Based on Luke 4:1-13

There is a section of Interstate 5 that runs from San Diego County through Camp Pendleton in southern California named after a Marine Corps gunnery sergeant. He was sent to a tiny island in the Pacific during WWII, where for five months he and his fellow Marines were in the fight of their lives. Since this island was a strategic location for the Rising Sun Empire, U.S. forces knew they needed to capture and hold the airfield on Guadalcanal.

For two bloody days this Marine, John Basilone, fought against enemy Japanese forces, above and beyond the call of duty. He not only held his ground but under heavy enemy fire battled his way through enemy lines to supply his men with much-needed ammunition. For his personal valor and courageous initiative, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

After being recalled to the States, Basilone toured the country, raising money for the war effort. Just over a year later, Basilone received orders to return to the Pacific fight. On February 19, 1945—80 years ago—the first day of the invasion of Iwo Jima, Basilone found himself and his fellow Marines pinned down from every direction. Disregarding the safety of his own life, he courageously and shrewdly worked his way around the flanking enemy position, attacking the enemy with grenades and demolitions, single-handedly destroying an entire enemy stronghold.

Then, Basilone repeatedly exposed himself to the blasting fury of enemy shells while coming to the aid of a U.S. tank trapped in a minefield. He skillfully guided the vehicle through the hazardous terrain to safety. Basilone pushed forward with dauntless courage and determination until he was killed instantly by a bursting mortar shell. For his intrepid initiative, he was awarded the Navy Cross.

This story often feels like my own life. What about you? I’m on a battlefield, where the enemy spiritual forces of darkness relentlessly attack my position. They constantly remind me of how often I have failed in my mission from my commander, which is to love and serve my neighbor and my God more than myself. Some days are better than others, but on most days, it feels as if the enemy has overrun my position and my guilt-laden conscience. I have regret over the sinful, selfish decisions I’ve made, and memories of the good I’ve left undone get the best of me. The enemy is more than willing to remind me of these things. What about you?

There on the battlefield stands a hero. One who stands alone. One who received the same attacks and the same accusations from the enemy, but didn’t have any regrets. No guilty conscience. No good left undone. But he was attacked just the same. The enemy tried with all their tactics and cunning to dislodge him from his secure position. With no regard for his own life, he entered that battlefield and won the war, for you and me.

The one who stands alone victorious is your commander, Jesus. When the devil tried to tempt him to disbelieve his Father’s promises, Jesus instead stood firm on his Father’s promises. Jesus defeated the devil this way—not to show you how to defeat the devil but to show you he has defeated the devil.

So when your life feels like John Basilone’s—standing alone, fighting the enemy—know that the battle has been won for you. Stand against the enemy. Know that their bullets and mortar rounds fall short. Christ has won for you. He stands alone so you might stand victorious with him.

I encourage you to read Luke 4:1-13 today. Find joy and comfort and safety in the victory Jesus has won for you over the enemy.

Prayer:
Mighty God and Father, our Lord Jesus walked into the wilderness to face the devil’s temptations, but he did not succumb to Satan’s lies or falter in his resolve to save the world from the prison of hell. Bolster our faith by his mighty victory, that we may battle against the forces of evil with courage and confidence.

Today we thank you for men and women who train canines to serve in our nation’s military. Since 1942 our nation’s military has used canines as security patrol, search and rescue, and detection. This week as our U.S. military recognizes Military Working Dogs, we ask that you be with the handlers and trainers of these canines. Use these creatures of your marvelous creation to save and preserve life. In your Son’s name we pray. Amen.

Based on Romans 12:14-21; 13:4

If you currently serve or have served in our nation’s military as a warfighter or a service member, do you know how God describes you in the Bible? He says in Romans 13:4 that you are “agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

Because you are employed by our government, God has given the government the sword. In Romans 13, Paul says that the servant of God, the government, does not bear the sword for nothing. You are an extension of God’s hand through the government. You are to bring punishment on evil people, to bring punishment on wicked people, which means you are to be “Army Strong,” to “Ranger Up,” to be “Forged by the Sea,” to “Aim High,” to be “Always Faithful,” to be “Always Prepared,” Semper Fidelis, Semper Paratus. You are to bring punishment on the enemy.

You are also to be a deterrent, which is why we have units and squadrons and battalion stations strategically all over the United States to tell our near-peer competitors, “Listen, if you step out of line, you know what waits for you.”

And at the same time, this is how God talks to us in the same letter to the Romans, in 12:17-21. He says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Some years ago, when I served a congregation that was located near a military installation, I had a U.S. Army soldier come up to me after church and say, “Pastor, I really struggled with your prayer this morning.” This soldier had recently redeployed from the war zone, and I had prayed for our enemies. And as a U.S. Army medic, he had treated the wounded and the dying, his battle buddies, his friends in arms, his brothers in arms. And he had seen what the enemy had done to his friends. So he said, “Pastor, I don’t really pray that prayer. I really stick to the imprecatory psalms.” These are psalms that talk about dashing the enemy’s head against rocks and bathing our feet in our enemy’s blood. King David prayed these prayers.

So how do we reconcile that? Love our enemies. And the job that you are called to do is to serve as an agent of wrath. Look to Christ. Look to Jesus on the cross as he is being put to death, as he’s being murdered at the hands of wicked men, and listen to what he says: “Father, forgive them.” Look to Christ.

