Category Archives: Death

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I’M NUMBER ONE

1 TIMOTHY 1:15

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”  

Paul called himself the number one sinner. Why would anyone do that? That is not a title I want. But he was making a point. Jesus died for all sinners, even the worst sinner of all. Paul, obviously, was reflecting on his past actions before he came to Christ. He was a persecutor of the early church. He sanctioned murder of Christians. He was there when the first martyr, Stephen, fell. He was, in fact, eager to bring them all to justice.

So, how does this relate to us? We are just as bad. We may not have killed anyone or persecuted anyone, but our sins are just as wicked. Our sins, left unforgiven, will lead us directly to hell. There are no little sins. Sin is sin – period. We all vie for the title of number one sinner.

APPLICATION

If you are like most parents, you don’t want to see your little Johnny or Susie as a sinner. Sure, they misbehave at times, but to think they will spend eternity separated from a holy God breaks your heart. It is hard to accept. But it is the truth. Unless your little angel turns to Christ and surrenders their will to His, they will not see the glory of heaven.

Our number one job as parents is to do all we can to introduce them to Jesus. We must prepare the spiritual environment in our homes to allow them to know Him and accept Him. We can’t make them choose Christ, but we must do everything within our power to prepare the way. How are you doing with that?

And this responsibility doesn’t just apply to our household. We are commanded by God to share His good news to everyone. Are you sharing that? Will you share that today? Ask the Lord to send people into your life today with whom you can share the greatest story ever told. You won’t regret it. It will be the best part of your day.

O God, Savior of my soul, thank You for redeeming me. Thank You for not turning Your back on me when I came seeking You. I, like Paul, am the foremost of sinners.

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THE PURPOSE OF EASTER

2 THESSALONIANS 2:10

“and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.” 

Resurrection Sunday! Easter! Shouldn’t we celebrate the resurrection of Christ every day? I think so. His death atoned for all our sins, but His resurrection gave us victory over the grave and death. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Today’s verse fits nicely with the Easter message. Satan is constantly trying to deceive mankind. His wicked ways will lead us straight down the road to destruction. We will perish without receiving the love of God, the love of truth. We must receive it to be saved. That word “receive” is written in the middle voice, which means it is our decision to receive. No one can make us.

APPLICATION

Okay – here are some clear commands to follow to lead your children to Christ. 1) Satan will try to deceive them. 2) His ways are wicked. 3) His ways lead to destruction. 4) They must receive Jesus on their own. 5) God will save them if they do.

It’s really that simple. Any child can understand the simple truth of the Gospel. Don’t complicate it. Teach them to share this with their friend. You don’t have to have 100 verses memorized to be saved (not that memorization isn’t important). Your little Susie must come to the realization that her sins are wickedness and are only pleasing Satan. Then she must confess them, receive the love of the truth (Jesus) and God will save her.

Who can you share that with today? You see, you have people all around you who are dying spiritually right now. They will certainly perish without receiving the Lord. You are essentially watching them rot and decay before your eyes in their wickedness. Stop the decay! Share today’s truth with them and lead them to receive a resurrected life in Christ. Amen?

Lord, today give me someone I can share truth with. Let me be the one to introduce them to a way of escape. I will give You all the glory!

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KEEP IT TOGETHER

2 THESSALONIANS 2:2

“that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” 

In verse 1 of chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians Paul makes a request of the church there. This is it! Keep it together! Don’t get upset! Don’t let some spirit or message or letter get you all excited. Rumors were spreading that Jesus had already returned and they had missed Him. People were beginning to doubt the message Paul had given them concerning the return of the Lord. So, Paul was asking them to just calm down.

Have you ever planned to meet someone for an important meeting? What if you had that all planned and when you got there someone told you that you had just missed them? Would you be upset? You may have been planning this meeting for days, weeks or even months and now you missed it. It was a potential life changing meeting. That is what was happening right here in this verse.

APPLICATION

Has your child ever missed the bus or a ride home? Many children do that. In fact, it happens all the time. The next time that happens or you hear of it happening to one of their friends, pull out this verse. The Thessalonians thought they had missed their “ride home.” They were anticipating the return of Christ to carry them to heaven. Now they were “stuck” here on earth, looking like idiots for believing Paul.

The difference in your child missing a ride and us missing Jesus’ return is one is temporal and the other is eternal. If your child is a believer, there is NO WAY they can miss that ride. It’s a guaranteed trip. But if they aren’t a Christian, well… 

Do you have your ticket punched for the ride home? If you do, don’t worry or fret about when Christ is returning. He will, and when He does, He will carry all of us to Glory. Do you know some friends or family who are saved? If so, take the time today to share with them the saving knowledge of Christ so they too can be assured of that trip.

