A Christian Perspective

The Attack on the Kingdom of Heaven

July 20, 2024July 18, 2024 Loring Schultz

“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me……. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence.” Matthew 11:6, 12a ESV

There is an all-out effort by governments around the world to silence the Christian church, the United States included. We should not be surprised by this or think this is unique to the 21^st century. It is true, persecution of Christians, attacks on churches, and labeling followers of Jesus as radicals outside the norms of society, have been steadily increasing, but attacks on Christians have been around since Jesus came to earth and declared, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’(Mt.4:17) All Christians are a part of the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus made it clear there were attacks on His kingdom in His days on earth and they have continued throughout time. He told John the Baptist’s followers since the day John started preaching repentance and preparation for the coming of the Messiah the kingdom of heaven was under attack. John had been arrested by King Herod, the ruling authority at the time. He had been put in prison and eventually executed. The kingdom of heaven has been suffering violence ever since and will continue to increase in scope until the day of Jesus’ return.

There is a silver lining to this dark cloud of attacks against Christians. Jesus said, ‘blessed is the one who is not offended by me.’ (Mt.11:6) When we are not offended by Christ by standing firm in His truth we will be blessed. Jesus didn’t say we won’t be attacked, or arrested and sent to prison, or worse, no, He said we are blessed. The persecution that has been prevalent in many parts of the world has found its way to America’s shores. It may not as brutal or intense as in other countries, but the groundwork has been laid to remove God, His Word, and His way of salvation from all education and government institutions. Freedom to speak the truth of God’s Word even from the pulpit is rapidly being considered hate speech and subject to prosecution.

Christians will be attacked, that is of course when we are not offended by the name of Jesus as the only way of salvation and are offended by the rules and regulations of our godless society. Being silent during these days is not an option. It either signals our approval that we are not offended by anti-God legislation, or it shows our weakness and lack of faith in the God we serve. The assault on Christians is here to stay, it’s not going away. Remember the Lord God promises to be with us and promises us His blessings especially when we are attacked for His name.

A Christian Perspective

Hope for the Future begins with the Truth

July 13, 2024July 10, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life…………An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble, but a reliable messenger brings healing.” Proverbs 13:12, 17 NLT

The 2024 election in the Untied States is the most divided in my lifetime and certainly most recently. One can debate if it is the most divided in the history of the country. The division has not been this strong since the Civil War era. The debate of “Make America Great Again” is driving one side and “Democracy Is at Stake” fueling the other. There seems to be no area where both sides can get together for the sake of those they govern. And that is just as well, because before that would happen both sides need the glue to fasten them together with the American people, the “Truth.”

The book of Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick……(and)…. An unreliable messenger stumbles into trouble.” The message of ‘hope’ has been a part of several Presidential campaigns for years, and yet all hope seems to be lost. When “hope” keeps getting pushed back the hearts of the people sink. Every election cycle they hear the same thing with the same results, no hope but despair. The reason why they are in despair is due to the lies they have been told repeatedly. There is a desperate need for truth. King Solomon, who wrote most of the book Proverbs knew a thing or two about governing a nation. First, he had God as his king. Second, he understood unreliable messengers could not be trusted, but they stumbled into trouble. There are many unreliable messengers in government positions today, along with those seeking government positions, and of course the news media aiding and abetting the lies, or misinformation as some refer to it. Either way it is not the truth.

Hope for the future of America rests on whether truth will prevail wherever it leads. All in government, journalists, and every news media outlet must put aside partisan politics for the sake of the people and the safety of the United States. Then and only then reliable messengers will bring healing and people will have a dream fulfilled. Only time will tell.

A Christian Perspective

Be careful not to pick up stones

July 6, 2024July 3, 2024 Loring Schultz

“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” John 8:7 NLT

The story of a woman caught in adultery recorded in John’s gospel is a very familiar one with Christians and non-Christians alike. It reveals the hypocrisy of certain religious leaders and those who assumed the role of being one up on everyone else on morality. The main point made by many is Jesus’s words, “let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Admittedly there is not one of us who is able to throw that first stone, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Rom.3:23 nlt) That lesson should be applied to every Christian in our daily walk in the world in which we live. But there is also another point that lies underneath the surface of the immediate that reveals the foundation for that exchange with Jesus.

