A Christian Perspective

The Effect of the 1.1 percent

September 12, 2026September 11, 2026 Loring Schultz

“You are the salt of the earth………You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:13-14 NLT

‘Social media influencing has become a cornerstone of digital culture, with millions of creators shaping trends and connecting with audiences in meaningful ways. This ever-evolving landscape fosters limitless opportunities for personal expression, brand collaboration, and innovative storytelling. For those ready to embrace the power of creativity and connection, the potential to leave a lasting impact has never been greater.’ (1)

Social Media is part of everyday life in the 21st century and continues to grow whether we like it or not. We can make a concentrated effort to avoid it by not engaging in it, but the effects of social media is seen and felt in many ways as we go through our day. This is not a ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ piece, but an analysis of the current facts of ‘influencers’ on social media.

According to recent statistics, there are 58 million influencers on social media. The 58 million represent 1.1% of all social media users. Total social media users worldwide is now over 5 billion people. PEW research found that 40% of adults in America follow influencers. Social media influencers can make a living by sharing their expertise in a certain field catering to their followers needs, which 30% of them have done. These media platforms are a powerful tool, and if used the right way will better society as a whole.

What is the best news to influence others to better their lives here on earth but also provide a secure future in eternity? Every Christian should be an influencer whether on social media or not. You do not need to be on social media to persuade others by presenting the gospel. Social media is a great tool to use if you are so inclined to participate. We all know there is enough bad influence going viral, let us share some positive influence and be one of the 1.1% to make a difference.

(1) There Are 58 Million Influencers on Social Media (2026)

A Message to the Church: “Building with a mind to work together”

September 5, 2026September 3, 2026 Loring Schultz

Nehemiah 4:6 ESV — So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Photo by Tru1ea7n Hu1ed3ng Cu00f4ng on Pexels.com

Many problems confront the church today. A leading cause for problems to sneak in are cracks in the wall allowing contaminating elements to settle in and take root. Once inside and growing the fungus is seen as not being all that bad, in fact it is healthy and right. As a result very few notice the additional cracks and the loose bricks and mortar that are eroding the structure of the walls as they collapse. Again only a few seem to notice the walls are down. Only a few notice their protection from the elements of the world is gone. The rest do not need protection from the world, they have become the world.

There are valid purposes for walls in our society. Walls are erected for protection to keep one safe and from harm, especially from those with a desire to harm others. Walls of protection are not only of stone, brick and mortar, but spiritual. The church needs both, with spiritual defenses being its main concern. The fruit of the Spirit is a good place to start, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23 esv) The building or rebuilding and maintaining the spiritual walls of protection is an ongoing effort for the church today involving a daily commitment to the truth and obedience of God’s Word. Most importantly it takes “Building Together” and “A Mind to Work.”

The walls of Jerusalem had been broken down as the city was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians years earlier. They had never been rebuilt after the return of the Jews under the reign of Cyrus, the King of Persia. Nehemiah, a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes of Persia, was visited by one of his brothers and some of his friends from Judah. Their message was not a good report, but one of great concern. The Jews remaining in the city of Jerusalem were in great distress due to the walls and gates of the city being torn down and burned with fire. (Neh. 1:3) They had no protection from their enemies who did not want a wall built and prevented them from doing so on several occasions.

Nehemiah realized the needed effort for the reestablishment of Jerusalem and the safety and protection of its people. He knew of the opposition he would face along with all those who would join him. The church today also faces opposition as we attempt to rebuild the broken walls due to the neglect of being obedient and not standing for the truth God’s Word over the years by compromise. Now is the time to start rebuilding secure walls by reading, studying and obeying God’s Word. We need to forbid negotiations with the world to find common ground that is contrary to scripture. We are to live the life of the Gospel Message of those who have been redeemed and transformed by the blood of Christ sharing that Good News.

The years ahead for the church are not going to be easy. Paul in writing to Timothy says this, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.” (2Tim.3:1 esv) We are certainly seeing some of those difficult times in our current day and we can be sure that they will continue to get worse as time goes on before the Lord returns. We as Christians, as the church, are to have a “mind to work” with our Christian brothers and sisters in securing our walls of defense in order for us to remain faithful and be able to live by example and explain the Gospel Message to those who desperately need to hear it.

A Christian Perspective

The World’s Revolutions

August 29, 2026August 24, 2026 Loring Schultz

“Trust in the Lord always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock, He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust.” Isaiah 26:4-5 NLT

Protest crowd holding signs beneath globe reading WORLD REVOLUTIONS, FREEDOM, JUSTICE, and POWER TO THE PEOPLE — A silhouetted crowd rallies beneath a globe celebrating revolutions and calls for freedom, justice, and people power.

