Devotionals

Food for the Journey

Loring Schultz

“……I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they will faint along the way.” Matthew 15:32b NLT

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I am sure we have all heard the expression, ‘life is a journey.’ Indeed, it is. Curiously though no two people are on the exact same path in life. There may be similarities, but just as everyone is unique in their own way, their journey in life follows the course planned out for them. And for the Christian, the Lord had your life journey drawn up before you were even a thought in your parents’ mind. “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” (Ps.139:16 nlt)

Throughout our journey in life, we need subsistence to sustain us. We need a daily intake of food to nourish us to survive our physical life, and we need a daily intake of spiritual food to survive in our spiritual life. During Jesus’ ministry on earth, He had two occasions where He provided food for thousands of people as they were coming to Him for healing and to hear His teaching. Jesus had compassion for the people giving them both physical and spiritual food. He did not want to send the crowds away hungry for they might faint along the way.

Our Lord Jesus has the same compassion for us in our spiritual walk with Him. He does not want us to faint along the way in our life journey. He provides us with food to sustain our spiritual growth through His Word. As we have our quite time with Him, through our devotions, prayer, and Bible reading we can rest assured that we will not go away hungry. Make sure you put in the effort to get your daily spiritual nourishment for the journey. Jesus doesn’t want to send you away hungry.

Devotionals

Your own light will not dispel your darkness

Loring Schultz

“Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.” Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT

Most people have a favorable opinion of themselves. We tend to see ourselves as basically good with only a few flaws which all of us have. There aren’t too many who would say they are walking in darkness. But if you are a true Christian, you know that you have walked in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (nlt) Those who have accepted Christ as savior walked in darkness of unforgiven sin and separation from God until they saw the light of Christ dispel their darkness. Paul confirms this in Colossians 1:13 when he says, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (nlt)

The temptation to create your own light, either by acts of self-righteousness by denying God, or observing laws of man-made religions, may make you feel good and secure, but it leads to great torment. The prophet Isaiah writing what God revealed to him wrote, “But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.” (Is. 50:11 nlt) The Lord God graciously gives us an invitation for salvation by trusting in Him and warning us that any effort to create our own light to illuminate the way to God will end in eternal torment. There is only one way to dispel your darkness, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph. 2:8-9 nlt)

It’s time to dispel your favorable opinion of yourself because your own light will not dispel your darkness. But the true light has come as John proclaimed, “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (Jn. 1:9, 12 nlt)

Devotionals

Straining at the oars

Loring Schultz

“He saw the disciples straining at the oars.” Mark 6:48a NIV

Have you ever felt abandoned from the Lord, especially in tough times? You may be facing difficulties at your workplace when 8-hour days are turning into 12 hours days with no relief in sight. You’re studying for a college degree and can’t keep up with the assignment load. You’re a young mother with a houseful of children all wanting and needing your attention. There are yet many other tough time scenarios we can apply, just pick the one that fits you best. But rest assured the Lord has not abandoned you, in fact He always has His eye on you.

Jesus’s disciples were put in a situation where it appeared to them, they were abandoned. Jesus sent them out ahead of Him by boat to Bethsaida across the Sea of Galilee, while He spent time alone in prayer with His Father. What should have been a relatively short trip was turning into an over 8-hour trip with constant wind not in their favor. The wind was carrying the boat towards the center of the lake instead of maintaining a straight course one or two miles offshore. Imagine what thoughts would have been going through the minds of the disciples. Perhaps the same thoughts we have in strenuous times.

The Bible explains to us Jesus saw the difficulty His disciples were having. “Later that night, (when evening came) the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. Shortly before dawn he went out to them, walking on the lake” (Mk. 6:47-48 niv) Jesus did not go out to them until dawn early the next morning, and He came out to them walking on the water.

During your long difficult days never lose sight that our Lord Jesus never loses sight of you while ‘straining at the oars,’ but He is watching and will be there with the help you need. You’re not abandoned. Learn to put your trust in Him for He sees, He hears, and He’ll be there.

Bible Studies

SOLA GRATIA (Grace Alone)

Loring Schultz

“But no man can be thoroughly humbled until he knows that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, devices, endeavors, will, and works, and depends entirely on the choice, will, and work of another, namely, of God alone.” Martin Luther

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The third of the Five Solas to be recognized during the Reformation period was ‘sola gratia’ or (grace alone). In the early sixteenth century there was an emphasis on church teaching of salvation by works of merit and indulgences. Scripture says we are saved by grace alone as Paul writes in the book of Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” (Eph. 2:8 esv) The first reformer of the sixteenth century was Martin Luther and he had said, “Our salvation depends entirely on the choice, will, and work of another, namely, of God alone.” We cannot take any credit leading to our salvation, God has done it all.

