Category Archives: Truth

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OLD WIVES’ TALES

1 TIMOTHY 4:7

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”

You may have heard the phrase “old wives’ tales.” It refers to things that are passed down from one generation to another as being truth when it actually is just superstitions or false information. I used to teach First Aid and CPR in an area of Tennessee to teen moms where I heard a lot of these. One such old wives’ tale was to bind up your baby real tight and drop a pair of scissors behind their back if they have colic. That will cut the pain. Don’t try that at home, lol. 

Paul is warning Timothy about these fables and superstitions. He should stick to the truth of God’s Word. Only that will lead to discipline and godliness. Any other source of information is subject to verification. God’s Word is always reliable. It can be trusted throughout the generations.

APPLICATION

Your children will hear lots of silly fables (old wives’ tales) in their lives. Some may even have a smidgeon of truth in them. Those are really confusing to young minds. The easy way to verify if they are true is to measure them against God’s Word. If they agree, trust it. If they don’t, don’t trust it.

Learning to discern fact from fiction is a skill they will need as they navigate life. Satan is around every corner just waiting to try to confuse us or deceive us. When our children learn to recognize those untruths, they will be safer in their journey following Christ.

Are you one who believes all those old wives’ tales? Do you put more stock into what Grandma said than what God says? Give up all those generational truths and turn to the only source of truth. He will teach you whatever it is you need to know. And you can be guaranteed that it is always true.

Lord, help me discern fact from fiction. When I am unsure let me turn to You. I know You are truth and can set me straight.

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THE WRONG ORDERS

1 TIMOTHY 4:3

“men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth.”

Have you ever been told to do something that you just knew wasn’t right? Maybe you had a boss who wasn’t very honest, and he asked you to fudge the numbers on your report. Perhaps your older brother or sister made you promise to not tell Dad and Mom about the lamp they broke. Those are tough predicaments. What should you do?

Well, Paul called these people who are giving these wrong commands, these wrong orders, liars (look back in the previous verse). If they are liars, should we do anything they say? Of course, not.  Liars can’t be trusted. You can’t believe anything they say. And here they were telling people to not marry and to not eat certain foods, both of which God had blessed. 

APPLICATION

Children get this. They can usually spot a lie. Just try it. I’m serious. Deliberately tell them a bodacious lie. See if they want call you on it. We have to teach our children to recognize lies, but we do that by teaching them the truth. When they know the truth (God’s Word), they can easily see the lies.

They will be faced with similar situations that I mentioned in the first paragraph today. They may have a boss one day who asks them to lie. You have to teach them now to do the right thing. They may be exposed to false teaching once they leave home where you are not there to protect them. Teach them God’s principles and they will spot it right off.

But let me turn the tables. Are you the one spreading falsehoods? We do that, normally, to protect ourselves or make ourselves look better. If you are guilty of doing that, repent. Confess that as sin and ask the Lord to forgive you. Truth is the only way to go. All other avenues lead to destruction.

Lord God, You are Truth! I want to embody Your Truth. Help me today to only speak what is true.

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JUST ONE WIFE

1 TIMOTHY 3:12

“Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.”

Most of us could not imagine a husband having more than one wife. But in some parts of the world, that is not an unusual custom. That undoubtedly was an issue where Timothy was or Paul would not have mentioned it here and back in verse 2 of this chapter. Paul would not have wasted words on this if it wasn’t an issue.

So, what does Paul say about this – that a deacon should only have one wife? He is specific – he said ONE. But why? So he could concentrate more on things of the Lord. If a man has multiple wives, he would not be able to focus on his responsibilities as a deacon. That’s all Paul is really trying to say.

APPLICATION

Now, I am not telling you to talk to your children about only having one husband or wife. That would be silly. So, how do you apply this verse to them? Let me ask you a question. Do you believe every verse of the Bible has meaning for everyone? Of course, it does. 

I believe our focus should be on teaching our children to not allow distractions to pull them away from their service to Christ. Whatever that might be should be removed or avoided. As believers, we cannot allow anything to tear us away from serving our Lord. Even the choice of a mate needs to be highly considered.

