Matt. 26:56- "But all this has taken place to fulfill the Scriptures of the prophets."Then all the disciples left Him and fled."   NASU

• Jesus Knew His Betrayers 

Jesus was deserted by His disciples, His friends, the ones He chose to travel with Him.  When your friends are disloyal to you this has to be one of the worst feelings a person will experience in this lifetime.  This has its own type of pain.
 
This reminds me of the old saying when you go to a friend in time of need to ask for a favor and he says, "I'd love to help you out, which way did you come in?"
 
One of the main differences is Jesus knew His betrayal was coming and He even knew the ones going to betray Him.
 
He asked Judas, "Are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" He not only knew who would betray Him He knew how it was going to be done.
 
He told Peter before the rooster crows you will have denied Me three times (Matt.26:34). We know from reading the gospels Peter will do exactly as Jesus informed him. 

• We Travel In A Different Boat 

We can't predict who will desert or betray us. It just happens and we are left to deal with the aftermath. Maybe this has happened to you with a friend, co-worker, neighbor or your spouse. Betrayal is very painful. The mental anguish wreaks havoc upon you. Like any trial the best way to overcome this is by God's Word. 

• How Christians Handle Betrayal 

Romans 3:23 - "…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,…" NASU
 
First, a Christian remembers that we are all sinners and therefore, we all make mistakes. You may also want to remember this passage of scripture:
 
Luke 22:3-4 - And Satan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, belonging to the number of the twelve. 4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Him to them.
 
The word "satan" means adversary or one who is against what you are for and the devil is the one who is against what God is for. The devil enters into Judas and then we see Judas begin his betrayal of Jesus.
 
The person who betrays you likewise may have had the devil enter into them and this person then becomes an adversary or one who is against you.
 
Second, remember that God is sympathetic and He cares about what happens to you. He knows you are hurting and He will send relief, but you will have to be patient and wait for it to arrive.
 
1 Peter 5:6-8 - Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 
 
The devil may have devoured your friend and what will the devil do next? He will get your friend to betray you exactly like he got Judas to betray Jesus.
 
Third, don't betray or desert your friends. You didn't like it done to you so practice the golden rule and do to others what you want them to do to you.
 
The best way to counter betrayal is by being a loyal friend.
 
A friend is one who walks in when everyone else is walking out on you.
 
Be the friend you want to have in your own life. This is how a Christian would handle being betrayed or deserted by a friend. 

Think About These: 
 
"A happy life consists not in the absence, but in the mastery of hardships." - Helen Keller
 
Some people may still have their first dollar, but the man who is really wealthy still has his first friend​

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

​Minister of God's Word

​Gen. 32:24-28 - So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.  When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
 
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." 
The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered. 
 
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."  NIV

• Wrestlers Are Not Afraid To Go It Alone 

"So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak."  Wrestlers are a part of a team, but they all know when it is your turn to walk out on the mat, you walk out there all alone. It is one on one.
 
There won't be any of your teammates coming to your rescue, nor would you want them to interfere. This is between you and your opponent. Jacob wrestled through the night until daybreak, alone.  

• Wrestlers Keep Going Even When They Are Hurt 

"When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man."
 
Who is this man that Jacob is wrestling? I have my thoughts about Him and will allow you to have yours, but I can tell you this much He was powerful enough to dislocate Jacob's hip with a touch.
 
In the 1972 Olympics, Dan Gable, was head butted. His trainer wrapped his head to temporarily stop the bleeding. He continues to wrestle, wins the match and then received seven stitches to close the gash.
 
In the 1998 Freestyle Wrestling Championships, Cary Kolat, dislocated his shoulder during one of his early matches. He continued to wrestle and won a bronze medal.
 
There are hundreds of wrestling stories like these. When you get hurt you keep on going. 

• Wrestlers Will Wrestle Against God If He Steps Out On The Mat 

Please know I am not trying to be sacrilegious. Jacob was wrestling with God as I see it. You and I must realize that sometimes we will have to wrestle with God also.
 
Jacob was wrestling with God. Notice what the verse says, Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God…"
 
He was struggling or wrestling with God. ​

• All Christians Are Wrestlers 

Eph 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. NKJV
 
The apostle Paul informs Christians that we likewise are wrestlers and he even names our enemies that we will be wrestling against in this life.
 
One passage of scripture we never want to forget is 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 - "…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."  NASU
 
Think About These:
 
When God measures a man, He puts the tape around his heart not his head.
 
Who is more foolish: a child who is afraid of the dark or a man who is afraid of the light?

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

​Prov. 24:16 - "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again,..."

A study of Proverbs will reveal the way to overcome adversity is to get back up after you have had your encounter with adversity. 

• Get Back Up

It doesn't matter where you are in life you can testify to this truth. As you were on your way you were knocked down by something.

It may have been an illness, a medical set back such as a torn ACL, a rejection of your resume, failure to accomplish a set goal, a divorce or the death of a loved one.
 
There are thousands of ways to get knocked down but if we intend on overcoming adversity we must get back up and re-enter the race.

We must get back up on our own two feet and start again. 

• How Do You Get Back Up?

How you get back up doesn't really matter. What matters is you find a way to become motivated again. What does it take to re-invigorate you?
 
For some, it would be a conversation with someone that you respect, or watching a movie or reading about other people who overcame adversities.

Are you one that is able to motivate yourself? Or are you the kind who will graciously allow others to help motivate you?

It doesn't matter which method works for you. What matters is in order to overcome adversity you will get back up and move forward with another plan and a new head full of ideas. 

•  How Many Times Do You Rise? 

You rise every time you get knocked down is the correct answer. But the writer of Proverbs says you get back up 7 times and that is true if you believe he is speaking literally. I believe he is speaking figuratively. The number "7" in the Bible means perfect or complete.

