A Christian Perspective

It’s not about religion     

Loring Schultz

Read: John 4:1-26 NLT – Jesus and the Samaritan Woman – Jesus – Bible Gateway

‘“For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.’ The woman said, ‘I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then Jesus told her, ‘I AM the Messiah!’” John 4:24-26 NLT

Emblem featuring symbols of major world religions including Star of David, Cross, Crescent Moon and Star, Om, Dharmachakra, Sikh Khanda, Yin Yang, and others with a world map and monuments in the background
A colorful emblem showcasing major world religions surrounded by historic monuments and a map background.

A very familiar story in the Bible is ‘Jesus and the Woman at the Well.’ It is found in the New Testament book of the gospel of John. This story would be cataloged under ‘Christianity’ or the ‘Christian Religion.’ One of these placement files is named correctly, the other not so much. The story is about Jesus Christ, God the Son. Believers in Christ, those who have accepted Jesus as their savior redeeming them from eternal punishment, are called ‘Christians.’ Therefore to cataloged this story under ‘Christianity’ is correct. In fact cataloging the Bible under the same label is also correct. The Bible, from beginning to end, is about Jesus Christ and God’s plan of salvation.

Today there are over 4,000 religions in the world. How is religion defined? “Religion can briefly be defined as a specific belief system about God or gods expressed through a code of conduct, ethics, forms of worship, and rituals. Religion includes social, ethical, and ceremonial elements combined with the belief in an unseen world and often a deity.” (1) Christianity does not fit into any form of that definition except for a deity and life after death. Christianity is not a merit system of good conduct, or a form of ethics, and ritual worship. It is the free gift of salvation by grace and through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus offered the woman at the well this free gift of salvation using water as an illustration. “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (Jn.4:13-14 nlt) Jesus then told the woman before He identified Himself as the Messiah, “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (Jn.4:24 nlt)

It is not about religion, it is about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fully God and fully man, who took our sins on Himself on the cross that we may have access to the Father and eternal life in heaven. If you are one who is struggling to find the right religion I understand your frustration and confusion, there are over 4,000 and they all can’t be right. There is only one and if you prefer to call it a religion that’s OK, because this religion has no set of rules to follow only to receive the free gift of salvation and live in total surrender to Jesus Christ.

(1) How Many Religions Are There in the World?

Devotionals

God is Love

Loring Schultz

Read: John 17:20-26 NLT – “I am praying not only for these – Bible Gateway

“Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!” John 17:24 NLT

Four adults hugging and smiling in a warm, sunlit living room.

God is love. A phrase we have all heard. Sadly this simple statement of truth has become somewhat of a cliché over the years. It seems ‘God is love’ has lost its true meaning as it is frequently and nonchalantly used in today’s culture. It is true that God is love, but what does that mean to us and how do we apply it in our lives.

In Jesus’ intercessory prayer in John chapter 17 Jesus makes note that God the Father loved Him before the world began. First of all, God’s love is eternal. It had no beginning as God had no beginning. God’s love is relational for He loved His Son from eternity past. Jesus, God the Son, shows His love for us by stating He wants His followers (those who truly have accepted Christ) to be with Him for all eternity. Jesus’ love towards us is relational. True love, God’s love, is relational.

Scripture says we are made in the image of God. A part of that image and character is the ability not only communicate but to be relational with others. This comes from a relational God. All of us are capable of being relational with others, but the fullness of any relationship comes only when God is involved. God created us in His image to have a relationship with Him and not only with our friends and relatives.

When we come to know God through His Son Jesus Christ who died on our behalf we have a new and true relationship with Him. God had loved us and chosen us before the world began. Our relationships with others will also take on a new meaning as we show God’s love in action and not just in frequently spoken words.

Devotionals

Open on Sundays

Loring Schultz

“And haven’t you read in the Law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath……. For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Matthew 12:5, 8 NLT

The Sunday Pastry Shop storefront with a sign announcing open hours on Sundays from 9 AM to 4 PM
The Sunday Pastry Shop welcomes customers with fresh bread and treats, open Sundays 9 AM to 4 PM.

