1 Peter 2:9-10 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.  NASU  

• The Greatest Call 

The greatest call anyone can receive is the call where we are "called out of darkness into His marvelous light".
 
God, our Heavenly Father, called us out of the darkness or out of the sin where we were living.
 
Exactly how did this "calling" take place?
 
God called us with the gospel, the good news about His Son Jesus Christ and when we accepted this good news or calling we became the children of God and departed from the darkness into His Marvelous Light.
 
Romans 8:29-30 -For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become  conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. 
 
We have been called, justified and glorified all by accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. 

• Some Great Calls 

I am sure we all have received some great telephone calls.
 
The NBA and NFL make a big deal about having players receive a call from a certain team that has drafted them. No doubt this is a great call for the player and his family.
 
I was called by the Boilermaker's Union President and asked if I were still looking for employment and when I said, "Yes." He told me to report to the Shippingport, PA worksite the next day. No doubt this was a great call.
 
Some have received calls from doctors telling them the test result came back and the tumor is benign. Soldiers overseas have received calls informing them their son or daughter was born and no doubt this would be a great call.
 
BUT all calls fail in comparison to the call from God to leave the darkness and enter into His Marvelous Light. We can only imagine the ramifications that will be ours for accepting that call. You and I can be in Heaven with God for all eternity and there will be no more suffering of any type. 

• Have You Accepted The Call? 

I don't know the spiritual condition of all the readers of these Pump Ups so let me use this Pump Up to be your call from God.
 
God wants you to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When I say I believe in Jesus, I mean I believe He never sinned, died on a cross, shed His blood to make an atonement for my sins, (and the sins of all mankind), and was resurrected from the grave.
 
If you will believe that you are on your way to answering the call from God.
 
I also believe it was necessary for me to repent or change my mind which brought about a change in my behavior. I can guarantee you I am not the same person I was before I accepted the call from God to be a Christian.
 
I also have confessed that I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  Immediately after making that confession about Jesus I was baptized into Christ.
 
There you have my friends the greatest call of all time. The call to come out of the darkness you are in and become a part of the Marvelous Light of God.
 
What better gift could you give yourself today? Go ahead answer the call from God you will be glad you did.
 
This is no prank call. This is the real deal.
 
Think About These:
 
God still speaks to those who take time to listen.
 
An atheist can't find God for the same reason a thief can't find a policeman.

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

​2 Sam. 12:19-23 - But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. 
 
Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ' Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.'  "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."  NASU 

• With Hope 

The best way I have found to overcome my darkest days is with hope in God's help. This is exactly what we see David using to get through a very difficult time in his life. His hope is in God.
 
What could be worse than being with your dying child?
 
David's son is dying and his "hope" is God would change His mind and be gracious to him by sparing the child's life, but this will not happen. The child will die.
 
David's actions confuse his servants. While his son is alive David lays on the ground, he refuses to be helped up; he fasts and prays continually for his child's life to be spared.
 
The baby dies and David changes his actions immediately. He remains hopeful, but his hope has changed. Since God is not permitting the baby to live on earth any longer David sets his hope on being reunited with his child in the next life.
 
Notice what the text says: "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."  
 
David asks a rhetorical question: Can I bring him back again? The answer is "No, he can't bring him back". So what is David's next course of action? 

• Hope Realigned 

David says in essence "Okay, I tried and it didn't work." In other words, I fasted and prayed and God has said, "No."
 
Therefore, I will change my "hope" it will now be in me going to my child "… I will go to him, but he will not return to me."  
 
David shows us after having just come through one of the darkest periods in his life he still is a man of faith who believes in living with "hope" when he says, "I will go to him". 

• Your Life 

I don't know what is going on in your life but I can tell you this much it is easier traveling through this life with hope than traveling through hopeless.
 
You may not be having a crisis going on right now and I hope you are not, but I can tell you this much crisis or no crisis life is meant to be lived by having "hope" in God.
 
I love this Psalm 31:24 - Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.
 
You and I are those who take hope in the LORD. When we hope in Him we will not be disappointed.
 
Think About These:
 
Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
 
Hope for the best, be prepared for the worst, and take what comes with a smile.

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

​I Kings 19:10 - He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

• When You Lose Your Passion

Elijah uses the past tense verb construction when he said: "I have been very zealous..." I have been but I am no longer very zealous or passionate, Elijah said. I am sure that we all have been "passionate" about something and then we lost that "passion."

I have seen people start college with a full head of steam only to drop out and never graduate. People will start down what would appear to be a great career and in a few years, they are no longer producing like they did when they started with the company.

Look at all the marriages that begin filled with love and passion and then end up in a divorce court.

I know athletes who were passionate about their sport and they get an injury and quit rather than spending the necessary time to recuperate, refocus and re-enter the competition.

• What Causes A Person To Lose Their Passion?

What happens in a person's life that causes them to lose their passion for what they once held so dear? They lose their focus on what it was that caused them to be passionate in the first place.

Howard Thurman said, "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” 

Look at what Elijah did. He fell into the trap of looking at what other people were doing. Elijah accuses the Israelites of forsaking God's covenant, tearing down His altars and killing His prophets.

• What Will Help You Regain Your Passion?

Remember the victories that you have had in the past. He forgot to remember what God had just done with him.