Every time you get knocked down by life you get back up on your feet and start all over again.    

• Why Does Life Knock Us Down?

I have trained myself not to ask the question "Why". I always ask myself "What".
 
What can I learn from this trial? I then write down the things that I can learn and allow these to help motivate me positively to keep moving forward to accomplish my goal.

If you ask "Why" you may never be able to determine if the answers you come up with are true. If you're knocked down get back up and you'll be glad you did.

If you meet some events that knock you down in life then plan on getting back up and re-engaging. This is the correct way to overcome adversity.
 
Think About These:

The difficulties of life you're going through now in 20 years will be the good ole days.

Say what you will about trouble; it always gives us something to talk about.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

​Ps 30:5, 10-12 - "Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning…"
 
10 "Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper." 11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, 12 That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.  NASU 

• Prepare Yourself Mentally 

The key to overcoming any rough day is to have trained yourself mentally. You must know and believe that tomorrow is a new day and with it comes a fresh start. Training yourself mentally beforehand is very important to your success of overcoming a rough day or days.
 
David says, "Weeping may last for the night, BUT a shout of joy comes in the morning…"
 
David is writing this Psalm after he got in trouble with God for numbering the people. He knew he had done wrong, the plague had come upon him and his people were suffering because of his actions.
 
He also knows that joy comes in the morning.
 
We must train our minds to think all I have to do is make it until tomorrow because "joy" comes in the morning.  We are all 24 hours or less away from a joyous occasion. When I find myself in tough situations I always tell myself, "I can endure anything for 24 hours. I will get a fresh start tomorrow."
 
It is like a wrestler who needs to get out of bounds and get a fresh start. It is not exactly what you want to do, but sometimes it is what you have to do. 

• Prepare Yourself To Trust In The Mercies Of God 

David said to the prophet Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man." (2 Sam. 24:14).
 
God had informed David that because of his sin (numbering the people, which is the equivalent to taking a census, by doing this David was showing his faith was in the number of people and not in God, this also shows David had an issue with pride) he would be punished.
 
God was going to send a plague. He names three different plagues and allows David the opportunity to choose which plague he wanted to endure.
 
David chose the plague of falling into God's hand because David knew God's mercies are great. You and I must absolutely positively know the mercies of God are great.
 
He has His eyes on us and He will not give us more than we can bear. 2 Sam. 24:16 -When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Now relax your hand!"  NASU
 
David was correct when he desired to fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great. In this passage, we see God putting a halt to the punishment that was being administered.
 
You and I will do well to trust in the mercies of God. God will be our helper and turn our mourning into dancing. It will be God who puts a stop to the punishment that is upon us. 

• Prepare Yourself To Sing 

David was going to sing praises to the LORD, his God and give thanks forever. Here is the best advice I can give you.
 
Let's prepare ourselves to sing praises to God and give Him thanks forever. God will be the One who brings our night of weeping to a close and opens our morning with joy.
 
Think AboutThese:
 
We learn some things from prosperity, but we learn many things from adversity.
 
Your character is what you have remaining when you have lost everything you can lose.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Luke 10:40-41 - But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;…" 
​

• Covid 19 

What a distraction Covid 19 has caused in our world. What a distraction it has caused in the Lord's church. After the lockdown had been lifted many church's attendance have plummeted. People are distracted by Covid 19. Their focus isn't on the Lord it is on themselves.
 
Here is what Jesus says about your life: Matt.10:39 - "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
 
Don't be afraid of Covid 19 or anything else. If it kills you it actually has set you free from this body and allows you to have a glorified body. 

• The Devil's Old Friends 

Alcohol and drugs two of the devil's tools of distraction are still around and being used like never before. They have distracted all types of people for centuries.
 
Sometimes the love of money or sex two more of the devil's old tools have distracted people from doing their jobs or launching their careers.
 
There are all types of distractions that can come into a person's life. 

• Martha's Distraction 

In Martha's case, she was distracted by her preparations to serve the Lord a meal. She could not believe her sister, Mary, was in there sitting at the feet of Jesus, while she was doing all the work.
 
Mary was listening to Jesus and Martha was preparing the meal. Let me say it another way, Mary was focused on what Jesus was saying and Martha was focused on the fact that her sister was not helping her prepare the meal.
 
There it is friends the keyword: "FOCUS."
 
Mary was focused on what Jesus was teaching. Mary wasn't the least bit interested in eating, leastways not physical food. She was focused on what Jesus was saying. 

• Recognizing When One Is Distracted 

Here are two noticeable signs someone has lost their focus: 

1. Martha was focused on what someone else was not doing.
2. Martha was irritable because her focus was in the wrong place.

If you are working with or coaching someone and you notice these two signs (loss of focus & irritability) in them. You need to speak with them as Jesus did with Martha. He told her she was worried and bothered about too many things.
 
In other words, she was not focused on the right thing. You want to help that person focus on what is important and what they are doing to improve themselves.

• Helping One To Overcome Distractions 

Ask them some questions.

• What are you trying to accomplish today, next week, month, or year?
• How are you planning on accomplishing these goals?
• How successful is your plan right now?

 You want the person to focus on what he/she is doing not on what others are not doing.

Jesus gives Martha the solution to her problem when He tells her she needed to prioritize her life. Jesus says, "but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her."(v.42)

Life is about PRIORITIES. If you don't prioritize you will only make your life harder.
 
Martha hadn't chosen the one necessary thing. She chose to be distracted about something that would not really be that beneficial to her. Her priorities were incorrect. 
 
As Steven Covey said, "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."
 
That is all we have to do to overcome distractions "Keep the main thing the main thing."

Think About This:

What chance can a man have to control his destiny when he can't control himself?

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word