Category Archives: Passion

Advice, Alone, Bible, Child Raising, Child Rearing, Christianity, Confession, Direction, Disciplemaking, Encouragement, Faith, Family, Fighting, Forgiveness, Friends, Holy Spirit, Inspirational, Love, Mentoring, Ministry, Obedience, Parenting, Passion, Scripture, Surrender

DO YOU CONFESS?

1 TIMOTHY 3:16

“By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

We have another one of those once used Greek words in today’s verse. “Common confession” is one Greek word, homologoumenós, which means “by consent of all, no controversy.” Basically, it means we all agree on this matter. That is proof enough that the early church didn’t have different denominations like Baptist and Methodist or Church of God. Lol

But the point of this verse is not that we all agree. The point is what we agree on. Just look at the verse. We agree that Jesus came in the flesh, was defended by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the nations, was believed on in the world and was taken up in glory. Wow! If we can agree on those things, why argue over other points?

APPLICATION

Instead of pounding into your little Johnny and Susie how different they are from everyone else, how about focusing on the similarities? Just like them, their friends are in need of a Savior. Just like them, their friends need someone in their lives to guide them. Just like them, their friends need people in their lives to encourage them. We all have these needs in common.

So, if we are in the same boat, why can’t we focus on helping each other rather than tearing them down? Teach your children to look for ways to build up and encourage their friends. When they have a disagreement or fight with one of them, remind them of all they have in common. If they will do that, they will have many fellow believers to walk with on this journey called life.

Aren’t you tired of majoring on the minors, of making mountains out of mole hills? Why don’t you today decide to let the minor things remain minor? Love your neighbor. Show Christ’s love to a stranger. Allow the Holy Spirit to control your emotions and feelings and watch what happens.

Lord, I am incapable of loving some people, but You aren’t. Help me die to myself today so You can live through me. I want to join with others confessing You.

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CLEAR CONSCIENCE

1 TIMOTHY 3:9

“but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”

Do you have a clear conscience? What does that really even mean? Well, let’s break it down. “Clear” here means “spiritually cleanbecause you are purified by God. You are free from the contaminating (soiling) influences of sin.” So, have you been purified by God?

“Conscience” is that connection between spiritual and moral. Strong’s Concordance says this, “Accordingly, all people have this God-given capacity to know right from wrong because each is a free moral agent.” A deacon has been cleansed by God from sin and walks with Him in such a way that he knows right from wrong.

APPLICATION

If you can’t see how to apply this verse to your kids, you might need to go back to parenting school, lol. Isn’t this exactly what we spend 90% of our time doing? We are constantly teaching our children right from wrong. We teach them to walk with our Lord and be purified from sin.

You see, that is the problem. WE are trying to teach them. Do you want to know why it is so hard to do that? It’s because it’s not our job.  Our job is to point them to the cross and let the Lord do the conviction. WE can’t teach them every right from wrong. Only the Spirit of God can show them that. We must continue to point out the right way and trust the Lord to direct their hearts as it is yielded to Him.

So, let me ask you again. Do you have a clear conscience? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to have complete and total control of your thought life? How about your finances? How about your choice of careers? As you give it ALL to HIM, HE can purge you and cleanse you from the influence of sin. Only then will you have the clear conscience Paul speaks of here.

Cleanse my mind right now, Lord. Open my eyes to see everything Your way. I ask You to reveal the evil all around me that is just waiting to trip me up.

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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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DON’T BE A BURDEN


2 THESSALONIANS 3:8

“nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;” 

The only three times this word for “burden” is used in the New Testament, they are used by Paul. Once in 2 Corinthians 2:5, once in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 and then here in this verse. Paul did not in any way want to be a burden to those to whom he was shepherding. Whether it was what he was saying or doing, he wanted to spare them the obligation to care for him.

Unfortunately, too many believers today dump all their “stuff” on others. They guilt others into caring for them. I had an experience once when someone approached me to ask for money because they were “down on their luck right now.” When I told them I couldn’t help, they accused me of not being a Christian. Guilt!

APPLICATION

Teach your children to not be a burden. Teach them to carry their own weight. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. There is nothing wrong with receiving help. But we should never guilt someone into helping us. We should never cause someone else to feel obligated to take care of us. 

