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PEACE AND QUIET

2 THESSALONIANS 3:12

“Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.” 

I will never forget my Mama telling us all she wanted for Mothers’ Day was some peace and quiet. With four children running around the house, she surely needed that. Of course, we always got her the most awesome gift anyway. Those childhood gifts were all stored away as treasures, which we found when she passed away. She never did get that peace and quiet, though, on Mothers’ Day.

This word “quiet” is only used four times in the New Testament. It refers to the God produced calmness that only a believer can have. It is not speechlessness, but it implies that true peace and quiet feeling in which you can truly rest. Who doesn’t want that? You can only experience this as you rest in Christ and follow His precepts.

APPLICATION

Ask your children for some peace and quiet and see what happens. They may get quiet for a moment, but pretty soon the snickers and giggles will start or the arguing returns. Children, at least most of them, are just not naturally quiet. There is just too much of life to investigate and enjoy.

But we have to introduce them to the quiet peace of Jesus. That will stay with them for life. They will only find true rest as they discover the peace that transcends all understanding. It is there they can get spiritually quiet and hear the Lord. It is there they can find solace in the midst of life’s storms.

You may be saying, “Carl, I have never had that kind of peace and quiet.” Well, ask Him for it. It all begins with your salvation. Through His saving power He pours out His peace on us. Through His sanctifying power He fills us with His peace. If you don’t have His peace, you will never experience true peace. Turn to Him today and rest. Get quiet with Jesus.

I hear Your voice in the still moments, Lord. I rest in You. I want that quietness. I need Your peace.

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MY BODYGUARD


2 THESSALONIANS 3:3

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.”  

Do you realize that when you surrender your life to Christ and invite Him into your life to save and redeem you, you get your own personal bodyguard? I don’t mean to reduce the Lord to a simple position like that, but He does step in to protect us from evil. The word “protect” has the idea of a military guard, someone who is actively and alertly protecting something or someone.

Jesus is ALWAYS on guard. He is never caught unaware. No one, not even Satan himself, can surprise the Lord. I love to watch military movies or dramas about covert actions. Someone always gets surprised. The whole idea of a covert action is to catch the enemy unprepared. Satan wants to deceive us (to catch us unguarded), but if we trust the Lord Jesus and walk with Him, He is the one who protects us. We just have to rest in Him.

APPLICATION

Have you ever played “King of the Mountain” with your kids? I used to love that game when I was a kid. Find a hill and select who will be “king” first. Then everyone else tries to take the hill and become the king. It can be a pretty rough game with lots of pushing and shoving and tackling. That’s why I loved it as a kid. 

The key to “survive” as the king is to keep your head on a swivel and stay very alert to any advancing “enemy.” The worse thing that could happen is to be caught from behind and shoved off the hill.  No one can stay “king” forever. It just gets too tiring to defend the hill.

But, oh, listen to me. Jesus IS the KING of every hill. He is able to defend you. There is no evil person who can harm you as long as He is there. So, stick close to Jesus. Let Him frustrate and confuse the enemy. He will one day slay him with the breath of His mouth. Jesus can handle this.

Once again, Lord, I place my life in Your hands. In the midst of intense battle with the evil one, I can depend on You to defend me. I trust You and You alone.

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LISTEN UP


1 THESSALONIANS 5:20

“do not despise prophetic utterances.” 

This verse could be a little confusing for us today. We don’t hear many “prophetic utterances.” But what is Paul really saying here? Well, this might be translated as “don’t despise preaching” or “don’t ignore sound teaching.” It wasn’t so much about “forth-telling” as it was simply speaking God’s truth.

You see back in Thessaloniki some gifts were held in higher esteem than others. For instance, some might think speaking in tongues was superior to preaching. Others might think performing miracles was the top. Paul is simply saying, “Don’t ignore, don’t count as nothing the sharing of God’s truth.

APPLICATION

Children will prefer some things above others. They may prefer game time at church over studying the lesson. They may like the craft time more than singing praises. What we have to do is make sure they understand that nothing is more important than hearing and living God’s Word. 

The other stuff might get the kids to church, but it’s the Word of God that will keep them for a lifetime. I pray you are investing the Word into their lives daily. I hope you are teaching them to not despise these prophetic utterances. They can learn lessons in His truth that will determine their life for decades to come.

How about you? Are you a despiser or a lover of God’s truth which is spoken of in His Word? Let these prophetic utterances transform your life into a vessel carrying an eternal message. Speak His truth to others so that they too can gain a new perspective.

O God, I stand in awe of You and all You have done. Allow me to see each and every situation as one in which I could send forth utterances of Your truth.

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LIGHT OR DARKNESS


1 THESSALONIANS 5:5

“for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;” 

That is basically the question. Do you choose the light or darkness? Do you want to live in the night or day? I don’t mind darkness or night in a physical sense. But I sure don’t want to be in it spiritually. That is what Paul is referring to here. 

As believers in Christ, we walk with THE Light. His light shines in and through us. We should be lighting the path for others. The light in us should brighten not only our path but those around us. Why would you choose to walk in darkness? There is only one reason – to hide your sin.

