Category Archives: Inspirational

Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Commands, Encouragement, Glory, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Modeling, Parenting, Praise, Worship

HOLY HANDS

1 TIMOTHY 2:8

“Therefore, I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”    

I know you’ve seen it. People raising their hands in church during Praise and Worship. You may feel intimidated to raise yours, even though you don’t really want to. You may think hand raising is a sign of holiness. It is not! You may have been led to believe that those who raise their hands are somehow more spiritual. They are not.

Hand raising should be Spirit-led and should be done as a sign of supplication to our holy God. You are saying to God, “I lift my hands to You, O Lord, in confession. I present myself to You with a broken heart. I want to know you more completely.” It is never done in pride. It is always done in humility. 

APPLICATION

Your children will undoubtedly ask what people are doing in church when they raise their hands. We teach our children to raise their hands when they want to ask a question. We don’t normally do that during a worship service, lol. So, when they see hands going up during a service, they may be confused.

Take this opportunity to tell them, “Johnny, remind me when we get home to tell you about. I really can’t explain it now, but I will.” Then tell them what it means when you get home. Turn to this verse and explain what Paul meant by “lifting up holy hands.” Take your time. Answer their questions. This is important. You want them to understand this and feel free to do as the Lord leads them in the future.

Are you a “hand raiser”? Let me ask you why. Why do you lift your hands? Is it because everyone else is doing it? Is it because you want to be seen as “into it” during Worship? If those are your reasons, put your hands down. Ask the Lord to show you when and if you are to raise your hands. He will. 

I raise my hands to You, O Lord. I lift them in reverence to Your holiness and majesty. I bow my heart as I lift my hands.

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GOD’S DESIRE

1 TIMOTHY 2:4

“who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 

Our holy and righteous God desires everyone to be saved. He is ready to act, to deliver them. But…God want force salvation on anyone. This verse reads “desires” for a reason. God wishes for their salvation. It is, in fact, His will that all men be saved. We have to decide to receive it.

And this verse goes on to say, “come to the knowledge of the truth.” You see, that is what convinces us. The truth of God’s Word convinces us that salvation is real and is for us. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So, perhaps the Lord wants to use you to share His good news with someone He is desiring to be saved (which is everyone).

APPLICATION

I pray you are teaching your little Susie and little Johnny to share the good news. Once they come to Christ and discover this truth for themselves, we need to prepare them to share it. Teach them the ABC’s of faith sharing. “A” is for Admit. Everyone must admit they are a sinner in need of a Savior. “B” is for Believe. They have to believe that Jesus was God’s Son who was sent to earth to die for those sins and satisfy God’s judgment. He was crucified, buried and rose again. “C” is for confess. Each person has to confess that belief with their own mouths and ask the Lord to save them and come into their lives.

I promise your kids, even the youngest, can remember those three things. I never cease to be amazed at how quickly children can memorize things. So, I am confident your children can learn to share the good news with their friends and family.

Do you know the knowledge of the truth? Have you acknowledged Jesus as your Savior and Lord? That’s exactly what God wants and wills for you. But don’t keep that to yourself. Shout it from the highest mountain top. Whisper it to your grandchildren or children. Tell total strangers about it. Just tell it.

I am the possessor of the greatest story ever told. Help me to share that with others all around me. Let me tell it with joy and excitement so they will see just what You have done for me.

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WHY PRAY?

1 TIMOTHY 2:2

“for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 

Do you like to pray? Or do you find it hard to pray? I have discovered something in my almost 60 years of living. The more I pray the easier it is. The more I pray the more I am at peace. The more I pray the more tranquil and quiet my spirit becomes. Now, that doesn’t mean I am always calm or patient. Stuff happens that can get me excited or anxious. But when I pray the peace returns.

“Tranquil” is described as the “lifestyle of someone who is composed, self-contained or discreet.” That person avoids the spotlight. They prefer composure and calm.  “Quiet” actually refers to a “divinely-inspired inner calmness.” Does that describe you? If not, perhaps you need to pray more, lol. I know I do. I have never heard anyone say they regretted praying too much. You won’t either.

APPLICATION

There is something calming about a child’s prayer. Maybe it’s the tone and pitch of their voice. Maybe because it is so innocent and unassuming. Whatever it is, I love to hear children pray. Encourage your little Johnny to pray. Model it for him. I am sure when you pray with your child you go to a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. That’s good, but it’s not the only place where you can pray.

I have prayed in busy restaurants for waitresses who broke down and sobbed as I prayed. I have prayed (literally) in the middle of an interstate after being rear ended by another driver. I will pray just about anywhere it is physically safe to pray. And we should teach our children to do the same. Pray with them and watch the tranquility and quietness fall.

Prayer will force you to focus. Prayer, real prayer, will require you let go of yourself and concentrate on the Lord. Oh, listen to me beloved, God wants to hear you call His name. He is always ready to bring tranquility and quietness into your life. So, take the time today to pray.

