Category Archives: Completeness

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OUT OF LINE


2 THESSALONIANS 3:7

“For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,” 

I have to admit that sometimes, when I was growing up, I could, well, get out line. I didn’t stay disciplined. I was the kind of kid to push the limits, to color outside the lines, to act out. It wasn’t that I was hurt and needed to rebel. I just wanted what I wanted when I wanted it. I didn’t care much who I hurt to get what I thought I deserved.

The phrase “we did not act in an undisciplined manner” is one Greek word (used only here in the New Testament) which means  “march out of order; riot, rebel, behave disorderly, neglect duty, careless (or idle) in habits.” Does that sound like you or your child? I pray that is not so.

APPLICATION

It seems we are always getting our children back in line when they are young. We are quick to correct them. Why? Because we know if we don’t, they will think that acting any old way is fine. We have to teach them to “march in line,” to behave and to drop careless habits.

I never enjoyed correcting my children. I never liked getting corrected. But I am thankful that I can pass down to my children the discipline of God’s Word. It is the ONLY thing that can truly discipline us. Make that a priority with your children.

If you find yourself in that spot of “undiscipline,” stop and allow the Holy Spirit in you reign. He will always act in a disciplined manner. But He will not force you to walk a certain manner or talk in a certain way or even love in a certain way. He must work through our free will to accomplish what He has for us.

There is no reason for me to act like the world, Father. Forgive me for not living as an example of Your love. I so desire to be seen as living only for you.

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I TRUST YOU


2 THESSALONIANS 3:4

“We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.” 

Sometimes when you read a Bible verse in an English translation, whether it is from the Old or the New Testament, it just doesn’t get the original language’s message across. Today’s verse is like that. When you read “we have confidence,” you can understand that pretty well. But the phrase, which is one word in the Greek, says so much more.

This is the same word used to describe our faith in Christ. It’s the verb form of the word “faith.” But it is also in the Perfect tense. “Now, you are losing me, Carl.” Well, hang on! Perfect tense means it is complete with lasting results. So, ask yourself, “What does it mean that Paul had complete, ongoing faith in the Thessalonians to do and keep doing what he commanded them. It meant he completely and fully trusted them.

APPLICATION

Can your children trust you? Can they put their full and complete faith in you? If your answer is anything but “yes” you need to examine your heart. What is preventing you from being completely trustworthy? Most of the time it is our own selfishness. We put ourselves above others, even our children. But we can’t do that. 

You’ve heard the popular expression “I’m second”, right? Well, that’s wrong, if you are a believer. It should be “I’m third.” It should always be God first, others second and yourself third. In any other order and you have lost that trustworthiness. Reprioritize your life for the sake of your family. Put them above yourself. God will take care of you, if you put Him first.

“But Carl, if I don’t watch out for myself, no one else will either.” I am not suggesting that you don’t “take care of yourself.” I am suggesting that you don’t put yourself above all others. Humility leads to exaltation. God will raise you up when you lower yourself to Him. Today, be trustworthy. Do and continue you to do what you have been commanded by the Lord.

Today I bow before You, Lord. I want You to say of me that I am trustworthy. I want to be known as the person anyone can go to for a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on.

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EAT YOUR SPINACH

2 THESSALONIANS 2:17

“comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”

Were you ever a Popeye fan? I was growing up. I used to love to see Popeye eat his spinach and come back to win the fight. Olive Oil, his girlfriend, would fall in his arms, swooning over him. What guy doesn’t want that, right?  Unfortunately, I do not like spinach, so I guess I am out of luck, lol.

Seriously though, we are more than Popeye strong, if we take our “God spinach.” It is He who strengthens us. This word “strengthen” is only used 13 times in the New Testament. Four of those are in the letters to the Thessalonians. Paul is reminding them who strengthens them. He is reminding them that their faith is solely dependent upon Jesus, not some external source.

