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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
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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 I Sam.17:36-37- "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
When was the last time you remembered some of your victories that you had with the Lord? This is very important please take some time either now or when you finish this Pump Up and replay some of the victories you and the Lord have shared in your life.
He saw himself defeating this enemy like he had defeated others before. David didn’t fight alone. He knew God was with him when he entered on to the battlefield. When you go into battle do you see the Lord going with you? If you don’t see God traveling with you don’t go. The Lord has helped you defeat other enemies in your life and He will help you as you face these new ones. Be like David and remember how the Lord has helped you in the past and will now help you as you travel into your future.
When I saw that check I was excited for a second, BUT I couldn’t take the check. I personally thought I had preached the worse sermon ever. So I informed the elder I could not accept money for that sermon. I signed the check and gave it back to him. Later that afternoon I got a call from the Boilermaker’s Union Hall to report to Shippingport, PA at the power plant the next morning. When I got my first paycheck it was for $350.00. God gave me 10 times the amount I gave to Him. God had delivered me from that financial crisis and He has delivered me from many different types of crises since then.
Once you have mentally visualized you and God conquering your enemy then it is time to actually fight the fight. Get Going with God! It is the way to success. Think on This: When we let God guide, He will provide. The Lord calls for us to stand, though not always to understand. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Prov.15:1 - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
He informed me, "We are never going to have a fight. We are in love." I said, "What?" He said it again, "We are never ever going to have a fight. We are in love." How foolish of me not to know that. You can only imagine what was running through my mind. Well, I didn't push on this issue and let it drop. I am sure they probably talked about me when they got into their car to leave. I can hear them saying, "Wow, the preacher really doesn't know what he is talking about if he thinks we are going to ever have a fight." Well, I did see them again. The first time in my office their chairs were right next to each other, they were holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. This time their chairs were apart, they were not holding hands and they would not even look at each other.
I commended them for calling and making an appointment to come in and at least get some counseling. We were able to work together this time, as they now were ready to listen. Words of truth will not do you any good if you will not listen to them. When disagreeing with someone listen to these words - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
How many times have we said something that was true and all it did was exacerbate the situation?
She said this is what he says, "He quotes their anniversary date and then says, I love you and would do it again." Now she doesn’t want him to say that because she wants to continue the fight because in her mind she hasn't won the argument, but when he says this she thinks no matter what I say I can't win now, so she drops it.
Remember the words of Solomon - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." You might want to remember if you say the hurtful things it is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Are you ready to pay the price for the explosion and damage that will be caused by this behavior? You say the hurtful things and they will not go away no matter how many times you say you are sorry. So do yourself a favor and don't say them. Speak the gentle answers that bring the arguments to an end without hurting anyone. Think About This: In an argument, the best weapon to hold is your tongue unless it is going to give the gentle answers. When a person uses profanity to support an argument, it indicates that either the person or the argument is weak and probably both. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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