Your little Johnny or Susie may be one of those children who just oozes with mercy. Every time they see a person on the side of the road with one of those homemade signs asking for a handout, they beg you to give them some money. What a perfect teaching lesson. You must do what the Lord directs you to do but use that opportunity to teach this truth. Showing mercy is Christlike, but being an enabler is not.

If you have ever put your guilt on someone else to get them to give you something or care for you, repent. Then go and make that right. We need to follow Paul’s example of accepting a gift but not expecting or demanding it. Then the gift is truly a blessing rather than an entitlement.

Father, I thank You for friends and family who have come alongside me in the past. Help me pay it forward. But Lord, help me to be careful not to pass on any expectations to receive.

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BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL


2 THESSALONIANS 3:2

“and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith.” 

Most of us with any familiarity with the Bible will recognize the phrase I used today for the title of this blog. Where is that from? That’s right, from the Lord’s Prayer. It’s from verse 13 of Matthew 6 which reads, “‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’”

Have you ever thought about what that means? This word “rescued” means to draw to oneself for safety. So, it means the Lord will not just make us safe. It means He will draw us into His arms for safety. Where had you rather be – in a safe place or safe in the arms of Jesus? I know where I want to be.

APPLICATION

Think of it this way. If your child was in danger, where would you want them to be? I would want my children in my arms so I could protect them. What would you do to protect your children? I would do anything to keep them safe from danger, especially evil danger. 

Ask your children if they feel safe in your arms. Unless you have just had to discipline them for something, they will most certainly say they do. Ask them why. They may say because they know you love them or that you are big and strong and able to protect them. Tell them that as safe as they feel in your arms, you are no comparison to the safe, loving arms of Jesus. He will ALWAYS be there, even when they don’t think He is.

Do you believe that? “I don’t know, Carl. Why do bad things happen to us then?” Because God is allowing them. And if He is allowing them, He will use them to make us more like Him. He will NEVER allow anything to touch us that won’t make us better. That’s a promise you can take to the bank. He will “deliver us from evil.”

I am truly grateful, Lord, that evil cannot touch me unless it touches You first. I am safe in Your arms in which You rescue me. I fear no one because You are my Deliverer.

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A GREAT PRAYER

2 THESSALONIANS 1:11

“To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power,” 

Do you ever tell people you are going to pray for them? Come on, do you? I am sure you do. But do you actually remember to do it? I started a practice years ago that when someone asks me to pray for them, if at all possible, I do it right then. I tend to forget things, and I don’t want to forget to pray for someone who has asked me to pray for them.

Paul was always praying for others. Look through his letters and you will find time and time again when he tells the recipients of the letters that he is praying for them. Today’s verse is one of those times. And it is a good one. He is praying 1) that God would count them worthy of their calling, 2) that God would fulfill every desire for goodness and 3) that God would also fulfill every desire for the work of faith with power. Wow! That’s a great prayer!

APPLICATION

We need to teach our children to pray. But don’t waste time with trivial prayers. Now, hear me out. I don’t mean prayers are trivial, but if you are going to teach them to pray, make sure they understand that they can pray with power, believing God hears and will answer. Pray with purpose. Pray with passion. Pray with broken hearts for a lost world.

Do you get my meaning? Our prayers should be meaningful, not just going through the motions to check off a box at the end of the day. Paul prayed with purpose for his spiritual children. We should do the same. And as we teach our children this privilege, they will in turn teach their children to pray this way. Now that’s a legacy to leave. Amen?

Are you praying with purpose for others? Are you claiming victories in prayer? Are you teaching others that prayer is powerful and meaningful? Do that today. Practice that today. Live it today.

God, I know You are listening each time I open my mouth to talk to You. Teach me to be bold in my prayers. Teach me to ask for exactly what I want from You according to Your will.

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LET IT GO

1 THESSALONIANS 5:22

“abstain from every form of evil.” 

I love to dig in and discover what words really mean in Scripture. A lot of the time the English translation just doesn’t do it justice. Today’s verse is an example of that. The word “abstain” seems to imply to just not do something, to keep yourself away from evil. But look at the definition of the Greek word. It means “to have one thing by separating from (letting go of) another.”

You can’t have that which is good if you hold on to the evil stuff. You can’t live in the flesh and the spirit at the same time. The two just don’t co-exist. Also, this word is in the middle voice which means YOU have to do this. No one is going to do it for you.  So, I must let go of the evil, fleshly stuff in my life in order to fully embrace the godly things the Lord has for me.

