Category Archives: Holy Spirit

Advice, Bible, Blessing, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Encouragement, Following, Godliness, Harmony, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Surrender

BLESSING OTHERS

1 PETER 3:9

“not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.”

Peter completes the thought he began in verse 8 here in verse 9. And what a wonderful way to do that. We should not return evil for evil or insult for insult. That’s a never-ending cycle. Payback is not the answer. Peter tells us how to respond. We should bless others when they insult us.

How in the world do we do that? I mean, come one. Is that even possible? Not by yourself. This is only possible through Jesus. If we see and treat others as Jesus would, we would indeed bless rather than curse. Do you want to inherit a blessing? Then be a blessing.

APPLICATION

Oh boy! Our children need to learn this lesson. Our first response when insulted is to insult right back. Our children’s flesh is strong. We can’t expect them to conquer this temptation on their own. Until they come to a saving knowledge of Christ, we have to be the one to correct this behavior. We point them to Jesus each time we do that.

And once they come to Christ, the Spirit who indwells them directs them to follow Christ. Our job is one of discipling and modeling that behavior. That’s right! We must live out the behavior we want to see in our children. They will imitate us. Let’s help them imitate the right actions.

Do you lash out at those who insult you? Do you want a blessing? Then be a blessing. I know it’s hard. Actually, it’s impossible without yielding to Christ. Remember, Christ is the one blessing others through you. Let Him!

I want to bless rather than curse others. Help me hold my tongue when insulted. I trust You to speak blessings through me.

Standard
Child Raising, Child Rearing, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Following, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Parenting, Witnessing

SENT WITH A MISSION

ACTS 8:14-16

“14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” 

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had received the Gospel, they did not hesitate to send two of their own, Peter and John. They came down to pray over them so they may receive the Holy Spirit. This is a difficult passage, in that we know the Spirit is given to us at salvation. Many scholars believe the receiving of the Spirit involved the ability to speak in tongues and perform miracles.

I am not even going to delve into those topics. The mere fact that the apostles felt it necessary to send two of the prominent apostles to the hated Samaritans showed a complete openness to sharing the Gospel with whomever. They didn’t ignore the Samaritans because they were Samaritans. They were now fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

APPLICATION

Our children should know the importance of sharing Christ with anyone. In fact, there is no group of people that does not need a Savior. Sometimes, we believe certain people are lost causes. That is simply not true. I can speak from experience on that. God reached down and picked me up when I certainly didn’t deserve it.

Train your children to share their testimony. Practice on each other over dinner. Come up with different ways to share it. Make it a fun time. What could be more fun than leading someone to Christ, right? When your child experiences that for the first time, watch out. You may have unleashed another Billy Graham.

Do you avoid certain people groups? Are there people you avoid talking to? Those are probably the very people who need to hear the Gospel from you. Let me challenge you today to identify and then go to those groups in your life. Reach across those invisible barriers and be a Peter or John. Take the best story ever told to a lost and dying world.

Open my eyes to those around me in need of a Savior. Point me in the right direction today. Help me help others come to Jesus.

Standard
Advice, Beauty, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Contentment, Encouragement, Flesh, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Parenting

INNER BEAUTY

1 PETER 3:3

“Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;”

You have probably heard that beauty is only skin deep. If Peter had heard that expression, he may have used it right here in today’s verse. It’s interesting that the word “adornment” is the Greek word kosmos which means worldly affairs, the world, the universe. We get our word “cosmetics” from this root word.

Now, I am not saying that all cosmetics are worldly. I am glad we have them. I just think we need to heed Peter’s words here. Beauty isn’t about the external, whether that be cosmetics, fixing your hair or wearing the latest fashions. Real beauty comes from the inside. And real, real beauty is only given by God.

APPLICATION

So, how do we apply this verse to our children? Easy, don’t let your little girls wear makeup, lol. Just kidding. But we should teach our boys and girls that the external isn’t as important as the internal. How you look is important, but it shouldn’t be what drives us. In other words, there is no reason to spend hours and hours in the bathroom getting ready.

