Category Archives: Eternity

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IS BODILY EXERCISE WORTH IT?

1 TIMOTHY 4:8

“for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

It seems 1 Timothy is full of one-time used words. We have another one today. The Greek word for “discipline” is gumnasia. Does that look familiar? We get the word “gymnasium” from that. This verse is my proof that we only have so many good heart beats, and we shouldn’t waste them exercising, lol. 

Paul is NOT saying we shouldn’t exercise. But too many people spend hours and hours at the gym and neglect their spiritual bodies. Having a buff and trim physical body will NOT make you more godly. Only exercising your spirit will do that. And that is done through spiritual pushups in the Word, prayer and worship. 

APPLICATION

I bet your little Johnny or Susie does some kind of physical exercise. The next time you are with them when they are doing that, bring up this verse. Perhaps you are riding bikes. Compare the exercise their legs are getting with their spiritual walk with Christ. Maybe they are playing soccer. Compare that to controlling their feet as they maneuver to score a goal for God through righteous living.

You can find hundreds of ways to compare physical exercise and sports to the Christian life. There are literally thousands of books out there. The point is to make sure your children know that exercising their spiritual body is more important than exercising their physical body. This physical body will not see heaven, only the spiritual one will.

Are you obsessed with your physique? Are you so enamored with Cross Fit, yoga or P90x that you spend all your spare time in that? Try this for a week. Spend the same amount of time studying God’s Word as you do exercising. I promise you that you feel the difference spiritually.

Lord, I am guilty of not exercising enough physically. I know this body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But Father, I want to exercise my spiritual body just as much. Help me keep in shape spiritually.

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I SURE HOPE SO

1 TIMOTHY 3:14

“I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long;”

Strong’s Concordance defines “hoping” as “actively waiting for God’s fulfillment about the faith He has inbirthed through the power of His love.” I really like that – actively waiting. If you are like me, I never considered waiting an active thing. Waiting for a movie to start is the worst. I really don’t like just sitting there and seeing all those commercials or previews. I came to see the movie, not that. Maybe I need to see that waiting as active also.

Paul was hoping to come to see Timothy there in Ephesus. He was longing to reunite with his apprentice, his child in the faith, his traveling buddy. And this hope was based on faith. Paul loved Timothy, and I am sure he missed him. Aren’t reunifications after long periods of time sweet?

APPLICATIONS

I bet your little Gertrude is hoping for something right now. It may be a new doll or a new dress. It may be a visit to or from someone special. Whatever it is, ask her why she wants that. Get her to explain why she is so passionate about it. She may find it hard to put into words but encourage her to do so. Hoping for something is not a bad thing. It can, in fact, build faith.

As believers, we are hoping for that glorious day of Christ’s return. We know He is coming. We just don’t know when. It could be today. Now explain to your child this hope. It’s like none other because we KNOW it will come to pass. No other hope is as sure. Hoping in Christ is a done deal. All we have to do is “actively” wait.

Are you actively waiting? Or are you like me at the movie theater waiting on that movie to start. Today as you sit in traffic or wait in line at a restaurant, try waiting actively. Take that time while you are waiting to recite some Scripture. Sing a hymn. Pray. Don’t let those moments slip by without using them to invest in God’s kingdom.

Help me, Lord, to redeem each moment given to me today. Help me use every second to help fulfill Your kingdom here on earth. My hope lies only in You.

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INTO SATAN’S HANDS

1 TIMOTHY 1:20

“Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.”

How awful! How terrible! Handed over to Satan! What a way to have your name remembered! Hymenaeus was teaching false doctrine according to 2 Timothy 2:17-18. And Alexander may have been the same Alexander who was called the coppersmith who did great harm to the apostles and may have believed in the same false doctrines as Hymenaeus. 

Irregardless of their exact beliefs, they undoubtedly had blasphemed against our holy God. This was something which Paul could not tolerate. So, he had obviously withdrawn fellowship from them and was praying God to allow Satan to discipline. But even in this action, Satan is given an exact task which he couldn’t supersede.

APPLICATION

Children have to learn that choices have consequences. They may not experience the consequence immediately, but it will come. That is a truth you must teach your children. Some consequences are hard, like the one mentioned in today’s verse. Some may not seem so harsh. The bottom line is there will be consequences.

Direct disobedience can bring the harshest of consequences from God. Now, I am not telling you to teach your kids to watch out for God’s zaps from heaven. No, teach them to obey because they love the Lord, not because they fear His wrath. But obey they must.

Are you a Hymenaeus or Alexander? Are you thumbing your nose at God, not believing He is aware of your actions? Beware! He is. He knows all and sees all. He will hold you accountable. He has to because He is holy and just. Why not obey Him in all things? By doing that, you are pleasing the One who loves you dearly and longs to see you in His service.

Father, forgive me of failing You. I want to obey You willingly and joyfully. Thank You for holding me accountable.

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TIME TO FIGHT

1 TIMOTHY 1:18

“This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,” 

If you aren’t aware, we are in a fight. It’s a real fight against a real enemy. I know we are told over and over that we shouldn’t fight. But this fight is not going away. This fight has eternal consequences. What fight am I talking about? The battle we fight daily against the devil. 

I know, I know. You are probably saying, “Carl, don’t talk about the devil. He is not concerned about me.” Keep thinking like that, and you are already defeated. The devil is real, and he is constantly revising his battle plans to defeat us. As believers, he can’t “unsave” us, but he can sure make our lives miserable and unfit for service.

