Category Archives: Deception

Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Death, Deception, Direction, Eternity, God's Will, Love, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Satan

TURNING ASIDE

1 TIMOTHY 5:15

“for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.” 

What a sad statement! “For some have already turned aside.” It literally means to turn away from one thing or person to follow another. That’s what they have done. They have chosen to follow Satan. Now, this is not a devotional on losing your salvation. That’s for another time. 

Some people think they can play both sides, but the instant you turn towards Satan, you turn away from Jesus. You cannot follow Satan and follow Jesus. You cannot please Satan and please Jesus. You have to choose. Choose wisely because this is an eternal decision.

APPLICATION

Children will follow easily. That’s why it is so important for you to teach them who to follow. If you don’t, the world will. The world is appealing and exciting. Who doesn’t want to follow that? It has all the bells and whistles. 

Teach your children that all that looks exciting is not. They can always trust where the Lord leads them, even if the path looks dangerous. Following Jesus is not always easy, but it is always fulfilling. Following Jesus may not always be safe, but He will protect them. Teach them to abandon their own despair for His hope.

Who are you following? Remember, one road leads to destruction but looks so inviting. Satan will disguise his path to appear smooth and easy. But boy oh boy, the second you are on the path, he starts setting traps. Then you are caught. Jesus invites you to walk along His blood-stained path. And when the path gets hard, He carries you.

Father, remind me why I follow you. I choose today to follow You wherever You lead.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Blameless, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Lies, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Truth

ARE YOU TRUSTWORTHY?

1 TIMOTHY 4:9

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.”

This phrase is used twice by Paul in writing to Timothy in this letter. He doesn’t use the phrase anywhere else. I wonder why. Why is Paul saying what he is saying is trustworthy? Did someone accuse him of lying? Was Timothy hearing other reports from Paul’s enemies? We don’t know, but we do know the Holy Spirit told him to put these words down.

So, how do they apply to us? Let me ask you a question. Can you say this about all your statements? Are all your words worthy? The word “deserving” can also be translated as “worthy of.” The word means to be weighed in God’s scale of truth. That’s a higher level of trustworthiness, isn’t it?

APPLICATION

This is a simple truth to teach your children. We need to model this first, though. Can our children trust our words? Do we say what we mean and mean what we say? Can they rely on us to follow through with what we say? They learn this truth by watching and listening to us. Are we trustworthy in our words to our children?

Too many parents lie to their kids. Yes, I said lie. They tell them something, knowing it will never happen. They make promises they know they cannot keep. If you are one of those parents, stop! Make sure your yes means yes and your no means no. Stop confusing your children with wishy washy parenting. Remember, you are not raising children. You are raising child raisers. What you model and teach will be repeated.

Are you trustworthy in your statements? Can people trust what you say? One of the worst reputations you can have is to be known as a liar. I have known people whom you could say if their lips were moving, they were lying. Not good! Don’t be that person. If you are a believer in Christ, you have THE truth in you.

Forgive me Lord, when I tell untruths. Convict me of this sin. Let me never be guilty of leading others astray by my statements. I want my words to line up with Your Word.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Deception, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Lies, Mentoring, Parenting, Questions, Satan, Scripture, Trust, Truth

OLD WIVES’ TALES

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”

You may have heard the phrase “old wives’ tales.” It refers to things that are passed down from one generation to another as being truth when it actually is just superstitions or false information. I used to teach First Aid and CPR in an area of Tennessee to teen moms where I heard a lot of these. One such old wives’ tale was to bind up your baby real tight and drop a pair of scissors behind their back if they have colic. That will cut the pain. Don’t try that at home, lol. 

Paul is warning Timothy about these fables and superstitions. He should stick to the truth of God’s Word. Only that will lead to discipline and godliness. Any other source of information is subject to verification. God’s Word is always reliable. It can be trusted throughout the generations.

APPLICATION

Your children will hear lots of silly fables (old wives’ tales) in their lives. Some may even have a smidgeon of truth in them. Those are really confusing to young minds. The easy way to verify if they are true is to measure them against God’s Word. If they agree, trust it. If they don’t, don’t trust it.

Learning to discern fact from fiction is a skill they will need as they navigate life. Satan is around every corner just waiting to try to confuse us or deceive us. When our children learn to recognize those untruths, they will be safer in their journey following Christ.

Are you one who believes all those old wives’ tales? Do you put more stock into what Grandma said than what God says? Give up all those generational truths and turn to the only source of truth. He will teach you whatever it is you need to know. And you can be guaranteed that it is always true.

Lord, help me discern fact from fiction. When I am unsure let me turn to You. I know You are truth and can set me straight.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Friends, Lies, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Trust, Truth

THE WRONG ORDERS

1 TIMOTHY 4:3

“men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”

Have you ever been told to do something that you just knew wasn’t right? Maybe you had a boss who wasn’t very honest, and he asked you to fudge the numbers on your report. Perhaps your older brother or sister made you promise to not tell Dad and Mom about the lamp they broke. Those are tough predicaments. What should you do?

