Category Archives: Completeness

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ALL WE NEED IS LOVE

1 TIMOTHY 1:5

“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 

The line from the Beatle’s song just jumped off the page to me when I read this verse. Now, before you excommunicate me for doing that (lol), let me try to explain. I am NOT implying that the Beatles got the inspiration for their song from this verse. Paul is reminding Timothy, that in the midst of all his instructing, don’t forget love.

Have you ever had a teacher you just loved? I bet you loved them because you felt they loved teaching, right? They loved seeing students “get it.” They loved passing on the knowledge they had gained. And Paul gives some qualifiers – pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. In other words, you can’t fake this kind of teaching. It all comes down to love.

APPLICATION

Why do you teach your children? Because you love them. You want them to be prepared to face life head on with confidence. If you lied to them as you taught them, what good would that do? You teach them with a pure heart, don’t you? Your conscience is clear as you give them the house rules. And, of course, your faith must be pure for you to pass it on.

Children will be crushed if they find out later that all you have taught them is false. They will struggle with life questions if your teaching has all been based lies. That’s why it is important (spoiler alert) that you be truthful about things such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. If they find out (and they will) these things weren’t real, you can actually put doubt in their minds about all you have taught them about Jesus, whom they also cannot see.

How do you teach? Let me encourage you to evaluate your motivation for teaching anyone. It should never be to JUST pass on knowledge. Knowledge in itself will never transform. The purpose of knowledge and the application of it has the potential to change everything. Will you be that kind of teacher?

Father God, You are the perfect teacher. All You give is pure, good and sincere. Teach me to teach just like You.

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TIRED OF BEING GOOD

2 THESSALONIANS 3:13

“But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary of doing good.”

If you know me personally, you know I spent over 30 years of my 40+ years of ministry serving in the Child Welfare environment. I served in various capacities at several Children’s Homes. So many of the children I worked with would start learning how to handle their own behavior and make progress in school and home. But most of them would reach a point when they would regress to previous bad behavior. When asked why, they would say, “I am just tired of being good.”

That may sound like a cop out, but until they learned the truth of the Gospel, they were doomed to repeat this roller coaster of good behavior and bad behavior. Once they learned they didn’t have to be good and to allow Christ to live through them, they began to stabilize their behavior. They weren’t always good, but they recognized it was all about surrender.

APPLICATION

Don’t teach your children to be good. Yes, you read that right. Don’t teach them to behave. Teach them, instead, to trust the only Good One. When our children learn to depend solely on Christ, behaviors will improve. When they learn to follow Christ’s example of selfless living, they will put others first. 

You can’t teach goodness. You have to live it out. You have to experience life. Your children will have ample opportunities to “be good.” But nothing they can do will ever make them good. Only Christ can do that.

Are you pointing others to Jesus by your “goodness”? Are you allowing Christ to live in and through you? Apart from Him you have absolutely no goodness in you. You might be morally good. You might treat others nicely. But there is no goodness in you. We are simply sinners, saved by grace. Let His goodness lead you to do good works.

O Lord, I am so grateful that I don’t have to do good works to achieve my “goodness.” I recognize that no amount of deeds on my part will achieve that. Only You can make me “good” in Your sight.

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BE A MODEL


2 THESSALONIANS 3:9

“not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.” 

Before you start freaking out about my title today, let me explain. I am NOT telling you to be a fashion model or a swimsuit model. You may want to do that, but that is not what I am referring to in today’s verse. Paul is telling the Thessalonians that he and his companions were examples or models of Christ. He wanted them to only see Jesus in them.

I was told recently by someone that they could tell just by watching me that I was a nice person. They observed this in me not through conversation or interaction. They came to that conclusion by the way I was behaving and interacting with others. I was quite humbled and was very glad I had behaved myself, lol. But our goal should always be to model Christ, so that others would be drawn to Him, not us.

APPLICATION

Well, here we are again. The best way for us to teach our children this truth is to MODEL it ourselves. We have to live it for them to see it. We have to look like Jesus. I don’t mean to grow out your hair and wear a robe. I mean to treat others as Christ would. I mean to parent your child as Christ would. I mean to live and act like Jesus. Be a model of Christ to them.

As we do that our children learn to model Him too. They have to have an example to follow. What better example than Jesus? If your children can learn this truth at an early age, they will avoid a lot of heartaches because of the way they interact with others. Modeling Jesus isn’t easy, but it is the best way to live your life. 

“But Carl, I have blown it so many times.” That’s okay. Start fresh. Begin today to change your appearance. Be a model of Him for others to follow. Make sure when others point out your “specialness” that you point it right back to Him. It is only through Him that you can begin to look and act like Him. 

I want to look like Jesus, Father. I want others to see Him in me. Help me today to share the gospel and, if necessary, to use words.

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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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