Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 - Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.  NASU 

• Two Are Better Than One If 

If they are going in the same direction. If they have the same goals. If they have the same beliefs. Notice what the apostle Paul says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers."   2 Corin. 6:14 NIV
 
There are a lot of reasons why two are not better than one, and I believe the number one reason is your "Faith".
 
If you enter into a relationship, friendship, or marry someone who doesn't have the same beliefs as you all I can say is get ready for a wild ride.
 
A preacher friend of mine said a long time ago you can tie two cats together by their tales. You will have a union but you will not have unity.
 
You join yourself to the wrong person whether it is in marriage, friendship or a business partnership be ready to pay a very high price for this union.
 
I was listening to a documentary the other day and this young man said on numerous occasions he made friends with the wrong people and that was on him and it cost him from attaining a lot of his goals. 

• Two Are Better Than One If 

They want to work together and accomplish the same goals.
 
I have done my fair share of marriage counseling and I can tell you right now I was never able to help two people reconcile when only one was interested in reconciliation. Never!
 
In fact, the greatest Marriage Counselor in the world can't reconcile two people when only one wants to be reconciled.
 
So it is of the utmost importance when you want to accomplish a goal and it will involve other people that you like and respect each other, have the same faith principles, and you both believe in what you want to accomplish.
 
There are advantages of two people joining forces to accomplish something great. When one gets tired the other is there to help them keep on going. 

• Two Are Better Than One When 

You believe in each other, trust each other and together you make a great team. When you both are headed in the same direction, have the same beliefs and desire to see your goals accomplished.
 
If you are young and just getting started in life be very sure you make the correct choice when it comes to whom you consider your friends. You must be very careful with whom you associate or call your friends.
 
As the old saying goes, "Show me your friends and I will show you your future."
 
As you become older you likewise need to be just as cautious. I don't believe a day goes by that I don't read about or hear on the news about older people being scammed.
 
Two are better than one if you are both traveling in the same direction and both want to accomplish the same goal.
 
Think About These:
 
Great minds have purposes, others have wishes.
 
A man with a burning ambition is seldom fired.

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

Luke 4:43-44 - “But He said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose." So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”  NASB

• Have A Purpose 

I believe this is why I got into so much trouble as a youth. I never really had a purpose.
 
Some people have set goals for themselves and anything they do has to help them accomplish their goals or they won't waste their time being involved with something that will not help them achieve this.
 
When you look at athletes who set their goals on becoming the best at whatever sport they are involved with it is easy to see why they say, "No, to drugs and alcohol." They understand drugs and alcohol are not going to help them achieve their goals. So they stay away from them.
 
I was very close to spending a lot of years in prison over drug charges back in the 1970's. In the first trial, which ended in a hung jury, 10 people said, "Guilty" and 2 people said, "Not Guilty."
 
Wow! Not having a purpose in my life was almost a very expensive mistake. Two people kept me from going to prison for a very long time. 

• What's Your Purpose? 

As we can see from the text today, Jesus' purpose was to preach about the Kingdom of God and He was not going to stop preaching because this was His purpose.
 
In fact, His purpose would ultimately lead to people killing Him.
 
He preached about the Kingdom of God and certain people didn't want to hear what He was saying. They hated His message so much they killed Him to try and quiet Him, but we know this didn't quiet Him, except for three days.
 
Then He resurrected and empowered His disciples to preach and preach they did. On the day of Pentecost, they baptized 3,000 people (Acts 2). Hopefully, you have been baptized or immersed into Christ. If not please let me know and I will help you.
 
So, do you want to stay out of trouble? Set a Goal or another way of saying it is "Have a Purpose." 

• Purpose and Long Life 

I believe if you want to live longer then you should have a purpose in your life. I can't prove this but in my mind, the two go hand in hand. If I have a purpose I want to get up in the morning and get started on accomplishing my established purpose(s).
 
In fact, one of my nightly exercises in bed is to say to myself "Okay, what do you want to accomplish tomorrow?" Then I go to sleep happy because I know there is something that awaits me the next day.
 
Think About These:
 
Some people dream of worthy accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them.
 