Yes, ‘for by grace we been saved through faith,’ but the reality is God gives us the faith to believe in His Son through the Holy Spirit as He draws us to Himself. Our regeneration proceeds our faith. It is by His grace that He grants us the faith to believe in Jesus for we would never do this on our accord. Paul, the apostle, quoted from the Old Testament in the book of Romans, “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.’” (Ro.3:10-12 esv) God’s saving grace towards sinners is His granting unmerited favor upon us. When God’s saving grace is applied to us it cannot fail to accomplish the purpose for which it was given.

The saving grace that God bestows on His chosen cannot be understood or appreciated until we have a full knowledge of what we have been saved from. There is not one of us who has a right to eternal life, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Ro. 3:23 esv) We are all sinners in Adam, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (Ro. 5:12 esv) And the punishment for sin is death, physical death and spiritual death being eternally being separated from God in the lake of fire. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:15 esv)

As we come to accept that there is nothing we could ever do to find favor with God to enter into His presence, we should find ourselves in continued praise and worship for what He has done for us through His grace. God has chosen to love us in Christ, underserving sinners that we are. As Paul writes again in Romans, “For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one-man Jesus Christ.” (Ro. 5:17 esv)

A Christian Perspective

Who Do You Go to When You Are Distressed?

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 118:5-9 NLT – In my distress I prayed to the LORD, – Bible Gateway

“In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and set me free.” Psalm 118:5 NLT

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There are not two people living on this earth who are exactly alike. Even identical twins with many similarities have differences between them. There is no one who has your fingerprints, they are yours and yours alone. Your emotions, characteristics, and your stress level are also yours and yours alone. Certain social and economic structures, worldwide events, natural disasters, and environmental issues may cause like symptoms of stress between individuals, but each reacts according to their own specific blueprint. Each one, if need be, seeks out professional help in dealing with the stress in their life as it effects them directly. But there is one professional who is able to meet everyone’s stress level as only He can, the Lord God.

Please note I am not suggesting professional help is not necessary, I thank the Lord for the professional and medical experts He has blessed us with and they are to be of service to us using the talents and wisdom God has given them. Having said that, just as you would visit a doctor who specializes in treating your specific need, the Lord God knows you intimately and is able to comfort you when feeling distressed. The pressures of the world that come upon us can make us feel like everything is against us. But Psalm 118:6-7 says, “The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.” (nlt)

The Lord wants us to look to Him in our times of distress in this world. He wants us to trust Him over people giving us advice or governing authorities who do not have our best interests at heart. So, who do you go to when you are distressed? By all means get the professional help you need, and more importantly go to the Lord in prayer trusting Him to help and guide you in your distress.

Devotionals

Never Give Up              

Loring Schultz

Read: 2 Corinthians 4:11-18 NLT – Yes, we live under constant danger of – Bible Gateway

“That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16 NLT

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Those of us who are a little older realize our bodies don’t function as well as they did some time ago. Let alone start something new like going to the gym for physical workouts, it’s more than just a malfunction, it’s your new reality. But all is not lost. I’m finally taking my doctor’s repeated advice over the years to exercise. It took me awhile to get around to it, but I eventually did. It would have been a lot easier for me with an earlier start, but I’m not giving up. Even at my age there are still some benefits.

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth that although ‘our bodies are dying; our spirits are being renewed every day.’ (2Cor.4:16 nlt) The apostle was referring to the natural aging process but was putting an extra focus on his own body due to the hardships of his lifestyle, wearing himself out in ministry along with the beatings and attacks he received from his enemies. These circumstances sped up the process for him. But through it all, at the same time his soul was continually being fed and growing spiritually being renewed each day. That is why Paul was able to say he never gave up.

The day-to-day struggles we incur seem to grow larger and more difficult as we age, but at the same time our souls should be increasing in the spirit of the Lord. The question is, is it? And this is not only for older folk, but for the young alike. Consider this is your spiritual check-up. How are you doing? Are you growing spiritually in the Lord? Do you have regular spiritual workouts of Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance with other Christians? If not, it’s time to get around to it so you never give up.

Devotionals

Scarce Faith         

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Timothy 4:1-5 ESV – Some Will Depart from the Faith – Now – Bible Gateway

“……. when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8 ESV

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At the end of the parable of the persistent widow and the unrighteous judge (Lk.18:1-8) Jesus says, “I tell you; he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Lk.18:8 esv) Jesus is fast forwarding to His second coming and is indicating that a spiritual decline will be in progress. The time will be a time of persistent prayer for true believers similar to the woman in the parable.. This will be a time of mass spiritual decline. True faith will be scarce. False teaches will be leading people away from the gospel, and persecutions will be on the rise.

The apostle Paul informs Timothy of the same thing in his letter of instruction of 1 Timothy. “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.” (1Tim.4:1 esv) As the days get closer to Christ’s return, Satan and his demons know they are running out of time. The day of everlasting torment is getting closer for them. Their only purpose is to lie, deceive, and destroy.

