1 Timothy 6:7-10 - For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many grief's.  NASU
 

• Everyone Knows This 

We all know you bring nothing into this world. Many of you reading this Pump Up have witnessed a baby being born and when he or she came into this world they had nothing. They were naked at birth. They were taken, cleaned, clothed and brought back to their anxious and anticipating mother.
 
Everyone knows when you die you are not taking any materialistic thing with you. It doesn't matter if you had a watch, a ring, or a gold coin given to you by your mom or dad that you cherished. It isn't going with you.
 
Now you may put some things in their casket but that doesn't mean they took them from the casket to the next life.
 
Paul told Timothy, "… we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either."  

• Why Do We Work So Hard To Get Rich? 

Now think about this, we know we are going to die and take nothing with us. Why work so hard for something we are not going to keep?  Now some of you are thinking I am working to give my children an inheritance. Why sure you are and the reason you want to give them an inheritance is because you love how they spend their money now.
 
If you have children 18 years or older tell me you love their money spending decisions. Yeah, I didn't think so. 

• Riches Bring 

Paul says if you want to get rich get ready to fall into temptations, a snare or a trap of some kind, many foolish and harmful desires, and then be prepared to plunge into ruin and destruction.  People know this fact about riches and it bewilders me how many people still set their goals on becoming rich.
 
Seriously, plunging into ruin and destruction is the path you want to travel.
 
Paul goes on to say that if you love money it can to lead you away from your faith in Jesus Christ and dump you into a life of many griefs. Now doesn't that sound like a great life? 

• Be Smart 

Matt 6:33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
 
The best advice I can share with you today is if you want to get rich go after true riches and by that I mean seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and you will have all the things you need in this life.
 
Plus, in the next life all the materialistic things you have acquired while here you can't take with you, nor will you have any need of them in Heaven.
 
The accomplishments you have gained for the Kingdom of God will go with you into the next life. Those are the true riches and the ones you will want to obtain because death can't stop them from following you into heaven.
 
Think About These:
 
There is nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men.
 
There are two ways of being rich. One is to have all you want and the other is to be satisfied with what you have.

Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
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Mark 8:36 - "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?  NASU
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• The Correct Answer Is 

It Profits Him or Her Nothing.
 
Did you understand Jesus' question? Did you put yourself in this scriptural context?
 
Okay, let me help you have an understanding of Jesus' question.
 
You are the one who has gained the whole world. You have more money, more property, more mansions, more oceanfront properties, more cabins in the mountains, more businesses, more yachts, and more wealth than anyone has ever had because you have it all.
 
You, my friend, have gained the whole world. Please stop and contemplate on this idea. You have gained the whole world. You are the richest person that has ever lived.
 
Do you want to drive your Corvette, your BMW, your Maserati, your Lamborghini, your Dodge 426 Hemi Challenger or any other car because you can? You would be able to own any car your heart desires.
 
Where would you like to eat tonight and every night? You can eat at the most expensive restaurants in the world. You can fly to each one every night in your private jet.
 
Would you like to have dinner on your yacht in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean Sea tonight? You very well could because you have gained the whole world.
 
And yet, if you have all of the above and forfeit your soul you are the biggest loser of all time. 

• Go Out The Right Way 

I have it from a good source that One out of every One person is going to die. We are not even going to live that long.
 
I am already in what is considered my golden years. Quite a few of my classmates have already preceded me in death. My mother and father, all my aunts and uncles on my dad's side are deceased.  I only have one aunt on my mom's side still alive.
 
As I walk towards death I do it with confidence and the reason I say that is I know Jesus Christ. I have done what He has asked me to do. I have confessed His name and have been baptized for the forgiveness of my sins and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
 
Here is another reason I walk towards death with confidence:
 
When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. (Revel. 1:17-18).
 
Jesus was dead and is alive forevermore. He also has the keys to death. When death takes me Jesus is going to unlock the hold it has on me and I will be alive forevermore with Him.
 