Are you single focused? Do you allow anything or anyone to distract you from serving Jesus? I can’t imagine having more than one wife. I would be torn who to love the most. I would be so concerned about them that I would be useless for my Master. Don’t you do that.

Thank You, Father, for working in and through me. Help me stay focused on You and eliminate things that pull me away. Staying focused is key.

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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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I’M NOT LYING

1 TIMOTHY 2:7

“For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

Boy, oh boy, how many times have you heard that as a parent after catching your child red-handed? They begin to lie to cover up their actions. One lie leads to another lie, and before they know it, they have dug themselves a very deep hole.

The meaning of the Greek word “lying” is to willfully misrepresent or mislead. You know exactly what you are doing, and you still do it. Paul is ensuring Timothy that he is NOT lying. He was simply telling the truth about his calling. As hard as it may seem to many, Paul was called to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.

APPLICATION

So, how do you teach your children not to lie? By holding them accountable for the lies they tell. Some people think little children telling fibs is cute. It is not. Little lies, if gotten away with, just leads to bigger lies later. Their little minds are thinking, “If I got away with this, what can I get away with later?” Don’t let them. No matter how small you think the lie is, confront it.

But don’t go to the extreme and try to catch them in a lie. Reward truth telling and discipline lying. Children respond to praise (so do we adults). When they tell the truth, praise them vehemently. Let them know how proud you are they told you the truth, even though it may have meant getting into trouble. Afterall, as believers we only have one choice – be truthful. 

Are you tempted to tell little half-lies? So many people are. They figure as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else, it’s okay. Well, it’s not. Christ indwells us. Truth indwells us. Truth and falsehood can’t cohabitate. They just don’t get along. Tell the truth. Believe the truth. Celebrate the truth.

O God, You are Truth. All that is true is You. You cannot stand for falsehood in any form. Help me to remain true to You and Your Word.

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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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CONTRARY

1 TIMOTHY 1:10

“and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching,” 

I am not going to get into the lifestyles of those who are mentioned in today’s verse. I do not think that is necessary. I want to pick out one word in the verse, though. Look at that word “contrary.” Have you ever known someone who was contrary? Do you even know what that means? It means someone who is against everything. They will argue with a fence post.

These kinds of people cannot be convinced with the truth because they do not believe it applies to them. Or they think they have the real truth. Paul has just listed in the past two verses those who fit into this category. They are opponents or enemies to sound teaching.

APPLICATION

Okay, then, how does this apply to our children? Easy, keep teaching them the truth. Point them constantly to God’s Word. Give them sound teaching. Only by doing this can they recognize the untruths. Only by consistently exposing them to truth will they be able to establish that baseline of truth and untruth. 

The world is going to throw enough untruths at your children. Satan does not want them to follow Jesus. He will hurl all sorts of lies at them to try to get them to believe them. You are that buffer when they are growing up. You shield them with the Gospel. You guard them with THE truth. And don’t stop just because they get saved. You have to continue to disciple and mentor them to spiritual maturity. You have a lifetime job!

But how about your spiritual maturity? Have you drunk the Kool-Aid of social tolerance? I don’t mean you can’t accept others and love them. I mean you can’t condone ungodly behavior, many of which are named in verses 9 and 10 of 1 Timothy 1. You have to decide if you are going to be contrary to sound teaching yourself.

Father, guard my heart against the lies of the devil. Reveal to me quickly anything that is contrary to your teachings. I want to live and speak truth.

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LAWBREAKERS

1 TIMOTHY 1:9

“realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers” 

I have noticed something about people who don’t like rules. They are usually the ones who break them. People who don’t like the law are normally lawbreakers. People who hate law enforcement officers are the ones who are repeatedly arrested for breaking the law. Hmm, there seems to be a pattern here.

That is exactly what Paul is saying here. The law isn’t an issue for the righteous. If we are living righteously, we have no problem with the law. If we are living righteously, we follow a higher law. But if we are lawless and rebellious, we constantly struggle against the law because it reminds us and convicts us of sin.