Unstable governments in the world today are not new. Governments have been toppled since Bible days, just read the Old Testament. But one thing always remains stable, The LORD GOD is the eternal rock. Today there are conflicts in the Middle East, a war in Ukraine, and whatever it is called in Iran that are taking place to bring down governments by creating chaos in a revolutionary manner. Some granted, are to eradicate evil and that unfortunately is necessary, however many of the world’s revolutions today are evil in their nature. In a broken world, we can only expect this.

The current condition of the world should not surprise anyone because Scripture is clear that the times will continue to grow worst and worst before Jesus’ return. Paul writing to Timothy says, “You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times.” (2Tim.3:1 nlt) We are all witnesses of the violence and the conditions across this world as man’s heart also grows worst and worst. It is the old saying, ‘it is like a snowball rolling downhill.’

Tragically they are men, women, and children dying everyday due to the desires of those who revolt against what they perceive as evil in their own eyes. These are the world’s revolutions. They have no foundation in truth just a distorted view of the world as they claim it should be. Again, this is pure evil orchestrated by the evil one himself, Satan. These conflicts and wars will continue until the Great Tribulation and the battle of Armageddon predicted in the New Testament. That will be a revolution like no other and the final one. Jesus Christ will eliminate all evil from the face of the earth and will set up His own perfect and righteous rule of government.

A Christian Perspective

Education begins in the home

August 22, 2026August 18, 2026 Loring Schultz

Students at a school celebration beneath a balloon arch; signs read “BACK TO SCHOOL 2026 CELEBRATION,” “WELCOME ALL STUDENTS!,” “START OF THE NEW YEAR!,” “WELCOME TO THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR!,” “Registration,” “School Spirit Shop,” and “Class of 2034.” — Students gather beneath a colorful balloon arch to celebrate the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Parents non-involvement in their children’s education is one of the many reasons for failing schools in America. The Public-School Review in June of 2023 ranks parents involvement at number thirteen below overcrowding, bullying, teacher tenue, standardized testing, teacher salaries, school safety, and their number one reason for failed education in schools is deficits in government funding for schools. (1) We definitely have a problem with the education system in the United States of America.

As tragic as failing education is today in all subject matter in the traditional sense, a more troubling factor is the ever-evolving curriculum that is subject to change as the current culture demands it. The agenda driven ideology is already established course curriculum with educators and school boards across the country caving in to the loud cries of diversity, equity, and inclusion, although there has been some push back the last few years. They are at the same time discriminating against Christians and those who hold to a moral view of ethics.

How do we begin to address these issues? Time and space will not allow a thorough investigation on the subject with proposed solutions, but as Christians, especially Christian parents, there are plenty of recommendations from the God of the Bible to help us along. First of all, parents are responsible for the education of their children. We can say education begins in the home. The book of Proverbs says, “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (22:6) The apostle Paul in writing to the early churches says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4) Christian parents are to teach their children from an early age the teachings of Holy Scriptures. Setting the foundation of learning from God’s Word and His moral standards will help when instructing your children in all other stages of life, including their formal education.

If you are fortunate enough by God’s grace for your children to attend a private Christian school or to homeschool, rejoice in the blessings God has given you. But perhaps it is the Lord’s will for your children to attend today’s public schools. A firm Biblical foundation instilled in them from an early age will guide them through their educational journey. It is an on-going guide for every student, whether homeschooled, in Christian schools, or in secular public schools.

Education starts in the home, and God has given that responsibility to every parent and not to the state, especially in matters concerning how His Word commands us to live. We are to continually instruct our children about the Lord and His commandments from morning until evening, and while inside house and outside the home. This is as old as Moses’ instructions to the nation of Israel in what is known as the ‘Shema’ or ‘hear.’ Let us follow through with the ‘Shema’ of the Old Testament as we teach our children this school year.

Mother and two children doing schoolwork together at a dining table

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9 NIV

(1) The 15 Biggest Failures of the American Public Education System (publicschoolreview.com)

A Christian Perspective

Signs of the End of the Age

August 15, 2026August 13, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Matthew 24:3-14 NLT – Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of – Bible Gateway

“Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.” Matthew 24:7 NLT

People fleeing a city street amid collapsing buildings, fires, and heavy smoke — People flee through a shattered city as buildings collapse, fires burn, and smoke fills the streets.