Sundays have long been just another workday for many industries in commercial, public and the private sectors. There was a ‘once upon a time’ when working on Sundays would have been considered unheard of. No businesses would dare to open and manufacturers instituted a day of rest for the laborers cementing a day for faith and family. However the cement began to crack as several businesses tested the waters of laws at that time prohibiting work on Sundays. The rest is history, as they say, to where we are today. We are living in a time where working on Sundays is unavoidable and even necessary for certain individuals, especially if you have been called by the Lord to be in the field of service you are in.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees as they made an issue over the disciples picking the heads of grain in the fields to satisfy their hunger, a necessity. The Pharisees considered the picking of grains the same as harvesting a crop or working on the Sabbath. They failed to realize that performing a task on the Sabbath out of necessity is not equal to working to achieve a profit. Jesus used the example of David and his men eating the sacred bread reserved for the priests as a necessary need of hunger. Jesus continued His rebuke by informing them the priests in the Temple actually are working on the Sabbath doing the Lord’s work. Jesus concludes that He is the Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus’ point in noting the work of priests in the temple is they were doing the Lord’s work in furthering Temple worship which pointed to Jesus. Now Jesus’ disciples are doing His work on the Sabbath as well.

What work has the Lord of the Sabbath called you to do? What desires, skills, and natural abilities has He blessed you with? Are you using them for Him? Does it require you to work on Sundays? If it does, then it is just as much a necessity for you as it was for the Temple priests and Jesus’ disciples picking grain to work on Sundays, doing His will, where He called you.

The Lord had shown me early in my career that He needs Christians in all vocations to serve Him. For me it was in the retail industry at the time retailers where testing the waters of the ‘Blue Laws’ which prohibited Sunday sales. Needless to say, the retailers won. I was called into this service by the Lord working as many Sundays as I had off during my tenure due to the fact that we were open on Sundays.

Devotionals

The Recycled Finest Robe       

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 15:11-22 NLT – Parable of the Lost Son – To illustrate – Bible Gateway

“But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet.’” Luke 15:22 NLT

Windows Recycle Bin window showing 23 deleted items including PDFs, images, and folders
A computer screen shows the Windows Recycle Bin open with various deleted files inside.

Recycling according to the Environmental Protection Agency is the reprocessing of discarded unless materials into new beneficial products. It helps the environment, the economy, and it makes our lives better. There is also another type of recycling. One of the definitions of ‘recycle’ as an intransitive verb is, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin again as —used of an electronic device.’ Instead of using an electronic device or your computer’s recycle bin for my illustration I would like to use a garment, a fine garment, the finest robe in the story of the prodigal son.

The selfish son who only cared about himself finally came to his senses after he had gone through his inheritance rather quickly and found himself destitute. Realizing his sin, his plan was to go back to his father and asked for forgiveness and a job as one of his fathers workers. When the son arrived home and began addressing his father it was as if the father didn’t hear him but was only concerned that his son had returned. The father then instructed his servants to bring the finest robe in the house and put it on his son. He had returned home.

We do not know if there was another incident with this son doing the same thing. That is not the point of the story. The point is the father’s love for his son. It is an example of God’s continued love towards us. If it had happened again, we can be certain that the father’s love would not have changed. That finest robe the son may have thrown off was picked up by his father and held until the day his son returned home again. I guess we would say it was recycled, ‘to return to an original condition so that operation can begin.’

How many times have we had that recycled garment applied to us? Praise the Lord for His love towards us and that the garment will never get old no matter how many times it has been in the recycle bin.

Devotionals

Be Growing in Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Loring Schultz

“I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:17-18a NLT

Photo by Chris Yang on Unsplash

It is easy to be swayed one way or another on any subject with so many opinions floating around social media. You may take a firm stance on an issue, but slowly if you are not careful your stance will begin to develop some cracks of doubt. That could very well be a plus in your direction if your stance is found to be false or misrepresented. But it is disastrous if you succumb to pressure to soften your stance to please others when it is the truth. Jesus prayed on behalf of His disciples to His Father, “Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.” (Jn.17:17 nlt) Jesus confirms the truth of God’s Word. Our stance based on the Word of God must be firm because it is true.

Peter, in writing his second letter to Christians in Asia Minor, warned them to be aware of false teachers who were infiltrating the Christian church. Peter begins and ends his letter with the same words of encouragement, “May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.” (2Pt.1:2 nlt) The importance of growing in the knowledge of God was vital to their Christian Walk to recognize falsehood and stand against error. Christians today face the same errors and outright distortion of Scripture being claimed as truth for our times.

Peter was aware was the social pressure put on Christians even in his day. “I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.” (2Pt.3:17 nlt) A sure way of growing in the grace and knowledge of God is to read and study His Word daily. Know for sure what God says in Scripture so you can stand securely on the truth. God’s truth is the Bible.

