Some Bible verses just tell us things so clearly that it is almost hard to accept what they say.

Proverbs 22:4 is one of these. Saying, “True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life.”

Wouldn’t we and our world be better off if we pursued these objectives of humility and the fear of the Lord?

Dear Lord, In the Bible, you tell us many times in many ways to submit to you and let you guide our ways, promising that you will lead us in life when we do. Help us humbly follow your direction so that we may live the lives you desire for us, and bring glory to you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Occasionally we get very clear evidence that we are living in a world ruled by the devil. We read about terrible acts of evil, injustice and immorality all over the news and the internet.

2 Corinthians 4:4 Says “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe.”

It is however not our job to condemn, but to love, as Jesus did. We cannot be proud because we think we are not as sinful as someone else In Romans 2:4 Paul tells us “Don’t you realize how patient he (God) is being with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see that he has been waiting all this time without punishing you, to give you time to turn from your sin? His kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” Roman’s 3:23, says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

2 Timothy 2:25-26 Says “Be humble when you are trying to teach those who are mixed up concerning the truth. For if you talk meekly and courteously to them, they are more likely, with God’s help, to turn away from their wrong ideas and believe what is true. Then they will come to their senses and escape from Satan’s trap of slavery to sin.”

We can only control our own actions and live our faith. Paul continues in Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world.” Sadly in the end, many will not accept Christ’s salvation. In Matthew 22:14 Jesus says, “for many are called but few are chosen.”

Dear Lord, Please come and show your influence in our world. Help us have the courage to witness to your good news that your salvation and peace are available to all who will turn to you. Help us also put a priority on electing representatives who will support our Christian beliefs. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

It is amazing to think about the history of Christianity. Through the years many have tried to stamp it out, from the Jewish leaders in the first century, Greek, Roman and Ottoman Empires, the Communists, and many others. Today Christianity is being attacked,from many directions, but from the original 12 disciples who followed Jesus, Christianity has grown to over 2 billion people; The largest religion in the world.

We know that those opposing Jesus will never succeed, as Isaiah prophesied and Peter repeated in 1 Peter 1:24,25, “..the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” Until the Lord returns, we know that God’s word will endure.

Dear Lord, Thank you for growing your church throughout the world. Help us be a part of spreading your good news. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There are many reasons to attend church services regularly, to learn, worship, encourage each other, and maintain our belief and faith. It is where we actually touch Jesus through Communion.

Paul mentions the importance of coming together in Hebrews 10:24, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

The famous motivational speaker and writer Zig Ziglar, wrote, “People often say motivation doesn’t last, well neither does bathing, that is why we recommend it daily.”

Attending church is the same, we need the reinforcement, regularly, to maintain and grow our faith. It is also the place the devil will do everything to prevent us from visiting. The more regularly we attend, the stronger our resolve will be to continue.

Dear Lord, many are misled into believing that they do not need regular worship to maintain their faith. Help us see that we do need this renewal and engagement with you. Protect us from the devil’s tricks to keep us away. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

There is a never ending discussion about the conflict between religion and science. In reality it is not a debate between God and Science, it is a debate between a belief in God and a belief that there is no God.

For those of us that believe in God, there really is no conflict between science and religion. We believe God created everything, and therefore science is the study of God’s creation.

Often people’s success at discovering, learning, excelling and achieving sets them up to believing that they can know and control everything. I believe, as a result of manipulation by the Devil, this positive drive to achieve can be turned into arrogance. This manipulation began in the Garden of Eden with the temptation of Eve to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5 The desire to be “like God” tempted Eve to disobey God’s rules.

The similar motivation occurred in the story of the Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:3-4 writes “The people who lived there began to talk about building a great city, with a temple-tower reaching to the skies—a proud, eternal monument to themselves.” The people discovered technology allowing for construction of tall buildings, and followed this into arrogance.

Throughout the years discoveries are made, and theories are developed expanding our knowledge of the Universe. It has become quite clear to me that the fundamental dispute in this God vs Science debate is the “world view” that we start with. If we believe God created it all, we will marvel at these new discoveries of God’s fantastic creation, but if people don’t want to believe in God, they can use new discoveries to come up with interpretations to support their disbelief in God.

Dear Lord, We know that the attempts to lead people astray will continue until you return. Help us remember to use the intelligence you gave us to understand your creation rather than being manipulated into exalting ourselves over you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.