When I was young, I can recall several preachers saying if you want to know the future just read the front page of the newspaper. Now that was some time ago as newspapers have gone the way of the dinosaur, so now it is what’s trending on your X account and you will get the same news of the day and in living color. Before I proceed further, the following is not a prediction as to when Jesus Christ will return, but it is a prediction that He will return, and He has given us signs to look for as the day approaches.

This past Monday, August 10^th, the country of Colombia was struck with a 7.4 magnitude earthquake. According to the ‘Associated Press’ as of Thursday August 13^th, there are 265 confirmed dead and over 4,000 missing as reported by an independent database. It was the most powerful earthquake to hit Colombia in over a century. CBS news reported 3,500 people were injured and 26,000 families have been affected.

Venezuela, a country that shares the same northern region of South America as Colombia, experienced two major earthquakes 39 seconds apart just a little over six weeks earlier on June 24^th. Registering 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude on the Richter scale. ‘World Vision’ has reported the quakes killed over 5,000 people and injured 16,700. This also was the strongest quake in over one hundred years in Venezuela. Critical damage has been done to the infrastructure of the country and recovery will take months.

The similarities and differences between these earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela are striking. Scientifically the Colombia Geological Service explains the differences, “There is no relationship between the two events because they obey different dynamics. While the earthquake that occurred in Venezuela was shallower and is associated with the shear interaction of the Caribbean plate with the South American plate, which involves a lateral (transform) movement of one relative to the other; today’s earthquake in Colombia is the result of the subduction (or sinking) of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate, with a depth of 103 km. This demonstrates that earthquakes are independent,” explained the SGC on X. (1)

Scientifically it makes sense that earthquakes are independent of each other, but what is forgotten is who created the earth and has all things in His control, and that is God. One of the signs Jesus gave His disciples as they asked Him when will the end times come were numerous earthquakes. Jesus said, “There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.” (Mt.24:7 nlt) Numerous earthquakes we have and “Today, the world stands on the brink of unprecedented famines. About thirty million people are experiencing alarming hunger, severe levels of food insecurity and malnutrition in north-eastern Nigeria, South Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.10 million of themare facing emergencyand famine conditions. Famine is already likely happening in parts of northern Nigeria, while Yemen and Somalia are on the brink.” (2)

Our Lord has given us signs to watch for in the days ahead as we anticipate His return. You may thinking haven’t these signs been on-going throughout history? Yes, they have. But the frequency and intensity of the signs will increase as we get closer to the return of Christ. Two things are certain; Jesus will return as Scripture says and we are 2,000 years closer than when Jesus spoke those words.

(1) https://en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-08-11-u1-e129488-s27061-nid337547-magnitud-similar-tiene-terremoto-colombia-relacion

(2) https://www.oxfam.org/en/hungry-world-plenty-millions-brink-famine

A Christian Perspective

Thoughts of the World

August 8, 2026August 6, 2026 Loring Schultz

Earth globe with swirling words about climate change, unity, peace, and knowledge — A glowing digital globe covered with words about unity, climate, and hope

When it comes to spiritual matters and the things of God, the world has its endless thoughts on the truth of the matter. The world will inform us what is and what is not truth, or it will tell us it is inside us and we will discover it by searching within ourselves. Just be yourself and love yourself. Then there are so called minsters of the gospel preaching a feel-good message of positivity and good works. The apostle Paul needed to defend his ministry against some of the same things we witness in our world today. False prophets were doing their work during Paul’s day as in ours. Paul, himself, was accused of being a false prophet and only in it for money. The thoughts about God in the world are many, and all are against the truth and His salvation message.

Paul was unrelenting in the defense of his ministry and the gospel. He stated, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2Cor.10:5 niv) Anything that slightly resembled an alternative view of the gospel pitting itself against the Lord God, Paul demolished those arguments. They cannot be allowed to stand. Paul knew those distorted thoughts about God lead to confusion and heartache. That is why he took every one of those thoughts and conformed them to Christ.

The church today needs to rally behind Paul’s example of boldness in demolishing the false narratives of God in our culture. Sitting silent on the sidelines while the world is scoring points does not advance the kingdom of God. The Lord has given us all we need to inform the world of the truth, His Word, the Bible. It is time we use it boldly to explain the truth about God.