The law in which the accusers wanted evoked would have been the Old Testament law of adultery. But certain facts of the case were not presented in their entirety as only one of the participants was presented. This didn’t seem to bother those who brought the woman for their own interpretation of God’s law. The fact is they weren’t as pious towards the carrying out the law as they were about trying to set up a trap for Jesus. They cared nothing about the law, but only the response from the one who came as a fulfillment of the law.

The religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman, minus the man, caught in the act of adultery. Their intent was to corner Jesus into deciding on whether to stone her according to the Law. Jesus essentially ignored them knowing of their deception. If He agreed to stone her, Jesus would be looked upon as having no forgiveness or compassion. If He did not comply with the Law it would appear Jesus was not who He said He was, the Son of God. They did not give up but kept on asking Him. They wanted Jesus to answer them either way to discredit Him. Jesus was interfering with their authority and their way of life.

There are those today who view Jesus as interfering with their authority and their lives. They demand an answer to the laws they perceive as right and just in their own eyes. They view the commands of God found in scripture as irrelevant today. They have gathered stones in their hands and are willing to throw the first stone, believing they have no sin. But tragically their aim is at God and His Word for interfering with their way of life. Be careful not to pick up stones.

A Christian Perspective

Respect for God’s Anointed

June 29, 2024June 21, 2024 Loring Schultz

“……For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.” Romans 13:1 NLT

“……The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” 1 Samuel 24:6 NLT

There are more elections scheduled across the world in 2024 than at any time in history. Time magazine calls it ‘The Ultimate Election Year.’ “2024 is not just an election year. It’s perhaps the election year. Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 64 countries (plus the European Union)—representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world—are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come.” (1) No doubt, the outcomes of these global elections will shape the future of our world with the United States as the biggest factor. Before we as Christians put on our political party hats, may we remember that each person elected in every part of the world is God’s anointed, there are being placed by God Himself for His purposes.

Many of the world’s religions see this leadership overhaul as a possible beginning of the end bringing in a world leader with chaos erupting followed by the apocalypse. Some modern-day Christian theologians are comparing the signs recorded in Scripture with currents world events and seem to agree. Admittedly the signs are compelling, but Christians are to remain in the task at hand sharing the good news gospel of Jesus Christ unto salvation. The facts are, 1. Jesus is going to return to establish His kingdom on the earth, 2. No one knows when that day will be, and 3. We are to respect God’s anointed in our present day.

Every nation in our world has deep political differences within the electorate. Sadly, those divisions remain through the newly elected official’s term in office with the opposing party gearing up for the next election or planning to bring them down. Here in the United States over the last two decades with four Presidents from both parties, there was a central theme during their term in office, ‘not my President.’ Christians must take the lead in respecting government authorities, God’s anointed. We are not to agree or support policies and legislation that violates and contradicts God’s words in the Bible. We are to be good citizens, obeying the laws of our country that do not violate God’s laws. Christians are to be the preserving salt and light in a country that has lost its way slipping into darkness.

David, before he became king, was under King Saul who was seeking to kill him in his rage of jealousy. When an opportunity presented itself for David to kill Saul, his enemy, he refrained from doing so. David explained, “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” (1Sa.24:6 nlt) Saul was God’s chosen leader for the nation of Israel. He turned out not to be a very good king, but David respected God’s anointed. May we as Christians follow David’s example and respect all of God’s anointed who are in currently in office and those who be elected this November. May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

(1) https://time.com/6550920/world-elections-2024/

A Christian Perspective

God, the ultimate judge will overturn all injustices

June 22, 2024June 20, 2024 Loring Schultz

“If they twist justice in the courts—doesn’t the Lord see all these things? Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?” Lamentations 3:36-37 NLT

Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

The United States of America prides itself as having the worlds best justice system. As the motto states, ‘lady justice is blind.’ The justice system does not show partiality or judge on appearance. Over the last decade that motto has been challenged by some of the court decisions from both the state and federal courts. Recent rulings have shown that prejudice and bias have made their way into the judicial system of America. Having made note of that, most verdicts from juries of the American people and from the bench are just, but lady justice is starting to let her blindfold slip and looking around is persuaded by what she sees.

For the Christian living in America or anywhere else in the world we are assured that God is the ultimate judge. The psalmist writes, “But the LORD reigns forever, executing judgment from his throne. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness.” (Ps.9:7-8 nlt) No unjust verdict is sent down without His knowledge and He will execute His righteous judgement in His good time. God will overturn all injustices and make all things right in His heavenly kingdom.