APPLICATION

How many times have you told your children to eat their vegetables so they will grow up to be big and strong? I bet that happens a lot. Some children love vegetables, while others look at a green bean like it is leprosy. It takes a lot of coaxing and bribing (I am not condoning that) to get them to eat those green things.  But you know they need them for good health.

Are you as concerned about them “ingesting” the Word daily? “Well, Carl, they have to decide that on their own.” Really? I know physical health is important, but so is their spiritual health. Remember, you are not just raising your children. You are raising your grandchildren’s parents. If you desire to see a legacy of faith continue into the next generation, you must be diligent to “feed” them what is truly important. God will take care of the strengthening part.

How is your spiritual health today? Are you eating your spiritual spinach? God will strengthen you as much as you allow Him. But you must ingest the proper ingredients. You must have a steady diet of His Word and spend time with Him. Then God can truly comfort and strengthen you in every good work and word.

God, feed me today. Give me the spiritual strength to defeat any enemy that comes my way. I know those victories all belong to You.

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ALL MINE


2 THESSALONIANS 2:14

“It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Can you believe that? If you respond to God’s call given through the Gospel, you will gain (fully possess) His glory. What? Are you kidding me? That’s what it says. God wants to glorify us. But He can only do that if we are His.

You hear a lot people claiming to be believers but who live like the world. Being called through the Gospel has to change us. Our motivations for life shift. Our desire and wishes become more heaven focused. Am I right? The things of this world hold no value, or at least lesser value. All we want is His glory.

APPLICATION

This may be one of the toughest things to teach our children. They really have to just live it and experience it. So, our jobs are to lead them to Christ and disciple them once they have surrendered. You can’t disciple a lost child. If your little Johnny doesn’t know Jesus, he will never respond to your efforts to “build him up” spiritually.

BUT if your child comes to the King of Kings, they too will be glorified. You should see a change in their attitude. Will they still mess up? Don’t you? Will your child make some mistakes? Probably so. Pour into them. Let other mentors do the same. Sometimes our kids respond to others better.  That’s okay.

So, have you responded to the call? Have you yielded your heart to the Lord of Lords? He will make you His own. He will exalt you as you humble yourself. Don’t you want His glory all over you? I sure do. Give Him praise.

Father God, You are worthy of all my praise. I do desire Your glory. I long for you gentle hands which direct me toward others who are also in need of it today.

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IT MAY FEEL GOOD, BUT…


2 THESSALONIANS 2:12

“in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

We all like pleasure. For some it’s a day at the beach. For others it is a long run (no, that’s not me). But others take their pleasure in wickedness. I know it may be hard to believe, but there are really people out there who do. I don’t know any personally, but they are all around us.

Sadly, we think they are getting away with their pleasure seeking. We see them hurt others and thrive on it. Today’s verse, however, assures us that one day, they will be judged for these evil motives. They will receive exactly what they deserve for ignoring the truth and going their own way.

APPLICATION

This is exactly why we parents spend so much time teaching our children to choose the truth. We do not want them to go down that road of wickedness. Now, I am not against pleasure. Pleasure is not a bad thing. I take pleasure in serving others. I get pleasure is seeing God’s principles followed by a husband and a father.

Truth is the key. Teach our children to follow the truth of the Gospel. They have to understand that there is no other truth. Any other “truth” is really deceit which will lead them further away from the real truth. Confused yet? I hope not. Take the Word of God each day and share it with your children, always referring to it as the truth. 

Let me ask you a question. What are you pursuing today? Truth or wickedness? If you are pursuing anything other than truth, you will never experience true pleasure. It is only available in its purest form through the truth of God’s Word.  Let it make your life pleasurable as only the Lord can do.

Lord, I want to walk in truth so I can experience pleasure. The pleasure I desire is to please You, not myself. That’s my goal today.

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BUSY BEE

2 THESSALONIANS 2:9

“that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,” 

Busy! Busy! Busy! Have you ever been so busy you lose track of time? That happens to me sometimes. I run from meeting to meeting and before I know it, it’s bedtime. Being busy isn’t a bad thing unless you are busy doing things that don’t really have an eternal purpose. That’s the point of today’s devotional.

