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Lk 22:15 - And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;… NASB
Philippians 1:23 - But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;… NASB 1 Thes. 2:17 - But we, brethren, having been bereft of you for a short while — in person, not in spirit — were all the more eager with great desire to see your face. NASB
We have taken the word "lust" and always connect it to something that is bad, but you can see from the scripture references above that both Jesus and the apostle Paul lusted, but not in an evil way.
He thought about it and He thought about it "earnestly," the text says. He thought about it, He was going to announce being betrayed by Judas (vs.22), and denied by Peter (vs.34). Wouldn't it be great if we thought earnestly about partaking of the Lord's Supper with our brothers and sisters on the Lord's Day? Have we ever thought about taking the Lord's Supper the week before? At times, I am guilty of not thinking much about it until Sunday. Shame on me!
I have had strong desires (lusts) to go to Heaven and I have had the same strong desires (lusts) to stay here on earth. The second way he "lusted" was about seeing his Christian brothers and sisters in Thessaloniki. I have experienced this type of great desire (lusts) also. It was when I departed Mbale, Uganda, Africa after teaching God's Word to some of the greatest brothers and sisters in Christ that I have ever met. It was that great desire (lust) that took me back three more times. One of my best friends, Dennis Okoth, lives and works there. What an honor it was for me to serve the Lord with this gracious brother in the Lord. When I lust about Africa, I could say it like the apostle Paul, it is "with great desire to see your face."
Don't lust in a bad way. Lust in a good way. Hopefully, you will be lusting about taking the Lord's Supper, going to Heaven to be with Jesus, or going to see some family, friends or brothers and sisters in Christ. Think On This: Christianity is a way of walking as well as a way of talking. What can't be done by advice can often be done by example. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page, Twitter or Forwarding to a friend.
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Ps 23:5 - "You have anointed my head with oil;…" NASU
In this passage the shepherd has anointed the sheep's head with oil. What are the benefits of anointing the sheep's head with oil?
The sheep will follow the shepherd because they can hear and know his voice, but if the sheep develops an ear infection, the true shepherd's voice will not sound the same. The end result of a sheep with an ear infection is the sheep will not follow his master because his voice sounds like a stranger. If the sheep wanders away from his shepherd, this can very easily lead to his death. Therefore, a shepherd will rub olive oil mixed with sulfur into the ears of the sheep for protection against insects and the diseases that come with an infection.
Therefore, it is extremely important that we sheep have our head's anointed to maintain the ability to hear and know the true shepherd's voice. This is why I have been saying for 35 years to read your Bible. The Word of God is able to anoint your ears and keep you safe from the evil one. Do yourself a favor and stay immersed in the Word of God. Think On This: The person who looks up to God rarely looks down on people. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page, Twitter or Forwarding to a friend. Matt. 24:37-41 - "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 " Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. NASU
In other words life was going on as usual. They were eating food. They were drinking. Drinking doesn't mean necessarily mean alcoholic beverages. The Greek word for "drinking" is all inclusive. This word is used in drinking the blood of Christ (John 6:53), drinking in that which refreshes the soul (John7:37), and drinking other types of liquids such as water, milk, and juice as well as wine.
From my Facebook page, I have noticed some of my friend's children have recently married. So guess what? Jesus could return any day. The reason Jesus could return today is as Matthew said, "The coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah." The days now are just like the days of Noah. Therefore, Jesus could return any day.
The flood took away those who refused to believe Noah's preaching and enter the ark. The ones who were left on the earth after the flood receded were Noah and his family.
Matt. 13:29-31 - "But he said, 'No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 'Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn."'" Jesus' disciples didn't understand the Wheat and Tares parable and ask for an explanation and here is Jesus' explanation of the parable. Matt. 13:40-43 - So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 " The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 "Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. NASU You notice which ones are taken first. The ones taken first are the "tares." What happens to them? They are gathered up and burnt with fire. You also notice which ones are left. The ones left are the wheat or the ones who obey God and they will shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of our Father.
The good news for His followers is our Lord and Savior can return any day. Think On This: Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 1 Kings 19:11-12 - So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. NASU
Where does God want you to be standing to see Him? Is the Lord trying to get your attention as He was with Elijah? God wanted Elijah to learn that He wasn't exclusively in strong winds, earthquakes and fires. In the previous chapter God did come down in the fire and burnt the entire sacrifice and the altar, but God was now trying to show Elijah that He was also in the quiet and peaceful times of life. Many people have thanked God for the difficult times in their lives. They attribute the difficulties they were enduring as that which led them to God and changed their life for the better.
You might say, "Everything in my life is awesome." Then make sure you are communicating with God now as well as when you are going through your tough times. God wanted Elijah to know that He was in the peaceful, refreshing, and gentle blowing seasons of life. Some humans have the tendency to forget about God when everything is going great for them. The best thing we can do is remember to "Thank God" for the good times as well as the times when we have to struggle. God wants us to know that He is with us all the time. Remember the meaning of the name Emmanuel, it means "God with us." God is with us when our life is a peaceful gentle breeze and He should not be overlooked. Think On These: Our favorite attitude should be gratitude. He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Mt 7:12 - "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you,… NASU
One can only imagine how different the world would be if we could all completely obey this one passage of scripture.
Zig thought to himself as he lined up the putt, "If I miss on purpose and he asks me, 'Did you miss on purpose?' I won't be able to lie to him." Zig stood over the ball, looked at the hole and as he drew the club back and made the putt for a birdie, he looked at his son and asked him, "Were you cheering for me?" His son immediately said, "I always cheer for you dad."
If you place "criticizing" on one side of the scales and "cheering for" on the other side, which one would weigh the most? If we make an analogy using "criticizing" and "cheering for" as fertilizer, which one do we spread the most around the ones we love, our teammates and or co-workers?
If you say being "cheered for" then you should be cheering for others. Jesus said, "Treat people the same way you want them to treat you…" Jesus is giving us one of those great pieces of advice on how to live the good life. Think On These: A statue has never been erected in honor of a critic. Blowing out another person's candle won't make yours shine any brighter. Criticizing another person's garden won't keep weeds out of your own. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Would You Do Me a Favor and Please Share This Pump Up With Others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page, Twitter or Forwarding to a Friend. Thanks. |
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