Now, I am sure I will get cards and letters about this blog. That’s okay. I am just looking at what Peter said. The external is just not as important as the internal. God makes you beautiful, not Maybelline. All the cosmetics in the world can’t cover an ugly heart. Amen?

How’s your inner beauty? Are you allowing God to adorn you? He will. He will exercise the fruits of the Spirit in and through you today. Nothing is more beautiful than kindness, gentleness and self-control. Let Him work through you this day.

I am beautiful only because of You. Adorn me today with Your glory so others will see You in me.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faithfulness, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Teaching, Witnessing

TRUE KNOWLEDGE

Acts 4:13

“Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”

Where did these guys get their knowledge? That’s what the crowds were wondering. These men were ignorant fishermen. How could they know so much now? They hadn’t been to school. They weren’t educated men.

I love it says “they were amazed.” The Greek word there means they were astonished out of their senses. This didn’t make sense, until… They began to realize that Peter and John’s wisdom wasn’t from themselves. It was from Jesus. Jesus had taught them well the past three years.

APPLICATION

You may have a brilliant child, one that makes all A’s. Well, congratulations. But your child needs to know that didn’t all come from him. God made them with the ability to learn and retain that knowledge. God made them able to study and do well on tests. Yes, we have to do our part, but it is the Lord who empowers.

If you have more than one child, you have probably noticed they have different learning styles. One may be a visual learner while the other one is more auditory. Neither is wrong. God equips us to learn according to how He made us. God spent three years equipping Peter and John as they spent time with Jesus. With the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, all that knowledge is pouring out.

My sister-in-law once said she wasn’t going to any more Bible conferences until she started living out all she had learned from the previous conferences. So true. Knowledge is great, but it needs to be put to good use. Peter and John used their new found, God-given knowledge to lead others to Christ. What will you do with yours?

I am thankful for the knowledge You have given me of Your Word. Give me opportunities to share with others. Give me courage to speak out when called upon by Your Spirit.

Standard
Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Following, God's Will, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Parenting, Submission, Surrender

FILLED

ACTS 4:8

“Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people,’”

When you read this verse you see that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. That sounds great doesn’t it? We know he received the Spirit at Pentecost. But what you can’t see from the English translation is this. That word “filled” in the original Greek means filled to capacity. That changes things.

Peter was not only full, he was totally full. He couldn’t hold any more Spirit. That’s what gave him the ability to preach like he does in the following verses. He was simply overflowing with the Spirit of God. It was the Spirit speaking through him. He was just the vessel God decided to use to preach the Gospel to those listening.

APPLICATION

This is a great verse to share with your kids. Ask them if they have ever been full of joy or happiness. Ask them how they acted when that happened. They may get excited telling you and even have to act it out. That’s great. Ask them what they think would have happened if they had tried to hold all that joy and happiness in. They will probably say they would have burst.

That’s how it is with the Spirit of God inside of us. Explain to your children that when they are surrendered to the Spirit and allowing Him to live through them, they will be filled to overflowing with the Spirit. The Spirit will bubble over on people. Their countenance will better. Their speech will be sweeter. They will be bursting with the Spirit.

How is your Spirit gauge? Are you running on empty? The Spirit never leaves us as believers, but we can sure push Him down and not allow Him to show Himself in our lives. Our flesh is strong and can win out much of the time if we don’t surrender our lives to the Spirit every minute of every day.

Lord, I surrender myself to Your Spirit within me today. I won’t to overflow with the love of Jesus which is exhibited through the Spirit You have given me.

Standard
Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Evangelism, Faith, Gifts, Healing, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Kindness, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Scripture, Suffering, Witnessing

GETTING MORE THAN YOU ASK FOR

ACTS 3:6

“But Peter said, ‘I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!’”

I love this story in Acts 3. If you read verses 1-10, you will get the full picture of what happens here. A lame beggar is lying outside the Temple asking for money from anyone entering the Temple. He sees Peter and John and asks them for some. All he is expecting is a few coins to perhaps buy some bread or other food for the day. What he gets surprises him.

