Word for the Soul

Climate Change

May 10, 2025May 7, 2025 Loring Schultz

In response to an article on the Christian Post website this week entitled ‘Vanderbilt professor claims some pro-lifers use Bible to distract from climate change’ the following repost from September 2023 is in order. Christians do gather their information for moral, social, and world issues from the Bible, including ‘Climate Change.’ A link to the article with other claims by the Vanderbilt professor is posted below.

“Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can be natural, due to changes in the sun’s activity or large volcanic eruptions. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas……Because the Earth is a system, where everything is connected, changes in one area can influence changes in all others. The consequences of climate change now include, among others, intense droughts, water scarcity, severe fires, rising sea levels, flooding, melting polar ice, catastrophic storms and declining biodiversity.” (1)

The above statement is furnished to us from the ‘United Nations Climate Action’ page. The following are from the pages of the Bible which concurs with the United Nations at least to the effects of climate change. “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Ro.8:20-22 nlt) Scripture confirms the created earth is under the curse of God and it came about after sin entered the paradise of the Garden of Eden. “And to the man he said, ‘Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.’” (Gen.3:17 nlt) The earth experienced its first ever change of climate during the great flood of Noah’s day, for it had never rained before that time in history. Scripture records for us in Genesis 7:11-12, “When Noah was 600 years old, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the underground waters erupted from the earth, and the rain fell in mighty torrents from the sky. The rain continued to fall for forty days and forty nights.” (nlt) Waters bursting up from the ground with rain falling from the sky for the first time ever no doubt that is climate change.

The point is climate change is not restricted only to the last 200 years. But the recent noticeable changes cannot be denied. Every individual living on planet earth, especially Christians, has a responsibility to be a good steward of God’s creation for our generation and the generations to come. We are to praise God for His magnificent creation and work to maintain its wondrous beauty as far as it depends on us with what we can do.

The Bible also gives us encouragement that we will not destroy the earth. Our planet will not succumb to our increasing manmade climate change. After the great flood, God told Noah, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Gen.8:22 esv) The seasons will not change regardless of our recklessness but will remain. They will remain until the next disastrous climate change effect takes place during the tribulation period described in the book of Revelation. “I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.” (Rev.6:12-14 nlt) We can eliminate fossil fuels entirely, but it will not save the planet from sure destruction during the tribulation period.

The earth we know will racially change in the future, but not by us driving our electric vehicles. Jesus Christ will return at the end of the tribulation and established His Kingdom and will rule on earth for a thousand years with Satan bound and cast into the bottomless pit. What will our environment and climate be like, we don’t know. But we do know that Christ, God the Son, will be here on earth ruling, I’m sure the ‘son’ will shine.

The ultimate and final climate change will be at the end of Christ’s thousand-year reign on the earth. Satan will be sent to his eternal final destination, the lake of fire, along with all those whose names were not found written in the book of life. The apostle John writes in Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever,’” (nlt) and there will be no worries about carbon emissions, fossil fuels and climate change. The climate will no longer change.

(1) https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

Vanderbilt professor claims pro-lifers use Bible to avoid climate | Politics

Devotionals

Who is Leading You?

May 9, 2025May 7, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Psalm 23 KJV – The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not – Bible Gateway

“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3 KJV

Psalm 23 is the most recognized portion of Scripture outside of John 3:16 for most Christians. There is a lot of ground covered in these six verses. The primary focus is the Shepherd-King providing comfort and supplying our needs all through life including our appointed time of death. But there are several nuances within Psalm 23 that expand beyond the comforting nature of the psalm.

When reading, ‘He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake’ I saw that in a different light as I read the 23^rd Psalm recently. As I thought through this, a few things came to mind. Our shepherd will never lead us down the wrong path. So, why do we often find ourselves going the wrong way? Is it because we are not following our shepherd, as sheep tend to drift away? Are we allowing someone or something else to lead us astray? The psalmist writes, ‘He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness,’ which He can only do, meaning if we end up on the wrong road we are not following Him but following another or even ourselves. And that is not the righteous way!

The Lord leads us down paths that will always honor His name. The roads we travel on our own without God’s guidance rarely end up honoring His name. If the Lord is truly our shepherd, then we need to surrender all our will to His will and not fight against it and take that hard turn back on the right road. It leads to ‘righteousness for His name’s sake.’

Devotionals

Keep Away from Idols

May 8, 2025May 5, 2025 Loring Schultz

“Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21 NIV

When we think of the word ‘idol’ in Biblical terms, a created image to be worshiped as a god comes to mind. “Idolatry’ is a term used frequently in Scripture meaning the worship of idols. Throughout Biblical history there are stories of people worshiping carved images of false gods. These man-made gods were the object of worship taking their hearts and minds off the true God who is the only God worthy of worship. This is true even today. In fact, anything that is put before the Lord God becomes an idol as we have pushed God to second place, or even worse, third or fourth place.