When a royal official—a man who worked for a pagan, hedonistic government ruler—went to Jesus because his son was dying, Jesus didn’t question him. He went and he healed his son. Actually, Jesus didn’t even go! He just said the word and this man’s son was healed.

Another time a Roman centurion came to Jesus. This is a company commander of men who knew how to kill. They were agents of wrath, right? He came to Jesus because one of his servants was dying, and Jesus said the word and he healed the servant.

When Roman soldiers went to John the Baptizer, John didn’t say, “Hey, you need to find a new profession.” He said, “Carry out your vocation faithfully and honestly and with integrity.”

Look to Christ when you struggle to reconcile these two truths that seem to contradict each other at times. Go to the cross, and there you will find forgiveness for your anger, for words of vengeance, for thoughts of revenge, for when you have spoken hateful words about other human beings. Bring that all to the cross and know that you are forgiven for that. Then bring that cross with you as you carry out your vocation as a warfighter, so that you know why you were called to do what you do.

Then go carry out your vocation as a warfighter, a service member, a pencil pusher, a support staff person, a grunt, a pilot, an aviator, an officer. And do it faithfully and give glory to God for it in all that you do. Rely on him to be your strength to carry it out.

And if it means that you must go to war, then go do that. Go and carry out your missions and your sorties and do it in good conscience, for God has called you to do it. He sends you to punish the evildoer, to protect the good, to preserve peace.

Martin Luther once said, “If the sword were not on guard to preserve peace, everything in the world must go to ruin because of lack of peace.” Pray for successful missions and sorties. Pray that God would suppress evil people who wish to bring to the world rape and murder and robbery and chaos and terror and destruction and corruption and every other wickedness that threatens peace. Everything that threatens the prosperity and spread of the gospel. Everything that prevents citizens from their ability to earn their daily bread by carrying out their vocations in society.

And at the same time, follow your Savior, pray for your enemies, pray that they hear the gospel, pray that they repent, pray that they come to faith, and pray that they may be saved and not die but live. For that is God’s will too—that all people be saved. That all people come to a knowledge of the truth and not die but live.

So go to war and love your enemies. Be the sword. And if you struggle with that and if you wrestle with that, continue to go to the cross and live in peace knowing that God is at peace with you because of what he has already done. The war has already been won for you in Christ Jesus. So go to war and love your enemies.

Prayer:
O almighty and everlasting God, through your own Son you have commanded us to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate us, and to pray for those that persecute us. We pray that by your divine providence they may be led to true repentance and be of one mind and heart with us and with your whole church.

I also pray for the naval aviators whose aircraft crashed in the San Diego harbor. I thank you that you have kept them safe, that they were able to eject from their aircraft safely. I thank you for the civilian boat in the harbor that was there to pull them out of the water in less than a minute from when they hit the water. I thank you for the Coast Guard that has also come to help. I thank you for those that have contained the oil and fuel that has been spilled into the harbor.

We pray that you be with all pilots and aviators, mechanics, air traffic controllers, and the instructors who train the men and women who dare the eagles’ flight. Send your holy angels to keep them safe, O Lord. In your name I pray. Amen.

Based on Isaiah 62:1-5; Ephesians 5:25-27

What are you looking for in a marriage?

Now, before I lose you, I fully understand that some of you who are reading this devotion are single, and maybe you’re not really looking for a significant other right now. So just hang with me for a second.

Maybe others of you are looking for that special someone and you’re wondering, “What am I looking for in a future spouse?”

Some of you have a Christian spouse. Your marriage is firmly built on Christ. It’s kind of like a Navy ship that is out to sea, and you bring it into dry dock quite often to do maintenance and repair or preventative maintenance on your marriage. And even when it goes out to sea and the seas are kind of rough, you do OK in your marriage relationship.

But for others of you, that marriage is like a Navy ship that is out in the middle of sea being rocked this way and that by the storms of life. And you’re not exactly sure what to do. You think, “We should probably bring it into dry dock to do maintenance.”

Still others of you may have a marriage that resembles a Navy ship that has been brought out to sea and has sunk in the middle of the ocean.

I’m here to tell you that no matter what your relationships are like, you have the perfect marriage. In Isaiah 62:5, this is how Jesus speaks about you: “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

You see, this is who you are. You are in a perfect marriage relationship with your God in heaven—with Jesus as the groom, and you and I as his bride, his Church. And I know you may not feel it at times because of the way you’ve treated your relationships here on earth, whether as a single person or as someone who is married or divorced or widowed. Because of the things that you’ve said, the things that you’ve done, the things that you’ve left undone, or the things that you need to repent of.

So rest in this relationship—this perfect marriage relationship that your God has with you. The prophet Isaiah says your God will rejoice over you. How can he do that? Because this is what your husband in heaven has done for you. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians chapter 5 that your husband has loved you, his bride. He gave himself up for you. He has cleansed you. He has washed you with water through the Word in your baptism. He has presented you to himself as a radiant bride, his Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish. Holy and blameless. That’s who you are.

And knowing that means you can rest in that relationship and all that Jesus brings to it. So as you think about what you might be looking for in a relationship with a future spouse, you know what to look for. Someone who points you to Jesus. Someone who has that solid relationship with God in heaven so that when you do get married, you can continue to remind each other of that perfect relationship that you both have.