You are always listening, Lord. I know that. I thank You for the peace You give as I lift my voice to You.

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Advice, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Completeness, Glory, God's Will, Heaven, Inspirational, Love, Scripture, Thanksgiving

THE IMMORTAL

1 TIMOTHY 1:17

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Did you know God is immortal? Sure, you did, but do you know what that means? It means literally undecaying. He will not decay. He will live forever. His substance, whatever it is, will not rot away. Not true for us. From the moment we are born we begin to die. We are not immortal, at least not on this side of eternity.

But God is. So, what does that mean for us? It means we have a God who can never die. He has always been and will always be. No matter how uncertain our days, He is certain. No matter how defeating our days, He is the victor. No matter how low we feel, He is the lifter of our heads.

APPLICATION

Your children may have a favorite superhero. Some of them can seem immortal. They always win the battles. But no one, except the Lord, can retain that title. Only He is the immortal one. Ask your little Susie what that means to her. Ask her to explain immortality to you. She will probably struggle with defining it. Most of us do.

But, as I mentioned earlier, immortality is ours for the asking. But we must die first. We must die to ourselves and allow Jesus into our hearts. Then, one day, we will live with Him in eternity as immortals. This old, decaying flesh will be replaced with a glorified body that will never die. Hallelujah!

Do you possess that promise of immortality? It is yours for the asking. Christ is waiting to make you immortal, just like His Father. Now, you won’t become a god. There is only ONE God, and you ain’t Him, lol. But you will have the promise of immortality with Jesus.

Father of immortality, forgive me for not believing in the immortal life that awaits me. It’s hard to get my head around sometimes. But I want to thank You for making me immortal when I enter Your kingdom.

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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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ALL WE NEED IS LOVE

1 TIMOTHY 1:5

“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” 

The line from the Beatle’s song just jumped off the page to me when I read this verse. Now, before you excommunicate me for doing that (lol), let me try to explain. I am NOT implying that the Beatles got the inspiration for their song from this verse. Paul is reminding Timothy, that in the midst of all his instructing, don’t forget love.

Have you ever had a teacher you just loved? I bet you loved them because you felt they loved teaching, right? They loved seeing students “get it.” They loved passing on the knowledge they had gained. And Paul gives some qualifiers – pure heart, good conscience and sincere faith. In other words, you can’t fake this kind of teaching. It all comes down to love.

APPLICATION

Why do you teach your children? Because you love them. You want them to be prepared to face life head on with confidence. If you lied to them as you taught them, what good would that do? You teach them with a pure heart, don’t you? Your conscience is clear as you give them the house rules. And, of course, your faith must be pure for you to pass it on.

Children will be crushed if they find out later that all you have taught them is false. They will struggle with life questions if your teaching has all been based lies. That’s why it is important (spoiler alert) that you be truthful about things such as Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. If they find out (and they will) these things weren’t real, you can actually put doubt in their minds about all you have taught them about Jesus, whom they also cannot see.

How do you teach? Let me encourage you to evaluate your motivation for teaching anyone. It should never be to JUST pass on knowledge. Knowledge in itself will never transform. The purpose of knowledge and the application of it has the potential to change everything. Will you be that kind of teacher?

Father God, You are the perfect teacher. All You give is pure, good and sincere. Teach me to teach just like You.

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STUPID QUESTIONS

1 TIMOTHY 1:4

“nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.” 

You have probably heard the expression, “There are no stupid questions, just stupid answers.” Well, I beg to differ. I have heard some stupid questions in my life, none of which need to be repeated. And here, in today’s verse, we find Paul saying the same thing. When he writes “mere speculation” that really means “meaningless questions.” They serve no purpose. They are a waste of time.

Timothy was being bombarded, or at least it seems, with silly questions about faith. Paul is telling him to stick with the facts. He needed to remain true to the teachings and not allow anyone to cause him to chase rabbits. Nor should he allow others to do the same. It was a waste of time, and Paul wasn’t one to do that. 

APPLICATION

Now, when I say I have heard some stupid questions, I am not referring to the inquisitive questions asked by children. They are usually just seeking to learn something. And even when they may ask a silly question, it is all in fun and not to try to confuse or deceive anyone.  I enjoy children’s questions because many times it forces me to think a little more.

Don’t ignore your children’s questions. To the best of your ability, answer them. And when you can’t, find the answer. Asking the right questions can lead us to discover new truths. Asking questions gives us the ability to tap into the knowledge of others. But, as in all things, our questions should drive us toward truth and not falsehoods.

Let me ask you a question (not a silly one). Do you ask stupid questions? Do you ask questions that really have no purpose? The next time you start to ask a question pause and think about why you are asking it. You may be started to realize that you really don’t need to ask it. Do you really want to know the answer? Hmmm.

