Mt 10:24-28 - A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.  25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! 
 
26 "Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.  27 " What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.  NASU 

• Have The Proper Attitude 

The Greek word for "disciple" means to be a "learner or a student." One of the first lessons Jesus is teaching those who wish to become one of His disciples is to have the proper attitude.
 
If we are going to be a "disciple" we won't have an attitude that elevates us above our teacher, Jesus. We will see Him as He is the Son of God.
 
Now you might be thinking, "Well that is not too hard." But remember, when Jesus was teaching these lessons, a lot of people didn't believe He was God's Son the way we do.
 
In fact, one of the first controversies about Jesus was whether He was of the same substance as God (Gk. -homoousian) or a similar substance to God (Gk.- homoiousian).  This was discussed at the First Council of Nicea in AD 325.
 
As disciples, we should always have an attitude that leads us to always learn as much as we can about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and become as much like Him as we possibly can.
 
Are you willing to be a disciple of Jesus if it means you have to study God's Word so that you can be like your Teacher, Jesus? 

• Expect Harsh Criticism 

They called Jesus, Beelzebul. The word Beelzebul means god of dung. So now, that gives you an idea of what they are saying about Jesus.
 
Jesus and His disciples are teaching that He is the Son of God and His enemies are saying He is a god, alright. He is Beelzebul, the god of dung (dung is manure).
 
As disciples of Jesus, we know they maligned our Teacher, and we will be maligned for our beliefs as well.
 
Are you willing to be a disciple of Jesus if it means you will have people say evil things about you? 

• Fight Fear 

We are commanded by our Teacher not to give into fear.

Can we do this? Yes, we can or He would not have commanded it. Jesus doesn't tell us to do things that are impossible.

Don't give into fear. Everything Jesus taught will be revealed. It will be revealed that He truly is the Son of God.
 
Now instead of being conquered by fear, be conquered by the desire to go everywhere and speak the truth about Jesus Christ.
 
We are to speak in the light what we have heard. What have we heard? Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and He has come as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.
 
Think On These:
 
If you are not afraid to face the music, you may someday lead the band.
 
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquest of it.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Please feel free to Share this Pump Up with others by Sharing on Your Facebook page or Forwarding to a friend.
​

Luke 2:15-16 - When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger."   NASU

•   The Meaning of Bethlehem

Most Christians probably know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

What some may not know is the meaning of Bethlehem. It means "house of bread". Jesus was the Bread of Life or the Bread of God that came from the "house of bread" to give spiritual life to the world. 

John 6:33 - "For the bread of God is that which comes down out of heaven, and gives life to the world."  NASU

John 6:35 - Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.  NASU

John 6:41 - So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” NASU

John 6:48 - "I am the bread of life."  NASU

John 6:51 - "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”   NASU

When Jesus comes into your life He is able to completely satisfy your spiritual hunger.

•   The Sheep of Bethlehem

Bethlehem was five miles from Jerusalem. The sheep that one day would be sacrificed in Jerusalem were raised on the hills of Bethlehem. 
 
The sheep that were offered on the altar were special as they were sheep without a blemish.
 
When John the Baptist saw Jesus he said this about Him. 
 
John 1:29 - ...“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"

John saw Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This Lamb was born in Bethlehem where a lot of other lambs were born that would sacrifice their blood. But only the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, could totally atone for the sins of mankind.

As you think about Jesus the Lamb of God, one thing you must know for sure and that is whatever sins you have committed can be forgiven through Jesus' sacrificial offering of Himself. His blood has been offered at the altar of God to pay for the sins of everyone.

What this means for us today is that we can celebrate Christmas with JOY in our hearts because a Savior was born on Christmas day and we have allowed the Savior's blood to cover, to wash away or atone for our sins.

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior I would like to encourage you to do this today. If you are not sure exactly how to do this please reply to this email and I will personally help you.

• Wishing You A Very Merry Christmas

I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and please don't forget that many years ago Jesus the Bread of Life, and the Lamb of God, was born in Bethlehem so that we could be fed spiritually and our sins could be forgiven by the Blood of the Lamb, who is Jesus.

What greater gift could anyone receive?
Truly, Jesus is the Gift that keeps on giving.

Think on This:

Jesus really is the reason for the season. The greatest gift that could be given has been given. 

