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John 1:19-20 - This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." NASU
If you remember the story John's mom was barren for a long time. Zacharias was in the temple when an angel came to him and informed him that he and Elizabeth were going to have a son and they were to name him, John. The angel had this to say about who John was going to be in Luke 1:14-15 - "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; … and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit…" How many times do you believe John heard about the angel's visit to his dad in the temple? How many times do you think John would have heard "he will be great in the sight of the Lord and that he was going to be filled with the Holy Spirit"? John believed what his parents taught him. All you have to do is read about him in the gospels and you can see he wasn't afraid to preach the truth. He preached to kings, priests, Levites and the common people. He let them all know they needed to repent for the Kingdom of God was at hand. He was living out what his parents taught him about himself.
Over 3,000 years ago Solomon informed us that our thinking controls our actions. I wonder how many parents, teachers or coaches ruined the children they were in contact with on a daily basis because they filled their heads with untruths? We probably have all heard we weren't good enough, or smart enough or talented enough to achieve our goals. Some people listened and they didn't achieve what was possible because they simply didn't try. They believed the lies that were taught to them.
Num. 13:30-33 - Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us." … and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." There were two men Joshua and Caleb they came back with a good report that the Israelites could conquer Canaan because they knew God was going to help them. However, the other 10 spies said no it is impossible for us to conquer them because they were much stronger. They even go so far to say that they viewed themselves "as grasshoppers" in their minds. Their thinking was polluted with lies and doubts. They had no faith that God was going to help them. They only looked at their own strength as their source of power. If you don't know what happened I will tell you the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because of the 10 Israelites who were paralyzed with "stinking thinking".
Seriously, "Who Are You"? What do you have to say about yourself? Where did this information come from? Was the person someone who loved you, wanted the best for you or were they negative, had issues themselves and you were the one they dumped their garbage on constantly? If you really want to know who you are then you need to read God's Word and discover what God has to say about you. Do you know you were created in the image of God? Do you know if you have faith in Jesus Christ you have been justified and have peace with God? Do you know that while we were sinners God demonstrated His Love for us by sending Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to atone for our sins? I could keep going on and on about what God has done for us, but it is much better if you just read His Word and find out for yourself. So let me ask you an all important question: Who Are You? Think About These: Put your trust in God, not man. Heavenly Father, into Your hands I place my troubles, into Your Wisdom I place my goals, and into Your Love I place my life. What is important is God knows who we are. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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Acts 5:38-39 - "So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God."
NASU
Now the High Priest, the Sadducees and other very high ranking Israelites were jealous of the apostles and commanded them to stop preaching that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 5:29 - But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.) Peter informs them the apostles are not going to stop preaching because they have been given this directive from God. Acts 5:27-30 - The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. Peter and the apostle's answer only infuriate this council and their intentions have moved from putting them in jail to killing them (vs.33). A Pharisee named Gamaliel happened to be at this meeting and with a voice of reason he persuades them against their plan of killing these innocent men when he makes the following statement to the council: I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God ."
A few weeks back I did a Pump Up about Jonah and how he tried to run from God. That is how he thought he could beat God. His plan was I am going to out run God. We all know that plan will never succeed. Killing the apostles at this time will also not succeed. One thing I have learned being a Christian doesn't exempt you from being killed by the evil one. But your death will not happen until God allows it to happen. God told satan he could do what he wanted to Job, but he was not allowed to terminate his life. The devil tried to have Jesus killed numerous times before His actual crucifixion but he never succeeded. What about us? I believe if God is using us to accomplish His will the evil one can't kill us until we have accomplished what God had called us to fulfill. Will the devil try to kill you? I am not sure it would be him personally trying to kill you but maybe one of his evil ones. I believe the devil's main targets are the presidents, kings, queens and judges of countries. He wants to establish policies that are evil and against Biblical principles. Will the devil win? The devil will not win his fight against God. Matt. 25:41- "Then He will also say to those on His left, ' Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;…" Rev. 20:10 - And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. These two scriptures inform us the devil and all his followers will end up defeated and thrown into the Lake of Fire. It doesn't matter who you are you can not win a fight when your opponent is God. It is better to be on God's side than not to be. Think About This: There is a way to stay out of hell but no way to get out of hell. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Matt 22:41 - Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: NASU
Their trick question backfires on them when Jesus says, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven…." The Bible says, Acts 2:37-38 - Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When they heard this what is this? It is the gospel that Jesus had died for them. Once they believed that Jesus died for them what were they to do? They were to "repent and be baptized". Guess what? There are Sadducees still around today. I have had people come up to me and say a person doesn't have to be baptized. They generally want to give me some hypothetical situation (like the Sadducees above with their seven brother's scenario). In their story they have a person who starts to believe in Jesus but there is no water around and he dies. They state God is an all loving God and this person is a believer but there wasn't any water near for him to be baptized. So is God going to send him to hell?
