Category: Devotionals

Devotionals

Hope in the Resurrection          

Loring Schultz

Read: John 11:20-27 NLT – When Martha got word that Jesus was – Bible Gateway

“And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.” 1 Corinthians 6:14 NLT

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The passing of a loved one for those who do not know Christ causes a sadness that is not relieved by any hope. Life has come to an end which creates uncertainty as to what’s next. For one with no assurance of salvation and the certainty of eternity there is no hope that comforts the soul. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (Jn.11:25 nlt)

Jesus confirmed He is the resurrection and the life by rising from the dead that first Easter morning. Some people doubt the resurrection of Christ. In our text reading today Martha was shaken by her brother’s, Lazurus, death. Jesus comforted her with these words as He knew what He would do in raising her brother from the dead. He had the power to raise Lazurus from the dead and He has the power to raise us at His glorious return. However, we don’t need to wait until that day until we meet Jesus and have eternal life. Paul tells us when we are separated from our bodies in death, we are in the present of the Lord. “Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2Cor.5:8 nlt)

The resurrection of Christ is our hope of eternal life. He defeated death. He defeated Satan. His resurrection assures us as He lives, so all who trust in Him will also live. Jesus was raised in power by the Holy Spirit, and that same Spirit will raise up each of us who know Him as savior uniting our dead bodies with our eternal souls. We will then have new glorified bodies as we enter the kingdom of God. So, don’t doubt Jesus’ resurrection, it is our only hope of eternal life.

Devotionals

 Swept and in order

Loring Schultz
Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash

It is always a good feeling when our homes are swept and in order. With the upcoming holidays, Thanksgiving in the United States and Christmas celebrated around the world, many of us spruce up our homes for expected company. Every spring around the Easter season we do the same calling it ‘spring cleaning.’ We clean out the dust from the long cold winter, let in the fresh air, and put everything in order.

Our spiritual lives work the same way. There are times when spring cleaning is in order. The sin in our life that has been hanging around filling our souls with the dirt of the world is starting to show its wear and tear on us. We make a commitment to the Lord, confessing our sin, sweeping the dirt out of our lives, and putting our lives on track to maintain a clean house. But once that sinful habit is gone, what have you replaced it with? Read what Jesus has to say:

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’  So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.” (Lk.11:24-26 nlt)

Just giving up a bad sinful habit is no guarantee it will not come back. If you haven’t filled your heart, mind, and soul with the things of God on a daily basis, it will come back as Jesus said and bring more sinful habits along with it. The first step is to confess those sinful habits, get rid of that sin, sweep your house and put it in order. Then fill your soul with God and His Word and the godly habits you will form will leave no room for those old habits to return.

Devotionals

Reformation Day: the righteous shall live by faith

Loring Schultz

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” Romans 1:17 ESV

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October 31st is recognized around the world as Halloween or ‘All Hallows’ Eve.’ The meaning of ‘hallows’ is ‘saints’ in the Christian tradition, All Saints Day is November 1st. However, Halloween today is nothing about Christian saints and I will leave it there. Today is Reformation Day, the day celebrated by Christians in recognizing Martin Luther’s ‘95 Theses’ nailed to the University of Wittenberg’s chapel door in 1517.

Martin Luther was a German monk and a professor of biblical studies at the University of Wittenberg who became disillusioned with the error he saw in the Catholic church, particularly the selling of indulgences. He posted his ‘95 Theses’ to spark conversation and debate among his colleagues calling for reform in the Catholic church. This, however, led to the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century.    

Luther was convinced through the reading of Scripture that salvation was by the grace of God alone and faith alone in Jesus Christ. It was not by any merit or works on our part that contributes to salvation and entrance into heaven. This was in contradiction to what he had observed within the church. Luther was also a staunch believer that every person should have access to the Bible and be able to read it for themselves. He had translated the entire Bible into German.  

Stephen Nichols of Ligonier Ministries writes, “The real main character in Reformation Day is not Luther. It’s the Word of God. What Luther discovered as a monk is that for centuries, the true teachings of the Word of God had been hidden by century upon century of tradition. That’s what Reformation Day is about: it’s about pulling back the cover and releasing the power of the Word of God and the beauty and the truth of the gospel. That’s why we celebrate Reformation Day.” (1)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV

(1) What Is Reformation Day? | Ligonier Ministries

Devotionals

God’s Orderly Design     

Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Timothy 2:9-15 NLT – And I want women to be modest in their – Bible Gateway

“There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28 NLT

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Having established proper order and maintaining it in any area of life here on earth prevents confusion and even chaos.

