Category Archives: Evangelism

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LISTEN UP


1 THESSALONIANS 5:20

“do not despise prophetic utterances.” 

This verse could be a little confusing for us today. We don’t hear many “prophetic utterances.” But what is Paul really saying here? Well, this might be translated as “don’t despise preaching” or “don’t ignore sound teaching.” It wasn’t so much about “forth-telling” as it was simply speaking God’s truth.

You see back in Thessaloniki some gifts were held in higher esteem than others. For instance, some might think speaking in tongues was superior to preaching. Others might think performing miracles was the top. Paul is simply saying, “Don’t ignore, don’t count as nothing the sharing of God’s truth.

APPLICATION

Children will prefer some things above others. They may prefer game time at church over studying the lesson. They may like the craft time more than singing praises. What we have to do is make sure they understand that nothing is more important than hearing and living God’s Word. 

The other stuff might get the kids to church, but it’s the Word of God that will keep them for a lifetime. I pray you are investing the Word into their lives daily. I hope you are teaching them to not despise these prophetic utterances. They can learn lessons in His truth that will determine their life for decades to come.

How about you? Are you a despiser or a lover of God’s truth which is spoken of in His Word? Let these prophetic utterances transform your life into a vessel carrying an eternal message. Speak His truth to others so that they too can gain a new perspective.

O God, I stand in awe of You and all You have done. Allow me to see each and every situation as one in which I could send forth utterances of Your truth.

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LET IT BURN

1 THESSALONIANS 5:19

“Do not quench the Spirit;” 

Have you ever had heartburn? Boy, I have. You’ll do just about anything to get that burning to stop. You will drink cold water, milk, take antacids or other medications. You just want your throat and stomach to cool down. 

The Spirit burns within us also, but it’s a good thing. He wants us to know He is there. He will burden us, entice us and encourage us. He will prod us, direct us and lead us. So, what did Paul mean here about not quenching the Spirit? The word means to extinguish or put out (as in a fire). The Spirit of God is often symbolized by a flame. He should burn within us, not like heartburn, but as a catalyst to light our fire for the Lord.

APPLICATION

Get a couple of candles to light with your kids, but make sure one of those is a trick candle that they can’t blow out. Light them both and talk about this verse. Explain to them that the Holy Spirit is like that flame that burns. He is in us to energize us spiritually to hear from and live for the Lord.

Now have them blow the candles out. Of course, one goes out and the other one won’t. Tell them the Lord wants us to keep our flame of the Holy Spirit burning. We shouldn’t do anything to put out the flame, to quench it. The Holy Spirit is NOT like the candle that blew out easy. We all make mistakes and sin. Quenching the Spirit has to be a deliberate attempt, just like it is to put out the trick candle. It takes a certain effort.

Have you quenched the Spirit in your life? Have you ignored His prompting so long that He has stopped “talking to you”? Well, He is still talking. The problem is you have stopped listening. You have allowed your ears to block His voice. Confess this to the Lord. Reopen that line of communication. Let the Spirit burn within you.

I want to feel the burn, Lord. I want to be so controlled by the Spirit that the things of this world can’t touch me. Keep me sensitive to His leading.

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WHAT IS GOD’S WILL?

1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

“in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 

I want to challenge you to do a word study. Look up how many times the Bible mentions “God’s will” or “the will of God.” Make a list of all the things it says is God’s will for your life. The list may just surprise you. And here we have one more thing that is included in God’s will for you – to give thanks in everything.

Notice, Paul didn’t say “for” everything. It’s hard to thank God for some things. But IN whatever situation, we can thank Him. My brother and sister-in-law give thanks for my brother’s cancer he had several years ago. Now, they don’t thank Him FOR the cancer, but they are truly grateful for the opportunity it gave them to trust Him afresh with his very life. 

APPLICATION

Help your little Elrod or Gertrude make a list of things for which they are thankful. They will probably list the good stuff. Most of us would also. But help them think of some things that were difficult. Talk about what they learned through those things and how they can thank God for them. This is a deliberate choice on our part. We don’t naturally do this.

How about helping them thank God for the difficult people in their lives? “What?! Carl, you can’t mean that!” Well, I don’t, but God does. He places people in our lives who will challenge us and whom He will use to make us more like Him. We can thank Him for that. We don’t enjoy the process, but we sure love the outcome.

Are you thankful? Are you giving the Lord all the gratitude for all the things He allows to touch you? If you are like me, you probably aren’t. It’s hard to thank Him when your eyes are on the situation. Look up. Know that He is there. His will, His desire for you, His best offer can be accepted or rejected. What will you do with it.

Lord, I must confess that sometimes I find it hard to thank You for some of the things that come into my life. But I must trust that if You allow them, You have a purpose for them. For that I am thankful.