Peter and John look at him as he hollers at them passing by. Peter, being led of the Spirit, offers him healing instead of money. Notice he heals him in the name of Jesus, not himself. Peter knows where the healing comes from and wanted this beggar and anyone else listening to know also. This beggar got so much more than money. He got his legs for the first time.

APPLICATION

Have you ever given your child more than they asked for? I bet you have. They asked for something simple for Christmas, but you blessed them with the newest game system. Isn’t it just as exciting for you? You can’t wait for them to open up that gift under the tree.

I bet Peter and John were just as excited to see this man jump up and walk as the man was. This is Peter’s first recorded miracle. Let your children think about that for a second. How would they have reacted to the beggar by the Temple? Ignore him? Step around him? Tell him to be quiet? Not Peter. In the boldness of his newly indwelt Spirit, he commands healing.

Do you realize that the same Spirit that indwelt Peter indwells us? We have the same power. Do you believe that? God wants to use you to do great things for Him today. God’s miracle working power is still present in today’s world. The problem is we don’t believe He can do those things today. Let God work through you as He desires.

I want to be used by You to do things that can only be explained as coming from You. I vow to give You all the credit and point others to You.

Standard
Advice, Calling, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Courage, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Service, Submission, Witnessing

FIRSTS

ACTS 2:14

“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.’” 

I remember the first sermon I preached. It was at Harmony Baptist Church in Pelham, GA. I was asked to preach at their annual Youth Sunday. I prepared what I thought was the perfect sermon and was sure it would last the allotted thirty minutes. Lo and behold, I was done in about seven, lol. But I found out something. No one complains about a short sermon.

Peter had been transformed by the arrival of the Holy Spirit. He was filled with the very presence of Christ now. He was no longer that disciple who had denied Jesus. He was now the leader of a new movement to evangelize the world. And here he is preaching his first sermon. What a message! What a transformation.

APPLICATION

Do you recall the first time your child performed at church or school? Perhaps their first solo or part in a play? I sure do. I was so proud of them. My shirt almost lost buttons, lol.  Tell your kids about that. Tell them how proud you still are of them. They won’t soon forget that.

Then tell them how proud the Lord is when they share Christ with someone for the first time or when they make that first gift to the church. First times can be hard and challenging, but the Lord will give them the courage to follow through. Challenge your children to take on those “firsts” just like Peter did. He was accused of being drunk when the Spirit came upon him and the other disciples. But he didn’t get mad and leave. He delivered his first sermon empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Are you fearful of stepping out on those “firsts”? Don’t be. Trust the Lord to use the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and give you the courage. He loves to encourage us. We just have to step up and trust Him. Will you do that today? Who knows, maybe your first sermon may last longer than seven minutes.

I will trust You, Lord, to empower me to step out and do what You ask, even if it is for the first time. I want to honor You with my obedience.

Standard
Advice, Affection, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Comfort, Confession, Courage, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Following, Forgiveness, Healing, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Promises, Salvation, Scripture, Suffering

JUST A TOUCH

LUKE 8:45

“And Jesus said, ‘Who is it that touched me?’ And when all denied, Peter said, and they that were with him, ‘Master, the multitudes press thee and crush thee.’”

Have you ever been in a huge crowd where you are being pressed from all sides? I always keep my hands on my wallet and keys because I am afraid of getting robbed. Lol. Here Jesus and the disciples are going through a crowd and someone touches Him. Jesus wants to know who touched Him and Peter says Are you kidding me?

The point wasn’t being touched. The point was someone touched Him intentionally to be healed. Jesus wanted that person to acknowledge their touch. Don’t you think He knew who touched Him? Of course, He did. Her faith was on display for all.

APPLICATION

Have you ever played tag with your children? I bet you have. Well, this “tag” is nothing like that game. In the game you are trying to touch someone to get rid of something. This woman was touching Jesus to receive something.