God through the prophet Ezekiel informed us of God's love for sinners. When in Ezek. 33:11 - "Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. I believe if a man truly wanted to repent and be baptized God would see to it that it happened. Some would say but there is no water and I would say have you ever read Nehemiah 9:14-15 - Through Your servant Moses. 15 "You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst,…" God is able to make bread fall down from heaven and water to come from a rock. I don't think we should short change His power and what He can do when a man is trying to obey His commands. What question would God ask you? Would He ask you why you haven't obeyed His commands? Or would He ask you what made you want to obey His commands? I believe it would be great to quote this passage of scripture to God: Acts 5:32 - "And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him." We all need the Holy Spirit in this life and God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him. As it says in Acts 2 repent and be baptized and God will forgive you of your sins and give you the gift of the Holy Spirit. I hope you won't argue with God or try to make up hypothetical questions where you try and place God in a corner for when you do that you are displaying you really don't know the power of God. Think About These: God isn't asking you to figure it out. He's asking you to trust that He already has. Faith is trusting God even when you don't understand His plan. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Luke 4:24-27 - And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." NASU
He goes back to His home town of Nazareth and enters the synagogue. There He reads from the book of Isaiah. When He is finished reading, He informs them this prophecy of Isaiah has been fulfilled in their hearing it. He is truthfully telling them He is the Messiah, the Christ or the Anointed One. We know they didn't believe Him because He quotes their response, "…Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." They have heard about His miracles in Capernaum, but they want to see some personally before they are going to believe in Him. It is going to take more than Jesus reading scripture and saying, "This is now fulfilled…" for them to become believers that He is the Messiah.
His second reference is II Kings 5 where the Prophet of God, Elisha, heals a Gentile Captain of the hated Syrian Army from his leprosy. What enrages the people of Nazareth is Jesus' comparison and conclusion. He informs them that there were many widows in Israel during the 3 1/2 years of famine, but God never sent any of His prophets to help them. Then Jesus steps it up a notch when He said, "There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." This had to anger them severely. You want to talk about being stabbed in the heart with the truth. God helped the Captain of the Hated Syrian Army, but He never healed one Israelite who had leprosy. Yes, that would have to sting. I have had people tell me they don't believe Jesus would ever hurt anyone's feelings. I always think they can't be talking about the same Jesus I know. Because the One I know who was and is the Son of God, would hurt your feelings if you were living the wrong way.
They were so enraged by His comments they literally want to kill Him. I guess you could say, "Jesus really angered those people." If you want to anger people tell them the truth. Think On These: The man who follows the crowd will never be followed by the crowd. Truth often hurts, but it's the lie that leaves the scars. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word John 8:33 - They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You will become free'?" NASU
The Jews here are participating in "selective memory". They are saying they have never been enslaved to anyone. Really! Just saying something doesn't make it TRUE. If I were Jesus, I would have asked them if they have ever heard of Egypt, have they ever heard of Moses, have they ever heard of the Red Sea, or have they ever heard of the 10 plagues upon Egypt? The Israelites were enslaved by Egypt for over 400 years. The entire book of Exodus is all about Moses getting the Israelites out of this Egyptian bondage. Now, these Pharisees said, "They have never been enslaved to anyone." Yet, the truth of the matter is they have been enslaved, AND they are enslaved right now by the Roman Empire. They are lying to themselves. Just saying something doesn't make it TRUE.
Romans 6:5-7 - For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin… Galatians 4:6-8 - Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are no gods. I am just the opposite of those Pharisees for I have been enslaved. I was a child of the devil, something I hate to say, but it was true. When God's Spirit was not in my life I did some very horrible things. If any of you are reading this Pump Up and I did something to you before I became a Christian (3-2-1975) please accept my apology. I genuinely ask for your forgiveness.
Romans 6:2-5 - How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,… When I was baptized into Jesus Christ I was baptized into His death and when I was raised up from the watery grave it was my first resurrection. I was now no longer a slave to sin. If you remember the story of the Israelites enslavement as they were leaving Egypt they walked on dry land but they were surrounded by water. There was the Red Sea on their right and left sides and a cloud (which is made up of water) over them. Below is how the apostle Paul said it: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 - For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;… I find it pretty cool that God freed us both using baptism. The Israelites were freed from bondage using Moses' baptism and today we are freed from the bondage of our sins through Christ's baptism. You can be freed from your sins also. Think About This: There are thousands of ways of pleasing God, but none without trusting Him. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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