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Luke 11:27-28 - While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed." 28 But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it." NASU
Well, there you have it. I believed the Bible was filled with contradictions because another person said it was and I had never read it for myself. Wow! That sounds really stupid now that I have stated it that way. If I might make a suggestion to you if you are ever in a conversation with someone and they say the Bible is full of contradictions, politely say to them, "Name me one." If you have your Bible with you, hand it to them and say, "Show me where." Chances are they are repeating what they heard someone else say.
It has been 40 years since I started reading the Bible and I still have not found any.
I was reading the book of James in the King James Version. James 1:13 says, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: KJV I remember saying to myself, "Wait a minute that is a contradiction." I remembered reading in Genesis where God had tempted Abraham. It says in Gen. 22:1- And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. KJV Well, I thought I had actually found a contradiction in the Bible. I was feeling a little bit puffed up I might add. Can you see how much reading I had done to find that one? I had read from Genesis all the way through the Old Testament (39 books) and in the New Testament from Matthew to James (another 20 books), and I finally found one, or so I thought. I remember going to Dave Berresford, a preacher where I was worshipping and showing him my find. As I recall he let the air out of my sails with a lot of Christian grace. He showed me in the Hebrew the word "nacah" can actually be better translated "to test". God wasn't tempting Abraham to do evil. God was actually giving him a test to become stronger in his faith. God still gives us "tests" to strengthen us in our faith.
Let God's Word continue to perform its work in you. You will be glad you did. Think On These: Poverty is no disgrace, but ignorance is. It is not necessary for some people to put out the light to be in the dark. The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Luke 12:8-9 - "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." NASU
What an awesome event to think about while here on earth. There is a day coming for those who have confessed Jesus to be the Christ or Messiah and on the Judgment Day we will have Jesus confess us before the angels of God.
What I am about to share with you is not doctrinal but merely speculation on my part. Here is how I see it in my mind. The Bible says, the devil is the accuser of us all (Rev. 12:10). He is accusing all of us on the Judgment Day. We all would be condemned because we are all guilty of sin, BUT as I stand there with my head bowed hearing the devil attack me with his terrible accusations. The thing that really bothers me is I know what he is saying about me is the truth. Then the Lord enters into the court room and walks down the aisle and stands along side of me. He looks at God the Judge and all the angels of God are likewise there and He says to God the Father, "On March 2, 1975 Gary confessed Me to be his Lord and Savior. I made him and all humans a promise if they would confess Me before men, that I would confess them before the angels of God. Gary confessed me Your Honor and I am here to confess him. His sins have all been atoned for by My blood. He is justified or as they say on earth, he is just as if he had never sinned."
You should absolutely say this in your lifetime. Think On This: There is more hope for a confessed sinner than a conceited saint. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page or Forwarding to a friend. Prov. 16:7 - When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. NASU
A police car pulled into my driveway and the officer asked for the owner of the house. When I informed her that I was the owner of the house she said, "She received a report that there was a party going on and every one was drunk and very loud." I told the police officer, "This was a Sunday school picnic and there wasn't any alcohol on the property at all." She apologized and said, "Okay, I see what is happening." She then walked over to our neighbor's house and conversed with them. I don't know what she said but it didn't change how they treated us.
When I came to the neighbor who had called the police on us I asked her if she wanted her driveway cleared of the snow. She wanted to know how much I was charging and when I said it was free she said, "Yes". God sent the snow and I had peace with my neighbors from that day forward. The church received a check for $30. from them. Also, I was at the Howard County Fair later that year. My neighbor's had a fish sandwich stand which they towed to a lot of the fairs around the area. I heard someone yelling my name and it was my neighbors. They gave me a free fish sandwich and lemonade from their stand. We talked for about 20 minutes that night. If I were working in my yard they would come over and talk with me. I had peace with my enemies and it was all because God honored His Word and answered my prayer.
Think On These: Man is that foolish creature who tries to get even with his enemies and ahead of his friends. Kindness is the ability to treat your enemy decently. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page or Forwarding to a friend. 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 visit from a police officer 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 the 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 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.
The same thing Rahab did and that is he put his faith in the God of Heaven and Earth. Here is what Rahab said, “for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.” She confessed that the Israelites' God was the true God. David confessed Jesus to be his Lord and Savior and I baptized him into Christ. 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 in Jesus Christ 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 Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook Page or Forwarding to a friend. |
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