Well, Paul called these people who are giving these wrong commands, these wrong orders, liars (look back in the previous verse). If they are liars, should we do anything they say? Of course, not.  Liars can’t be trusted. You can’t believe anything they say. And here they were telling people to not marry and to not eat certain foods, both of which God had blessed. 

APPLICATION

Children get this. They can usually spot a lie. Just try it. I’m serious. Deliberately tell them a bodacious lie. See if they want call you on it. We have to teach our children to recognize lies, but we do that by teaching them the truth. When they know the truth (God’s Word), they can easily see the lies.

They will be faced with similar situations that I mentioned in the first paragraph today. They may have a boss one day who asks them to lie. You have to teach them now to do the right thing. They may be exposed to false teaching once they leave home where you are not there to protect them. Teach them God’s principles and they will spot it right off.

But let me turn the tables. Are you the one spreading falsehoods? We do that, normally, to protect ourselves or make ourselves look better. If you are guilty of doing that, repent. Confess that as sin and ask the Lord to forgive you. Truth is the only way to go. All other avenues lead to destruction.

Lord God, You are Truth! I want to embody Your Truth. Help me today to only speak what is true.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Comfort, Confession, Deception, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Forgiveness, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Lies, Obedience, Parenting, Sanctification, Scripture

SEARED

1 TIMOTHY 4:2

“by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,”

I had to ask myself why the Holy Spirit instructed Paul to use this image. The phrase “seared…as with a branding iron” is one Greek word. It is used once right here in this verse and has the meaning of cauterizing or branding with a branding iron. You have probably seen pictures of cattle being branded. 

Well, besides leaving a permanent scar on the skin, what does branding do? It makes that spot totally unsensitive. The nerve endings are dead. They have been seared. In other words, Paul is using this word to show what false teaching will do to your soul. It will make you unsensitive to the reality of sin. You will begin to feel no remorse or guilt. 

APPLICATION

Have you or your child ever burned your finger on something hot? You move quickly to stop the burn with cold water or ice, don’t you? What a great way to talk about this verse with your child. Explain how the first time that spot is burned there is a lot pain and discomfort and you want to fix it. But if you keep burning the same spot, it will stop hurting. In fact, you won’t even know you’ve burned it again.

That’s how sin works. That’s how false teaching works. The more we let it touch us, the less bothered we are by it. Before we know it, sin just doesn’t bother us. We see it all around us today. What used to be called sin is called a person’s choice. What used to be unacceptable in society is now embraced as normal. We have been seared by a hot iron.

How about your life? Have you become numb to the discomfort of sin? Does it not bother you anymore? Ask the Lord to reveal your sins to you in a powerful way. Ask Him to let you see your sins as He sees them. Then you will see the horror in them. Then you will feel the “pain” of sin. Only then can you understand how far you have slipped. Return to Him and ask for healing.

I don’t want to not feel the pain of sin. I want to know the depth of Your forgiveness in my life which is only possible as I recognize the depravity of my sin. I thank You for healing me of my sin wounds.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Deception, Demons, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evil, Family, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Lies, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Prayer, Rejection, Satan, Scripture, Surrender, Trust

WRONG VIEW

1 TIMOTHY 4:1

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,” 

I struggled with what to name this blog. It’s obvious what Paul is warning Timothy about. Some people, even believers, will listen to the wrong teachings. Perhaps unknowingly they will be led astray by deceitful spirits and demons. I mean, come on, who in the right mind would intentionally follow demons? Not many people.

So, I titled this “Wrong View” because I believe the problem is they started looking at the wrong thing. When our eyes remain on Jesus and His Word, there is less danger of this happening. If we are absorbing the truth of the Gospel daily, we can recognize deception when it comes creeping at our door. 

APPLICATION

How do we keep our children from falling away? All we can do is bathe them in God’s Word daily and pray. The ultimate decision is theirs. They must choose who they are going to follow. But God is faithful. I truly believe if we train our children in God’s Word, it will not be in vain. The seeds of the Gospel will be planted. We must trust the Lord to send others into their lives to water and harvest.

What do we do when our children “fall away”? Many God-fearing, Christian parents have faced this dilemma. First of all, if you have done your duty as a parent and taught them the truths of God’s Word, then don’t blame yourself. Secondly, pray daily for your prodigal child. Third, trust the Lord to bring them home. You can’t force it or demand it. 

The big question then is are you fulfilling your God-given responsibilities to raise your children in His Word? Are you? If you aren’t, start today. It’s not too late. Make the change personal. It has to begin with you. No one else can parent your children like you. 

Father, forgive me for not being a more insistent parent to speak Your truths into my children. Help me to plant one seed every day, no matter how they receive it. You have given me my children to give them back to You.

Standard
Advice, Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Commands, Deception, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fatherhood, Fighting, Forgiveness, Friends, Grace, Holy Spirit, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Peace, Qualifications, Scripture, Service, Trust, Worship

THE QUALITIES OF A GODLY WOMAN

1 TIMOTHY 3:11

“Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.”