The apostle John in the closing verse to his readers in 1 John writes, “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1Jn.5:21 niv) It almost seems out of place and thrown in at the last minute, but it is far from that. John cared deeply for those to which he was writing, often calling them ‘little children’ and ‘dear children’ as in this last verse. He knew of the deceptiveness of false teachers of his day and how easy it is to become enamored with the things of this world even back then. If it was a problem two thousand years ago, it is sure a problem today.

The New Living Translation of the Bible interprets this verse, “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.” (1Jn.5:21 nlt) A very good translation that gets to the point. We are to keep away from anything that causes us to put ourselves, others, or something else first and taking that place away from God. It may be something of enjoyment, work, even family. It’s not that can’t we have other priorities in our lives or find enjoyment in certain activities, but when they push God to second place, they have become an idol. So, those idols we need keep away from, but proper balance in our love for God and keeping Him first will help us keep in place all the things He has given in this life to enjoy.

Devotionals

Longing for That Good Water

May 7, 2025May 5, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: 1 Chronicles 11:15-19 NLT – Once when David was at the rock near – Bible Gateway

“David remarked longingly to his men, ‘Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.’” 1 Chronicles 11:17 NLT

As I write this, our neighborhood is without water due to a water main break. According to reports it may be a while until water is restored to the area. We live in a world where so much is taken for granted, it takes shutting off the water to make us realize how blessed we are. A day or two of inconvenience may set us all straight remembering to thank the Lord for His daily supply of our needs.

Yes, water is essential for our very survival. Clean, purified water is critical for health reasons. Officials in our region are informing residents and businesses of a boil advisory that will be put into effect after the water is restored to avoid any health risks. Good clean water is needed for a healthy life, and it tastes better.

King David had a longing for the cool clean water from the depths of the well at Bethlehem’s gate. David and his army were held up outside of Bethlehem during the war with the Philistines, who now occupied the city. Perhaps their rations were running low and the water from the water skins were beginning to taste like the water skins. David remarked, “Oh, how I would love some of that good water from the well by the gate in Bethlehem.” (1 Chr.11:17 nlt) David had an elite group of thirty mighty men in which three were the elite of the elite. These three men risked their lives breaking through enemy lines to grant David’s request.

We don’t have any indication that David’s longing was nothing more than a longing. He didn’t expect his men to act, but they did. David’s response was to pour it out as a sacrifice to Lord as his men risked their lives to gather it, saying, “This water is as precious as the blood of these men.” (1 Chr.11:19 nlt) David got what he longed for. It was so precious to him, and he gave it to the Lord.

Some of the things we long for may not be as important as we think. Most of the things we take for granted may be more important than we think, like turning on the faucet for water. May we thank the Lord for His daily provisions even when they are interrupted for a day or two.

Devotionals

I Have Too Much on My Plate

May 6, 2025May 5, 2025 Loring Schultz

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.’” Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

How often have you used the phrase, ‘I have too much on my plate?’ I’m not speaking of a dinner plate, which never can have too much on it, but your plate of responsibilities you have taken on. Suddenly you find yourself overwhelmed with the commitments you’ve made all with good intentions or perhaps you just couldn’t say no. Now your plate is full and no extra room to squeeze in the necessary chores you need to accomplish.

I’m beginning to find myself saying, ‘I have too much on my plate.’ Soon, I’ll be asking myself, ‘Do I need a bigger plate?’ But I can answer that right now, No! So, what is needed is an evaluation of the responsibilities on my plate. First, what is on my plate that was put there by God? Second, what has God directed me to add on my plate? During discouraging times in keeping up with the Lord’s work it is good to recall Jesus’ words. When we are weary in our work, even work for God, and the burden seems too much to bear, Jesus says He will give us rest. He doesn’t say, He’ll take away the God appointed duties on our plate, but He will give us rest.

The Lord Jesus invites us to hook up with His yoke, as oxen are yoked together to plow a field. The yoke allows the two to work together side by side. If you’re doing the Lord’s work, you are plowing a field with Him. Young inexperienced oxen are joined together with older experienced oxen for training. Jesus put this work on your plate, and He is right alongside there with you to help you and train you. Notice that even when we get discouraged and feel we can’t go on, Jesus tells us His yoke is easy and the burden He gives us is light. We can trust Him with that. Everything on our plate from the Lord should remain there. He will help us through it. It’s His work.

Photo by Monstera Production on Pexels.com

Third, we may have some things on our plate that need a reevaluation by way of prioritizing. Listing them by priority you’ll be able to accomplish those things which are necessary. The Lord will honor your commitment to fulfilling the responsibilities you have on your plate. Those with less importance, God has not forgotten but will help you complete them in His good timing. And fourth, there may be some things on your plate, and mine that we need to get rid of. They can’t afford to take up valuable important space on the plate the Lord gives us to work. When we prioritize what’s on our plate, beginning with what God has put there and work our way down, we will find there is more than enough space on the plate, maybe even some room for dessert.

