​John 1:22-23 - Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23 He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said."  NASU 

• A Voice For God 

John the Baptist was being asked, "Who are you…?"  He tells them he is the Voice. He is the one Isaiah prophesied about many years ago. Isaiah under the guidance of the Holy Spirit informed them there would be a "Voice Calling Clear The Way For The LORD In The Wilderness" and John is saying he is that voice. 

• What A Compliment 

Could you ever imagine being called "the or a Voice" by God?
 
No, I am not talking about singing or being on a TV show. I am talking about God calling you "the or a Voice" because your voice is used to inform people about Jesus Christ the Messiah who is coming.
 
John the Baptist was telling everyone the Messiah was coming and you better repent for the kingdom of God is near. 

• Can We Be A Voice Today? 

I believe we can be a voice today. We can tell people about Jesus Christ. John was telling everyone the Messiah was coming. Look at how Mark (1:4-5) describes John's preaching:
 
John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
 
John was getting it done. He was accomplishing the task before him. He was preaching the Lord was coming and the people were listening. They were coming to him from Judea and Jerusalem. I believe we can preach a similar message today because Jesus Christ is coming again.
 
I also believe if we tell people about Jesus Christ people will likewise be converted. They will put their faith in Jesus Christ, confess Him as their Lord and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins and receive the Holy Spirit. 

• John Did 

John did what he was told to do and say. We have been told to go into all the world and preach the gospel. I believe that is why people are being baptized into Christ because we have "voices" and we are using them for God today.
 
Go ahead and be like John the Baptist and allow your voice to be used to glorify God and His Son, Our Savior Jesus Christ.
 
What greater compliment could one receive than someone saying, "He/She uses their voice for God."?
 
Think About These:
 
Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.
 
Small town newspaper once ran this advertisement: "Read the Bible to know what people ought to do. Read this paper to know what they actually do."

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

John 1:18 - No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. NASB 
​

• No One Has Seen God 

Yes, we can all say this. The one thing we know for sure is "no one has ever seen God in all of His Glory" and lived to tell about it.
 
Moses was told this by God in Exodus 33:20-23: God said, "You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!" Then the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.  "Then I will take My hand away and you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen."
 
This was the closest any man has come to visibly seeing God. 

• There Was One 

When we begin to read the Gospel of John we learn there was One, who was with God, and was God and His Name was The Word or The Logos. Then according to John 1:14 the Word became flesh and we know Him as Jesus.
 
Jesus, as He will be known on earth was known in Heaven as The Logos, came for a few reasons and one of those reasons was to explain to people what God was really like. There were a lot of misconceptions and Jesus was here to reveal God's grace and truth. 

• Do You Want To Know God? 

If you answer "yes" to the above question then I have the answer for you. I can point you in the correct direction on how to know God.
 
It is by knowing Jesus Christ.
 
The more you know Jesus the more you will know God the Father. Look what Jesus says about His relationship with the Father: John 10:30 - "I and the Father are one."
 
And look what He says a few verses later John 10:36-38 - "…do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  " If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;  but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father."
 
Jesus is speaking very clearly. He is One with the Father, the Father is in Him and He is in the Father. So, if you want to know the Father then I highly recommend reading everything you can about the Son, Jesus Christ. 

• I Have Seen God

What? Your premise from the beginning was no one can see God. How can you now change and say you have seen God?
 
Here is how I have seen God.
 
I have seen men and women confess Jesus to be their Lord and Savior and be baptized into Christ and I have witnessed God change their lives.
 
I have seen God at work in people's lives.
 
I have seen drunks never take another drink. I have seen drug addicts stop using drugs. I have seen God at work in people's lives to the point where some didn't even want to attend a worship service but came reluctantly.
 
Then after they heard the gospel their hearts were changed when they learned what Jesus did for them.
 
I have seen God at work in people's lives.
 
I pray you will allow God to work in your life today so other people can see God at work in you.
 
Luke 6:45 - "The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what isgood;…"
 
Be like Jesus and allow the good to come out of your heart and in so doing you will be like God.
 
Think About This:
 
A Christian is one who makes it easier for other people to believe in God.

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

Judges 7:2 - The LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, 'My own power has delivered me.' …" NASU 
​

• Origin Of Victories 

God informs Gideon if he went into battle against the Midianites with 22,000 soldiers the Israelite's victory would be their downfall. They would become puffed up with pride, boastful, and believe the victory happened because of their strength.
 
God wanted Israel to trust Him then. God wants us to trust Him today. 

• Faith 

Are we walking each day in faith so that no matter what enemy we meet we know we will be victorious because we walk with God?
 
Are we facing prideful enemies today?
 
Has the job promotion helped us or hurt us? Has leading a Bible study helped or hurt us? We have an enemy who is constantly trying to get us to believe we can get through this life without God's help.
 
There is one who wants us to believe what we have accomplished we have done it on our own. 

• The Way Temptations Come 

In I John 2:16 we are told the three ways we will be tempted. There will be the Lust of the Flesh, The Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life. The temptations you and I face will be able to be placed under one of these three categories.
 
The devil has been very successful in getting God's children to sin. Sin has conquered all people except Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve's sin in the garden, David's numbering Israel and Samson's sin of using his strength incorrectly were all three sins which fall under the category of Pride of Life.
 
You and I need to know the devil will use the Pride of Life to conquer us. We must stay alert for we have an enemy who seeks to hurt us by getting us to be prideful.
 
One of my mentors told me this on numerous occasions: "Don't believe everything people say about you, good or bad." 

• The Way To Defeat Temptations 

The apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 - No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 
 
The way to defeat temptations is to know God has provided for you a way to escape.
 
While visiting with some friends in Florida we all decided to go to an Escape Room. They go over some rules with you and then place you in a room and give you 45 minutes or an hour to escape. If you escape you can have the feelings of accomplishment. If you don't they show you how you could have escaped by using the clues that were in the room.
 
God has given us all the clues we need to escape every temptation the devil throws at us.
 
You have not been left alone. God has not only provided the way to escape He has given us a map (The Bible) how to get out of the temptations we are facing. 

• Temptations Didn't Work On Jesus 

When tempting our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:1f) look at the devil's plan:
 
First, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God turn these stones into bread."
 
The devil tried to get Jesus to doubt Himself. Jesus had been fasting so the devil tries tempting Him with a Lust of the Flesh temptation. Jesus quotes scripture to the devil, the same road map we have in our possession and we have the example of Jesus defeating the devil. Therefore, we can defeat him as well if we will follow the course Jesus used.
 
The devil will try and get you to doubt yourself.
 
Secondly, he said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, He will command His angels concerning You;…"
 
With this temptation, the devil uses the Pride of Life against Jesus. It fails also. Jesus quotes scripture to him.
 
Thirdly, he said to Jesus, "I will give you all these kingdoms if You will worship me."
 
Jesus once again will quote scripture and the devil's Lust of the Eyes temptation is defeated. God had provided a way to escape and each time it was using the Holy Scriptures.
 
The more of the Word of God you know the better equipped you will be to overcome all temptations.
 
Think About These:
 
Pride hides a man's faults to himself and magnifies them to everyone else.
 
When success turns a man's head, it leaves him looking in the wrong direction.

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