APPLICATION

Are your children afraid of the dark? Do they require a night light in their bedrooms? My teenage grandson chose a room in their new house without windows so it would be dark. He’s not threatened by the darkness. Neither should any of your children or grandchildren.

So, how do you get your little Johnny or Susie to walk in the day or in the light instead of the night or darkness? By modeling it yourself. Your behavior and lifestyle will show them the value of staying in the light. It is much easier to walk in light than darkness. Darkness trips you. Darkness makes you suspicious. Teach your children to live out in the open in the light.

Where are you walking right now? Do you resemble light or darkness? Yield all your desires and wishes to Him. Let Jesus shine through you daily. Let your face shine for Him. Let your words shine for Him. Let every part of your being shine for Him.

Father of light, shine through me. Let Your light be the beacon that draws men to You. Use me to do that.

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GOOD THIEF?


1 THESSALONIANS 5:2

“For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.” 

Now, why in the world would Paul call Jesus a thief? First of all, we have to remember every word of Scripture is inspired by God. So, these are His words, not Paul’s. Secondly, Paul is not calling Jesus a thief. He said He will be “like a thief.” This word for thief describes someone who comes in silently, covertly to take something. We actually get our word “cleptomania” from it. 

Jesus will return for His bride, the church, without fanfare or warning. He will suddenly appear, and we will be taken. Poof! He will literally “steal” us away without notice. The lost world will be reeling, wondering what happened. I am sure they will explain it away, but there will be no explanation for millions of people simply vanishing. But we will know, won’t we?

APPLICATION

Trying to explain this to children can be challenging. The idea of a thief is frightening to everyone. Make sure you emphasize that Paul is just comparing the suddenness to Christ’s return to an unexpected thief, not that He is one.  Get your children to act out how they think Christ will return. Remember, His character is still portrayed in everything He does.

How do we get them to apply this to their lives? Ask them who Jesus will NOT be taking with Him? Any and all unbelievers will be left behind. Ask them who they know who are not believers. And ask them to explain how they think the world will look when the Lord takes ALL believers out. Probably not too good. If all good is gone, what is left?  Evil! I certainly don’t want to live in that.

So, what can you do to ensure as many people as you know get “stolen away” by the Lord? Speak the gospel. Spread the good news. Preach truth to your neighbors. Share it with a friend. Just do whatever you must to get them to receive the Lord before it’s too late. 

Thank You, Lord, for giving us warning through this verse today. We know You will return soon and without notice. Help me to be even more vocal about You to others.

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COMFORTING WORDS


1 THESSALONIANS 4:18

“Therefore comfort one another with these words.”

Who doesn’t want to be comforted? When we are feeling down or something terrible has happened, we all need someone to come along beside us and speak words of comfort to us. A large part of my job as a Minister has been doing that. I have had to tell way too many children that their mom or dad died. Or I have had to hold far too many hands of people who were sick or facing surgery. 

Paul is instructing the Thessalonians to use the words he had just written to them to comfort each other regarding those among them who had gone on to glory. He wanted them to rest in the fact that they were with Jesus. No one was going to be left in the grave. Those are, indeed, comforting words.

APPLICATION

If you have children, then you have had to comfort them at some point. When they were babies and were crying for seemingly no reason, you held them, sang to them and loved on them. When they got a little older you probably talked to them with soft, kind words to try to quiet their little hearts.  Words of comfort are normally welcomed and productive.

My youngest granddaughter loves to be whispered to. I can hold her and whisper blessings in her ear, and she will just freeze with her ear next to my mouth. I whisper comforting words like, “Poppy loves you, God loves you, Jesus loves you, you are precious and special, you are beautiful.” And my favorite words I whisper are “God has a wonderful plan for your life.” Sweet, soft comforting words.

Can you do that today for someone? Who do you know needs those words of comfort? Reassure them. Draw them close and tell them how much God loves them. Let them know they are not alone. Remind them of God’s promises to His children. It will bless you as much as it blesses them.

Father, thank You for comforting me. Give me the words and the opportunity to comfort another today. Allow Your words of truth to speak to their very spirit.

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NOT FIRST


1 THESSALONIANS 4:15

“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.” 

Come on now, be honest. Don’t you like to be first in line? We want that from our childhood. When children line up to go to lunch or recess at school, many of them want to be the first in line. Most teachers avoid this fight and assign daily line leaders. We don’t want to be bring up the rear. We want to be first.

But Paul tells us that if we are alive when Christ returns, we will NOT be the first to go. All those saints who have died before His return will precede us. They will burst forth from their graves, or wherever their bodies were laid, a precede us in the air to meet our Lord and Savior. But don’t worry. It will happen so fast you won’t even realize it.

APPLICATION

The next time your little Johnny or Susie fight to be first, read them this verse. First isn’t always better. Show them in this verse that if we are alive when Christ returns, WE will get to see that. Wouldn’t that be grand? Get your child to draw a picture of what they think that might look like. That’s worth being second, isn’t it?