And for those of you who are in a marriage that’s on that Navy ship out to sea—which seems to be rocking back and forth and threatened to be capsized—bring it into dry dock. Do preventative maintenance. And both of you get back into the Word of God and remind each other, “Hey, we are in a perfect relationship with our God in heaven.”

So what does that look like? It means there will be love, forgiveness, patience, understanding, healing, and peace. Because you are in that perfect marriage relationship between you and Jesus.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, you are the example for single people of all times. Give the single people the strength to live a Christian life. Let encouragement from family and friends sustain them when days are lonely, and give them joy in lives of service to you.

Heavenly Savior, you have instituted and blessed marriage, so also help those who are married to keep you ever in their homes. Forgive them for those times that they have let anger or distrust or unhappiness or lack of devotion harm their relationships. Teach those who are married to turn to you and to talk to each other to get through difficult times and to bring Christ back into the home and to remind each other of that special relationship that you have with us.

Father in heaven, we also ask that you be with all of our warfighters, our active duty National Guard Reserve troops that have been activated, called up to service to our borders here between the United States and Mexico. We pray that you would keep them safe in their missions, to help them to be firm when they need to be firm, and to help them to be loving and compassionate and patient when they need to be loving and kind and patient. Be with them. Keep them safe and bring them back home to their families and friends, in your time and in your way, according to your good pleasure. We ask this all in your name. Amen.

When I was in Okinawa recently, I stood in the location for the final battle of World War II. When the American forces landed on the western side of the island, they did not experience the opposition that they had when they landed on previous islands to engage the Japanese forces. When they rolled up onto the island, they walked around, did some scouting, and didn’t see any enemy forces.

Then three or four days later, the Japanese really let them have it. You see, the Japanese allowed the American forces to land where they did and let them set up camp where they wanted, because then they knew exactly where the American forces would be and where they would be setting up camp. They then had their artillery zeroed in on those locations. They had their enemy forces located in the intricate web of caves, in the cliffs, and in the hills of the island of Okinawa, because they knew exactly where our troops would be so they would inflict heavy casualties on them.

Some days it feels that way, doesn’t it? Our life is kind of like a battlefield. And actually, the Bible describes it that way. And it’s because we are baptized into Christ. Because we are baptized into Christ, we have his name on us. The devil marks us as the enemy, and he knows exactly where to hit us with temptations so that we despair when things come up in our lives and we say, “What is going on?” We wonder where God is. The devil tempts us into false belief. He tempts us into great and shameful sin, and it just seems that no matter where we go, the devil always knows how to get us. We’re baptized into a battlefield.

But you know, my friends, that Jesus was baptized into a battlefield too. The Bible tells us that as soon as Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit led him out into the wilderness to engage with the devil in hand-to-hand combat—spiritual hand-to-hand combat. The devil was tempting him for 40 days and 40 nights, but on that battlefield, Jesus won the battle for us. He won the fight for us so we know that when we are on this battlefield called life—and it oftentimes feels like we’re losing and like the devil has our location zeroed in all the time—we know that the battle has been won, because Jesus has won it for us.

Not only are we baptized into a battlefield, but Galatians 3 tells us that all of us who are baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ (verse 27). Not only do we have Jesus’ name on us as his friend, as his ally, as his brothers and sisters, but we also have been clothed with him in his righteous life. The life that he won when he engaged in battle with the devil—he gives us that. And he doesn’t leave us alone.

When the American forces were on the island of Okinawa, there were times that platoons of Marines were by themselves for a very, very long time, until reinforcements came to relieve them of the battle fatigue and all the things they were going through in that battle on Okinawa.

In that same way, Jesus doesn’t leave us alone. He gives us this promise in our baptism. He gives us this promise in his Word that he will never leave us or abandon us. He also gives us his Lord’s Prayer, especially the Sixth and Seventh Petitions—lead us not into temptation; deliver us from evil.

Those are things the Father promises to do for us when we pray to him. So, my friends, know that, yes, you are baptized into a battlefield, but you are also baptized into Christ.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, at times we tend to despair because of the way that the devil tempts us, the way that he assaults us. It feels like we’re in a fierce battle every single day of our lives, but we also know that we are baptized into your name, and because of that, we have won the victory.

And so also in that same spirit, Lord Jesus, we ask that you be with all of our warfighters who are deployed right now. Some of them are engaged in combat operations and are in harm’s way, and so we pray that you send your holy angels to watch over them. Protect them in body, mind, and soul. And also to be with their family members and friends here in the States. Remind them that they are not alone, but that you are with them. Surround them with good, faithful, Christian friends and neighbors to remind them of these promises too. We ask this in your name. Amen.

They really had nowhere to go. They were wandering through mountainous regions and wilderness areas. They had little to no food, little to no water, no shelter, no extra clothes. They were fleeing from the wrath of a dictator who wanted to wipe them from the face of this earth. This is 500,000 people we’re talking about. These are the Kurds that were fleeing from Saddam Hussein.

Then comes Operation Provide Comfort.

Humanitarian and military aid came to help these Kurds, and among those groups that came to help them were the 10th Group Special Forces, known as the Green Berets. The motto of the Green Berets is on a challenge coin that somebody had gifted to me. It says, “De oppresso liber.” It’s a Latin phrase that means “to free the oppressed.” That 10th Group Special Forces was credited with saving the lives of 500,000 Kurds from extinction.

De oppresso liber. Isn’t that what Jesus came to do? That’s the truth we hear in our reading today from Galatians chapter 4. This letter to the Galatians—that region is actually in modern-day Turkey, which really isn’t that far from where the oppressed were liberated.

