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Ferguson, MO Fulfills This Proverb

11/26/2014

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Prov. 28:4-5 - "those who forsake the law praise the wicked, But those who keep the law strive with them. 5 Evil men do not understand justice,…" NASU 
  • Thief, And A Thug 
Michael Brown is shown robbing a store of a box of cigars and when confronted by the little store owner, the 6' 5"  289 lbs of Michael Brown grabs him with one hand and pushes away as he walks out the door with the stolen cigars.
 
There is no doubt Michael Brown fits the description of the one who is wicked that is being spoken about in Prov. 28:4. and the people who were rioting and protesting are the ones forsaking the law. 
  • The Police Of Ferguson 
The police of the city of Ferguson, also fulfills this proverb as they were the ones who had to strive with the wicked law breakers not once but numerous times. It amazes me that people can do the wrong things and when they have to pay the price some people become upset by this.
 
I wonder if Michael Brown's parents had owned the store where the cigars wore stolen and they were man handled by the thief, if they would have accepted this crime against them or if they would have called 911 and asked for the Ferguson police to come and investigate a crime that had been committed against them?
 
I am pretty sure I know the answer to that question. 
  • What Does The Rioting In The Streets of Ferguson Suggest? 
"Evil men do not understand justice,…" says Prov.28:5  They don't understand the grand jury's ruling. Well, there is a revelation if I have ever read one. Evil men don't understand justice, nor do they want justice.
 
There would be no justice in punishing Officer Darren Wilson, there would only be revenge, which is a crime of a different kind. 
  • What Lessons Are We To Learn From This Situation? 
Be not a law breaker because sooner or later you will have to pay the price. It is better to be one who keeps the law than one who is a law breaker.
 
I am not advocating the keeping of laws here for your salvation, for that is impossible. We are saved because Jesus kept all the laws perfectly. We will be saved when we accept the blood of Jesus to atone for our sins.
 
I am advocating the keeping of laws to be a good citizen of the USA. Prov. 28:18 -He who walks blamelessly will be delivered, But he who is crooked will fall all at once. NASU
 
It is to our advantage to obey the laws of the land or as stated above to walk blamelessly for in so doing we will be delivered. If you don't obey the laws of the land then know this your fall will come all at once. It will come upon you suddenly and when it comes there will not be anyone to blame but yourself.
 
Keep the laws and be a model citizen of the country you live in while here on earth and also be a model citizen of Heaven while living temporarily here on earth.
 
Think On This:
 
Pride hides a man's faults to himself and magnifies them to everyone else.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago


Minister of God's Word
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When You Do This You Do God's Will

11/19/2014

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1 Thes. 5:18 - "…in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."   NASU 
  • Tomorrow Is Thanksgiving Day In The USA 
I would like to first of all wish every one of my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.
 
Tomorrow is the day that has been set aside for us to give thanks for all the blessings we have been given from God. I am sure we do not wait until this one day of the year to give thanks. 
  • Today And Everyday Is Thanksgiving Day For All Christians 
According to the scripture above we are to give "thanks" in everything. It would also be my interpretation that we are to give "thanks" every day. Paul says that when we give "thanks" we are doing the Will of God and one way to do God's Will daily is to give thanks daily.
 
I have had people say to me for years that they want the Will of God to be done in their lives. I would say to them be "thankful" and you will be doing the Will of God. They always got this strange look on their face and would say, "Yeah, I am thankful but you know I really want to do the Will of God."

I would always tell them according to the Apostle Paul if you will be "thankful" in everything you will be doing the Will of God. 
  • Being Thankful Is An Attitude That Guides Our Behavior 
Almost always when you tell someone to be thankful in all things their next question will be, "So God expects us to give thanks when one of our children has died?"
 
Instead of me answering that question since I have never had one of my children die I quote a man who was familiar with the death of a child. In fact, he lost 10 children in one disastrous day. Job's wife even wanted him to curse God for what had just happened to their family.
 
Job 2:9-10 - Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" 10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. NASU
 
Job had just lost his 10 children, all his animals, all of  his herds or in other words, his wealth. But Job's ATTITUDE guides his BEHAVIOR.
 
He doesn't sin by saying things that he would later regret.

Job wasn't "thankful" for the death of his children and the loss of his wealth, but his attitude was he would accept good from God and now when adversity would come into his life he would accept it as well. Many times in life we have to accept things that we don't like.
  • Job Is A Great Example For Us All 
In life everything that happens to us will not make us say "thanks" all of the time, but when those events that happen to us that stop us in our tracks neither will we want to curse God and die.
 
We must wait upon the Lord and in time once the pain has decreased some we will start to allow God to give us the answers to the trials we faced.
 
Job's attitude guides his behavior and it says, "In all of this Job did not sin with his lips." In other words he didn't curse God and ask to die. 
  • Develop An Attitude Of Thankfulness 
The best advice that I can give you in this Pump Up is to develop an attitude of Thankfulness. I know in all of my prayers I begin by giving thanks to God for something. I want to do the Will of God and one way I can do His Will is by giving thanks.
 
If you do a little inspection of your life you will find you have more to give thanks for then you might realize.
 
Develop an attitude of Thankfulness and you will never regret it.
 
Think On This:
 
It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.
 
Many times we don't get all that we want, but we should be thankful that we don't get what we deserve.
 
Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago


Minister of God's Word
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What Are You Saying About Yourself?

11/12/2014

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Jn 5:36 - "… the very works that I do — testify about Me,…"    NASU 
  • The Works Of Jesus 
In our text above Jesus said the works that He did testified about Him. He was given a job by His Father and He accomplished it. Therefore, the accomplished works of Jesus stated clearly what kind of person He was.
 
John the Baptist was in prison and he is having some doubts about Jesus being the Messiah so he sends some of his men to ask Jesus if He were the One that was to come or should they be looking for another.
 
Jesus gives them this answer in Lk 7:22-23 - And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed , and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM."  NASU
 
Oh yeah, He is the One all right because Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be doing exactly what Jesus said He has been doing. 
  • The Works Of You 
What would your works say about you?
 
I was at the bedside of a man who was going in for some major heart surgery. When we were all alone he confessed to me that he had not been living his life correctly and he would like to have a second chance to make things right at home, at work and most importantly with the Lord.
 
I prayed that he would come through his surgery successfully and that the Lord would allow him time to change his legacy.
 
I learned something really important from that brother that day and it was when you are faced with the possibility that you might die you really want to arrange your life according to those things which are really important. 
  • What Is Really Important To You? 
As you read this Pump Up and with no one else around answer this question, "What is really important to you? Now do some introspection of yourself and can you say that your works testify that what you're doing matches what you think is important?
 
If you said, "My family, my job or the Lord is important to me." Then your works should be your proof that your family, job or the Lord is really important to you.
 
Don't say that something is important to you and then have no works to support your statement because that will make you a hypocrite and that is certainly not what you're interested in accomplishing.

It was really important for Jesus to stay focused on His goals and we see Him doing exactly that staying focused on His purpose for coming to earth. That is why He says that His works testify about Him.
 
So ask yourself this question: "What do your works say about you?"
 
Think on These:
 
The plain fact is that human beings are happy only when they are striving for something worthwhile.
 
This will be a better world when the power of love replaces the love of power.
 
Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago


Minister of God's Word
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This Is How To End An Argument.

11/5/2014

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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 on this one special day. 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 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.  
  • 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 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 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 PA. in the 1980's. 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 and one up the ante. 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 the wrong direction in an argument. The wife told me that when her and her husband get into a fight he is always the one who diffuses it by following the advice of Solomon. 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 work place 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 are 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 your 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 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
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