Our God is a God of perfect order. When the world starts to change up what God has designed there is mass confusion. Our world does not function as it should because it is out of order of God’s original design. God has a specific design for men and women and the roles of each in our world today. We can see the chaos that has developed over recent years when God’s creation order is ignored. But more on that at a future date. Today, our concentration is on God’s design for men’s and women’s roles in the Christian church.

First of all, men and women are equal in the body of Christ. Paul, the apostle affirms this in the book of Galatians. (Gal.3:28) However, men and women have different roles in the church when it comes to the corporate worship service. God has designed men to be responsible for leading the church in worship. This results in a lot of push back in 2025. But God commanded it. Women are in no way inferior to men in spiritual matters. Both men and women learn equally from the preaching of the Word. It is by God’s orderly design.

Adhering to the truth of Scripture is vital for the Christian church in all its functions, activities, and mode of worship. God’s Word has not changed over time to meet the demands of a changing culture. Accepting any changes opens up the whole Bible to question what is for today and what is not. But more importantly, the way of salvation becomes subject to change. There is only one way of salvation (Jn.14:6) and it is in God’s unchanging Word along with His design for worship.

Devotionals

Crying Out to God         

Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 5 ESV – Lead Me in Your Righteousness – To the – Bible Gateway

“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.” Psalm 5:1-2 ESV

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King David’s enemies were spreading lies about him to destroy him. The rumor mill had it that David was no longer fit to be king. God had abandoned him, and it was said David’s ability to protect the nation was in doubt. But David says in his prayer to God, “For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction;
their throat is an open grave.” (Ps.5:9 esv) David appeals to God’s character in this psalm he wrote knowing that God will never abandon him and will answer his prayer.

David begins by crying out to God in Hebrew parallel form repeating the same thought three times. ‘Give ear…consider…give attention’ David expresses his desire for God to hear his prayer and consider his groaning by giving attention to his cry. He comes before God the first thing in the morning with his petitions. He calls on God to hold his enemies guilty (Ps.5:10) and to bestow blessings on the righteous. (Ps.5:11) David is confident in the Lord’s answer of blessing to his prayer as we see in the closing verse, “For you bless the righteous, O LORD;
you cover him with favor as with a shield.” (Ps.5:12 esv)

So, we can have the same confidence that God will answer us as He did David when he cried out to Him in prayer. It’s OK to appeal to God by repeating our cry. That is crying out to God. Ask Him to hear your words, and consider your groaning through it, and to give attention to the sound of your cry. Our God wants us to come to Him in prayer even when we cry out to Him.

Devotionals

Don’t Forget the Lord              

Loring Schultz

“Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” James 5:13 NLT

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In times of great joy it’s hard to conceal our emotions. In fact we want everyone to know the joy we are feeling, it’s hard to hold it back. We begin to tell everyone we know, even those we don’t know. We make sure our closest friends are the first ones to know, after all, who will most share that joy along with us but those closest to us.

But for Christians sometimes even the smallest joy is not expressed to the one who would appreciate most, our Lord Jesus. Oh, we know that he knows, but expressing our joy to Him and thanking Him for it is what our Lord wants to hear. We have all heard people say to their loved ones, maybe you have said it yourself, ‘you know I love you’ and the response comes back, ‘I know but it would be nice to hear it once in a awhile.’

Expressing our joy and our love to those closest to us should come naturally, and maybe for many of you it does and the Lord bless you for it. But for those of us who need a refresher course, let’s start with James’ advise when he says, “Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.” (Ja.5:13 nlt) Who better to sing praises to than to the Lord remembering that all good things come from Him, and Him alone. James also wrote, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” (Ja.1:17 esv) So, let’s not forget the Lord and start giving Him praise as we share our joy whatever it may be.

Devotionals

Can I Trust Him?

Loring Schultz

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV

Photo by Ana Madeleine Uribe on Pexels.com

Life is complicated for most people. Even for those who live in rural communities where not too much is going on, there’s always something going on, yes life is complicated. We all need a little guidance to help us along. Guidance is needed not only to be successful in life, but to have continued joy and contentment. Given over to ourselves, we are not always successful in life and our efforts for joy and contentment are but moments soon to drift away. We need someone who is bigger than ourselves, God, but can we trust Him?

The wisest man who ever lived on this earth, King Solomon, said God can be trusted. Solomon wrote, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart……and he will make your paths straight.” (Pr.3:5-6 niv) The idea of making our paths straight is to remove any obstacles that are in the way. Who would better know how to remove those obstacles than one with the ability to know what we will encounter before it happens and has the power to remove them. We are often confused lacking understanding in the way God is leading us, but we must rest assured His plan for us is good and will not fail. When we fully submit to God trusting His leading as we reject our own temptation to do it ourselves, God will surely lead us to complete joy and contentment. Yes, you can trust Him!