Listen to the apostle Paul’s words. He says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir” (Galatians 4:4-7).

Like the Kurds in the early 1990s—with nowhere to go, feeling entrapped, feeling enslaved—maybe there are times you feel that way. Not because an evil dictator is trying to wipe you from the face of this earth, but because of Christmases past, or maybe because of past New Years, where you made an honest resolution to change not just bad habits in your life but sinful behaviors. Times that you wanted to change your attitude toward your family members, your spouse, your children, your own parents, your co-workers, your friends, or just the random person out in the community.

The times you wish you would have been Christ to somebody in a way that was meaningful to them, and you just failed to do that. All of that guilt has you in shackles, and you feel there’s nowhere to go because of that guilt.

Well, in comes Jesus with Operation Redemption. At the right time in history, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, to take on our human flesh. That means that he had to be born under the requirements of God’s laws and his commandments. But Jesus fulfilled all of those perfectly in his attitude and his actions and his words toward his family members, his siblings, his parents, his friends, even those enemies of his—those who oppressed him.

Jesus was perfect in everything he said to them, the way that he loved them, and the way that he forgave them. And by that perfect life he has redeemed you, which means that he has set you free from that guilt.

You are no longer slaves to your guilt. Take that guilt to Jesus, and know that he has set you free from it. He has set you free to be his sons and his daughters. He has adopted you into his family. You are sons and daughters of God, your Father in heaven and that by your baptism.

And because of that you have an inheritance. Paul says you are an heir, which means that you have an inheritance of heaven, where you are set free from guilt, from sin, from death, from slavery to all of those things forever and ever.

So now go live that way. Go live as free sons and daughters of your Father in heaven.

De oppresso liber. You are set free.

Prayer:
Almighty God, you have filled us with the new light of the Word who became flesh and lived among us. Let the light of our faith shine in all that we do. Keep watch over those who serve in our nation’s Special Operations Forces, who carry out unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counterterrorism and covert operations, and special reconnaissance to throw down the oppressors and to liberate the oppressed and to protect our nation. Help them to carry out their missions according to your will, so that we and the people around the world may live in peace and safety. In your name we pray. Amen.

Do you sing? And if so, where? I’m guessing at church. Or maybe you sing in the car when you’re riding solo and you crank the tunes and belt it out because number one, no one else is in the car, and number two, those songs just take you back.

Or maybe it’s when you’re in the car and the car is loaded full of kids, and you have your favorite tune from your high school days cued up. You’re ready to crank it and belt it out at the top of your lungs to embarrass your kiddos.

What about at a military ceremony formation? Do you sing there? For a change of responsibility or a promotion or a change of command or a graduation, and the band kicks in with that familiar military march, and you’re ready to belt it out with the gusto of a Marine at the birthday ball? Or maybe you quietly mumble along because it’s the 220th time that you’ve heard that march.

How many of you are familiar with the march “Always Ready, Always There!”?

I’m guessing that if you’re in the National Guard, maybe you are familiar with this march. And if you’re in the Guard, maybe you still haven’t heard of it because it’s fairly new. It’s only eight years old. “Always Ready, Always There!” is much younger than the National Guard, which celebrates its birthday today on December 13th.

When you listen to this march, it just makes you want to stand up and belt it out with gusto.

In our devotion today, the Lord God gives us as Christians good reasons to stand up and burst into song. Through his prophet Zephaniah, he encourages his people with these words: “Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem!” (Zephaniah 3:14). Those proper names Zion and Jerusalem are pictures that are used of all believers.

So what was the occasion that prompted the Lord to tell us to burst into song with the gusto of a Marine at the birthday ball? Well, he says this through his prophet in verse 15: “The LORD has taken away your punishment.” More festive than celebrating a birthday. More congratulatory than a promotion. More celebratory than a retirement is this declaration: Your sins are forgiven.

Zephaniah says there is no punishment waiting for you because you’ve sinned against your holy God. He’s saying to you that there is nothing evil that happens to you in this life because God is somehow using that evil to get back at you for the things that you’ve done. No, he’s taken it away forever. God doesn’t punish you. He punished his Son Jesus on the cross in your place. It’s done. It’s finished. That’s why God says to you and me, “Sing, shout aloud, be glad and rejoice with all your heart.”

But now in an interesting spin, the prophet Zephaniah then says this: “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (verse 17).

Did you catch that? It says that God sings, and he sings because of you. And God’s song for you is prompted by the joy and happiness in his heart because your sin no longer separates you from him. He has this song of joy in his heart because he has won eternal life for you through his Son Jesus. He sings a song of joy and happiness because he has saved you forever, and he sings his song because he knows that you will spend eternity with him.

So, my friends, sing your glad songs to God for his saving work for you, and then listen as God sings his song because of you.

Prayer:
Hear our prayers, Lord Jesus Christ, and come with the good news of your mighty deliverance. Drive the darkness from our hearts, and fill us with your light. Lord Jesus, protect the men and women who serve in our nation’s National Guard. Keep them faithful to the duties of their vocation as they serve us here at home in the States and around the world. Bless the efforts of the leadership to maintain a National Guard force that is ready to serve in times of strife or to help after natural disaster. I pray this in your name, Lord Jesus. Amen..