A Christian Perspective

Time for Offensive Strategy

August 1, 2026July 31, 2026 Loring Schultz

“I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” Psalm 101:2b NLT

“But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15 NLT

There is an on-going all-out assault on the family . It can be debated when the assaults started to occur, and what was the driving force setting it in motion. But there is no debate about the effects of broken families in the current day. Destruction of the family unit is one of Satan’s major goals. He, indeed, is the culprit in the destruction of the family. Satan and his demons are on the lookout for any breach in the family wall that is not fully secure. Defensive shields need to be erected, but more importantly in this case, the best defense is a powerful offense.

The Lord has laid down guidelines for us to follow in the structure of a family. Very simply, God created man in His image, male and female. He instituted marriage between one man and one woman, and children as a blessing creating a family unit. The husband (father) is to be the spiritual head of the family with the wife (mother) spiritual helpmeet to her husband. Both are responsible for bringing their children up in the admonition of the Lord. Simple enough, but there is a lot more to it as most married couples will tell you. Living in a fallen world with Satan shooting his arrows into the family through society’s ills, it’s time to deflect those arrows with a powerful offense of the Word of God and serve Him fully with a whole heart as a family.

King David made a pledge to reign as a righteous king and that started in his own home with his commitment to lead a life of integrity. David knew if he couldn’t live an exemplified life in his home, he would be incapable of leading a nation. He also knew he couldn’t do it without the Lord’s help, leading both his family and the nation. Christian fathers today cannot do it alone either, they need the Lord’s help in leading the family in a spiritual direction serving Christ. Joshua made it clear, as far as he was concerned, he and his family were going to serve the Lord. He knew failing to serve the God of the Bible would lead to all kinds of trouble. We see all kinds of trouble in Christian homes today as a result from the onslaught of the devil. These can be minimized drastically by going on offense following David’s and Joshua’s offensive strategy for families and homes.

One final thought: I realized with many broken Christian homes’ family structures vary. There are one-parent families, both men and women. Many Christian women are heads of the household due the father being absent. There are aunts, uncles, and grandparents who have assumed the role of head of the family. Whatever your circumstance, the Lord knows of it and will give you an extra spirit of grace as you train your children in the Lord. You can rest assured that your offensive strategy against the evil one will be just as powerful as you and your family are serving the Lord in your home with His help.

A Christian Perspective

Deception in the mid-term elections

July 25, 2026July 24, 2026 Loring Schultz

Read: Joshua 9 NLT – The Gibeonites Deceive Israel – Now all – Bible Gateway

“But when the people of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, they resorted to deception to save themselves.” Joshua 9:3-4a NLT

People waiting in line and voting at polling booths during U.S. midterm election — Voters line up and cast ballots at a busy midterm election polling station.

Desperate people will resort to deception when they are in fear or in danger of not getting what they want. The campaigns for the 2026 mid-term elections in the United States is starting to heat up with the summer heat. People are desperate from both major parties either to retain power or over seat the incumbents. Desperation will cause one to do and say anything that will prevent them from going down in defeat, or more accurately, that their opponent takes a seat in the United States Congress. Political campaigns have not been noted for their honesty and integrity for decades, but as the stakes become more larger and more pressing, we can be sure of a bumpy ride until election day and all the votes are counted whenever that will be.

Deception is as old as our first parents, Adam and Eve. Satan, who had tempted them with deception, is at the root of every lie in any political campaign today. Jesus had this to say about Satan, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (Jn.8:44b nlt) And the apostle Paul tells us Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. (2Cor.11:14) That’s the worst kind of deception, appearing to do and say all the right things as a person of integrity only to pull the mask off after election day. American voters have their homework to do in analyzing every statement made and how it compares with previous statements and more importantly previous actions taken by the candidate. Are they feeding us an illusion, being fraudulent, or outright lying, or all three?

Christians have a sure-fire way of determining the sincerity and integrity of a candidate. First, examining how do their statements and policy proposals line up with scripture? Second, we should be in prayer for wisdom to discern if the candidate can be trusted if they are telling the truth. The greatest example of not seeking the Lord in prayer is found in the Old Testament book of Joshua. The result of not asking the Lord for guidance caused Israel to fall for the deception from the Gibeonites, who were desperate and fearing for their lives. The United States is in desperate times. The future governing of every citizen is at stake. All candidates seeking office with their campaigns are desperate. They want to win. May we be praying for wisdom to discern the truth and not fall for the deception of Satan’s lies.

A Christian Perspective

It’s not about religion

July 18, 2026July 16, 2026 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?

A Christian Perspective

The Fight for Life Goes On

July 11, 2026July 9, 2026 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 6^th, ‘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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