah and told him exactly what to preach and who to preach this message too. Jeremiah did exactly as he was told and he was hated by the priests and the false prophets. Their hatred was so great they wanted him to be killed. 
  • Do You Have Any Enemies? 
Now I don't mean people who won't talk to you any more, or won't invite you to their parties.
 
I mean do you have any enemies like Jeremiah? They want you dead and have a plan to end your life. The answer to that question for most of us would be "No".
 
When I read what Jeremiah was going through I laugh now at what I had to endure in the ministry. I had people lie about me, misquote me, and God forbid the false accusations about my motives.
 
Hello!
 
Could you imagine me sitting down with Jeremiah and telling him how hard my ministry was?
 
I can actually see this person who I visualize as Jeremiah rolling on the ground laughing. When he stops laughing he says to me, "Really, that is all that was done to you? They didn't try to kill you at anytime?
 
Jere. 38:10 - Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take thirty men from here under your authority and bring up Jeremiah the prophet from the cistern before he dies." NASU
 
They were literally trying to kill this man of God. Why? He was doing what God had asked him to do. 
  • Life Lesson 
If you're suffering in life and it is because you are doing what God's Word has asked you to do accept your suffering as graciously as possible?
 
You may not receive any rewards here on earth, but the rewards God promises us in heaven will make us forget about all the suffering we have endured while here on earth.
 
Think On This:
 
As long as your conscience is your friend, don't be concerned about your enemies.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
0 Comments

How To Overcome Suffering With A Smile

7/1/2020

0 Comments

 
John 12:27 - "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. NASB 
​
  • Less Than A Week To Live 
Jesus informs us that His soul is suffering or troubled. He has less than a week to live and He knows it. What would be going through your mind if you knew you had less than a week to live?
 
Would your soul be troubled?
 
One thing I have noticed about some humans, myself included, is we many times wonder why is this (whatever this is) happening to me. Am I suffering because of some sin I committed?
 
Ask yourself these questions the next time you're suffering or your soul is troubled.
 
"Why is Jesus suffering? What sin has He committed?"
 
The answer is He has committed no sin. Therefore, all suffering is not because of sin. We must never forget this truth.   
  • Your Suffering Has A Purpose 
The one valuable nugget of truth Jesus shares with us is His trouble had a purpose. This is what He says, "… But for this purpose I came to this hour."
 
Years ago I baptized a man into Christ named David. He was informed he had cancer and not long to live. He did not want people feeling sorry for him, he told me. I said, "Okay, I have a plan when you're in the hospital I will send people to see you. I will tell them to visit you and minister to you, but what you need to do is minister to them. Share your faith and tell them how Jesus is helping you through this trial."
 
Every person I sent to visit David came back to me and said, "I didn't minister to him. He ministered to me."
 
As I was at his bedside 45 minutes before he went to be with the Lord, this is what he asked me. "Do you think the Lord has anyone else he wants me to minister to?"
 
I spoke for God that day without really being told what to say, when I told him, "There is no one else God wants you to minister to. He wants you to come home now." In 45 minutes David breathed his last breath.
 
David allowed his troubled soul to have a purpose just like Jesus. 
  • What About You? 
Is your soul troubled today?
 
Then put a smile on your face and say, "I am going to make sure that my suffering fulfills a purpose." God hasn't abandoned me. He is allowing me to face this time of trouble to serve a purpose and serve a purpose with it I will.
 
Think About This: 
 
Faith helps us face the music, even when we don't like the tune.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
0 Comments

Here Is Something You Need To Know About Suffering

6/11/2020

0 Comments

 
John 15:1-2 - I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.  NASU 
​
  • Some Suffering May Be Good 
Jesus is using the analogy of how a Christ-follower is like a branch of a vine.
 
God, the Father, is the vinedresser. He has the responsibility to help the vine produce the best fruit possible. He does this in two ways. The first is by removing the branch from the vine if it is not producing fruit and that branch will be thrown into the fire later.
 
Secondly, the method of pruning is used to help the branch that is producing fruit to produce even more fruit on the vine.
 
When you prune something you cut if back for the branch to produce even more fruit. Pruning may hurt at first but it will guarantee the branch will produce more and better fruit during the next harvest.
 