O God, give me the opportunity today to be a deliverer of that ticket to someone. Let me show them the way home to You.

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SEPARATION

2 THESSALONIANS 1:9

“These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

What could be worse than eternal separation from God? No forgiveness, no redemption and, as it says here, eternal destruction. Now, you have to understand something about that word “destruction.” It does not mean that you will cease to be. It really means total ruin without extinction. Who wants that?

When I moved back to Chattanooga in 2007, I moved ahead of my family due to my daughter’s last year in high school. We didn’t want to pull her out that situation. So, we commuted back and forth to Lakeland, FL for eleven and a half months. We made it work but being separated for that amount of time on a daily basis was horrible. I can’t imagine an eternal separation.

APPLICATION

The next time you have to be away from your children draw out a countdown for them to mark off. For each day you are away they can put an “X” on that day when it is complete. This way they can see the days getting closer when you return to them. When you get home ask them how it felt to be apart for that time. Hopefully, they will tell you how much they missed you.

The Father feels the same way. He wants us home. He can’t wait until we are in His presence. He can’t make us come home, but He will do everything in His power to lead us that way. But, because He is a holy God, He can’t allow us to enter into His presence if we haven’t surrendered to His Son. We, in fact, force our own eternal destruction and separation by choosing to ignore His commands to repent.

Are you surrendered to Him? Are you headed home? I pray you are. If you aren’t, would you make that right today? If you aren’t sure, make it sure today. There is no greater peace than knowing your eternal destiny. And as you make sure of that, spread the news to others. Help them make sure too.

I know where I am headed one day, Lord. I look forward to seeing Your face. Help me spread the good news to as many as possible along the way.

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RELIEF

2 THESSALONIANS 1:7

“and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,” 

Have you ever been so stressed that you felt you were tied up in ropes? Every breath is labored. Your chest is tight. Your teeth are clinched. It is as if every fiber in your body is constricting. Well, take comfort my brother. Listen, my sister. Today’s verse should encourage you. The God of the universe is well aware of your struggle and has the answer.

He gives you relief. He promises to untie that which binds us. He frees us from our confinement. There is only one requirement. We have to trust Him. Look at the verse. Jesus is coming back with angels in flaming fire. Whoa! And we are on their side. All those who are afflicting us will be destroyed. We will be avenged by the Lord Himself.

APPLICATION

The next time you have to come to your child’s rescue you could share this verse with them. Now, you won’t be coming in a flaming fire, but you will swoop in to help them. Explain to them that just as you are willing to go to any length to keep them safe and rescue them, God will send His Son back one to defeat all our enemies. He is watching over us right now.

Children have lots of questions, and they may ask why He is waiting. Don’t make up an answer to just satisfy their question. Talk about how God is sovereign and perfect. He is waiting for just the right time to allow as many as will to come to Him for salvation. He doesn’t want to lose one of His children.

Are you looking for His return? I am! I can’t wait! But at the same time, there are many people in my life for whom I am praying for their salvation. If He returns today, they would spend eternity in hell. I definitely don’t want that. Would you join me in praying for all your lost friends and family? 

It is a relief to know that You will send Jesus with His angels to rescue us. But Father, I desire, as You do, to see all the lost saved. Give me the boldness to share with those who need You today.

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HEAVENLY LIVING


1 THESSALONIANS 5:10

“who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.” 

I just cAn’t get over the imagery of Christ’s death. It is His death on the cross that gives us the opportunity for life, life eternal. Paul is assuring the Thessalonians and us that whether they are alive when Christ returns or are asleep (as we saw in chapter 4), we WILL be with Christ for eternity.

There are not many people I can think of I would want to live with here on earth. Living with people requires you to share space. It requires you to communicate with them about household stuff. People you live with now just get in your stuff, don’t they? But eternal living will be different. Why? Because our focus will NOT be on us. It will be on Him. 

APPLICATION

Why not ask your children how they like living in their family. Get ready for some crazy answers. Ask them if they could, who would they add or leave out. Now, this is not a time for scolding or correcting. Just let them answer and tell why. You could learn a lot by their answers. 

After you have heard all their answers, talk about our eternal home. Explain how living here is really just preparation for living there. Getting along with family here is preparing us for eternal living. Encourage them to be more forgiving of that brother or sister whom they may spend eternity with. Model this for them by treating your spouse with the kind of affection you will receive from Jesus in your heavenly home. 