“I cannot always understand, The Way God leadeth me, The why, and when and wherefore Is oft a mystery. But I can trust His wisdom, I know His way is best, His heart knows no unkindness And on His love I rest.” (1)

(1) Cowman, Mrs. Charles E. Streams in the Desert 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1966. p.138

Devotionals

Accountability in Public Prayer

Loring Schultz

“In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” 1 Timothy 2:8 NLT

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Think back to the last Sunday morning worship service you have attended. What was the most important part of the service for you? Was it the singing or the reading of Scripture? Perhaps the time of confession is the most beneficial for you, but is it most important? Maybe you prefer to fast forward right to the sermon, for that is where you get fed and receive strength for the upcoming week. All of these on their own are very important but it is also how they collectively form the corporate worship service together that is important. But there is one part I haven’t mentioned yet, and it’s the glue that keeps it all together in working order and makes it happen It’s prayer.

The apostle Paul instructing Timothy in the proper order of the worship service said, “In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God.” (1Tim.2:8 nlt) The men who pray have an enormous responsibility and are accountable as they lead the congregation in prayer before almighty God. Paul says they are ‘to pray with holy hands lifted up to God.’ Paul is not concerned about posture here, ‘holy hands’ represents one’s life being free from every form of evil. The men who pray must approach God in a pure and holy manner. We note also Paul says men are to pray.

 If one’s life is to be free from every form of evil it should be free from anger and controversy, which Paul notes at the end of our key verse. The man of God (who is not perfect) is to be right with God with sin confessed and living righteously when leading God’s people in public prayer as part of the worship service. For this he is accountable.

Devotionals

Prayer Walk

Loring Schultz

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Matthew 9:37-38 ESV

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Living in the United States there are plenty of opportunities to participate in various walks for a worthy cause. Organized by volunteers, these walks take on the spirit and passion each walker brings with them. Grass roots movements, as they are called, inspire others with the same passion and desire to help the cause. Sponsored events, although much larger, fail to display the true passion of any movement as they are concerned only with numbers. People dedicated to their righteous cause will have success because what drives them is an unselfish attitude to help others.

This week my church started a weekly ‘Prayer Walk.’ Those with the desire and passion for our neighbors will gather each week to walk and pray together. A simple walk through the streets of the neighborhood consisting of residential properties, a nearby elementary school, a major university, and a few commercial buildings. The desire and compassion for each individual throughout the neighborhood is for their well-being and safety, but most of all for them to come to know the Lord Jesus as their savior. This is beginning as a small grass roots movement with a very big job to do. Jesus told His disciples,  “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt.9:37-38 esv)

No matter where you live, there is opportunity for you to start your own prayer walk for your neighborhood. You can start with yourself as you do your daily walks, adding a close friend or two with the same passion. Small groups within your church can be a source to expand walks in different communities in your area. Small grass roots movement start small, but don’t stay small for very long as the passion swells, especially for the lost. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful so let’s get to work. We can start with a prayer walk.

Devotionals

Heroes

Loring Schultz

Read: Judges 6:1-16 NLT – Gideon Becomes Israel’s Judge – The – Bible Gateway

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!’” Judges 6:12 NLT

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“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT

Do you ever consider yourself to be a hero, a mighty person of valor, a mighty and courageous warrior? If not, consider yourself to be one, because you are or at least you could be. All around us wherever we reside there is some kind of trouble. Some of us have quite a bit, others not so much, but we live in an imperfect world so there will be some. Trouble and chaos stem from sin in the world. Sinners do what comes naturally. At times it takes the form of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, along with many other vices that run through our neighborhoods.

Gideon had a different kind of trouble in his day. The children of Israel once again did evil against God who then put them under the hand of the Midianites. The Midianites would constantly attack, stealing their crops and their livestock. Israel was starving from lack of food. When Israel cried out to God, as in other times, God raised up a judge to deliver them. This time it was Gideon, whose family was the weakest tribe of  Manasseh, and Gideon was the weakest in his family. Yet, God chose him to deliver Israel with His help.

The apostle Paul said God chose the weak and those the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise. That’s us. The Lord has chosen us, Christians, to tell the good news about Him and His salvation plan for everyone. The trouble in our world will be relieved only through the changed lives of men and women who trust in the Lord. That’s where we come in. Heroes live a life pleasing to God drawing others to accept Christ. He alone saves them but uses His heroes. Consider yourself one in God’s eyes.