The novice vinedresser may find this hard to believe that by pruning back the branches he will be helping to enlarge his crop and produce tastier fruit. When you prune away sucker branches as they are called it allows the sap to feed the good branches.
 
I used this principle on my dad's lemon tree in AZ a few years back. The next season dad's lemons were larger and tastier, but my dad told me he thought I might have initially killed his tree.
 
Where there is pruning there is a certain amount of temporary pain and suffering. 
  • Trust In The Vinedresser 
When the Heavenly Father takes certain things in our life away from us we may not be happy at first, but when we trust God, the Vinedresser, things will work out best for us.
 
God knows what we need and don't need in our life. He knows better than we do what is best for us. I am sure as parents we have at one time or another believed we knew what was best for our children. It isn't any different with God except He is right every time.  
  • What Should Be Pruned From Your Life? 
Jesus informs us that as fruit-bearing branches we are going to go through a pruning season when He said this: "…every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."
 
You will notice it is the branch that is bearing fruit that goes through the pruning process.

So let me ask you, "What should be pruned from your life?"
 
Think About This:
 
Adversity is never pleasant, but sometimes it is the only way we will learn.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
Go To  www.SeragosPumpUps.com  
0 Comments

Why Is There Suffering In This World?

1/22/2020

0 Comments

 
Heb 5:7-8 - In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. 8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. NASU 
​
  • An Incorrect View Of Suffering 
Many people equate suffering with sin. They believe that if they are or someone else is suffering it is because of some sin that has been committed in the past by them.
 
They have this view of God that He is sitting up in Heaven watching every move His creation is making down here on earth and when they commit a sin He deals out retribution or punishment upon them.
 
If you really think about this view of suffering God would not be doing anything except punishing His creation because we all sin and fall short of His glory.
 
Some also judge your type of suffering.

If you have a little financial set back then your sin wasn't that great and God is trying to get you back on the straight and narrow.
 
However, if you are really suffering or something has happened to one of your young children then your sin must have been a horrible one as can be seen in this next scripture text:
 
John 9:1-3 - As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents;… NASU
 
HELLO!
 
Did you read what Jesus said, "It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents;…"
 
But you can see the disciples believed that this man's blindness was caused by someone's sins. What they wanted to know was this man being punished with blindness because of his sins or his parent's sins.
 
Jesus answers their question with these words, "It was neither…"
 
If you have ever read the book of Job then you realize this was the exact view that Job's friends all believed. Job was suffering because of some sin he had committed and if he would confess it then his sufferings would go away.
 
Although, this is a popular view by many I believe it to be incorrect many times.
 
It was not correct in Job's situation and it certainly isn't correct in our scripture text this morning. 
  • A Correct View Of Suffering 
In our scripture text this morning we are informed that Jesus learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  Heb. 5:8 - "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered."
 
Another scripture to help us understand this verse is found in Philippians 2:8 - "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." 
 
As a man, Jesus was going to learn how to die on that cross or He was going to experience death as a man. He could never experience death as God because God can't die. God is life.
 
One of the best things we can do when we are suffering in any way is ask ourselves this question: What can I learn from my sufferings?

Do not allow yourself to get caught up into the negative cycle of asking yourself,  "Why am I suffering?"
 
The purpose in my mind for suffering is to teach us some things we could never learn without these sufferings.
 
The best way to deal with suffering of any kind in my mind is to ask yourself the question, "What can I learn from this situation?"
 
Think on These:
 
We may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.
 
A person who looks up to God will not look down on people

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Author

    Gary A Serago.

    Categories

    All
    Angels
    Bad Decisions
    Christian Lifestyle
    Confession
    Encouragement
    End Times
    Endurance
    Evangelism
    Facts About Jesus
    Faith
    Finances
    Forgiveness
    Friendship
    Fulfillment Of Scripture
    God's Will
    Grace
    Heaven
    Hope
    Humility
    Job Stress
    Leadership
    Mercy
    Positive Attitude
    Praise
    Prayer
    Restoring Your Passion
    Stubbornness
    Success
    Suffering
    Temptations
    Thankfulness
    Trust
    Truthfulness
    Wisdom
    Worship

    RSS Feed

Ask Gary a Bible Question
© COPYRIGHT 2015. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.