Are you ready for eternal living? If you are a believer, God is trying to get you ready each day down here. He is attempting to mold you into a perfect eternal kingdom citizen. Just think how sweet it would be if we could start living heavenly down here. Heaven on earth is possible if we let Him live in and through us.

Father God, give me the wisdom today to live heavenly. Let me treat my earthly family like I will treat my heavenly family. Give me Your eyes today to see them as You see them.

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DON’T PASS OUT


1 THESSALONIANS 5:6

“so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” 

Paul is admonishing us to stay awake, to not get lazy, to remain “alert and sober.” But for how long? As long as it takes. Paul doesn’t specify a timeframe. He just says, through the Holy Spirit, to not sleep, to say alert and to stay sober. 

When you are asleep you aren’t aware of what is going on around you. When you are drunk you don’t have control of your senses. You get confused. As believers, we have to be alert at all times. This isn’t just in reference to Christ’s return, but it applies to everyday life. 

APPLICATION

I had the privilege to take my great nephew out hunting last season. One thing I told him as we climbed the tree to get into our tree stands was to stay alert. He couldn’t sleep and expect to see any deer approaching. He couldn’t start daydreaming and spot that allusive white-tail buck creeping up.  He had to stay alert and undistracted.

Most children are easily distracted. The latest fad or video game will consume them. Make sure your children spend time every day in His Word and in prayer. That doesn’t have to be for hours, but there should specific time set aside for this every day. And as they go through the rest of their day, they should stay alert for God moments. He is at work all around us.

Are you alert and sober? Are you awake? Allow the Holy Spirit to give you the energy to stay focused on Him. We don’t have a “5 hour energy” drink for God. It has to be a deliberate decision on your part to look toward God and allow Him to work in and through you. Do that today.

I need You, O Lord, to stay alert and sober. I need You to keep me focused on heavenly things. I praise You for Your strength to do this today.

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GET READY, GET SET, …


1 THESSALONIANS 5:4

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;” 

The last several verses in 1 Thessalonians have been focused on the return of Christ. We know, as believers, that we are going. We know He is coming quickly. But in this verse Paul tells us that we won’t be surprised IF… If what? If we are not in darkness.

All through Scripture darkness is an analogy for sin. Think about it – if we are walking in darkness (sin), we will be preoccupied with our self. We won’t have our minds set on things above, as Colossians 3 tells us. When we are in sin our focus is completely off Christ. But if we are walking in light and living expectedly for His return, we won’t be caught off guard.

APPLICATION

Children love tag games. Remember being “it” and having to count to 100 or so. Then you would yell, “Ready or not, here I come.” They love to race each other. Someone lines up the racers and shouts, “Get ready, get set, GO!”

With both of these examples you have a warning. With both of these examples there is no surprise. That’s how it is for the believer who is watching for Christ’s return. It’s almost like the Father in heaven is saying, “Get ready, get set…” When we accept Christ as our Savior, we are ready and set. All that is left is “Go.”

Are you ready and set to go? Are you walking in the light so that you will not be surprised? If you are walking in darkness right now, get out of it. Get back into the light of God’s Word. Get into fellowship with Him and other believers. Ready or not, here HE comes.

O Lord, You will be a welcomed sight. I want to stay in the light so that I can clearly see You. Help me stay out of the darkness of sin.

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SUDDENLY


1 THESSALONIANS 5:3

“While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.” 

It’s pretty amazing to me that the word “suddenly” is only used two times in the New Testament – here and in Luke 21:34, where it also is referring to the return of Christ. In the Luke passage, it is Christ Himself saying it. Wow! Don’t you think we should get prepared?

Sudden things can be both exciting and terrifying. For the unbeliever, the sudden return of Christ will be terrifying. They will be left behind to face a world without any holy influence. But for the believers, it is an exciting event we can look forward to. I am ready, aren’t you?

APPLICATION

Ask your little Elrod how fast he thinks “suddenly” is. Let him explain in the best way he knows how. Children can be quite descriptive if you give them a chance. Write down how he describes it. Then look up some definitions of the word.  It can mean quickly, unexpectedly, immediately or instantaneously. In other words, it’s fast.

The point is this. Make sure your child knows now fast He will return. They can’t see Him coming and get ready. They have to be ready BEFORE He returns. There is no in between. Prepare your children for His coming. Prepare your family because He is coming before you know it.  Suddenly!

Are you prepared for His sudden return? His sudden return will not catch you by surprise if you have already surrendered to Him. Be ready and watch! Then “suddenly” will be a welcomed word. And you will SUDDENLY we caught up with Him in the air.

Father, I praise You for promising the SUDDEN return of Your Son. I am ready to see Him part the sky. Sudden can’t be quick enough!

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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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