Tag: Devotional

Devotionals

Travel lighter in the New Year

Loring Schultz

“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 11:29-30 NLT

            We are rapidly approaching the eve of another New Year. Looking back throughout the current year, what burdens have you carried that were too much for you to bear? How often have you felt you were walking alone through all your difficulties? You imagine to yourself how much easier life would be if you had someone walking beside you helping to carry your burdens.  But not just anyone, it needs to be someone who knows you intimately. One who understands your feelings, knows your hurts, knows your strengths and weaknesses and still loves you, one who will continue to walk with you helping and guiding you along the way. There is such a one and His burden is light.

            Jesus teaching the way of salvation in the gospel of Matthew said the following, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28 NLT) Those in Jesus’s day as in our day struggled in finding the meaning of life, finding happiness and contentment, working exhaustively in trying everything and anything new looking for hope and that pie in the sky feeling. The truth is, what Jesus offers is more than an unrealistic pie in the sky moment, but a true reality of a light burden in this life as we trust in Him and walk with Him.

            Jesus uses the example of being yoked with Him as two farming animals are yoked together with a wooden bar. The purpose was to distribute the weight evenly, lining them together in order to work efficiently with no extra burden on one or the other. The burden of plowing was made much easier by the wooden bar, and our burden in life is made much easier when we are yoked together with Christ. He knows us intimately, He is gentle, He will guide us and supply our need along the way, and it is where we can find rest only in Him. Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Allow yourself to be yoked with Christ in 2024 and beyond and may we all travel lighter in the New Year!

Happy New Year 2024!

Devotionals

Press on in 2024

Loring Schultz

“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus is calling us.” Philippians 3:13b, 14 NLT

            Once again we approach the end of another year and the start of a New Year. For some of us the New Year can’t come fast enough, for others (this past year has been good and don’t want to see it end). But what do they both have in common? Both are looking forward to a good year ahead. One is looking towards an improvement in their current situation and the other for a continuing of their current conditions in the New Year.

            So is our perspective in the world in which we live. But this world is not all that there is. For the Christian, our life in this world is referred to as being in a race. The end of the race (the finish line) is entrance into heaven. The prize is eternal life and Christlikeness in heaven. This should be our goal at the start of each New Year, to “Press On” towards our heavenly prize by living the transformed life through Christ for all to see, so press on in 2024.  

Devotionals

Let us not neglect each other by our absence

Loring Schultz

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:23-25 ESV

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            Most polling groups surveying church attendance over the past decade have come up with similar results, an overall decline in church attendance. The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 certainly has contributed to the decline, but attendance has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. It is perceived by some the pandemic only enhanced what was already a steady disinterest in attending worship services. On-line streaming of church services have also helped to fuel the legitimate stay at home reason and watch it when convenient. I do thank the Lord for advances in technology to be able to bring church to shut-ins, those hospitalized, those serving overseas, and for those who find it impossible to attend for unforeseen reasons. But scripture is clear in instructing us not to neglect meeting with each other (and Zoom is no substitute) to encourage each other in the Lord.

            The book of Acts records for us the spread of Christianity and the establishment of local churches in every city where the gospel was preached as converts came to know Christ. The training of pastors and elders were taking place to teach and shepherd the newly form flock. They warned against false teachers that distort the gospel, and Christians were instructed to love and care for one another. The early days of the church saw much persecution against them and encouraged each other as a family. All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior is part of the universal family of God. The local church serves as an assembly of brothers and sisters in Christ, a family intended to worship the Lord together and encourage each other in our faith.

            The author of the book of Hebrews writes, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:24-25 ESV) The author in this text is instructing us to encourage each other by stirring up one another to love and good works for two very important reasons. 1. It was the habit of some to neglect meeting together for worship, and 2. The Day (return of Christ) is drawing near.

            Today, it is safe to say, we have a lot more than some who are neglecting their brothers and sisters in Christ by their absence on Sunday morning-and we are two thousand years closer to the return of Christ than the early church. So our need is as urgent as theirs, even more so. If you make only one New Year’s Resolution this year may it be to join with our family in Christ in worship every week. Let us not neglect each other by our absence.

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Devotionals

Unfinished Business

Loring Schultz

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom……..…..Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:12, 17 ESV

            “This too shall pass” is a familiar comment used by many in referring to circumstances that are mostly undesirable, although not always. As we come to a close of another year, yes this too shall pass. Most of us cannot wait until this year is over with all its turmoil. A New Year brings with it a ray of hope for a better year and a brighter future. But what about any unfinished business for this year that is on our agenda, and we all have some. If you are like me, you pass it on to the next year for there is not enough time left to finish it in the current year. It is fine to continue on with projects, goals, and the fulfilment of desires pushing them into the following year, but none of us are guaranteed another year to complete our projects or to reach our goals. It is time for us to realize the importance of each day in doing our work, the work the Lord God has given us to do.