This is Thanksgiving weekend, and I wanted to take some time to express thanksgiving for all the things God has blessed me with and the ways I’ve seen him bless you in your lives and your vocations.

To do that, I’d like to look at the apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippians. In chapter one, in the first few verses, he says this: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:3-6).

The things that the apostle Paul shares with this congregation in Philippi are the things that I want to share with you—that every time I think of you, as Paul says, I thank my God for you. For the partnership that we enjoy in the gospel, the fact that we are united by one Baptism in one Lord Jesus Christ, in that one true faith, united by that one hope of eternal life in heaven and having the sure certainty of that resurrection from the dead.

And the unity that we enjoy, that partnership in the gospel that we have as believers in Christ, is shown in the way that we worship together, the way that we pray together and pray for each other, the way that we encourage one another, the way that we study God’s Word together, and the ways that we love each other.

I’ve written out a list of things that I’m thankful for from this past year, and I want to share those things with you. First of all, I’m thankful for the number of people that God has put into my life this past year through personal visits, phone calls, e-mails, and video chats. I started to count, and I lost track.

I’m thankful to God for the number of active duty, reserve, and National Guard troops; veterans and civilians; and lay people who have been trained as distinctive religious group leaders and religious lay leaders. I’m thankful that you have the strong desire to make sure that God’s Word is provided in places that I can’t go and that our WELS pastors can’t go. You’re making that happen.

I’m thankful for the number of parents who have filled out referrals for their children through our website, because that says to me that you desire Word and sacrament to be provided for your child as they begin their vocation as a warfighter in our nation’s military. And I’m thankful for the number of high school seniors that have filled out that referral for themselves because that says to me that you want to stay connected to Christ as you go through basic training, through your individual training afterwards, and wherever God leads you through the military.

I’m thankful for the number of warfighters who update their contact info when they PCS, when they deploy. Because, again, it shows me that you are concerned about the spiritual care that you receive. By updating your information through our website, that helps us keep you connected to our WELS pastors or to other WELS members to stay connected to Christ. I’m thankful for that.

I’m thankful for the number of veterans who have reached out who are thankful for these devotions. I didn’t know this, but there’s a group of veterans who meet regularly for coffee in a restaurant, and they either watch the devotions or print them off and they discuss them as part of their group encouragement to one another. I’m thankful that these devotions are being used that way.

I’m thankful for you, the warfighters and spouses who have trusted me enough to share your story with me and have shared your weaknesses and your failures and your joys and your victories. And I’m thankful for the number of families who have let me in and have made me part of your family.

I’m thankful for the number of single warfighters who have brought me in as part of their life and have entrusted their story to me, so that we might enjoy mutual encouragement through the Word of God.

I’m thankful for the number of spouses who have sacrificed their careers to support their spouse during their military career and have found joy in the honorable and often overlooked and underappreciated vocation of homemaker. My prayer for you is that you continue to find strength and joy in that honorable vocation.

I’m thankful for the number of veterans and warfighters who have been so patient with me, taking me by the hand and patiently instructing me so I can better understand the military mindset, so I can better serve you and equip our pastors and our congregations to better serve you with Word and sacrament.

I’m thankful for the number of doors that have been opened for me, for our pastors, and for our congregations to reach military members and their families on post, on base, and in our communities.

I’m thankful for the number of military chaplains who have opened doors for me and our WELS pastors and our congregations, so that again, our people can be better served by Word and sacrament.

I’m thankful for the number of gifts that have been given by thankful hearts, not only to our ministry but even to me personally—like the Rangers coffee mug that I recently received as a gift. Every time I use it or other gifts that I’ve received, it gives me the opportunity to pause and pray for this person and the people that support this person. So thank you for those gifts.

And thank you also for the number of prayers that have been spoken on behalf of this ministry, that have been spoken on behalf of me and my family, that have been spoken for our pastors and for our congregations.

I’m thankful for the number of letters and e-mails and texts. They are so encouraging, and I thank you for them.

I’m thankful for the number of experiences that God has allowed me to have this past year. There are too many to list, so I’m going to pick just one. It’s jumping from 12,500 feet with the U.S. Army Golden Knights in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I thank Larissa and her pastor, Pastor Glende, for making that happen.

I’m thankful for the number of people that you have introduced to me—people whom you’ve identified as people who need to hear about Jesus. And I’m thankful for the number of people that you have led to Jesus—the number of spouses and battle buddies and children and parents and friends that you have brought to hear about Jesus. I pray that you continue to scatter that seed of the gospel so that many more souls might be touched by the gospel, and I pray that God would make those seeds grow.

And finally, I’m thankful for our Commander-in-Chief, Jesus Christ, who continues to lead us in spiritual battle, who continues to lead us through spiritual battle, who will continue to lead us until we reach those peaceful shores of heaven.

I want to close this devotion today with the words of the apostle Paul.

Prayer:
“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).

Lord Jesus, this weekend we also celebrate the birthday of our nation’s Civil Air Patrol. From before their official creation in 1948 and continuing through today, members of the Civil Air Patrol have carried out emergency services and disaster relief missions around our nation. Keep these citizen volunteers faithful and safe as they search for and find the lost. Provide comfort in times of disaster and work to keep our homeland safe. In your name I pray. Amen.

I’m writing this devotion on November 5th. And since this devotion will be sent on November 15th, you probably voted in the recent election. And either you went in person or, like me and my wife, voted a couple weeks early. We received our ballots in the mail and dropped them off in a box in San Diego County.