APPLICATION

Try an experiment in your house. Abolish all rules for a week. Anything goes. No chores have to be done. No bedtimes. No rules about what and when you eat your meals. See what happens. It won’t take long for your children to start following rules that no longer exist. It sounds like freedom to have no rules, but it actually is much more confusing and tiring.

After this experiment (if you dare), ask your children what they liked or disliked about it. Take notes. You will want to refer back to them a few weeks when they begin to complain about the rules again, lol.  And take the opportunity to explain that rules (law) are not meant to punish us. Rules are meant to guide us. Encourage your little Gertrude to obey because of her desire to please God, not you.

Which “laws” are you breaking? Are you fearful of being caught? Hiding your lawbreaking can be exhausting. Why don’t you confess that as sin today and allow the Lord to give you a fresh start? Learn to embrace the law (rules) as it was intended. God only wants us to obey Him out of love.

Lord, forgive me for complaining about Your law. I know You give it to guide me. Let me see it as You intended.

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FOLLOW THE RULES

1 TIMOTHY 1:8

“But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully,” 

We have rules for a reason. Rules help us keep order. Rules guide us correctly. Rules can teach us the right way to do something. Rules can keep us honest. So, why do so many people break them? For some, their motto is “Rules are made to be broken.”

Paul addresses the idea of rules in today’s verse. The word “lawfully” is only used twice in the New Testament – here and in 2 Timothy 2:5. Paul had been a rule follower. Remember, he was a Pharisee, a law-abider and a law enforcer. He knew the law couldn’t save you, but it could guide you. The law pointed out sin which can lead to repentance.

APPLICATION

I don’t know many children who like rules. I used to tell my staff in the Children’s homes to have as few rules as possible in their cottages. Fewer rules made it easier for the kids to remember them. That applies to our own homes as well. Rules without relationships just don’t work.

That’s why we have to help our children understand the “why” behind the rule, not just the “what” of the rule. Get them to help make the house rules. Make sure the house rules agree with Scripture. Let them hold you accountable for the rules. If you break a house rule, they should be able to point that out to you without fear of reprisal. We ALL need to be held accountable.

But aren’t you glad that the Lord is less concerned about rules than He is about relationships? You see, we should obey the Lord’s commands because we love Him, not out of fear of being punished. Obedience out of love will always be easier than obedience out of fear. Remember, the Lord gives us rules for a reason. He wants to keep us safe and teach us to be more like Him – the Law Giver.

I am thankful for Your Law, O Lord. Let me follow obediently without becoming legalistic. I want to show others the joy of obeying You willingly. 

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SINCERELY WRONG

1 TIMOTHY 1:7

“wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

Sometimes you can be confident but also wrong. You strongly believe in what you are saying or doing, only to find out later that you were entirely wrong. That may be to your own lack of research or knowledge, or you may have been fooled by someone else.

Paul is addressing that in today’s verse. These individuals who had strayed into fruitless discussions (verse 6) thought themselves wise enough to teach the Law. But Paul says “they do not understand.” Remember, Paul was a very knowledgeable man. He had been taught by the best. He knew the Law. He could tell when someone was faking it.

APPLICATION

Before you spend all these years training your children, shouldn’t you make sure that what you are teaching them is correct? Your little Susie is relying on you to tell her what’s what. If all she grows up believing is incorrect, you have done her a great disservice. That’s why the only true source of wisdom from which you can teach her is God’s Word.

So, before you teach, research. Before you spend the time and energy training your little ones, make sure you check it out with Him. He wants you to teach truth because He is truth.

Have you been fooled by someone into believing something is true when it’s not? I think of the people of Israel when the Gibeonites fooled them into thinking they were from faraway nation wanting to make peace when they were, in fact, their neighbors. If they had only consulted the Lord, they would have known. Don’t take what you hear from others at face value. Check it out in His Word.

O Lord, I praise You that I can always trust Your teachings. I am thankful You are trustworthy. Help me teach only what You have taught me.

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