Devotionals

Are You Looking for a Relationship or an Experience?

May 5, 2025April 30, 2025 Loring Schultz

“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” John 1:14 NLT

One of my personal devotionals I read had an interesting comment last week. The writer stated there is a big difference between an experience with Jesus and a relationship with Him. That got me to thinking. Some Christians have the idea that Christianity is about feelings and experiences. They need to feel God’s power through the Holy Spirit doing great miracles in their lives to feel His present. In between there is an emptiness they try to fill looking for that next big spiritual moment, when that moment is right around the corner and is always there.

Granted there are extra special moments the Lord bestows upon us, and we should be grateful and praising Him for each one. The Lord God loves to enrich us with answered prayer, healing, and bringing miracles into our lives. But nothing pleases Him more that when we sit quietly at His feet as Mary did in the gospel of Luke. “Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught.” (Lk.10:39 nlt) The Lord wants us to spend with Him through prayer, reading His Word, meditating on what His Word says, and taking time to listen to Him. That’s a relationship.

The quietest moments spent with Jesus daily will lead to a relationship that will outlast any previous experience you may have had. Because every day you go back for more time not looking or waiting for something great to happen because it is already happening. So, what are you looking for? You may have both.

Bible Studies

“Age-Old Traditions Won’t Save You” The Gospel of Jesus Christ: the book of Mark

May 4, 2025May 2, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Mark 6:53-7:23 NLT – After they had crossed the lake, they – Bible Gateway

“So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, ‘Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.’” Mark 7:5 NLT

Jesus and His disciples arrived at Gennesaret on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee after a windy night walking on the water and calming the wind. The disciples were amazed of what they just witnessed even though they have seen Jesus perform many miracles, but they were slow to learn, as we all are at times when we should already know the truth. A familiar scene develops as Jesus and His companions brought the boat to shore. Immediately, the people recognized Him. The word spread, good news travels fast! Soon people were coming from all over the area when they heard Jesus was in the Gennesaret region. They heard of Jesus’ miracles of healing and were rushing to get near Him. “They ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was.” (Mk.6:55 nlt) As Jesus walked through the countryside and in the marketplaces of various villages, people would bring their sick begging Him to let them touch the fringe of His robe. Mark records that all who touched Him were healed. The news of Jesus was once again rapidly expanding forcing another visit by the Pharisees from Jerusalem.

“One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.” (Mk.7:1 nlt) They got right to work observing and taking notes of Jesus’ activities and those of His disciples. The Pharisees took notice that the disciples did not perform the ceremonial hand washing before eating. This was a tradition of the elders. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary explains, “The tradition of the elders was the unwritten corpus of commands and teachings of honored rabbis of the past, a body of 613 rules designed to regulate every aspect of life.” (1) The Pharisees considered these commands binding, and the people were to obey. They questioned Jesus why His disciples did not observe the traditions of the elders. What they were really saying was ‘why are you teaching your disciples to disobey the traditions of the elders?’ This command had nothing to do with dirty hands but was a ceremonial rinsing if one became defiled by touching a Gentile or an unclean person while out in public. They were claiming an inward cleansing by outward action, which they made up. Jesus tells the Pharisees they have it all backwards.

Jesus calls them hypocrites, and then quotes Isaiah the prophet, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ (Mk.7:6-7 nlt) Jesus notes how they deliberately ignore God’s laws to elevate their own laws. He uses the example of those who refuse to honor their parents by not caring for them, claiming their income has been vowed to God. The Pharisees ruled that money given to God could not be used for any other purpose. They used Numbers 30:2 as their defense, “A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.” (nlt) The traditions of the elders were overriding God’s law to apply their law. Jesus then tells them this is only one example of the many non-binding laws they have over the Lord’s binding laws in Scripture.

Jesus calls the crowd to Himself to bring them back into conformity with Scripture. People in our day, and sadly some churches need to bring back what the Bible teaches. There are misguided souls who follow the traditions of churches and the oracle preachers with a present personality because it requires only a mechanical response. No change of heart or lifestyle is necessary, just follow the rules and whatever feels good. Jesus tells the people, “All of you listen, and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” (Mk.7:14-15 nlt) He explains deeper to His disciples that food consumed with or without dirty hands cannot defile you for it goes in and comes out. That does not defile you. It is what is lying inside your heart that defiles you. Jesus says, “For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” (Mk.7:21-23 nlt)