Father, I seek Your wisdom. Let my questions of faith and spiritual growth always be asked in the spirit of seeking You. Give me the wisdom to answer others as You would.

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YOU ARE THE AUTHORITY

1 TIMOTHY 1:3

“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,” 

In the over three decades I spent working in the Child Welfare field, one constant was teaching the direct care staff (the ones who lived with and supervised the children) that no matter what a child said or did, they were still the authority. Only I, their supervisor, could change that. But so many of them got into power struggles with the children and unknowingly relinquished their authority.

Paul is warning Timothy here. He tells him to “instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrine.” But that word “instruct” does not give us the full picture. The word means to give a command with all the authority that comes with that command. In other words, Paul was telling Timothy to take charge and command these individuals to stop teaching that stuff.

APPLICATION

One of the joys of parenting is teaching our children to take charge of something. There are no natural born leaders. Leaders are developed and molded by others in their lives. We have the privilege as parents to mold our children into leaders. We get to impact, not only their lives, but the countless number of people they will influence one day.

Developing leaders is challenging because it involves allowing them to make mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. Your children will learn from their mistakes. The key is for you to be there to help them when they do. Help them see where they failed and how to avoid that the next time. Little Johnny may not appreciate it now, but he will later when he faces the exact same challenge and knows how to respond.

By whose authority do you act? Are you an authority figure? Just about everyone I know is in some aspect of life. You may not be the CEO of a company or a plant supervisor. But you may be a Sunday School teacher or an AWANA leader. Take your authority seriously. Allow the Lord to use you to lead others.

Make me into the kind of leader you want me to be. Give me the boldness to confront those who are leading wrongly. Let me show them how You want them to lead.

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DEAR CHILD

1 TIMOTHY 1:2

“To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy andpeace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.”

When I hear that expression, “Dear Child,” I can’t help but think of how we use that in the South. One may say it and shake their head, as if to say, “I just don’t know about that child.” Or it could be used as you hold a child affectionately in your arms and whisper, “Dear Child.”  I prefer the latter, and that is exactly the intent of Paul here when he uses the word “true.”

He is the only writer in the New Testament to use this Greek word and only four times. Twice he uses it to refer to groups of people (Corinthians and Philippians). The other two times it is calling a person true. We see it here as he addresses Timothy, and then we see it again in Titus 1:4 as he calls Titus the same thing. It was a special, affectionate relationship.

APPLICATION

I am sure I don’t have to guess how you feel about your children. You would call them dear, for sure. But Paul wasn’t talking to his natural children. He was talking to others he had invested in. He, through their time together, considered them true children or true friends.  Your children are going to need some true friends as they navigate this life.

How do you make true friends? By being one yourself. There are a few people in my life right now whom I would call true friends. I could honestly look at them and say, “Dear child.” I have poured into them. I have invested in them, and they in me. Model that for your children. Show them what it looks like to have true friends. Show them by your behavior what it means to BE a true friend.

Dear child of God, do you hear this message today. God has made you His child when you surrender to His Son. Now, He wants you to share that with someone else. Ask Him who He wants you to invest in. He will show you exactly who that is. Why? Because as you invest in others, you are growing and becoming more like His Son, Jesus.

I want to show others the intimacy they can have in Christ. Help me to invest the time and energy necessary to make others “true children.” 

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COMMANDED

1 TIMOTHY 1:1

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope,”

This is not an usual opening for one of Paul’s letters. In fact, in most of his letters he begins by saying he is a bondservant of the Lord or is an apostle by the will of God. In the next letter to Timothy he goes back to “the will of God.” So, why is he using these words? Why did the Spirit of God inspire him to open this first letter to Timothy this way?

I truly believe he wanted Timothy to know that, as he begins this letter to him, he is writing as a commanded apostle of God with definitive orders to not only share the gospel but to also mentor him. Paul had invested years in grooming Timothy to lead. That mentorship was not over. Paul still had much to teach him, and it all was coming from the Lord.

APPLICATION

It is so important that your children know that you are commanded by the Lord to raise them to honor and serve Him. All your efforts to instill Christian values and principles are direct instructions from Him. You are simply following orders, well, not simply. It is really demanding, isn’t it? But don’t stop. Keep following orders.

And the payoff will come later. As you watch your children make the good choices, you will give praise to God. As you see your children make life choices that honor Him, you will leap for joy. Follow His commands and lay the groundwork for your children. Show them what it looks like to be an obedient follower of Jesus.

Are you struggling with obeying God’s commands for your life? Why don’t you stop struggling and simply obey? It is much easier to be obedient, I promise. Be a Paul. Be an obedient “apostle” of the Lord. He will never lead you astray and will always have your back.

Lord, You are my Commander! You are the one I follow. Lead me wherever You desire.

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