So you know the outcome of the election already since it’s now November 15th. How do you feel about the outcome?

I was in Washington, D.C., a couple of weeks ago, and I asked a senior officer that same question about the election. I said, “Can I ask you a question? Don’t feel that you have to answer it.”

And he said, “No, I’m glad you asked it because, yes, I do pay attention to the election because of my job in counterintelligence and the assets that we have in near-peer competitor countries. We need to let them know what’s going on because this determines troop movement, and it determines where our people are because other countries react differently to different administrations in the White House.”

You know the outcome already. How do you feel about that?

You might have mixed emotions, depending on which side of the aisle you are on, depending on if you watch a lot of Fox News or CNN or MSNBC. Or maybe you try to stay in the middle and find a news agency that just reports the facts, which doesn’t lean one way or the other—but then that’s hard to find.

How have you reacted? This is what I do. The month before a major election, I read the book of Daniel, because it reminds me that God already knows the outcome. As you read the book of Daniel, you sit back in amazement and see how God moves and shakes and shapes nations to do his will. Daniel reminds me that no matter who is in charge—or who thinks they’re in charge—it is our God, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He uses his faithful people in his service in government to help carry out his will and serve faithfully in that vocation in the government.

Allow me to share the reading for this coming Sunday, Daniel chapter 12: “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever” (verses 1-3).

What God tells us in the book of Daniel is that things will be bad for God’s people. They’ve always been bad. Since the time of the Garden of Eden, there’s been animosity and enmity between God’s holy people and those who oppose God’s holy people.

And you’ve experienced this in your own family, among your friends, among the people that you work with, even in our government. There will always be people who oppose God’s will and God’s people.

But in the end, God knows the outcome. He tells us that in the end, the archangel Michael, the commander of the angel armies of heaven, will arise and protect his people. He will deliver us.

God’s got his angels watching over us and protecting us, no matter what happens in an election year. But here’s the other thing. It says, “There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then” (verse 1a). This shouldn’t alarm us when these things happen, because God has told us they will right in his Word.

But here’s the thing. God knows the outcome. He says, “At that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered” (verse 1b). That’s you, and that’s me. You know your name is written in God’s book because he has told you so, and you believe it, and you trust it. Because in the waters of your baptism, God has taken your name and has written it down in his family ledger.

It reminds me that a couple of generations ago, it was very popular to have a family Bible. And in the front of that Bible was the family tree. When a new infant was born, that name was written in the front of that family Bible and then passed on to the next generation. Your name was part of the family
tree.

God has done that for you, but in his book, in heaven, that is you. And everyone whose name is found written in that book will be delivered. And here’s what he says: “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life” (verse 2). That’s you. You already know the outcome of what’s going to happen to you. Your body will rise from the dead, and then he says that you will shine like the brightness of the heavens, like the stars forever and ever. You know the outcome.

You already know the outcome of the election as I sit here and write this devotion on November 5th. You already know the outcome with what’s going to happen to nations at the end of time. You already know the outcome of what’s going to happen to you. So rest in those promises. No matter how you feel about the outcome of this election, rest in those promises.

And my encouragement to you is to go back and read the book of Daniel this month. And if in reading the book of Daniel with all of the visions, you’re trying to figure out what it all means, then I encourage you to order the People’s Bible commentary on the book of Daniel from Northwestern Publishing House. Go to nph.net and search for the People’s Bible: Daniel.

Read Daniel this month, and rest in those promises that God knows the outcome.

Prayer:
Lord and ruler of nations, you tell us not to trust in mortal princes but to place our faith in you. By your most holy and powerful Word, strengthen our resolve to do that more and more. Help us to be mindful, as your children, of your desire that we pay proper respect and honor to our nation’s newly elected officials because they draw their authority from you. Guide them with your eternal wisdom and use them for your holy purposes. In the name of Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords. Amen.

The airman watched as the aircraft lowered its ramp, and he peered in and saw the flag-draped boxes.

They huddled together and flinched as the volley of guns echoed over the hallowed ground, and the sound of the bugler playing “Taps” brought tears to nearly every eye. They stood there on that hallowed ground and saw nothing but white headstones.

She stared at the urn on the shelf because it stared back at her, and she was sad.

It’s that picture of your loved one or your loved ones who smile back at you in perpetuity, but it makes you sad because you know that you can’t talk to them anymore or hold them or hug them.

It’s the black metal that rubs against your wrist and you look down to see the names that are etched into that memory bracelet, and you realize with sobering reality that these are battle buddies that are no longer with us.

All of these are sobering reminders that at some time in the future, someone will stand over your grave and my grave and be sad. That they will stare at our pictures as we smile back at them, and they will be sad knowing that they can no longer speak to us, talk to us, hold us, or hug us. Someone once said that grief is the price that we pay for having loved so much on this earth.

But Jesus knows. And more than that he completely understands because he’s been there. He stood in a cemetery, and through his eyes he saw the effects of sin in the tear-stained faces of his friends and loved ones. He looked at the grave of his loved one, his dear friend Lazarus, and he wept because he was sad. He had felt the effects of sin’s consequences in his own life.

But he did something about it. With his robe he wiped the tears from his face. He cleared his throat and with the power of his voice, he told death and grave that today they would not win the victory. And by raising Lazarus from the grave, he gave his friends and us a preview of his own victory over death, so that they and we might believe that he is the resurrection and the life—and that by believing, we might live forever.