            I remember many years ago my grandfather telling me how fast time flies and the fastest time for him was between the ages of 60 and 80. As I find myself now in that bracket I realize what he meant. A few years ago while discussing matters of the church with a colleague of mine, he asked me if I had an “exit plan.” I had never given that any thought until then. But the fact is, the Lord has assigned each of us work and given us opportunity to perform that work where He has placed us. The Lord has placed each of us strategically where we live, work, and Worship Him for His purposes, and He has given us the time in which to accomplished those tasks.

            How are you using the time He has given you? We know for certain when one calendar year ends and another begins, however there is not one of who knows the amount of time God has given on this earth to do His work. Let us not leave any Unfinished Business, for this too shall pass.

Devotionals

Contentment

Loring Schultz

“….. for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” Philippians 4:11 NASB

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            Contentment by definition is “a state of happiness and satisfaction.” Are you able to say you are always in a state of happiness and satisfaction? How about most of the time? Perhaps half of the time? Maybe some of the time? Or could it be that you are never in a state of happiness and satisfaction?

            What is your foundation you rely for contentment (your state of happiness and satisfaction)? Is it money, a successful job, an eloquent home, a luxurious automobile, a stable relationship with that certain someone, a secure family life, or even a quiet evening sitting on the beach watching the sunset? These things and similar desires will grant us happiness and satisfaction for a while. The problem lies in the fact that our circumstances change quite often, sometimes daily, and that being the case we need a constant, unchangeable, secure entity to rely on; and that is in the person Jesus Christ, God the Son.

            Paul, the apostle, knew what it was like to be poor and hungry living with minimal supplies. He also experience having an abundant supply. But his contentment didn’t depend on whether he was rich or poor. He wrote in Philippians 4:11, “for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” His constant, unchangeable, secure entity was Jesus. Paul says “I can do all things through Him (Jesus) who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 NASB) It is true you can be in a state of happiness and satisfaction even when things all around you are in disarray through Jesus Christ. That’s Contentment! True Contentment is only found in Jesus.

Devotionals

The Day After; A Christmas Letdown

Loring Schultz

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

            So much emphasis is put on one day of the year, Christmas Day. Traditionally it is known as the ‘hustle and bustle’ of Christmas. Concerts, plays, and musicals performed by preschoolers up to the professional level take our time either by preparing or attending these holiday events. The purchasing of gifts for family, friends, associates, and that special loved one adds to our time. Christmas is also the baking season. Who doesn’t enjoy their favorite Christmas cookies this time of year? There are parties to go to and meals to prepare, especially that Christmas dinner. With all the preparations during the Christmas season for celebrating one day many people are glad when it is over, but many also suffer a letdown for a day only last twenty-four hours and it is soon gone.

            The day after Christmas can be a depressing time if your emphasis is only on the day itself. Although Christmas day itself and the weeks leading up to it can be a time of goodwill, joy, and peace even among those who hardly agree with each other, this will soon past. The struggles of everyday life continue into the New Year. Is it possible to avoid an after Christmas letdown? Are we able to maintain the joy and peace of Christmas on the day after and all through the year? Yes we are!

            The apostle John penned the most familiar verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jn.3:16 KJV) When our emphasis is on, as we say, ‘the reason for the season’ and we have come to trust Jesus as our Savoir, we as Christians should never have an after Christmas letdown. We may miss the cookies and time with family and friends, but we have the presence of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit all through the year.

            For those of you have not trusted in Jesus for Salvation, put your faith in Him by confessing and repenting your sins this Christmas and avoid your after Christmas Letdown.

Devotionals

Christ’s Gift of Mercy to Us                  

Loring Schultz

“Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17 NLT

            Christmas Day is a day of exchanging gifts with family, friends, and loved ones, and sometimes with not-so-loved ones. I’m sure we have all experienced ‘should I give so and so a gift this year?’ Whatever our reasoning is, it defeats the purpose of the true meaning and spirit of Christmas. There should never be a standard to live up to in order to receive a gift. If that were the case, most of us would not have anything under our tree on Christmas morning, myself included. When we do receive a gift from someone unexpected, we are surprised, yet thankful, and at times embarrassed and even feel unworthy. We may feel a need to reciprocate, but nothing seems adequate in response.

