1 Peter 1:3-9: Mercury, T-Bird, Pink Cadillac...

Presented to TSA Harvest Community, 30 August 2026, by Major Michael Ramsay

 Our Salvation, our inheritance is now in heaven but, in the end, it will come here. It reminds me of a 16-year-old whose dad promised her his fancy car, when she was old enough to drive. The daughter is very excited to turn 16. But even then she isn’t ready to drive. She has to learn: take lessons, pass tests, practice driving. Even after she has turned 16 her dad is still holding the car for her until she is ready to drive. This is what it is like for us. 

Maybe the resurrection of Christ was the promise that God would give us the car of our inheritance, which He is keeping in perfect condition for us in heaven’s garage until we are finally ready to receive it, drive it, care for it, love it, share it, and look after it. 

From the time we are promised the car (and even from the time we turned 16) until we are able to drive it, we still need to walk; we still need to get rides from our parents and if we have older siblings or friends, our friends.  We still need to take the bus, other transit, or maybe ride a bike. Even after we are 16, we can’t drive our car until we have our license.  

Just like the written and driving tests give us experience and knowledge so that we can properly protect the car, others and ourselves; so too the tests in this life make us better able to care for and fully experience our salvation which is held for us in heaven. 

Maybe, extending this analogy further, Jesus is your dad, whom you’ve never seen in person because he had to go off to another country to get his PR or citizenship; you love him as you wait eagerly for your 16th birthday to receive your car from your dad and you long for the day when you will be united with him and can drive together forever in this gift that is your salvation. 

 

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How are you getting ready to receive the gift of the culmination of your salvation that is waiting for you in heaven’s garage?

1 Peter 2:11-17 : Tourists (2026 Version)

Presented to The Salvation Army Harvest Community, 09 August 2026

By Major Michael Ramsay

Read the scripture here: http://biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%202%3A11-17&version=NIV

Heather was at Teen Camp last week. Just before that Susan, Heather and I were on holiday for a couple of weeks. We traveled through Cashe Creek, Prince George, Smithers, Quesnel, Merit, and other places. It was a lot of fun exploring our province. I was struck by how nice Smithers is. I was also struck by all the smoke with the fires going on. It was a good trip. 

 

Our family has been on many good trips together. We went to The Salvation Army’s Boundless Celebrations in London years ago. We have visited Denmark, Susan and I have visited France, Susan and Sarah-Grace have been to Italy. We have been to Cuba as a family. We have been to the USA quite a bit – because it is so close. 

 

We have noticed when we are traveling that many things have been accomplished by many people in all these different places. We like to stop and read plaques by the side of the road, visit museums, and look at monuments. It always strikes me when we visit the USA though that some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments are things that offend my Canadian sensibilities. Their values and interpretation of history are still a little different from ours. 

 

But here is the thing I need to remember: when I am visiting, I am just a tourist. I can't vote in US elections. I can't change their laws or their culture. I don't have the rights of a US citizen and I shouldn't because I am not one. They are a foreign country. When I am there, I am a gracious guest; I am a tourist and I do not forget that I am no more than that. 

 

It is similar in our life here on earth for Christians. We need to stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't, however, get drawn into things that have no relevance to his eternal kingdom.  We need to serve Christ here while still remembering that we are just tourists in this time and place. We need to be gracious guests but never forget that our real citizenship, our allegiance, our hope and our future life is in Heaven. 

   

Question: how can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world? 

 

Click here to read the original version published March 17, 2008: 

https://salvogesis.blogspot.com/2018/03/1-peter-211-25-philippians-315-21.html

Devotion 3.42/143: 1 Peter 2:1-2 Boxes

Presented to TSA Harvest Community, 19 July 2026 

by Major Michael Ramsay. 

 

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

We have been unpacking a lot of boxes lately as we have just moved to Burnaby after 8 years on the Island. Moving is a difficult time: saying goodbye to old friends even as you prepare to make new friends; trying to tie up loose ends at your current position and find out as much as you can about your new one; cleaning the house from top to bottom; and packing boxes. 

This year as we moved, we moved for the first time without 2 of our 3 daughters. They have grown up. Some of their stuff is still with us; as is all of our stuff. After 8 years in one place, you collect a lot of stuff. As we packed and picked up each item we had to decide: do we want to bring this with us into our new life in our new home, in our new city. That is the same as when we become a Christian or whenever we follow or move closer to our Lord. Do we want to bring whatever malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind with us that we have acquired thus far over a lifetime of living or do we want to leave it behind.  

Actually, every day for all of us it really is like we are packing to move to our new heavenly home so every day we do have to decide what to take with us to the Kingdom to Come and what to leave behind.  

So today, let us resolve not to fill our boxes with malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind but rather to leave those behind as we move closer to our Lord. 

What other things might you wish to live behind as you pack to move into your heavenly home? 

 

Originally published, Thursday, July 19, 2018 (https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2018/07/devotion-342143-1-peter-21-2-boxes.html)

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1 Peter 2:1-5: Grow Up Strong (January 08, 2018)

Presented to TSA Harvest Community in Burnaby, 05 July, 2026 by Major Michael Ramsay

When Sarah-Grace, one of my daughters, was five years old, she would ask us every night if we would read the Bible to her since at Sunday school the teacher sang with the children, “read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow …” She took this truth to heart her whole time growing up was faithful in reminding us to read her Bible. 

Reading the Bible has also been very important to me since I was in elementary school. I personally have tried to read my Bible every day since I was ten or nine. I can’t imagine not reading my Bible regularly. It is exciting. It is transformative. 

The very first doctrine of The Salvation Army states that “the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” 

In Romans 1:16-17, Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes...  For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” 

The gospel is contained in the Bible. The word ‘gospel’ (Gk: euangelion) itself means ‘good news’ or ‘good message’ (cf. Isa 40:9, 52:7). It is the whole Christian message. It is the information, from none other than God, that Jesus, God’s unique Son has become the spearhead of God’s ‘kingdom to come’ and the news that, in this new kingdom all that is bad, even sin and death themselves, have already been defeated. 

The Bible is exciting. It is given by the inspiration of God Himself and gives us examples and encouragements on how to live a life where we are truly free to serve God. It contains the good news that Jesus died, rose from the dead, and is coming back for us. The power of the gospel contained within can transform our lives completely as we accept the truth of Jesus’ gift of eternal life. 1 Peter 2:2 reads, 'As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow.' Why should we read our Bibles? We should read our Bible because as we do we will indeed grow, grow, grow. 

Do you read your Bible on a daily basis? What other ways can you grow and what can you do to encourage others to do the same? 

Presented to River Street Cafe in Toronto, 18 September 2015 and 20 January 2017 (https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2015/09/week-52-1-peter-22-grow-op.html)

 

Based on the article by Captain Michael Ramsay, Why Should I Read the Bible? Nipawin Journal (February 2008) On-line: http://sheepspeak.com/sasknews.htm#Bibl  

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