So it is true for you and for me and for all who have died trusting in him who is the resurrection and the life. The remains in that flag-draped box, the remains in that urn, the dry and dusty bones beneath those white headstones—they will hear his voice, and the grave and death will have no choice but to capitulate.

In the bugle call, the angels will not sing out “Taps” but will play “Reveille.” It’s time to wake up, never to sleep in death again, for Jesus has swallowed up death forever.

I pray that this is your comfort and your sure hope in your grief.

Prayer:
Almighty God, you have knit your people together into one holy church, the body of Christ our Lord. Grant us grace to follow the example of the blessed saints who have gone before us, so that in lives of faith and willing service, we with them at last will inherit the inexpressible joys that you have prepared for those who love you.

Send your holy angels to guard and protect the men and women of our armed forces who are currently deployed to the Middle East, for those who are anxious as they wait and wonder. Calm their hearts with your presence and your promises. Bring peace to that region of the world so that our warfighters might return home safely and live their lives in peace. In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Which freedoms are you willing to give up?

If one day your government came to you and said, “We are repealing these amendments to the Constitution and rewriting the Bill of Rights for the good of the Republic,” how would you react to that?

You’d probably protest a little bit and maybe not be so willing to sacrifice those freedoms, because as citizens of the United States of America, that would be a difficult thing to do. We would say, “Well, we have these freedoms, and these are our rights. They’re written down. This is what the founding fathers of our country fought for and what we continue to fight for.”

Which freedoms are you willing to sacrifice for the sake not of the Republic, but for someone else’s soul? That’s what the apostle Paul wants us to consider when we look at our reading in 1 Corinthians chapter 9. I encourage you to read the whole chapter. Paul says that he’s willing to give up something that in his eyes—and actually in our eyes—he rightly deserved. In fact, it was scriptural that the worker deserves his wages.

So for those who devote their full time to gospel ministry, to sharing the good news of Jesus and administering the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, God says they should be paid and supported by doing that.

But the apostle Paul said, “I’m willing to sacrifice that right and that freedom as a Christian if it means that I can win more people over for the gospel.” What the apostle Paul did was work a side hustle to support himself in addition to doing all the things that were required of an apostle and a pastor and a congregation.

He said, “I’m willing to be a slave to these people, to step in their sandals, to understand them better, so as not to put an obstacle in the way of them hearing the good news of Jesus.” Because people were walking through towns, proclaiming to be preachers or pastors, only to become wealthy from it. Paul said, “I don’t want to be that. I want to set this aside, even though I have the freedom to do it, so I can win more for the gospel.”

That’s a difficult thing to do—for us to set aside the freedoms and the rights that we have as Christians in order to walk in someone else’s shoes. And sometimes that means to get into the messiness of their lives just so we can show them the freedom and the hope that they have in Jesus.

So how was the apostle Paul able to do that? To say, “I am free, but I’m going to make myself a slave for all these people”?

It’s for the same reason that we will follow the apostle Paul’s example. You hear this from Jesus in Mark chapter 10: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (verse 45). And the prophet Isaiah said this over 700 years before Jesus was even born: “He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

Jesus put himself in my shoes—actually in my flesh and bones—into my sin and my hell and my death. Into yours. Into our selfishness. For all the times we were unwilling to sacrifice for others, Jesus put himself in our shoes—not just so he could understand us better, but so he might set us free from our selfishness. To set us free from our sin and our death and our hell so we might be set free to be servants to all people.

Because Christ did this for me, I want to do this for other people. And I know that you do too. To do that, to better understand other people, that sometimes means being willing to meet them where they’re at. And sometimes that can be messy.

So my challenge to you this week is this. Take out a piece of paper and a pen or take out your phone and write this down in your notes. Think about all the people that you interact with on a daily basis—this is your community. Write down the names or the places where you interact with people during the week. After you do that, stop and think, How can I be present in their life? Which means maybe scheduling this time. That when you go to the gym, maybe you’re going to schedule an extra 15 minutes before and an extra 15 minutes after so you can be present in the lives of the people there that you interact with. Or when you walk your dog, maybe you schedule extra time to do that to be with those people and be persistent in those interactions.

Just ask them, “How are things going?” Just be prepared because the answer could be a little bit messy. But that’s okay. Be persistent in those messy conversations and in their messy lives and say, “Hey, I hear you. When can we get together for coffee? When can we have you over for dinner so I can hear more and we can be a support for you?”

This is what it might look like in your life—to be all things to all people, to selflessly sacrifice for them, to win as many as possible, so they might come to believe and trust in the One who sacrificed absolutely everything for them. So they might be free from their sin and their guilt just as we are. And so they might have all things just as we do in Christ Jesus. That’s selfless sacrifice.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep your household, the church, in continual godliness and set us free from all adversities, so that under your protection we may serve you with true devotion and holy deeds. Lord Jesus, several spouses have requested prayers for their service members who are deployed overseas. They ask that you de-escalate the situation in those regions of the world where we have U.S. troops deployed. Send your holy angels to protect our service members around the world. Reassure their spouses, their children, their parents, their family members and friends that you are present with them here in the States, present through your Word and sacrament to comfort and strengthen and to bring peace. We ask this in your name and that all be done according to your will. Amen.

Duty. Honor. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Discipline.