Devotionals

A Good Summer Read    

Loring Schultz

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

Photo by Jessica Hearn on Unsplash
 

Summer vacations are a time to get away and relax from the daily grind of our work and everyday routines. Whether you are relaxing on a beach, a cabin in the woods, on an exotic island, or in your backyard a lot of us may have a book in hand. It may be a hardcover book, a paperback, your kindle, or your phone that is providing you with a good summer read. Whatever your method, you are engaging in a traditional summer activity of reading.

Deciding what will be your summer read could be an easy choice based on your likes and dislikes, or difficult wanting to use the time not only to relax but also to educate yourself about a certain subject. It could vary based on what is going on in your life this year or the events that surround you. As America has just celebrated its 250th birthday, I am drawn to Benjamin Franklin this year as my summer read.

We have a world of books available to us, both good and bad. May we choose wisely this summer with what will encourage us as we read for the pure enjoyment of it. Books that stimulate our minds and thinking in a positive direction in the chaotic world we live will help prepare us for the year ahead and beyond. There are many excellent Christian books available in stores, your on-line shopping site, and even on the boardwalk at favorite seaside vacation resort. I suggest you take advantage of them.

Of course let us not forget the most important summer read of them all, the Bible. You will find everything you are looking for in your search for a good read this summer. It made not appear all at once, but if you stick to it you will find what you need with the enjoyment of being in God’s presence preparing you for the days ahead.

Bible Studies

“Our Daily Bread” – The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ teaching on Prayer

Loring Schultz

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11

Rustic wooden table with round and sliced artisanal breads, butter, jar of flour, and kitchen items

The first three petitions Jesus taught His disciples to pray had an upward focus to God, His glory, His kingdom, and His will. Jesus now instructs them to ask God to care for their needs in the next four petitions. Early eighteenth century Theologian Matthew Henry, concerning our need for daily bread, writes the following, “Because our natural being is necessary to our spiritual well-being in this world…… we pray for the necessary supports and comforts of this present life, which are the gifts of God, and must be asked of him, for all the remainder of our lives.” Henry notes that it is needed daily because it is on-going for the rest of our lives.

The Greek word translated ‘daily’ is ‘epiousios’ which carries the meaning ‘the bread of necessity’ and ‘the bread that suffices for each day.’ It is what is needed every day to an exact amount, not too little and not too much. In Jesus’ day and in ours today, bread is a staple food item. Fresh baked bread with no preservatives will last about only one day. That was true in Jesus’ day and His point was well understood, it had to be supplied daily. We ask the Lord to meet our daily needs, being careful not to ask for excess. Our Lord will supply all we need, not all we want or desire.

Asking God to give us our daily bread does not only pertain to food in sustaining us. The daily bread we need also consists of all our daily needs to make it through this life as we serve Him. We need clothes on our backs, a place to call home, repairs to our home, transportation, viable employment, health, strength, and other physical needs. In a sense, when we pray for our daily bread, we are also praying for all that encompasses our survival now and in the future. God knows our future and He knows what our need will be before we will. (Mt. 6:8) Our complete trust in God to provide for us is built on the foundation of our faith in Him by praying to provide for our daily needs right into the future.

Matthew Henry gives us six lessons to learn from the simple petition ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Adapted from the king’s English centuries ago for better understanding; First it teaches us self-restraint, to do things in moderation, and not be given to indulgence of appetite. Second, we are taught honesty and hard work through the vocation God has given us to meet our needs. Third, it teaches us not to be concerned about tomorrow, but to have continued faith in God that He will care for His children. Fourth, we ask God to give it to us, not sell it or lend it to us, but to give it. This teaches us to see the mercy of God in caring for us. Fifth, not to us only, but to others of like faith, we pray for their needs as well. Christians are to pray and fellowship together, and through this a heart of love and compassion will develop for those less fortunate. In this the Lord will use us to meet their need. And lastly, it teaches us to increase our desire towards God. As we hunger and anticipate the bread to feed us physically, our hunger to meet with God spiritually will also increase. “Give us this day our daily bread.”