Also, by giving up that fight to be first all the time, we have the opportunity to serve others and lead them to Christ. All those who have gone before us don’t have that opportunity anymore. But while we wait on Jesus to return, we can talk to others about Him and perhaps they can join us on that day.

What are you waiting for? Are you pushing to be first all the time? Don’t! Step back and let others go ahead of you. That can even work in traffic (God forbid, lol). Yield to Jesus. Let Him always be first.

I fight this battle every day, Lord. I want to be first in all my endeavors. Let me learn the humility of being in back of the line so I can serve others.

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DON’T BE IGNORANT


1 THESSALONIANS 4:13

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” 

Don’t be ignorant! That is what Paul is saying! He didn’t want the Thessalonians to believe the wrong stuff about the death. He says they are just “sleeping,” which was a term used to refer to someone who had died. Sleeping implies they are going to wake up, right? That’s the cool part.

You see, we know as believers that we are going to spend eternity with the Father. Our bodies will not be resurrected until Jesus returns. So, until then their bodies “sleep.” They wait for that glorious day. Waiting, waiting, waiting!

APPLICATION

What a fun verse to teach your kids. Tonight, when you tuck them in, talk about it. Just as they will go to sleep and awake in the morning, we will lay down our bodies one day, only to have it awoken by Jesus at the rapture. Our bodies will be changed and glorified. Therefore, we have no reason to grieve, as those who have no hope.

It is so important to teach our children that death for a Christian is just a passage to Jesus. When we die will be instantly in the presence of God. What could be bad about that? Our fleshly body will be buried, but WE AREN’T IN IT! It’s literally an empty shell. Death need not scare us. As believers in Christ, we are guaranteed entry to heaven. 

Are you ready? What about this worries you? It shouldn’t. Don’t let your “ignorance,” your lack of knowledge or experience about death cause you to grieve unnecessarily. The Lord Jesus can take away all the sorrow. I am reminded of Paul’s words to the Corinthians, “O death, where is your sting?”

I am thankful, Lord, that I am secure in You. My earthly death allows me to enter into my heavenly home. My body may stay behind, but I am with you. Hallelujah!

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JUST BE QUIET


1 THESSALONIANS 4:11

“and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you,” 

Have you ever just wanted to go somewhere and be quiet? I mean, sometimes it is good to get alone and be quiet and meditate on the things of God. You may have wanted to escape work or home to get some peace and quiet. My mom used to say all she wanted for Mothers’ Day was some peace and quiet. I am sure she was talking about my siblings and not me, lol.

Paul was instructing the Thessalonians to not be meddlesome or talkative. He even says for them to “attend to your own business.” There must have been some who wanted to attend to everyone’s business. There usually is someone like that in every church. But Paul’s advice is good – mind your own business and live a quiet life.

APPLICATION

The next time you have to tell your Elrod or Gertrude to be quiet (and I am sure it won’t be long), read this verse to them. Now, living a quiet life does not mean just not talking. It’s not just about being silent. It’s more about a lifestyle. It involves not butting in to other people’s stuff. Even children can understand that.

Siblings have a habit of getting into their brother’s or sister’s “stuff.” They pester them and their friends. They watch for things they can report to Mom or Dad. That’s what this is talking about. They need to be more concerned about their walk with Christ and influencing others to walk with them.

Are you too busy watching others that you don’t watch yourself? Most of us are. We can point out the faults in those around us quickly. We can judge them. But we seldom see how far from God we have drifted. Live that quiet life today. Attend to your own life. That pleases the Lord.

Father, when I am tempted to point at others, remind me that I have three fingers pointing back at me. Show me the error of MY ways. Let me lead others by my life.

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ABOVE AND BEYOND


1 THESSALONIANS 4:10

“for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more,”
 

You’ve heard the expression, I’m sure. Paul is urging the brothers and sisters in Thessalonica to go above and beyond what is expected of them. He wants them to love more than ever. He wants them to excel in love. He wants them…. You get the picture. 

Do you know people who do that? They are willing to sacrifice for the sake of others. They will put aside their own wishes and desires for the common good. They will give up their own dreams for others. I think of “It’s A Wonderful Life.” George Bailey gave up his dreams of traveling around the world for his family. He, of course, in the end finds out family is all that really matters.

APPLICATION

Children don’t normally want to give up what they want for others, especially their siblings. But this is so important to teach them when they are young. If they can learn how to sacrifice for others, God can use them in ways He couldn’t otherwise. A selfish Christian is normally an unusable Christian. God wants us to be willing to give and give and give for others.

Ask your little Johnny what he would give up for his brother or sister or friend. Ask him if any of his possessions mean more to him than another person. If so, you have some correction to do. Turn that around. Things don’t matter. People do.

But how about you? Do you put your stuff above others? Do you put your plans and dreams first? There is nothing wrong with having dreams. There is nothing wrong with achievement. It’s just that all those things don’t rise to the level of others. Just ask Jesus.

Lord, thank You that You put us above Your own self. You are God, yet You gave Yourself for me. Help me give myself for others.

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