The next time you play tag give everyone several good things everyone else wants. Make little tags to pin to their clothes. The only rule is each time they get tagged, they have to give up one of their tags. Now at the end, you can decide who the winner is. Is it the one who gives all his good things to others or is the one who gains the most tags? It really depends on your perspective.

Think about it for a second. Did Jesus ever pursue getting things from others or was He constantly giving away? We have the same ability through the Holy Spirit if we will just stop being so selfish. Share your blessings. Give to others. Let others “touch” you. You will be blessed in the end.

I am so thankful You fill me with blessings I can share. I know they are given for that purpose. Put others in my path today, Lord, whom You would have me bless.

Standard
Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Commands, Confession, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Forgiveness, Friends, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Modeling, Obedience, Parenting, Prayer, Repentance, Scripture, Testimony

TREE KILLING FAITH

MARK 11:21

“Being reminded, Peter said to Him, ‘Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.’” 

Do you remember this story? Jesus had walked by this fig tree earlier and, when He found it had no figs, cursed it. Now, as they walk by it on the return trip, Peter notices it has withered. He is amazed, but Jesus tells him (and us) that he has the same power through our prayers. We can even move mountains. He goes on to say, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”

Real faith can do anything. We can even kill trees, not that I would want to. I don’t even want to move a mountain. The key to praying and believing, though, is to pray with a pure heart. Jesus told His disciples they must pray with a forgiving heart. You can’t pray while holding a grudge or resentment towards someone. Confess that and the floodgates of heaven are opened to you.

APPLICATION

As you teach your children to pray, make sure you teach this principle. They need to be all confessed up. They need to forgive their brother or sister. They need to forgive that friend who has hurt their feelings. Teach them that unforgiveness drives a wedge, not only between them and the person, but also between them and God. Christ won’t allow our unforgiving spirit to continue.

When our children learn this lesson early in life, it will free them for powerful prayer lives. We adults wonder sometimes why God isn’t listening. We need to examine our forgiving attitudes. It is easy to hold resentments. Sometimes we even forget we are doing that until we see that person again.

Are you depriving yourself of tree killing faith? Are you refusing to forgive someone who has hurt you? Let it go. Let Christ in you give you the desire and ability to forgive them, no matter how deep the hurt. Only Christ can. You can’t. Our flesh demands justice. Christ has already paid the price. Forgive.

I will forgive as You forgive, Lord. It is not easy, practically impossible. But in You all things are possible.

Standard
Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Completeness, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Friends, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Parenting

THE INNER CIRCLE

MARK 5:37

“And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James.”

Have you ever been one of the inner circle, the in-crowd? When you are selected for that honor, you may wonder why you. Right? Jesus selected Peter, James and John to be his closest disciples. I wonder why. Why not Nathaniel or Andrew? We don’t know, but we can be sure that Jesus had a reason for selecting these three.

King David has his mighty men, but also had the three mightiest.  The Trinity is comprised of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three seems to be an important number in Scripture. But the point of this devotional isn’t the number three. It’s about being in that inner circle. Guess what? We are all part of that group now. Jesus sent His Spirit to live in us to bring us in.

APPLICATION

Have your children ever been pushed out of an inner circle of friends? Friends can be cruel. They will probably be a part of many close-knit groups through their life. Some will be social. Some will be work related. And others will be spiritual. Those are the ones you need to focus on. We need to steer them towards those groups that will feed their souls.

How do you do that? Well, first you need to have them involved in a Bible teaching church so they can spend time with like-minded friends. You need to encourage them to participate in retreats and Bible studies. They need to develop relationships with other kids who share their worldview. You play a huge role in that.

Are you engaged in a group like that? We adults need that too. That need for closeness doesn’t end at childhood. Who is in your inner circle? Can you depend on them to be there? Make sure Jesus is the center of your group. Make sure you are following His desires as you do life with your circle.

I am so thankful I am part Your inner circle. I know You are always there and that I can always depend on You. I love You, Lord.

Standard