The United States is struggling with the divisions in the nation cause by prejudices and biases. Laws are being enacted either by legislation or executive order, deepening the divide and blurring the vision of what is right and wrong, furthering confusion in the judicial system. Our responsibility as Christians is to pray for all those in authority over us. May we pray for wisdom, a spirit to work together for the sake of the people, and justice to be done in every court case. The Lord is going to clear the slate one day overturning all injustices. Why don’t we decide to get a head start.

“Tell all the nations, ‘The LORD reigns!’ The world stands firm and cannot be shaken. He will judge all peoples fairly……for he is coming! He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth.” (Ps.96:10, 13 nlt)

A Christian Perspective

Male and Female: God’s Perfect Design

June 15, 2024June 12, 2024 Loring Schultz

“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Then God blessed them and said, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.'” Genesis 1:27-28a NLT

God’s Word to us begins with His acts of creation. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!” (Gen.1:1,31a nlt) God made everything good and we could say even perfect. That includes Adam and Eve, our first parents. They were perfect in every way before they fell into sin when tempted by Satan. Although they now had a sin nature which is passed down to us, what remained perfect in them and us is God’s perfect design of creating them male and female.

Through God’s perfect design the world has been populated for thousands of years. God told them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth.’ and they have. Populating the earth only happens when males and females get together having children. A very undeniable fact is that our very existence as a human race depends on heterosexuality. We would cease to exist if this were not the case. God’s perfect design for life itself.

The saying ‘opposites attract’ is seen in the wisdom of God. What is more opposite and different than a male and a female. Many married couples are direct opposites of one another. My wife would testify to that, but we complement each other. We are help mates for each other, although I think men need more help, for God has said concerning Adam “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” (Gen.2:18 nlt) God’s perfect design for marriage, male and female.

Our world today is in chaos and becoming more depraved everyday due to sin. When God was finished with His entire creation, He said it was very good! Sin entered the picture and has distorted our view of God’s original design ever since. Don’t get caught up and fooled with the thinking of the world today but remember God’s original intent especially ‘male and female he created them.’ God’s perfect design!

A Christian Perspective

Pride Leads to Disgrace

June 8, 2024June 7, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2 NLT

‘But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,
‘God opposes the proud but favors the humble.’” James 4:6 NLT

Pride is a word we hear and come across often today, especially at this time of year. It does have several meanings according to Websters New World Dictionary, ‘pride’ is defined as 1. a) an unduly high opinion of oneself b) haughtiness, arrogance. 2. dignity and self-respect. 3. satisfaction in something done, owed, etc. 4. a person or thing in which pride is taken. Christians often struggle with pride. For example, is it wrong to be proud of certain accomplishments you have achieved through hard work? Are you wrong to be proud of a son or daughter who has just graduated from high school or college? And what about the successes of those we know who have reached the highest level of their profession, do we refrain from being proud of them?

The Bible has a lot to say about pride, mostly in a negative sense, but not always. Isaiah writes of legitimate pride during Jesus’ reign on earth, “But in that day, the branch of the LORD will be beautiful and glorious; the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of all who survive in Israel.” (Is.4:2 nlt) But for the most part, Scripture speaks of pride as part of our sinful fallen nature. The apostle John says, “For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” (1Jn.2:16 nlt) When our accomplishments and achievements are viewed without God in mind as we boast in who we are and what we have done, it is the sin of pride. All sin has its roots in pride. Satan’s fall from grace as Lucifer, son of the morning, was due to his pride. (Is.14:12-15)

So, what are you proud of? Was the Lord’s hand in it? Did you do it for His glory and would He approve of it? Are you proud of someone else’s achievements for the same reasons? Is God glorified by the accomplishments of that individual you are proud of? Having pride in something or somebody must always be filtered through the God of the Bible and His words to us. Let us be obedient to His Word and live humbly before Him realizing ‘pride leads to disgrace.’

A Christian Perspective

Why the Rainbow?

June 1, 2024May 30, 2024 Loring Schultz

“I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.” Genesis 9:13 NLT

How often have you had the opportunity to see a rainbow in the sky during or after a summer afternoon thunderstorm? It is a marvelous spectacle and one of many of God’s creations. The first mention of a rainbow appears in Genesis chapter 9. Although theologians differ on when God created the rainbow either ‘in the beginning’ or after the worldwide flood, we know for sure the meaning and significance of the rainbow was put in place after the flood.