The word “activity” in today’s verse is used eight times in the New Testament, all by Paul. But the interesting thing about today’s verse is that this is the ONLY time it is used when it doesn’t refer to God’s energy or activity. Here it’s talking about Satan’s activity. You have to remember, though, that Satan can only do what God allows him. So, this lawless man Paul is referring to in this chapter is on the same leash with Satan.

APPLICATION

Are your kids busy? Does your little Johnny wake up fully charged for the day and not stop until he drops? My fourteen-month-old granddaughter is that way. She will play and run until she literally passes out. Busy, busy, busy!  One of our goals as parents (or grandparents) is to teach our children to be busy about God’s things. There is so much stuff in the world that can distract us. Before we know it, we don’t have time for God.

Give your children some activities to do that will cause them to think about God. Hey, even chores can be done for His glory. Make sure that their daily schedules include some time to learn about and live out the Word. Don’t let the activity of Satan get a grip in your home through busyness.

Look at your calendar today and see how busy you are. Do you have 25 minutes to spend alone with the Lord? Find the time. You need it. You need to spend alone time with the Creator of the universe. Slow down. Get rid of some distractions. Take a deep breath.

Lord, I like staying busy. But help me point all my activities towards You. Don’t let me get sidetracked by the enemy and get engaged in his activities unknowingly.

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BAD BREATH

2 THESSALONIANS 2:8

“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;” 

Excuse my thought process, lol. But I just could not resist when I read this verse. I am NOT insinuating that the Lord will have bad breath. But, unlike His first appearance on earth, He will be one “bad” dude when He returns. He won’t come as baby. He will come as Ruler and Judge. And this lawless one will pay the price simply by the breath of His mouth.

Now, that word “breath” is the Greek word pneuma, which can also be translated as spirit. In fact, it is the same word used in the title of “Holy Spirit.” I don’t think that is a coincidence, do you? The very breath of God, the very Spirit of God will slay the lawless one. No weapon is needed.

APPLICATION

Here is the great part of that verse. That same “breath” of the Lord is living in us as believers. We have that power coursing through us every day, if we just tap into it. Now, we aren’t going to slay someone with our breath (unless we have been eating a lot of garlic). But the Lord stands ready to defeat any enemy we face. All we have to do is mention His name, and the enemy flees.

We need to teach our children the importance on relying on the Lord to fight their battles. Surrender to Him first, allow Him to work in their lives, and He will stand ready to defend us. He will protect His children, just you do all you can to protect them as their earthly parent. The difference is you can’t be with them all the time. He can and will.

Are you in need of the “breath” of God today? Are you facing unknown forces that are trying to tear you down and destroy you? Allow Him to reign in and through you. Then step back and watch Him work. He is ready. Are you?

Your breath is sweet to me but harsh to the unbeliever. Help me share your breath with others. I want them to also experience its sweetness. 

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I TOLD YOU SO

2 THESSALONIANS 2:5

“Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things?” 

I am sure you have NEVER said that someone – “I told you so.” Sure, you haven’t. If you haven’t, I guarantee you have wanted to at least once. We warn people and warn people. We try to give them ample notice. But they go ahead and do something we all know is not smart. Then when it goes wrong, just as we told them it would, we want to say, “I told you so.”

Paul is telling the Thessalonians that. He is saying, “I told you so! I told you people were going to try to fool you. I told you, when I was there, to be careful who you listen to about things of God. I told you to check things out before you believe it.” I am sure Paul was more disturbed by those who were trying to mislead the church there. He knew the Thessalonians were young in their faith and wanted to do the right thing. But those who were trying to deceive them knew EXACTLY what they were doing.

APPLICATION

Children are prone to believe anything someone in authority tells them. Adults can mislead our little ones so easily. That is why it is so important for us to have them grounded in His Word. When they know the REAL truth, no amount of deception can lead them astray. But if they don’t know it, they can believe anything or anyone.