So let me ask you this question: "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?
 
You don't have to forfeit your soul. You can live forevermore with Jesus if you so desire.
The choice is yours. Make the right one my friend.
 
Think About This:
 
The person who expects to go to heaven must take the time to study the route that will get them there.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago 

Minister of God's Word

Luke 12:17-21 - "And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?'  18 "Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  19'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."'  20 "But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'  21 "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."  NASU
 

• Amass Financial Wealth While Forgetting About Spiritual Wealth

 
This man was a wealthy worrier. I know a lot of people who believe if they had more money they would have fewer problems. There is only one problem with that belief, "It is False, and It simply isn't true."
 
This man had wealth and he was worryed because he didn't have a place big enough to store his crops. He had great financial wealth but was absolutely bankrupt when it came to spiritual wealth.
 

• He Thought He Had The Right Answer

 
He says, "This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones…"  His plan was to build larger barns. He thought he had the correct solution to his problem.
 
The only problem was he was fixing the wrong problem. He was taking care of his physical dilemma but he hadn't done anything to fix his spiritual problem. He thought after he built his bigger barns he was going to be able to kick back and take life easy.
 
He was going to eat, drink and be merry.
 

• He Forgot One Thing

 
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?'…"
 
WOW! He thought his problem was solved. He was going to find out the next day his problems were just getting started. He had lived his life and in so doing was financially in great shape, but spiritually he was in trouble.
 
God said he wasn't going to make it through the night. He was going to die. Everything this man had worked so hard for would belong to someone else. Ouch! That has got to hurt.
 
Don't let this happen to you, my friend. I know most of my subscribers personally and I know you are hard workers and I commend you for not being lazy. Please, if you have not become rich toward God do it today.
 
Confess that you believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, repent of your sins and be baptized (immersed) into Christ. If you have no one to baptize you reply to this Pump Up and I will come and baptize you into Christ.
Think About This:
 
An old farmer told me in 1985 that he could not figure out younger people. He said, "You spend all your health to get wealth and then when you get old you spend all your wealth to get health."
 
Stay Pumped, 

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

Proverbs 30:8-9 - "….give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.”  NIV 

• The Wisdom Of Agur 

If you had one wish, would your wish be like the one Agur penned down for us in the book of Proverbs?
 
I can't tell you the times I have heard it said and wished for it myself. "If only I could win the lottery."
 
We all believe we can handle money better than the ones who win it. We could do so much more with it "if only" we had won the lottery.
 
Agur does NOT want to win the lottery.  His only wish is for his daily bread. He doesn't want to win the lottery nor does he want to be poor.
 
Then he blesses us with his reasoning for only wanting his daily sustenance. If he has too much he may disown the Lord or if he is poor he may steal and dishonor his God. 

• One Thing I Noticed 

I have traveled to Uganda 5 times and each time it was a wonderful experience. I have met some of the absolutely most incredible Christians in the world. The ones I met were always smiling and always praising the Lord and I can guarantee you the poorest people in America have more than they do.
 
When was the last time you walked to a well with containers to get water for you and your family?
 
When was the last time you went to the store and bought just enough food to feed your family for that day and had no idea how you were going to purchase tomorrow'sfood?
 
Yet, some of our Christian brothers and sisters live this way everyday.
 
We get upset when our electricity goes out for an hour but some live in homes where there is no electricity, at all, ever. I wash my clothes in a washing machine and yet I have pictures of children washing their clothes in a creek. 

• So What Would You Do With One Wish? 

I am not here to tell you what to do with your one wish, but if you want to follow the example of Agur, you will not be wishing to win the lottery. You will be wishing for your daily bread, so that you won't forget the Lord, nor steal and dishonor Him.
 
Think On These:
 
Two great tests of character are wealth and poverty.

No person is so poor that he can't give a compliment.
 
Children who are reared in poverty have two meal choices - take it or leave it.
 
Stay Pumped,
 
Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word
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