God, creator of the universe and the earth, has a unique purpose for each of His creations. The purpose of most of God’s creations are not revealed to us, but several are. Each of His creations point us to God’s almighty power, His infinite knowledge, His Holiness, and His love, grace and mercy. When we see a rainbow in the sky, it is more than magnificent splendor, it is a reminder to the specific purpose as to why it is there. It is the sign of God’s promise to each of us on the earth that He will never again destroy the entire earth by a worldwide flood.

God has kept His promise and will continue to keep His promise. The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with us. It is a sign of His faithfulness to us even though we are anything but faithful to Him. He forever remains faithful.

As we find comfort in the assurance of God’s faithfulness, may we not forgot what brought along the destructive flood. “Now God saw that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence. God observed all this corruption in the world, for everyone on earth was corrupt.” (Gen.6:11-12 nlt) We find ourselves in the same place today, sins of corruption and violence in all walks of life before a Holy God, and still God is keeping His promise.

But that does not protect the world from future judgement. The Lord is going to return one day. Jesus explaining to His disciples said, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days, the people enjoyed banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat and the flood came and destroyed them all.” (Lk.17:26-27 nlt)

The rainbow was put in place, to remind us that God is faithful and “…. He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2Pt.3:9b) That is ‘why the rainbow’!

Read: Genesis 9:8-17 NLT – Then God told Noah and his sons, “I – Bible Gateway

A Christian Perspective

Do Not Be Afraid; the Lord watches over those who are His

May 30, 2024May 30, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” Isaiah 43:1b-2 NLT

There is a misconception that when one decides to follow Jesus and trust Him for salvation all their problems go away. In our present-day vernacular, we would call that misinformation. What does go away is our destiny to a Christless eternity replaced by our assurance of an eternal life with Him in heaven. Certainly, to go through this life with Christ by our side is better than trying to do it without Him, but they are not without the problems that are common to everyone. The Lord will bestow a generous portion of His grace to those who are His just as he gives common grace to all mankind in the troubles of this world. But an extra level of grace and protection is needed for all who are His, because the truth is things are going to get heated and messy.

Christians can take comfort that the Lord knows us by name. Jesus ransomed us by His death on the cross. We are bought and paid for, we are his and He knows our names. The prophet Isaiah encouraged Israel that God knew them by name for they were His chosen people even though they were unfaithful to the point they would go into captivity. But the Lord would bring them out and continue to watch over them through the centuries up to and including our present day. When Christ rules on the earth during the Millenium Kingdom all the land God has promised Israel will be completed. (Ez.47:13-20) And He will be watching over them until that time comes.

As Isaiah encouraged the Jews of God’s protection, the same encouragement applies to Christians who have been ransomed by the blood of Christ. We are assured of His continual watchfulness throughout our lives. When the rivers of difficulties come our way God is there to help us maneuver through the currents. As we struggle in deep waters, perhaps because of our doing, He throws us life raft and pulls us out. The most difficult struggles that are sure to come is the blowback Christians face for being obedient to the Lord and standing up for the truth of the gospel. It is the fire of oppression Isaiah refers to. But our God sees all that comes our way. The fire may hurt, but the flames will not consume us. The Lord tells us not to be afraid, but to remember we are His and He knows us by name.

A Christian Perspective

DECORATION DAY

May 27, 2024May 20, 2024 Loring Schultz

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 KJV

In the United States, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday in May. The day is set aside to remember and honor those who have given all in the service of their country. It was known as “Decoration Day” in its beginning shortly after the American Civil War. Fellow soldiers would decorate the graves of their fallen comrades with flags, flowers and wreathes. The tradition continues to this day. These decorated graves signify that each individual is not forgotten, but remembered and honored for their sacrifice in the protection and maintaining the freedom of their fellow citizens.

Many people visit the grave-sites of their departed loved ones and heroes year after year honoring their memory. But there is one particular grave-site that is visited by thousands of people year after year, and yet they do not come to decorate for remembrance. That is due to the fact that the grave is empty. It is known as the garden tomb in Jerusalem, where Jesus was laid after His death on the cross. They come to wonder in amazement and worship the Lord Jesus Christ who rose from the dead and is alive today in Heaven and seated at the right hand of God the Father.

As we remember those who have given their lives, by paying the ultimate sacrifice for freedom; let us also be reminded of the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. His death provided freedom from the bondage of sin, and because He lives, all those who call upon His name will also live.