I want to “Pump You Up”

On Saturday Night Live, Hans and Franz entertained us Saturday after Saturday with their sketches which mimicked/spoofed Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Hans and Franz were fictional body builders who would have guest whom they would share body building tips to build up their bodies. They are noted for their noted phrase “I am Hans, and I am Franz; and we just want to.. [ clap ] Pump.. you up!”

In spiritual terms, I want to “Pump You Up”. I want to give you spiritual body building tips to build up the body of Christ. Whether you are a current believer or one to come later, we are encouraged to participate in building up the body of Christ.  Romans 14:19 ^“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” 1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.”

The text that inspired the post today is 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

For the past few posts, I have used Psalms 2 as the text to guide what I wrote. It fueled me as I spoke to several people yesterday including my daughter who is not beginning to experience real life. She is facing people talking about her and bullying her. For some time, she has been insulated from that type of behavior because she was not in that environment nor was she of the age where kids were of that ilk. Now as a middle schooler, I am well aware of that as I see it every day when school is in session. While I talked to her about resolving conflict, what she needs most is a spiritual build up, so I will tell her this morning that I want to “Pump You Up”.

Beyond that, I want to share with you how my triune God “Pumps Me Up”. Let’s face it, life is a challenge. There are people and circumstances that are bent on deflating us rather than pumping us up. When danger is imminent, there are two responses – fight or flight. If we fight, we must be sure to have the right defensive and offensive maneuvers to experience success. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11, we learn that Jesus died to save us from the wrath of God and to allow us to live together with him. The scriptures are replete with example after example where God was with man.

I will just give you one example from my life. Over the past six months, God has continually told me that He is with me. He has reassured me over and over that “Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” The way for us to be pumped up is to take refuge in God. Refuge is a place of shelter, protection, or safety. God is all of that for us. In the post Blessed are All who take Refuge in Him, I shared many blessings that result from seeking refuge in God. Another way to seek refuge in God is to put your trust in God. This means that we are covered by God no matter what the circumstance. Psalms 91:4 says, “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” A rampart is a wall of earth or other material built for defense;

any protection against external danger, injury, or annoyance. This is what Jesus is to me. This is the message God has given me for the past few months. This is how I want to “Pump You Up”.

 

 

Tags: build up each other, mutual edification