God had sent down fire and consumed the altar and the offering that was on it in answer to Elijah's prayer.  All the people started confessing that Elijah's God was LORD and they killed all of the false prophets of Baal. Elijah needed to remember the victory that he had over the false prophets.
                                 
Elijah had forgotten this great victory somehow. He forgot what God was doing with him. All he could see is what is negative and wrong with the world around him. He is unable to see that God is in control.

When you and I fail to see what God is doing with us and that He is in control. Then it becomes easy to lose your passion. 
 
Remember your victories and your passion will return.

• How Do We Restore Our Passion?

Some times we need to get away. We need some downtime. We must restore ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. We need to recharge our batteries by getting a fresh vision of God.  

If your passion needs to be restored today open up your eyes and see what God has done with you and what He wants to do with you right now.
 
E. M. Forster said, "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested."
 
You are that one person with passion. You are better than forty people merely interested. Now turn your passion loose on the world with God's guidance and Watch For Future Victories.
 
Think on This:

"Purpose may point you in the right direction but it’s passion that propels you.” - T. McAshan

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

Genesis 37:23-24, 28 - So it came about, when Joseph reached his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the varicolored tunic that was on him; and they took him and threw him into the pit…. Then some Midianite traders passed by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. NASU
 

• Lesson #1 - Life Isn't Fair

 
In our text today Joseph is about to learn a very important lesson and that is "Life Isn't Fair." He was his father's favorite son, but that wasn't his fault. The fault rested on the shoulders of his father, Jacob, not on Joseph.
 
God causes Joseph to have a dream where his father, mother, and brothers would one day bow down to him and the hatred from the brothers intensifies. Jacob gives Joseph a special colorful tunic to show his favoritism and Joseph is going to pay the price for all of these special blessings being bestowed upon him.
 

• If Only

 
If only I had learned the lesson "life isn't fair" as an adolescent I really believe some of my troublesome times may have been avoided. I can vividly remember saying, "But that isn't fair."
 
At that moment, I wish someone would have made me sit in a chair and looked me straight in the eyes and said, "You are correct life isn't fair so quick expecting it to be fair. The sooner you learn this lesson the better off you will be in handling life."
 

• If You Have Children

 
I am of the opinion if you have children or grandchildren you should do them a favor and read this passage of scripture to them and inform them there is a very valuable lesson to be learned in life and that lesson is "Life isn't fair" so do yourself a favor and learn it quickly.
 
I informed my children about life being unfair this way, the first lesson you want to learn about life: It Isn't Fair. I also said it this way: Life 101 - It Isn't Fair.
 

• Potiphar's Wife

 
In Genesis 39 is the story of Potiphar's wife trying to seduce Joseph. He wants no part of this situation and when he runs away from her she lies to her husband and says Joseph tried to rape her but she screamed and he ran away. Joseph once again learns life isn't fair because Potiphar a very influential man in Egypt has Joseph incarcerated.
 
There are so many unfair situations in life and I am certainly not going to try and list them. You will know them when you see them.
 
My advice is to remember what Joseph says to his brothers at the end of Genesis 50:19-20 - But Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I in God's place? "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."
 
There are people in life who will do things to you because they want to hurt you. They mean evil against you as Joseph's brothers did against him.
 
You will also want to remember God can use the injustices of life to work to your benefit as He did with Joseph.
 
Think About This:
 
The college of hard knocks is the only one that doesn't let the student drop out when the course gets tough.

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."

• One Premarital Counseling Session

It was the only premarital counseling session that I ever had like it. The young and innocent were before me. I got to the part where I try to help them when they have their first fight.
 
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'm sure they probably talked about me when they got into their car. 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.  

• Words

Words have a way of really getting us into some hot water. I found out that he had said some things that really hurt her and the more he said the worse the situation became.
 
I commended them for calling and making an appointment to come in and at least seek 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 the time arrives listen to these words - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."

• Words of Wisdom From Dr. Roger Chambers 

Roger and I were speaking together at a men's retreat in the 1980s. This event gave us a lot of time to talk with one another as we were bunked in the same building. I will never forget this one nugget of advice that he gave me, "Just because something is true doesn't mean it has to be said." Wow! Now that is money in the bank folks. 
 
How many times have we said something that was true and all it did was exacerbate the situation?  

• Words of Wisdom From Solomon 

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." We all know Solomon is really on to something here. The problem most of us have is we know this scripture is correct but it is so hard to practice.
 
I mean really if someone is yelling at you the last thing you want to do is give a soft or gentle answer. You want to yell back. He/she said something hurtful so it becomes an "Oh Yeah", well take this and we serve up another red-hot put down on our loved one. Who then has to throw back something more hurtful and the cycle is vicious and ugly. 

• One Couple's Solution 

I found this to be a great solution for couples that may be headed in the wrong direction in an argument. The wife told me that when she and her husband get into a fight he is always the one who diffuses it. She said this is what he says, "He quotes their anniversary date and then says, I love you and would do again."
 
Now she doesn’t want him to do 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.  
 
The argument is over and putting it in the words of Solomon - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."  This same approach can be used in the workplace and with friendships.

• Your Solution 

Have a plan in your playbook that if an argument is getting started how to diffuse it before any emotional damage is done.
 
Remember the words of Solomon - "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger."
 
You need to have something that you're going to say to your loved one, boss or friend that will be the gentle answer and turn wrath away.
 
You also 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're 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 on 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