A genius shoots at something no one else sees and hits it.

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

Prov. 24:16 - "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,..."

A study of Proverbs will reveal the way to overcome adversity is to get back up after you have had your encounter with adversity. 

• Get Back Up

It doesn't matter where you are in life you can testify to this truth. As you were on your way you were knocked down by something.

It may have been an illness, a medical set back such as a torn ACL, a rejection of your resume, failure to accomplish a set goal, a divorce or the death of a loved one.
 
There are thousands of ways to get knocked down but if we intend on overcoming adversity we must get back up and re-enter the race.

We must get back up on our own two feet and start again. 

• How Do You Get Back Up?

How you get back up doesn't really matter. What matters is you find a way to become motivated again. What does it take to re-invigorate you?
 
For some, it would be a conversation with someone that you respect, or watching a movie or reading about other people who overcame adversities.

Are you one that is able to motivate yourself? Or are you the kind who will graciously allow others to help motivate you?

It doesn't matter which method works for you. What matters is in order to overcome adversity you will get back up and move forward with another plan and a new head full of ideas. 

•  How Many Times Do You Rise? 

You rise every time you get knocked down is the correct answer. But the writer of Proverbs says you get back up 7 times and that is true if you believe he is speaking literally. I believe he is speaking figuratively. The number "7" in the Bible means perfect or complete.

Every time you get knocked down by life you get back up on your feet and start all over again.    

• Why Does Life Knock Us Down?

I have trained myself not to ask the question "Why".
 
I always ask myself "What".
 
What can I learn from this trial? I then write down the things that I can learn and allow these to help motivate me positively to keep moving forward to accomplish my goal.

If you ask "Why" you may never be able to determine if the answers you come up with are true.

If you're knocked down get back up and you'll be glad you did.

If you meet some events that knock you down in life then plan on getting back up and re-engaging.
 
This is the correct way to overcome adversity.
 
Think On These:

The difficulties of life are to make us better - not bitter.

Say what you will about trouble; it always gives us something to talk about.

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

​Numbers 11:23 - The LORD answered Moses, "Is the LORD'S arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you."  NIV
 
Num. 11:23 - And the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD'S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."  NASB
 
Num. 11:23 - God answered Moses, "So, do you think I can't take care of you? You'll see soon enough whether what I say happens for you or not."  (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.) 

• I Love This Question 

If I were in a located ministry now this would be a memory verse I would teach all the members to memorize. This would be right up there with "this to shall come to pass" and "Be still, and know that I am God."
 
"Is the LORD'S arm too short?" or in other words, "Is the Lord's power limited?"
 
God asks Moses this question after He says, He will give the Israelites meat to eat and Moses informs God in Num. 11:21-22 - "There are 600,000 foot soldiers here with me, and yet you promise them meat for a whole month! 22 Even if we butchered all our flocks and herds, would that satisfy them? Even if we caught all the fish in the sea, would that be enough?"  NLT
 
Moses has thought about his dilemma "no meat for the Israelites" and the Israelites are complaining to Moses about their situation. Moses is at the end of his rope when he asks God, "Why have you been so hard on me? What did I do to deserve the burden of a people like this?"
 
Then God informs Moses He will feed the people with meat and Moses tells God how big of a task this really is. I can see God looking at the Logos, the Holy Spirit and laughing.
 
Then I picture God saying to them, "He really doesn't know our power." 

• What Is Your Situation? 

The next time you are faced with a problem that seems so enormous I would like for you to remember the question the LORD asks Moses: "Is the LORD'S arm too short?" or in other words, "Is the LORD'S power limited?"
 
Do you believe in God or not? Is God's power unlimited? Is God still able to work miracles?
 
Well, then all we have to do is believe in God and His power and watch Him work. Sometimes He will use us, sometimes He will use others and sometimes He will accomplish the miracle all by Himself.
 
What difficult situation are you facing today?
 
Remember it is very important how you view the LORD because this represents your faith in Him. So let me ask you is God's arm too short?
 
Think About These:
 
We may not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future.
 
God promises us a safe landing but not a calm voyage. 

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