APPLICATION

I am sure you teach your children that fighting is bad. You should. There is rarely a good reason to fight. We certainly shouldn’t be throwing the first punch. But all that has to do with people. I’m talking about a spiritual war. This is one in which we need to equip our children with every weapon available. They need to be trained as well as any Special Ops soldier.

How do you do that? The same way the military prepares their soldiers. You have to train them. They need daily time in God’s Word. They need to be taught how to study the Word for themselves. They need to be taught how to prepare. And then they need to be taken on some missions to apply those skills. We, as parents, need to be the ones who help our children use those spiritual warfare tactics.

Are you equipped for the fight? Are you strapping on your spiritual weapons each day? You need to. You can’t take off one day from this battle. The second you let your guard down, Satan will attack. He looks for our weak points and plans his attack. Be ready. Be diligent. Fight the good fight.

I am thankful, Lord, that I do not fight alone. I know You are my Commander-in-Chief. As long as I follow Your orders, I will be victorious over my enemies.

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AN EXAMPLE

1 TIMOTHY 1:16

“Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.” 

Could the Lord use you as an example? Paul was used that way. The Lord saved him from certain destruction and set him up as an example of His mercy and grace. God showed Paul patience as only God could do. 

Paul saw God’s actions as purposeful, not just for himself, but for others, as well. Paul’s salvation and life in Christ were an example God was using to draw others to Himself. Can God do that with you? Is your life one that the Lord can hold up to show others what He can do in someone who is surrendered to Him? 

APPLICATION

Sometimes we parents will tell one of our children, “Why can’t you be more like your sister (or brother)?” We compare their behaviors. That is NOT what I am talking about here. We should never compare our children. God has created each of them unique. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Instead, we should always point them to Christ. Let Him be their example.

You also have to be an example to them. Your life should be a reflection of Christ to them, so they can see what a true believer looks like. That doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. No one is. But we are the ones the Lord has entrusted with this little life. He gave them to us to give back to Him. Do all you can to ensure you are doing that.

Okay, so how are you doing? If a total stranger met you for the first time, would they know within a few minutes that you are a child of the King? Better yet, do your close friends and family see Christ lived out in your life every day? Can the Lord say you are an example of His perfect patience?

Thank You, Father, for extending Your grace to me. I am grateful for Your perfect patience in my life. Without it I would be doomed for eternity.

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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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QUICKLY NOW


2 THESSALONIANS 3:1

“Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you;” 

Have you ever been told to “hurry up”?  I have been a few times. I remember in one of my first jobs in my hometown of Pelham, GA I had a boss who did not like you to “dawdle about.” He insisted that you stay busy and do the job quickly and efficiently.  He didn’t want us wasting time.

I thought of that when I read this verse because the phrase “spread rapidly” comes from a word that means to run with speed. It was used to describe runners in a race. Paul is asking the Thessalonians to pray that the Gospel would spread that quickly, that it would win the race, that it would reach its end result without delay.

APPLICATION

I bet you have never had to tell your children to hurry up, have you? Only about a million times, right? Be careful hurrying your children too much. Let them be kids. Let them enjoy their childhood. But when it comes to the things of the Lord, don’t let them “dawdle”, as my boss used to say. The things of the Lord need to be taken seriously. Time is hastening. The Lord is going to return. We need to be ready and make sure our children are also.

What does that mean? I am not talking about being in an apocalyptic mood all the time. But I am saying that we should not waste time on things that are simply temporal and of this world. We need to teach our children that every day is important to the Lord. Every day gives us a new opportunity to share the Gospel with someone. Run the race.

Are you too busy chasing the wrong things that you forget to run the important race? You should stop right now, wherever you are, and evaluate your race. Are you running to win or just finish? God wants us to run well, not just run. He wants us to be quick about it. Don’t sit around waiting for someone else to spread the Gospel. Get out there. Run quickly.

Father, forgive me for being seemingly unconcerned about the shortness of the time. Help me redeem each minute and count it worthy of service to You. I will commit to being more bold today in sharing the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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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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ETERNITY NOW?


2 THESSALONIANS 2:16

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,” 

Isn’t this a sweet, promising verse? We are promised His love, His comfort and His hope through grace. That’s a lot. And this is one of the few times that Paul mentions Jesus before the Father. That may not be important, but I thought it was just interesting. 

This comfort is not just normal comfort. It’s eternal comfort. Does that mean we only get this when we get to heaven? I don’t think so. Look at this definition of that Greek word for “eternal.” “Thus believers live in ‘eternallife’ right now, experiencing this quality of God’s life now as a present possession.”We can experience eternal comfort right now. Don’t you want that?

APPLICATION

Ask your little Susie how she would feel if when she got hurt you withheld comforting her until she grew up. I bet she wouldn’t like that. You wouldn’t kiss that boo-boo until after it was healed. That’s crazy, isn’t it? Now read your children this verse and explain that the same thing applies to God.

He is not going to withhold His comfort from them just because they are still here on earth. That comfort is eternal because it is ageless.  It covers all time. God is even in the process of comfort long before they (or we) even know they are going to need it. That’s pretty awesome, if you ask me. Eternal comfort lasts a long time. It begins the moment we receive his free gift of salvation and will follow us right into eternity.

Are you in need of comfort today? As I write this, I have several friends who are in need of great comfort. They are going through some very hard things right now. They need to know that the Lord is already at work in their life to comfort their hearts and give them love and hope through grace. Is there someone you need to remind of that today?

O Lord, help me share this great truth with someone who needs it today. Let me be the bearer of that eternal comfort through the Lord Jesus. Thank You for giving me that comfort and hope.

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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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