Category Archives: Affection

Advice, Affection, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Comfort, Commands, Completeness, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Fatherhood, Forgiveness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Suffering, Surrender, Witnessing

BEGGING

1 THESSALONIANS 5:27

“I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren.” 

Paul is begging here. That kind of surprised me. Paul doesn’t strike me as a person who would beg for anything. But he is begging them, adjuring them, trying to persuade them to share this letter. After all, there wasn’t Face Book or Instagram back then, lol. Paul couldn’t tweet out his message. He had to rely on others to pass on his words.

Have you ever been asked to help spread the word about something? Maybe someone is having a yard sale and asks you to let your friends know. Perhaps the church is hosting an event and asks all its members to invite others to come. We invite people to stuff all the time. But do we share the good news about Jesus enough?

APPLICATION

Ask your little Johnny or Susie if they have good news to share with someone? They may say, “What do you mean, Mom?” Explain to them that if they are a believer, they have the best story in the world to share. They should be telling everyone they know about how much Jesus loves them. Keeping that to themselves is…well…selfish. Don’t you think?

Help them make a list of people they want to tell about Jesus. And it’s okay for them to list people who are already saved. They may just need a little encouragement that day. We never know what people are dealing with. The words of a child to an adult can be very soothing. If needed, go with them to talk to those people. But make sure you follow up to see if they talked to those individuals.

To whom do you need to talk to today? Who, in your sphere of influence, needs to hear about the saving power of the blood of Christ? We have such wonderful news. Don’t keep it to yourself. I adjure you to share it today.

Lord, put people in my life today to whom I can share Jesus. Let me be bold and courageous as I step forward to represent You in my community.

Standard
Advice, Affection, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Commands, Encouragement, Family, Inspirational, Love, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Purity, Surrender

SMOOCHIE, SMOOCHIE

1 THESSALONIANS 5:26

“Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.” 

Now, before you think I am trying to be funny, let me just say that we are told four times by Paul and once by Peter to greet each other with a holy kiss. It was common back then, but not so much today, at least not in my culture. Jesus uses this word twice. Once was when Mary anointed His fee with the ointment. He told Simon that he had not greeted Him with a kiss. The other time was when He asked Judas if he was betraying Him with a kiss. Those two weren’t exactly “holy” kisses.”

But that is the point. This kiss is supposed to be HOLY. It’s supposed to be a different kind of kiss. It isn’t a smoochie kiss. It was a greeting among close friends. It was meant to be tender but not intimate. It was sincere but not erotic. It was done properly and respectfully. It truly was a holy kiss.

APPLICATION

Don’t you love to kiss your children or grandchildren? I have always kissed my kids. Now that I have four grandchildren, I kiss them too. Those kisses were always given with love. Sometimes those kisses were playful, but they were always proper. Tell your children why you kiss them. Tell them it is a sign of love and tenderness. But also tell them that they must be done with the right motive.

In this day of wrong motivated people, we have to guard our children against receiving or giving improper affection. Explain to them that a holy kiss ALWAYS respects the other person and is NEVER forced. In fact, a holy kiss could be seen as how you would greet the Lord Himself. You are kissing another believer in the name of the Lord, so that would always be right and proper.

But this holy kiss isn’t for everyone. There are people in your church body you would not even dream of giving a holy kiss. Why? Because they would not know how to receive it. There are others, however, who would know how it is meant and would receive it warmly. It is an expression of love for our Savior and a bond between believers. Show your close brothers and sisters some love today.

Father, Your kisses from heaven to me are welcomed and appreciated. Help me give a holy kiss to that fellow believer today who needs it.

Standard