APPLICATION

This can be a fun verse to illustrate to your children. Get a bunch of their toys or stuffed animals. Load their hands and arms up with them to the point that they can’t hold anymore. Then place in front of them their favorite candy bar or dessert. Tell them they can have it, but they can only use their hands to get it.

I bet they will literally drop all that stuff in their hands, lol.  Who doesn’t want their favorite dessert, right? Now, explain to them this verse with that illustration fresh in their heads (and the treat fresh on their lips). God has such wonderful things for us, but we can only access them when we let go of the worldly things that we are holding on to. We can’t have the peace of God until we let go of the fears in our life. We can’t experience true joy until we abandon our will for His.

What do you need to let go of today in order to obtain what God has for you? It may be a job that you KNOW is holding you back from following the Lord. It could be a person whom you KNOW is holding you back from living for the Lord. Whatever it is, let it go. Let the Lord give you the BETTER thing. But you have to let go first. It’s your choice.

Lord, I am so thankful that whatever I let go of is replaced by something so much better by You. I will abandon the fleshly for the spiritual. I will trust You to give me exactly what I need for this life.

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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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PROTECT YOURSELF


1 THESSALONIANS 5:8

“But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” 

I love Paul’s words to describe our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. In today’s verse he explains that we are protected by a breastplate of faith and love and a helmet he calls the hope of salvation.  Let’s think a moment about what that means to us as believers.

The breastplate protects our vital organs from being struck and injured. The stronger the material, the better we are protected. I own a bulletproof vest which can withstand most bullets which could strike me in the chest and back area. I am protected. But I am also protected by my faith and love for my Savior. It is His protective shield about me that guards my spiritual heart from the fiery darts of the enemy.

My head, where all my thoughts and prayers originate, is protected by the hope I have in my salvation. Now understand this – I may not completely understand all that salvation has done, is doing or will do for me, but I know I am protected by it. No evil force can make me believe otherwise.

APPLICATION

Get some cardboard and make your kids and yourself a breastplate and helmet. You will have a blast doing it with them, I promise. And once you have them made, play battle. Get some pool noodles and make swords or spears.  Purposely strike each other in the chest and head (playfully I must say).

When you are worn out from this, read this verse to them and explain how our trust in the Lord works just like the cardboard to protect us. Now cardboard won’t last forever, but it is good enough to get the point across.  Your kids won’t soon forget this lesson.

Do you have your armor on today? Or are you trying to wage war with the devil using your own shield and sword? Stop doing that and use the Lord’s armor. His is much stronger. His is eternal. His will protect you. Trust Him.

Thank you, Father, that You have the breastplate and helmet to fit me. I am thankful You protect me daily from any attacks by the evil one. Guard my heart and mind.

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THE DARK SIDE OF NIGHT


1 THESSALONIANS 5:7

“For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.” 

My daddy used to say, “There is not a thing you can do after 11 p.m. that you can’t do before 11 p.m.” In other words, you don’t need to be out past 11 p.m. Those late hours just lead to trouble. And it’s true. People seem to stop thinking straight late at night.

And most people do their sleeping at night. I feel sorry for people who have to try to sleep during the day. That must be hard to adjust to. What is Paul saying here? When you are sleeping or drunk, you are not focused on Christ. Your mind shuts off or your mind is altered. He is telling us to remain alert.

APPLICATION

When you put your little Johnny or Susie to bed tonight teach them to have the Lord as their last thought before they drift off into sleep. Plant good thoughts in their heads. Read them something from God’s Word. If you read this verse, you may want to just read the first half to avoid a long discussion at bedtime about getting drunk, lol.

I know a lot of parents who play scripture songs very low at night for their children to sleep by. I like that. Even during the middle of the night, they can wake up to His Word. We just need to keep our children centered on righteous living. We need to teach them to focus on God and His Word at all times. It will direct them on the righteous path.

To whom are you listening? Are you “sleeping” too much? Are you staying “drunk”? Now, I don’t mean to imply you are always in your bed or drinking. But many of us act as if that is what we are doing due to our apathetic view of God. We don’t have any use for Him until we need Him. Remain alert today. Look heavenward today. He may just surprise you.

Keep me alert and ready to respond, Lord. I want to be used by You, and that means I must be ready at all times. Help me to make sure each of my actions are pleasing to You.

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