For those of you who serve or have served in our nation’s armed forces, you know the importance of these values because they encapsulate who you are and why you serve, and they give purpose and motivation to carry out your vocation.

These same values align closely with what God calls us to in our relationships. Husbands are called to love their wives just as Christ loved the church, with the same selflessness and sacrifice Christ showed when he laid down his life for his bride, the church.

Wives are called to submit to their husbands and to respect him—not in a way that is demeaning to them or that diminishes their value as women—but in a selfless, willing attitude where she recognizes her God-given role as helper and companion to her husband. And her model for this self-sacrifice or submission is the way that the church willingly submits to Christ.

For those who are single, they are called to willingly remain faithful to God’s will for sex and marriage and to faithfully serve others as Christ served us. Now for you who serve in our nation, there’s a challenge to remain faithful to these callings. The culture of our military just does not often offer a safe and supportive place for people who are single to remain faithful to God’s will.

Then there’s that challenge to balance duty to country with duty to family and spouse. Then add to that the unique strain and stress of deployments and training that put that strain and stress on your vocations.

The good news, my friends, is that Christ still stands as the head of the church, his bride, which is you. He laid down his life for you. He washed you with water and Word to present you to himself without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. And yes, you heard that correctly. For all the times that you have stained the wedding dress of your vocation with faithlessness to those vocations, Christ has taken you and he has washed you in the waters of your baptism. He is duty bound to you; he is loyal to you; he sacrificed himself for you.

So whether you are deployed or at home, on shore duty or sea duty, Christ calls us to duty, to honor, to loyalty, to discipline, to sacrifice, to love in our vocations. To lead in our families so that they might see Christ, to lead in our marriages so that our spouse may see Christ, to lead our friends so that they might see Christ. To sacrifice for the good of our neighbors, to reflect the love of Christ in our words, in our actions, and in our attitudes.

And that, my friends, is loving as Christ loved the church.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as we contemplate the vocations you have called us to, I ask that you keep all single people in our armed forces strong to resist temptation, to bless them with an attitude of contentment in their calling as single people, and to bless them with faithful friends and family when they are lonely. I ask that you keep all husbands and wives faithful to each other and to you, especially during deployment cycles and training, when spouses are apart from each other. I ask that you bless all parents with patience and love as they raise their children in the training and instruction of the Lord. May your Word flourish in our homes.

Lord Jesus, for many of our veterans, October 6 is a pivotal date in their history because this is the day Operation Enduring Freedom began in Afghanistan in 2001. This event changed the lives of so many people in our military communities. For those who still struggle with grief and guilt, with trauma and heartache, I pray that you offer them hope and comfort that can only come from your promise. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Lord Jesus, be their Good Shepherd. In your name I pray. Amen.

If you’re in a position of leadership, one of the required readings for you may be Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.

I’ll just share a couple of things from the book. The author says that great leaders create a circle of safety in the workplace. They inspire trust. They inspire cooperation and peak performance among their team. Great leaders who put the team first or the needs of the team first can create a culture of success. And I’m sure that you’ve experienced that in your vocation as a warfighter.

And on the other hand, Simon Sinek says that bad leadership dehumanizes other people. Bad leadership sees others as a tool to fulfill some kind of specific purpose. Bad leadership promotes selfishness, and when bad leadership puts self first, others get hurt and the team suffers. And I’m sure that you’ve also experienced bad leadership in your vocation as a warfighter.

Today in our reading, Jesus’ disciples give him a great opportunity to teach them and us a lesson about pride and humility. In Mark chapter 9, Jesus had just finished telling his disciples that he was on his way to Jerusalem, where he would be betrayed, arrested, and crucified, and there he would die and be buried.

And as they’re walking along the road, what are the disciples talking about? Which among them was the greatest. This is what pride does: It exalts itself above even God. Pride doesn’t think of others first; it thinks only of self. Pride tries to conform others to my will.

Have you fallen to the sin of pride, as a leader of your squad or team or company or platoon? as a leader in your church or your community or even your home? You’re not alone. I have too.

And that’s why Jesus gathers us in a huddle with his friends, and he brings a little child in among us and says to us, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).

Humility means that I see others as those whom I can serve rather than use. Humility means that I see others as people—that when I serve them, I do not expect anything in return, even to the point of serving a little child and their needs without expecting anything in return, because I know that that little child can’t repay me for the things that I am doing to help meet their needs.

And the motivation to serve with humility, to put our pride to death, to be leaders who eat last—is Christ. Christ who was willing to go to Jerusalem to be arrested, to be crucified, and to die, and to die a death to our pride, to become our pride, actually, and to become our arrogance, to become our sin, so that we might become his humility and his service.

Humility, then, seeks forgiveness for the sin of pride. Humility looks to Christ for that forgiveness. And then, having been forgiven, humility seeks to put others first. Humility seeks to exalt God above self, actually, exalt God at the expense of self.

And that, Jesus says, is the mark of a great leader: one who serves. My friends, he will bless your servant leadership. He promises it.

Prayer:
Mercifully grant, O God, that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts. For without your help, we are unable to please you. Help us to be Christ in the way we view others as those whom God has called us to serve. Today I ask for your blessing on those in leadership positions, especially those at the top, our admirals and generals. Grant them wisdom and knowledge, a heart for the troops under their command, so that they may carry out their duties as servant leaders, and so inspire many others to be faithful servants. In your name I pray. Amen.