How do you ground them in the Word? I’m glad you asked. Read them the Word. Use the Word to answer their questions. Get them a good devotional, when they can read on their own, that is on their level. Help them memorize verses for AWANA or for Sunday School. Get them a very, good study Bible by the time they get into Middle School. Support them in their efforts to attend Christian events where the Word will be taught.

You, of course, have to model all this yourself. Simply telling them to do these things only goes so far. They are going to watch you and how you desire the Word. Make the Word your beginning and ending point of the day. When is the last time you have memorized a verse? I challenge you today to begin that.

You are the Word, Lord. You are the truth. Help me teach my children and others that the only true shield we have against those who would deceive us is to know You and Your Word.

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HIS GLORY

2 THESSALONIANS 1:12

“so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and theLord Jesus Christ.”

Some people just glow for Jesus. You can tell they are believers the moment you meet them. Their smile, their countenance and their demeanor all exemplify Him. He is being glorified through them. I love watching for that in people I meet for the first time. I like to look for an opening in the conversation to ask about their personal relationship with our Lord.

Paul’s prayer, which he began in verse 11, continues here. This is the reason why he prayed for those things. His sole purpose for praying for the Thessalonians is so the Lord would be glorified in and through them. Shouldn’t that be our desire for ourselves and others? Shouldn’t we want others to see Jesus in us?

APPLICATION

Little Gertrude and Elrod will watch how you respond to people. I guarantee you that. When you respond like Jesus, they take note of that. When you talk like Jesus, they listen. When you reach out to someone like Jesus, they will file away that moment. We are the ones who must exemplify Jesus to point our children to Him. 

So, ask yourself, “As a parent, am I glorifying Jesus in my everyday life?” If you aren’t, you need to start, for your children. When our children hear us talk about Jesus but never see us live for Him, they get a very confusing message. That confusion can lead to rebellion and on to denial. Be the vessel of glory He wants to use.

But being used as a vessel of glory means we may have to let some stuff go. We can’t very well be glorifying Him and participating in behaviors which Jesus would NEVER do. I don’t have to name these. You know them. Let go of those habits or activities that cannot be attributed to Him. He will show you what and how to live to give Him glory. Just be willing to be used. He will do the rest.

Here I am, Lord. Take me and use me however You desire. I want others to see You in me.

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WORTHY TO SUFFER

2 THESSALONIANS 1:5

“This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which indeed you are suffering.” 

Did you catch that? Because they were suffering, they were worthy of the kingdom. Now, wait just a minute Paul. That’s not what I expected when I got into this Jesus stuff. I thought He would just forgive me of my sins, and I would go on living a perfect life. That’s the problem most of us have. We want to live for Jesus until it requires suffering or persecution. Then it’s too hard.

The phrase “considered worthy” is only used three times in the New Testament. In all three times, it refers to suffering or death. It means to be weighed accurately. In other words, God has you on a scale and finds that you measure up to this. He won’t put more on the other side of the scale than you can handle. He knows your limits, so just trust Him.

APPLICATION

Children don’t know their limits of suffering yet. They have to experience pain and suffering before they know how much they can take. I remember when I was in high school, I broke my ankle at football camp. I walked on that ankle for a week and half before I knew it was broken. I just dealt with the pain. I discovered then that I have a pretty high pain tolerance. 

But physical pain is a lot different than emotional or mental pain. There are all kinds of suffering. Your children will face a multitude of opportunities to “suffer” for Jesus. If you will teach them to trust Him, they will be able to endure the sufferings that come their way. As they watch you endure, they will learn.

Are you going through a time of suffering right now? Thank the Lord for the opportunity to trust Him. Let Him know right now that you are His to mold and make into whatever He chooses. I promise if you trust Him, you will come out the other side of this suffering a more useable vessel. He always perfects. He never condemns.

Knowing You are in control of my every suffering gives me peace. I trust You, Lord, to teach me through my sufferings. I count it a privilege to considered worthy of suffering for You.

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