The world has been observing these devilish effects for some time now. There has been a great exodus of people from the church in recent years. Many churches have abandoned their gospel roots of salvation to include unbiblical methods of salvation to get along with the changing culture. It’s not hard to see who is behind this apostasy. The evil one is doing all he can to keep people in need of salvation from hearing the true gospel. Be aware Satan is also in the business of deceiving Christians with false doctrine to keep us from growing in Christ and from evangelizing the truth.

May we be alert to the deception around us, not getting caught up in it, and be in a steadfast position to continue to share the gospel in these ‘scarce faith’ times.

Devotionals

Guard your personal relationships

Loring Schultz

“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Matthew 5:22 NASB

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How we treat one another in the body of Christ is important. Anger is an issue that if not under control will lead to unfortunate circumstances between us and our brothers and sisters in the Lord. It is not only the result of unchecked anger that is the harm, but the seriousness the Lord God puts on it as explained by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus equates the anger in the heart as the same hate in the heart which leads to murder and is liable to the court. “You have heard that the ancients were told ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’” (Mt.5:21 nasb) The verbal abuse of calling a brother or sister an idiot or ‘you good-for-nothing’ stems from the same internal attitude of sinful motives which Jesus says will find you guilty before the supreme court. Jesus is serious about uncontrolled anger in our lives because it is a serious issue.

Our personal relationships other Christians are obviously hurt through this display of anger and reckless speech. Jesus addresses a remedy for reconciliation by saying, “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother and then come and present your offering.” (Mt.5:23-24 nasb) In other words, before you engage in worship with other believers make things right with those you have harmed. The Lord wants us to guard our relationships with those of like faith in the kingdom of God, it’s serious business.

Devotionals

Who are our neighbors? 

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 10:25-37 NLT – The Most Important Commandment – One – Bible Gateway

“The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Luke 10:29 NLT

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We have come accustomed to the word ‘neighbor’ meaning someone who resides fairly close to us. A neighborhood is a vicinity of family homes on the same street or development where people live. Some of us know our neighbors by name, usually those next to us or across the street. Some may even know most of the people on their block and are close friends with them. But then there are others who don’t know anything about the people who live right next door to them. There may not be that many, but enough to know we’ve become somewhat anti-social in the world in which we live. For the Christian, this ought not to be. Jesus explains who our neighbors are in the gospel of Luke. If we’re having trouble recognizing the people closest to us, what Jesus has to say about who are our neighbors are may shock you, but I trust it won’t.

One day Jesus answered a lawyer, an expert in Jewish law, who asked Him, ‘and who is my neighbor?’ after Jesus told him to ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ The lawyer wanted to justify himself with what he thought was the real question, who exactly then is my neighbor? Jesus told him the story of the good Samaritan who helped a Jewish man attacked and robbed by bandits and being left for dead. This beaten man was passed over by both a priest and a lay associate from the religious community offering no help. But a Samaritan comes along, a hated race among the Jews and vice-versa, he stops and helps this Jewish man. Jesus then asks the lawyer, ‘“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?’ The man replied, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Yes, now go and do the same.’” (Lk.10:36-37 nlt)

Our neighbors are clearly all those who need our help, not necessarily only those in our neighborhood. They are those we may have nothing in common with, not even the same language. Christians and the local church have the responsibility to help care for the needs of their community and those we come in contact with who need our help. First and foremost, in the presentation of the gospel message by being the light of Christ in a dark world. Then to be true neighbors in helping those in need in the name of Christ, bandaging their wounds and caring for them until such a time they are restored and are themselves able to help others. May we know who our neighbors are and be good neighbors.

Devotionals

Have you considered my servant?

Loring Schultz

“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Job 1:8 NIV

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How well do you handle adversity? The troubles that come into your life will determine your relationship with God by how you will react. Do you seek after God during a personal crisis for comfort and guidance, or do you blame God and demand an answer, even cursing God for the tragedies that are occurring? Those of us who are Christians are reminded, that no matter how hard it can be to accept, God is in control. He allows the events in our lives to happen to draw us closer to Him and for His Glory.

We are given a glimpse of this reality in the book of Job. A conversation between God and Satan is unveiled in the first chapter of Job, verses 6-12. “Then the LORD said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.’” Satan, the adversary, accuses Job of being upright only due to the fact that God has bless him tremendously. He goes on to say if the Lord would stretch out his hand against him, then Job would curse God to His face. Satan is given the go ahead.

Unimaginable physical pain and suffering, along with the loss of his family and all his possessions is most likely the worst experience anyone ever encountered. As you read through the book of Job, you will find that Job, although very distraught at his suffering, never curses God, never loses his faith in God, and remains blameless and upright.

The Lord could say to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job,” because He knew Job could be trusted in following through continuing to trust God. The question is; can you and I be trusted to follow through continuing to trust God during our trails and suffering? Can the Lord say, ‘Have you considered my servant (your name here)’?