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REJOICE – ALWAYS


1 THESSALONIANS 5:16

“Rejoice always;” 

This is a first for me. I have put the entire verse in the title, lol.  One of the shortest verses in the Bible. In fact, in the Greek, it is shorter than the commonly thought of shortest verse “Jesus wept.” How ironic that the verse we think is the shortest has an exact opposite thought than the actual shortest verse. On the one hand we have weeping and on the other we have rejoicing.  That was just interesting to me. It didn’t cost you anything extra.

What does Paul mean here? This word “rejoice” is a command. We are commanded to rejoice ALL THE TIME. Is that possible? We can if we understand where this word comes from. “Rejoice,” “joy” and “grace” all come from the same root word in the Greek. If you understand grace and have experienced it through salvation, you will have joy. And if you have joy, you can’t help but rejoice. Even in bad times, God’s grace and joy will explode in rejoicing.

APPLICATION

Have you had a “Rejoicing Party” lately with your children? What fun! Put on a cd with some songs of rejoicing and praising our Savior. Dance and sing. Rejoice! Children love to dance with daddy and mommy. They love to watch us celebrate. 

Teach them this verse. Even a three-year-old can memorize this one. But explain it to them. Make sure they understand that rejoicing is based on joy and grace. We rejoice because of what God has done through His Son Jesus. We can’t rejoice in anything we’ve done. What a great verse – rejoice always.

Do you? Do you rejoice? Do you rejoice always? It is possible, if you allow yourself to die to your selfishness and pride. If you allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you, He will bring the joy to the top and it will overflow with rejoicing. Let it flow!

I praise You, my Lord, for filling me with Your grace and joy through the knowledge of Your Son. Because of Him I can rejoice always, even when the world is dead set against me. I WILL rejoice.

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GOOD OR EVIL


1 THESSALONIANS 5:15

“See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.” 

What an interesting use of words, but you have to go back to the original language to really see why. You see, “repays” carries the idea of a payment or repayment. That is usually a good thing, but in this situation it’s bad. You’ve heard the expression “payback.” Well, that’s the idea here. It’s getting back at someone.

And the other words that are interesting are “seek after.” That’s one word in the Greek, and it can also be used in a good way or a bad way. Here, of course, it is a good thing. It means to earnestly pursue something. It’s your passion. It’s what drives you. You just can’t stop.

APPLICATION

This is an easy application, if you will teach it. Children naturally want to “get back” at someone who has done them wrong. We all get that naturally. It’s part of our sin nature. Our job as parents is to lead our children to Christ who can transform that nature into His nature. Then, like Him, they will desire what is good for others, not payback.

One of the best ways to teach your children to do good towards those who try to harm them is to teach them to pray for them. It’s really hard to try to “get back” at someone you are praying for. Your child may even suggest a way to actually do something nice for that person in the name of Jesus. Encourage that. 

Who is giving you a “fit” right now? Is there someone at work who just has it in for you? Perhaps, God forbid, there is someone at church you can’t get along with. Begin by praying for them. We never know what is going on in a person’s life, but God does. Then ask the Lord to use you to do good to them. Find a way to bless them. What happens might surprise you.

O Lord, I know all I deserve is payback for my sins. I do not deserve Your blessings. But because of Your Son, Jesus, I am declared righteous. Help me see others as deserving of that same righteousness.

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DID I LEAVE ANYONE OUT?


1 THESSALONIANS 5:14

“We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” 

My daughter is planning a wedding! Yep, I am gaining a son-in-law, or as I like to say – a son. They are both busy planning the invitation list. What started out as a small little wedding has naturally grown to a larger event. That’s okay. It’s their wedding, and they want their friends and family there to celebrate with them.

Paul is making a list here in today’s verse for the Thessalonians. He wants them to reach out to the unruly, fainthearted, weak and well…everyone. Now that’s a pretty exhaustive list. In fact, the word “everyone” comes from the word that means not just all, but each and every part that makes up the whole. So, Paul is saying, “each and every person.”

APPLICATION

You will need to teach each of these commands separately to your little Johnny or Susie. I would hold off on the admonishing one until they are older. That takes some skill to do correctly. But it is still a most valuable skill to have.  

Teaching them to encourage, help and to be patient, though, can ONLY be taught by modeling that for them. Sorry about that Mom and Dad. You are the one that has to practice this first. Then your children will see what it looks like.  Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to do what the Lord asks you?

So many of us want to admonish, but we don’t want to encourage, help or show patience. We don’t have the right to admonish someone we are not willing to encourage, help or be patient with. Is that you? Commit today to start at the bottom of that list (patience) and work your way up. See what God will do through you.