Okay, I didn’t write this verse. I am just reading the next verse in 1 Thessalonians 3. Paul wrote this to the women in the Thessalonian church, but it applies to all women who profess Christ as Savior. We see four qualities in the verse – dignified, not malicious gossips, temperate and faithful. We don’t have the time or space in this short devotion to go into each in depth, so let’s just look at one. How about not being malicious gossips? After all, men are just as bad about that.

So, what does that mean? It means someone who is a back-biter, who unjustly accuses to bring someone down. Not a very nice person. Do you know anyone like that? There are some people who are JUST like that. They are people to avoid at all costs. You can’t trust them because before you know it, they will spreading rumors about you or lying about you.

APPLICATION

You are going to have to deal with this, for sure. Children can be very cruel to each other. Now, I’m not saying your children are cruel (they may be) but they may be the victim of another child’s cruelty. We naturally want to make ourselves look better than others. Pride and arrogance are part of our fleshly nature. Children, therefore, will go that route if left unchecked.

How do we teach them to not gossip, to not tear down, to not put themselves over others? By showing them the model we have in Christ and by modeling it ourselves. They will never learn how to walk like Jesus unless they see you doing the same. They will watch you and learn how to treat others. They will watch you and learn how to speak only in kindness and truth. 

Will you do that? Will you only speak in kindness and truth? Will you cease gossiping? Will you only build up others? Do you remember the old saying, “What Would Jesus Do?” Then do it.

Help me, Lord, hold my tongue. Help me to say only things that build up. Let me see myself as second to everyone for the sake of seeing some come to Christ.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Deception, Encouragement, Family, Forgiveness, God's Will, Inspirational, Lies, Mentoring, Obedience, Qualifications, Scripture, Surrender, Trust

TWO TONGUES?

1 TIMOTHY 3:8

“Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,”

What in the world does the term “double-tongued” mean? This word is only used here in 1 Timothy 3:8. It literally means to say one thing but mean another. It could be translated as “double speaking.” You may have heard it this way – “talking out of both sides of his mouth.”

You get the picture. A double-tongued person cannot be trusted. That’s why Paul is saying this. A deacon must be trustworthy. He must be someone you can confide in. He must tell you the truth. He must mean what he says and say what he means. Any hedging on that disqualifies him from serving as a deacon.

APPLICATION

We teach our children not to lie, as we should. But we should also teach them this principle. Saying anything with the intention to mislead someone is sin. Siblings will do that, won’t they? What they tell their little brother may be true, but it may not be THE truth. Follow? You see, you can carefully choose your words so they are technically true and at the same time lead someone in the wrong direction.

The Lord wants us to be completely truthful at all times. That’s hard. We can’t do it on our own. Your children will find that out. But with the surrender of their will to His will, He will give them the correct words to say every time. We teach our children to speak as if speaking to the Lord. That way they will always say exactly what they mean.

Have you ever been accused of being double-tongued? Do you have the tendency to mislead people? Confess that as sin today. Ask the Lord to direct your tongue. Seek to follow Him no matter the cost. He will reward those who diligently seek Him.

Father God, keep my tongue focused on speaking Your truths to all people. Forgive me when I fall into the bad habits of misleading others. I want to please You in all I do.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Commands, Creation, Deception, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Evil, Family, Fatherhood, Forgiveness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Lies, Mentoring, Ministry, Motherhood, Obedience, Parenting, Satan, Scripture, Service, Trust, Wisdom

DECEPTION

1 TIMOTHY 2:14

“And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.”  

In this sixth verse of Paul’s instructions to women in 1 Timothy he returns to the Garden of Eden again. Timothy had heard this story, I am sure, from his Jewish mother. If you read this verse without the fuller context of Paul’s other letters, you could get the impression that Paul is blaming Eve for all of man’s problems. Paul is simply pointing out the order of the events in the garden.

The issue is not who was deceived first as much as it is the deception itself. Adam and Eve were both deceived by the evil one. He is still deceiving people today. I have been at events where it was obvious he was at work deceiving people. This Greek word has the idea of a baited hook. The hook is there, but the bait is just too good to pass up.

APPLICATION

Now, here is a perfect verse to teach your children the deception of the devil. Take them fishing and use some live bait. As you are baiting their hook talk about how the fish just can’t resist that bait. They see it and ignore the hook. The enticement of the bait is just too much. So, they are deceived into thinking they have a free meal. Once they bite, it’s too late.

Explain to your children that they are susceptible to the same deception from the devil. He will bait the hook for them with something he knows they want. They may even see the hook, but just can’t resist the bait. But Satan keeps his hooks sharp. They will cause pain. They will cause grief. The lure of sin is great, but with the Holy Spirit as their guide, they can avoid these deceptions.

Have you bitten the bait? Have you been deceived? It’s not too late. You may have a scar from that hook, but Jesus can cut that line that is holding you back. We all fall sometimes. Falling isn’t the end. Get back up. Let Jesus remove that hook and begin the healing in your life.  He wants you back in the kingdom work, not sidelined by sin.

Lord, point out to me those hidden hooks of sin that so easily entice me. Give me Your wisdom and discretion to recognize the bait when I see it. I want to serve You.

Standard