I heard this quote recently, and it stuck with me. “Many books can inform you, but the Bible can transform you.” It reminded me of the passage in Romans.

In Romans 12:2 Paul says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

When we read the Bible and let the Holy Spirit work in our hearts and minds, more than just learning, we are transformed into new people, who see things in life differently.

Dear Lord, transform us, so that we may know and do your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

We read about the Devil also known as “the Deceiver” and his deceit many places in the Bible, including the temptation of Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4. The Devil is a crafty supernatural being described as the “ruler of this world” in Ephesians 2:2. He is like “a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour” in 1 Peter 5:8. We can only imagine how effectively he can manipulate our thoughts and perceptions with thousands of years of experience. 1 John 5:19 writes, “We know that we are children of God and all the rest of the world around us is under Satan’s power and control”

But in 1 John 5:18 writes, “No one who has become a part of God’s family makes a practice of sinning, for Christ, God’s son, holds him securely and the Devil cannot get his hands on him.” TLB

Although the Devil may be stronger than us on our own, he is nothing compared to us with Christ. Our Faith in Jesus’ power and love is what protects us from this enemy.

Dear Lord, as we pray in the Lord’s prayer, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. When we feel “the tempter” working on us, help us have faith in you to protect us and those we love from the devil’s ways. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

In the US Military, soldiers are deployed, sent away to different places, for various lengths of time. The military makes a distinction between the types of deployments and moves. There are acronyms for each type. TDY means Temporary Duty; the soldier is deployed for a few days to a few months, PCS means Permanent Change of Station.

On a TDY, the soldier maintains his or her affiliation to the home unit, wearing the insignia on his or her uniform of the home unit. In contrast, during a PCS the soldier has a new “home unit” and becomes part of the new organization.

I use this illustration, because as Christians, we are TDY here on earth, on a “temporary assignment.” Our home unit is with God. In John 15:19 Jesus tells his disciples, “As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world;” and in John 17:14 Jesus is praying for his disciples, he asks God to protect them and says, “for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.” Just like soldiers on TDY, we are away from home, but we represent our home unit; our behavior and performance reflect either positively or negatively on our home unit, Christ and other Christians. As the song goes, “I am but a stranger here, heaven is my home.”

Dear Lord, be with us while we are on this temporary assignment. Help us bring glory to you while we are here. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Twenty seven years ago today my beautiful wife and I were married. It was a wonderful day, and a great party with friends and family. Every day since, we have faced the many joys and adventures of life, and the handful of sorrows and struggles together. Our love for each other holds us together, and as 1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love because Christ first loved us.”

I believe that God brought us together, and that our faith has strengthen our love for each other. I also believe our love for each other strengthens our faith. We have been incredibly blessed with wonderful children, loving extended families, many friends and a wonderful Church family. I pray that everyone could have the same.

Solomon wrote in in Proverbs 4:18, “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.” I am incredibly blessed to have a beautiful, confident, caring, faithful Christian wife!

Happy Anniversary Liz!

Dear Lord, Help us remember that we can love because you first loved us, and this love is what truly holds us together. How thankful and grateful Liz and I are that you have given us each other. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

It is easy to wonder sometimes why God made salvation so seemingly complicated, sending his son to earth as a human, having him live so humbly and ultimately be killed. Wouldn’t be easier if God just showed himself to everyone and told everyone, “do what I say, or you are going to die and suffer in hell forever?”

We don’t know all the reasons God arranged things the way he did, but we know that we have the free will God gave us, and we can make our own decisions and act how we choose, right or wrong.

In Hebrews 2, Paul is explaining how Jesus was truly man when he was on earth, in verse 18 Paul writes, “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”

One reason that Jesus came and lived on earth as a “regular” human, is to show us that he experienced the temptation and testing that all humans do. When we pray for relief from our temptations and fears, release from problems, achievement of our desires, or protection of our loved ones, Jesus knows what we feel because he experienced the same thing when he was human. He can empathize with us.

Dear Lord, how beautiful are the intricacies of your plan. Having been like us, truly human, you know what it is like, and we can pray to you knowing you empathize with us. Help us keep this in mind to give us strength to endure our trials and temptations, and the knowledge that as human you endured more than we will be called to endure. As a result of you we can have Salvation. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.