Father, You have given us the perfect example in Christ. He showed us patience, help and encouragement so that admonishment wasn’t as necessary. Help me model Christ in my interactions with others.

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WHO DO YOU APPRECIATE?


1 THESSALONIANS 5:12

“But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,” 

If you have ever attended a middle school or high school ballgame, whether it be basketball or football, you have probably heard this cheer.  “2, 4, 6, 8, who do you appreciate…” Am I right?  It didn’t matter if your team was good or bad. The fans were going cheer for them. 

Paul is encouraging the Thessalonians and us to show our appreciation (literally, to remember) those who teach and lead us in our faith. Many churches and communities have “Clergy Appreciation Days.” This is a day set aside to recognize and show appreciation to our spiritual leaders. We would do well to do that in some way.

APPLICATION

“Carl, this isn’t a very spiritual devotion today.” Well, hang on. Let’s make this apply to us and our families. One thing that is sorely missing today in our society is valuing our spiritual mentors. We must teach our children to honor and respect those people God has placed over them. Lack of respect for authority is running rampant in our country. Of all people, Christians should lead the way in honoring our leaders.

How do we teach that? It begins at home. Holding your children accountable for disrespectful behavior must be done. Modeling respect for your leaders, even if you disagree with them, teaches our children to do the same. I truly believe God places people over us in life to teach us. We may question that sometime, but if we trust the Lord, we will honor Him by honoring those He has chosen as His instrument of instruction in our lives.

Whom are you complaining about right now? Are you picking apart your Pastor without any measure of honor and respect? Apply this verse to your life today. Ask the Lord to show you when you are NOT appreciating those who teach and lead you.

I am thankful, Lord, for those whom You have placed over me. I repent of any disrespect or dishonor I may have shown. Help me to learn from them what You would have me learn.

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BE A BUILDER


1 THESSALONIANS 5:11

“Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” 

Imagery can be so important when you are trying to explain something to someone. Paul, through the Holy Spirit, is doing that so well in this verse. He instructs us to literally build up others (to help them stand firm) and also to encourage them (to come alongside them). I get this picture of a tree that is planted in the ground and then braced and supported tightly until it takes firm root.

Unfortunately, too many of us are too concerned with tearing others down and kicking the supports out from under them. We don’t want others “standing over” us. We would rather see them fall that appear to be over us. I pray anyone I have the privilege to mentor becomes MUCH more than me.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you a question. Do you want your children to succeed? Do you want them to achieve more than you? Most parents would quickly say, “Well, of course, Carl.” Their achievement over your achievements makes you proud, not jealous. Their surpassing of your goals is a reflection of you, not an overshadowing of anything you have done.

Why is it, then, that we can’t do the same thing with our brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ? Why do we compete with them for the top rung on the ladder? Teach your children to be that person who, for the betterment of the Body, is willing to stay at the bottom of the ladder to hold and support it, rather than kick people off on the way up.

How do you encourage and build up your fellow believers? Who are you personally mentoring right now? If you aren’t sure what the answer is to either of those questions, let me encourage you right now to take a moment to ask the Lord to put someone in your life to whom you can do that. We can’t do this Christian life alone and neither can others.

Lord, You have created us to need each other. Let me encourage someone today. Instead of tearing someone down, help me build someone up.

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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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NO WRATH


1 THESSALONIANS 5:9

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 

Isn’t this an incredible promise of God? He, and only He, does not set us up or place us in wrath. The word “destined” is written in such a way that it means ONLY HE makes this decision. Why is it written that way? Because Satan would love to destine us for wrath. If he had a say in it, we all would. 

But we are destined to obtain salvation. Oh, listen to this. That word “obtaining” is used in Ephesians 1:14 and 1 Peter 2:9 to refer to “God’s own possession.” Do you get it? God has destined us, He has established us, He has determined that we will be HIS! Praise be to God!

APPLICATION

Do you have video of your child’s birth? Has your child seen it? If not, show it to them and explain to them that God determined to place them into your family long before they were born. The birth just made it reality. The Lord brought you and your husband or wife together and through that union established a family into which they would be born.

Explain to them that their birth into God’s family brings into reality what God had already established. It is God’s will, His desire that all men be saved. And because of that desire, whenever anyone enters the family, it brings into place what was destined to begin with. God WANTS all of His creation to come to Him.

I pray you have made that decision. I don’t assume for a second that just because you are reading this devotional that you are a believer. You may have just stumbled onto it through one of the hundreds of search engines out there on the web. Make God’s Will for you reality today. Accept His Son Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You are NOT destined for wrath. He has destined you for salvation.

What a comforting thought, O Savior of my soul. I praise You for saving me. I thank You for allowing me to come into Your family and experience Your salvation.

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