            Such should be our sentiment to Jesus for His gift of mercy to us. Jesus left His throne in heaven to come down to earth for us in a special way for a special purpose. The New Testament book of Hebrews says, “Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die…… Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God.” (Heb. 4:14a, 17a NLT) Christ’s gift of mercy to us is His becoming our faithful High Priest offering Himself as a sacrifice for our sin once and for all. Jesus was faithful to God the Father’s required payment for sin, a perfect and holy sacrifice. “He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” (1 Jn. 2:2 NLT)

            This Christmas let us remind ourselves as one loved or not-so-loved there is one gift we could never re-gift, the sacrifice of the Christ child born that early Christmas morning. Let us also remind ourselves there are no ‘not-so-loved’ with God, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (Jn. 3:16 NLT)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Devotionals

Christmas Dreams

Loring Schultz

“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’” Matthew 1:20 NKJV

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            Many of us have had Christmas dreams at one time or another. From early childhood dreaming about what occurs on Christmas Eve and what the man in the red suit will leave behind serves as a starting point for many of the dreams we have into adulthood. Dreams of having the perfect Christmas with friends, family, and that special loved one now replaces a visit from the man from the North Pole. Dreams of peace during the Christmas season encourages us as we engage in the busy day to day activities and preparations that the season brings. And what do all these have in common? They all anticipate what is coming and hope that their dreams come true.

            Dreams are very much a part of Christmas. In fact, as far back as the first Christmas, dreams played an important role in the birth of Christ. There are five recorded dreams in Matthew’s account of Jesus’s birth. An angel of the Lord appears in all of them, stating God’s perfect will. It is part of His salvation plan from the beginning.

            An angel appears to Joseph in four of these dreams. Joseph, as you can imagine, was quite concerned of Mary’s condition. He is assured “that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” After Jesus’s birth Herod seeks the child to kill Him. An angel again appears in a dream and instructs Joseph to take Mary and the Child and go to Egypt. After Herod’s death, Joseph is further instructed in a dream to return to Israel and then to settle in a city called Nazareth. These dreams also fulfil the prophecies spoken by the Old Testament prophets concerning the coming Messiah.

            Christmas dreams are fine in anticipating that special day if put in the proper perspective, even dreaming of a White Christmas or visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head. These dreams are the product of years of tradition in celebrating the greatest birth of all time. But let us not forget those first dreams that first Christmas that made the most anticipated arrival of the Christ Child secure- His arrival for you and me. Pleasant Dreams!

Devotionals

Let Christ fill the void in your life this Christmas

Loring Schultz

“Now all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him.” Luke 15:1 NASB

            What was it about Jesus that drew sinners and the outcasts of society to Him? Tax collectors in Jesus’s day extorted money from people by demanding excessive amounts above the required payment. They were the most hated and mistrusted individuals in that day. They were earning a lucrative living by openly stealing. Note that it was not just tax collectors who were drawn to Jesus for the Bible says “and the sinners were coming near Him.”

            And who were the sinners? Yes, drunkards, prostitutes, swindlers, thieves, liars, murderers and the like, “coming near Him to listen to Him.”

            And who are the tax collectors and sinners in our day? I’m afraid it’s you and me. In some degree all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23). And we all have a void, a deep hole in our souls that can only be filled by Jesus Christ. We were created to have a relationship with our heavenly Father, but that relationship is broken by our sin. It is an empty and nagging feeling that if you admit it; you know it is there. The tax collectors and sinners in Jesus’s day knew it was there. They didn’t want religious rules and regulations, they wanted forgiveness, and they wanted to fill the void, that deep hole in their life.

            May you take the opportunity this Christmas to fill the void in your life by accepting Christ as your personal Savior. That is why He came. That is why we celebrate Christmas.

Devotionals

Working the Night Shift

Loring Schultz

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.” Luke 2:8 NLT

            Many people need to work the night shift, midnight shift, or third shift whatever term you would like to use. Whether in manufacturing, medical facilities, emergency units, law enforcement, or the 24/7 grocery and convenient stores. These individuals are working when most of us are asleep. They put in their typical work day (or night) during unfavorable hours. But they have a job to do and they perform the tasks that are assigned to them. Most nights are uneventful and then you have one of those nights when the unexpected happens.

            Two thousand years ago the unexpected happened in a shepherd’s field just outside of Bethlehem. The shepherds were working the night shift. Their job was mainly overnight security. They worked as night watchmen guarding and protecting the sheep from predators and thieves. Most nights were quiet, a matter of routine and at times extremely boring. But this night was different. The birth of a baby boy a short distance away would change their lives forever.

            Jesus, the promised Messiah, was born that night. So magnificent was His birth that a host of angels came down from heaven to announce it. Who were the first recipients of this good news, those who were awake; the working shepherds. The first angel appeared before the shepherds and announced, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10-11 NLT) Then, “Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’” (Luke 2:13-14 NLT) The announcement made to the shepherds many years ago can still be heard today through the church and through individuals proclaiming a Savior has been born, Christ the Lord!