Age-old traditions will not save you if they are man-made laws added throughout the course of history with no Biblical support or reference. Added prophecies and teachings not included in Scripture preached by popular ministers today will not save you either. It is only what God recorded in His Holy Word. The saving redeeming grace provided by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins and acceptance of that by faith is the only age-old tradition that will save you.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph.2:8-9 nlt)

(1) The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1990. Pg 1002

A Christian Perspective

The Unseen World Shows Itself

May 3, 2025April 30, 2025 Loring Schultz

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NLT

I awoke the other morning to an all too familiar headline from ‘6abc news’ in Philadelphia. “8 shot, 1 killed across 4 neighborhoods within 3 hours in Philadelphia.” I realize this happens in virtually every major city in the United States and across the world. Some are not as bad, some worse, but it is on-going. It hits close to home with Philadelphia being the closest major city to where we live. People across the U.S. experience those same feelings frequently if they reside near a major city. It has become a way of life to digest these news stories daily.

Government officials and law enforcement are fighting a losing battle as they attempt to curtail crime in their major cities. It is made harder when politicians spread their wings, and the root of the problem is not acknowledged or even discussed. The root of all crime is the fallen sinful nature of every human being. Until this is realized, and we seek the help and guidance of God in governing according to His standards, this will continue to escalate. There will still be crime in the fallen world as Satan is the prince and power of the air in our sinful world (Eph.2:2) but as we turn back towards God there will be less of it.

The apostle Paul states clearly that Satan is at work in this world. It is not only the physical world, but it is the unseen spiritual world where Satan does his best work. This manifests itself in the news headline we just witnessed from Philadelphia this week. The unseen world of evil rulers and authorities with their mighty powers shows itself every day in the violence we face. This is the root of the problem.

So, what are we to do? Know that God is a just God. Know He will make everything right. Know that God has a plan for a future heavenly kingdom on this earth. Know that this kingdom will be ruled by Jesus Christ. Know that when that future day comes and you want to be sure you are there, you need to accept Jesus as your savior. Know that Jesus died for your sin and know that He defeated Satan at the cross. Satan’s rule of the unseen world and its influence on earth will end. In the meantime, let us work at governing as God has commanded us according to His Word, understanding the root of the problem.

Devotionals

Ancient of Days

May 2, 2025April 29, 2025 Loring Schultz

Read: Daniel 7:9-14 ESV – The Ancient of Days Reigns – “As I – Bible Gateway

“As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.” Daniel 7:9 ESV

When we think of the word ancient, most of us would think of something quite old, and some of us might dare to assign that to someone quite old. Nevertheless, you may have heard God being referred to as the ‘Ancient of Days.’ You might be familiar with the worship song ‘Ancient of Days.’ But Ancient of Days described of God has nothing to do with His age, which is ageless for He is eternal, nor does it refer to our understanding of God throughout the centuries of ancient history we study. It is a reference to God being judge. It is a divine throne that will judge the world through the Son of Man, the name Jesus used most often for Himself while on the earth.

None of us know when that day will occur, but it is sure to happen. The Son of Man is going to return to judge and rule the world. John writes in the book of Revelation, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.” (1:7 esv) The prophet Daniel wrote down the visions the Lord gave him concerning the end times as hard as they are to understand. Striving to know exactly what will happen during those end times may cause you a lot of confusion and a headache or two. Continue to learn as much as you can remembering the bottom line of what we can be sure of, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him.”

Ancient of Days video – Ron Kenoly

Devotionals

National Day of Prayer

May 1, 2025April 29, 2025 Loring Schultz

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior.” 1 Timothy 2:1-3 NLT

Today is the 74^th annual National Day of Prayer observed in the United States. The first Thursday each May is designated by the U.S. Congress as a day of prayer for the nation. The President is required by law to sign a proclamation encouraging every citizen “to turn to God in prayer and meditation” for the people, the leaders, and the needs of the country.

As Christians we shouldn’t need a special day to remind us to pray for the country and those who lead us. The apostle Paul gives us instructions to do so in the book of 1 Timothy. ‘Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority.’ This should be part of our daily prayers so as Paul says that we live in peaceful times marked by godliness and dignity. Most of us would agree, I’m sure, that America and most of the world need godliness and dignity. This then should be our prayer.

We are to pray for our fellow citizens and all those who reside in our country asking God to intercede for them and giving thanks for them. When God’s people set the example of praying daily for our leaders, for those they lead, and for the needs of America it will bring a greater significance to the National Day of Prayer. Others may not be so reluctant to participate but will join us in prayer.

For those of you who reside outside the United States, Paul’s words apply to you as well. Whether your country has a National Day of Prayer or not, we should be in prayer for those who lead us, the needs of the country, and especially the people. Perhaps you can be catalyst in the establishment of a National Day of Prayer in your country. I understand it is easier said than done. But we serve a great God, and it is His desire that we pray for our leaders to change their hearts and minds “that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”