A Christian Perspective

The Fight for Life Goes On      

Loring Schultz

“The LORD is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.” Proverbs 15:3 NLT

Planned Parenthood health center building with sign and flag
The exterior of a Planned Parenthood health center

This past Tuesday, July 6th, ‘World News Group’ reported the following story with the headline, “Congress allows measure defunding Planned Parenthood to expire.” They write in the first paragraph of the story, “A provision in last year’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that blocked federal funding for abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, expired Saturday, with no extension. The abortion giant will again have access to government grants, contracts, and Medicaid funds, which in 2024 amounted to more than $800 million, about 39% of the organization’s overall revenue, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute.” (1)  Further down in the story it is revealed that, “The Trump administration in December 2025 quietly released over $65 million in Title X federal family planning grants to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers.” (1) The sad reality is it does not matter which political party is in office, the fight for life goes on.

Another observation that the fight for life goes on are the number of abortions since the ‘Dobbs Decision’ overturning ‘Roe’ which was to curtail the abortion rate; it did not. “In the three years since the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the total number of abortions nationally has slightly increased. The most recent data from the Society for Family Planning’s #WeCount project show that the average monthly abortion volume during the first half of 2025 was higher than the monthly average in 2024……For most of the decade prior to the Dobbs ruling, there was a steady decline in abortion rates nationally, with a slight uptick in the years just before the ruling.” (2)

The battlefield unfortunately has been moved to the privacy of the home bathroom. Abortion pills are available to be ordered on-line. “A two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is the most common medication abortion in the U.S.” (3) Many of these women reside in states with abortion restrictions and order the pills on-line or cross state lines to receive them. They are available over-the-counter with a prescription from a certified healthcare provider. “In 2023, medication abortion accounted for 65% of all clinician-provided abortions in the United States; by contrast, this method accounted for 53% of abortions in 2020.” (4)

As we can see this seems like a never-ending battle, but there isn’t anything God cannot do. We need to continue praying that God will move and change hearts away from this culture of death. We are to not give up supporting Pro-life causes but remain faithful because the fight for life goes on.

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Devotionals

In His Own Image

Loring Schultz

Read: Genesis 1:26-28 NLT – Then God said, “Let us make human – Bible Gateway

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27 NLT

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

What does it mean to be created in the image of God? If we are honest with ourselves, examining our hearts and minds along with looking in the mirror, we are prone to say, ‘no way!’ But take heart, it has nothing to do with us because we are the created ones. The Lord God is our creator and Scripture says He created us in His own image. So what does that mean? Let’s take a look at it.

First of all it must be understood that we are unlike any other living creature God has created. Humans are immortal beings having souls lasting into eternity. We have the ability to communicate and have fellowship with God and God with us, no other living creatures have this intelligence and personal design. Humans have a self-conscious knowing right from wrong (although not always followed). We also have the ability to learn accumulating knowledge. We have the ability to think and reason applying these to situations that occur in our lives.

In the story of creation in the first twenty-five verses of the Bible we see God as personal, a creator, intelligent, having a will, and ruler over all He created. The Lord God created us in His image. He has given us dominion over all He created and has supplied us with wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence to maintain His creation giving us the capacity to also create and build. Being created in God’s own image is where we get the ability to do anything in life. Again, it doesn’t come from us but from being made in the image of God. So, do not be afraid to look in the mirror. It’s OK!

Devotionals

Pride is a Repellent

Loring Schultz

“Though the LORD is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.” Psalm 138:6 NLT

Man standing behind a table filled with trophies, medals, and framed certificates at an achievement awards ceremony
A man proudly showcases numerous trophies and certificates at an awards event.

Summer days and nights bring much enjoyment with longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures. Along with the joy comes the need to protect one shelf from the sun’s rays and the nasty bugs that are as much a part of summer as relaxing at your favorite picnic spot. Protection comes from the variety of items on the market today from sunscreen to bug repellents. These work to keep away dangerous rays from the sun and annoying pests of summer for a better experience of the warmer season.

I never thought of pride being a synonym for repellent, but David says in Psalm 138 that the Lord ‘keeps his distance from the proud.’ Pride acts as a repellent by keeping itself at arm’s length from all who are around it. Prideful individuals who constantly boast of their accomplishments turn off everyone in the sound of their voice. People grow tired and weary of hearing the repeated claims of their achievements. Their pride is repelling and driving them away.

We can all call to mind someone who would fit into that category of boastful pride, but where would we place ourselves on the same scale? We may tend to overlook a little boasting now and then thinking I deserve it (I did an excellent job). And maybe so, but where should our boasting be? Paul gives us some good advice. “Therefore, as the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.’” (1Cor.1:31 nlt) The Lord is the one who enables to achieve anything so let us boast in Him and not repel ourselves to others and especially to the Lord God.