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
​

Luke 1:13-14, 16-17 - Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14 "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth…  "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah… 

• Kept Promises 

There isn't a better reason to trust someone than "kept promises." In today's Pump Up, I want to share with you proof of why we can trust God and that proof is He kept all of the promises He made.
When I was maturing as a young man my father taught me this very simple lesson. He said, "This world can take everything away from you, but they can never take away your word. So, if you give your word, you keep it."

God has given us His Word many times and has always kept His Word.

I want to look at some (not all) of the promises God made preceding the birth of Jesus Christ. 

• First, look at the promises God made to Zacharias. 

God said Zacharias' wife, Elizabeth, was going to become pregnant and bear them a son. He was to name his son John, which means God is gracious.

As you continue to read the story in Luke 1 you will notice the fulfillment of God's promises.  He said she would give birth to a son and she did.

He said, "Many will rejoice at his birth." They were rejoicing at his birth. He was to be named John and he was named John. There are more promises in verses 16 and 17, and as you read the New Testament you can find their fulfillments. 

• God's promises to Zacharias fulfilled. 

Lk 1:57-63 - Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her…. 60 But his mother answered and said, "No indeed; but he shall be called John." 61 And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by that name." 62 And they made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, "His name is John."   NASU 

• Second, look at the promises God made to Mary. 

Luke 1:30-35 - The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.  NASU

God promised Mary a Son, and told her what His name was to be, He promised her Son would be given the throne of David, reign over the house of Jacob and His kingdom would have no end, and all of these promises were kept.

When we read Luke 2 the promises God made to Mary begin their fulfillment. Even today as people give their lives to Jesus Christ they become a part of the promise God made to Mary when He said, "His kingdom would have no end."

If you are not a part of Jesus' kingdom, what are you waiting for?

All you have to do is believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, confess that you believe that to God, and then be baptized (immersed) into Christ. If you need help accomplishing this, write me.

I promise I will help you.

Give yourself the best Christmas gift ever; give yourself a new life in Christ.
Gal 3:27 - For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. NASU

Now that would be an article of clothing worth showing to others.

Think On This:

Keeping Christmas is good, but sharing it with others is much better.

Stay Pumped and Have A Merry Christmas,

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.

Luke 1:13 - But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John." NASU 

• God Answers Prayers According To His Time 

In this verse, God is confirming through the angel Gabriel that He has heard Zacharias prayers and they are about to be answered.

We are not exactly sure when Zach started praying for a child, but we can surmise it has been some time. We know he is an older man (vs.7).

We know he isn't 50 years of age yet because that is the age when the Levitical Priests had to retire. Numbers 8:23-25 - Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 24 "This is what applies to the Levites: from twenty-five years old and upward they shall enter to perform service in the work of the tent of meeting. 25 "But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from service in the work and not work anymore. NASU

I would imagine, though, he was very close to 50 years of age when God is going to answer his prayer for a child. 

• Have You Been Praying? 

Maybe you have been praying a long time for something. My recommendation is to continue to pray, and God will answer you according to His time table and not yours.

Also, He may answer your prayer with a "No" or a "Yes" or He even may answer yours like He did Zach - after many years of praying.

When we pray we must realize that God is in control and will always answer our prayers at the appropriate time. When prayers are not answered the next day or the next week, it doesn't mean God isn't going to answer them.

The Israelites prayed for over 400 years to be freed from their Egyptian captivity, but when the time was right God sent forth Moses and freed them. 

God's timing is always right. 

Notice what God says in Galatians 4:4 - "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,..."  NASU

• Celebrating The Birth Of Jesus 

As we begin the month of December and prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior many years ago, let us first remember some other interesting Biblical stories that go along with His birth.

Before the birth of Jesus there must be the birth of John, who will become known as, John the Baptist. This is what Jesus says about John in Matt. 11:11- "Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! NASU

That is quite the compliment. 

• What About Your Birth? 

Before we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ this year I would like to ask you a question.

Have you been born again? 

If you really want to give yourself a Christmas gift, why not give yourself the greatest gift possible. Give yourself the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

As stated above, Jesus compliments John the Baptist, but He also compliments those who have entered into His spiritual kingdom when he compares them to John in Matt 11:11- Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. NASU 

• Conclusion 

The name Zacharias means "God Remembers".

The name Elizabeth means "God is my oath".

The name John means "God is Gracious".

When you put these names together it says, "God remembers His oath and is Gracious."

He remembered His oath and sent us His Son who atoned for our sins and redeemed us.

I pray you will not ever forget that Christmas gift.

Think On This:

The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much you spend. 

Stay Pumped and Have a Merry Christmas,

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.