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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.
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.
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?
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?
If your faith is being tested don't run because you are afraid as Elijah did. Stand your ground! God will reward your faith.
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
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Gal 4:16 - So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? NASU
In the book of Galatians Paul has told the truth to them (The truth is they were no longer bound by the Mosaic Law) and then he asks them this question. "So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?" Who are your friends? They're the ones who will tell you the truth even when it is difficult. I like the way it is stated in Proverbs 27:6 - Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. Your friend will tell you the truth. The friend that tells you the truth is the one you must never lose. A friend will punch you in the arm so hard it will turn black and blue, but your enemy, on the other hand, will give you a kiss. God says the punch on the arm is better for you than the kiss on the cheek.
Maybe these scriptures will be of some benefit to you today: Prov. 16:28 - A perverse man spreads strife, And a slanderer separates intimate friends. Who is the person around you who is always causing some type of drama or is trying to get you away from one of your longtime friends? Prov. 17:9 - He who conceals a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. What have you told a friend in private and asked him/her to keep it that way and you find out they repeated what you asked them to keep quiet. This is not your friend. Prov. 19:4 - Wealth adds many friends, But a poor man is separated from his friend. One of the curses of being wealthy is it becomes a task to find out if a person wants to be your friend for who you are or for what you have? Your best friends will always tell you the truth and these are the friends you can never afford to lose. Think On These: The Best Antique Is An Old Friend. Blessed Are Our Friends For They Tell Us The Truth When Our Enemies Flatter Us. A Valuable Friend Is One Who'll Tell You What You Should Be Told Even If It Momentarily Offends You. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Ps 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God;… NIV
This plain passage of scripture is from the Psalms. It says, "Be still…" The Hebrew word here means "to relax, be sedate, or to be calm" and while we are doing this take comfort in "knowing" God is in control. We have an entire Bible written with story after story of God being in control of human affairs. Then why is it we many times lose sight of God's power?
Paul says it this way in 2 Corin 11:3, "But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray…" NASU The devil tries very hard to deceive us as he did Adam and Eve. Don't let your minds be led astray but let your minds dwell on Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God…"
The question is "Can we let God be in control?" I have to admit this is not always easy for me. I have a very hard time sitting and waiting. In fact, it is many times almost impossible for me. I like to make things happen, but God's word is telling me I need to chill. I need to be still. I need to relax and get out of God's way. He is in control. He has thousands and thousands of years of prior experience in operating this world without me. If we will trust Him, He will manage the affairs of this world just fine without us.
You know I was not able to get my daughter's temperature to break. It was out of my hands. I had no control over this situation. So I did what I knew was best for her and me. I prayed. I admitted to God this was something I was not able to control, but I knew He was not helpless like I was. The fever broke and I learned a valuable lesson that day. There are a lot of areas in life where we are going to be helpless, but there is no area of life where God is helpless. Do you want to experience a better life? Be still and know that God is in Control. Think On These: God is more interested in inner grace than outer space. When we let God guide He will provide. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Exo. 3:11 - But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
God has informed Moses He has chosen him to lead the children of Israel out of the Egyptian bondage. Moses is stretched out of his comfort zone with God’s plan.
Moses doubts that he was the one who could be used to help free the Israelites. He says to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh…?” Moses doesn’t realize it yet, but he is the one who God has chosen and there isn't any way God will change His plan. We probably all have been chosen by God to accomplish a task and we thought like Moses, “Who am I?” If God chooses you, God will help you to complete the task.
1. Stop Doubting Yourself. The way to accomplish this task is by feeding your mind positive thoughts. You need to realize that you have been chosen by someone to complete this task. God, your boss, your close friend, your spouse or one of your children may have chosen you. The exciting thing is you have been chosen. You want to see this as an opportunity to achieve a project that you haven’t done before. 2. Start Preparing Yourself. What can you do to prepare yourself to fulfill this project? Are there any books you can read or is there a website you can visit? Do you know someone who has done this type of job before that you can contact for some assistance?
One evening while we were working I asked Jack, “If he would teach me how to weld?” I grabbed a welder’s hood and within a couple of hours he had me welding. I continued to practice everyday and on the next job site I took the welder’s test and passed. I was now a certified welder, thanks to Jack McAvoy. Find someone you can associate with who can teach you what it is you’re trying to learn. Obtaining knowledge will help you in times when you’re being stretched to accomplish a feat for which you don’t feel qualified. Think on These: You must first be a believer if you would be an achiever. Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Podcasting of Serago's Pump Ups Started Sept. 20th Josh. 2:11 - “When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained…”
In the text above, Rahab is confessing to the two spies sent into Jericho by Joshua exactly how they felt upon hearing the news that the Israelites were coming. She informs them that their hearts melted and no courage remained in any of them.
Maybe you walked into a doctor’s office and while sitting there he informed you that you had a disease or a loved one you had accompanied into his office had a disease and upon hearing the news your heart melted within you. Maybe you received a call or a police officer knocked on your door and informed you, a loved one died in an accident and your heart melted within and all your courage departed. Or maybe it was the time one of your children was lost at the amusement park and for over an hour you know your heart stopped.
We were talking after the ceremony and he asked if he could come into my office and talk to me. I agreed and he came in next week and shared with me what was going on in his life. David told me that his doctor informed him he had a very aggressive type of cancer and that he didn’t have long to live. Then he went on with his story. He came home and told his wife what the doctor had said. Within days he came home and found a note from his wife that she was leaving him. He said he checked their bedroom closet and all her clothes were gone. He said, “My heart sank.” In Rahab’s day they said, “Hearts melted.” The meaning is the same and that is: what you are about to experience is going to be extremely painful. WOW! What a punch in the gut and a knee to the face. You talk about your heart melting and all courage departing from within you.
She confessed that the Israelites' God was the true God and David did the same thing. When you get knocked off your feet, and you are laying flat on your back, you are in the perfect position to look up and see where your help will come. Your help will come from the One who created the ‘heavens and earth." David’s wife never came back and he lost his battle with cancer but I never met a more courageous man. I truly met one of God’s Special Warriors.
What we have to do is follow in the footsteps of Rahab and David and that is put your faith in God. Here is what the Hebrew writer says about Rahab, “By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.” By Faith you and I will not perish along with those who are disobedient.
The trouble with some people is that during trying times, they stop trying. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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