Tag: God

A Christian Perspective

Standing in the Gap for America

Loring Schultz

“I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn’t have to destroy the land, but I found no one. So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” Ezekiel 22:30-31 NLT

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The United States of America is still the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world today. Cemented on Judeo-Christian values from the pages of Holy Scripture by the founding Fathers, the United States has been blessed as no other nation for the undivided attention given to God’s commands and the truth given to us from our creator. But, I’m afraid those days are surely coming to an end. The United States as a country has abandon God and we are starting to see the beginning of the end of our freedom unless a radical change back to God is made very soon.

It is impossible for anyone to not be aware of the deterioration of the very fabric of our nation. Even the casual observer of the news is confronted with political turmoil, ever increasing crime, hatred towards others, racism, scandals within our government institutions, attempts to silence free speech, discrimination, churches turning away from the truths of God’s Word, and Federal government spending causing the rise in the debt ceiling. The fact is, although being aware of the crisis in our country, many people are either disinterested or simply don’t care. Others are too busy with their own concerns, some are part of the problem, and then there are others who do care but only complain. They never take the initiative by getting involved to help in any way they can, even praying for the country.

The Lord speaking through the prophet Ezekiel was looking for someone to intercede on behalf of the people of Jerusalem who were about to be taken captive, and the city destroyed. Their continued sinning by turning their back on God is about to unleash the consequences. Sadly, the Lord found no one to ‘stand in the gap’ rebuilding the wall of righteousness. There was no one to teach repentance and return to the Lord their God. Jerusalem was destroyed and the people taken to Babylon in captivity.

The United States must heed this warning from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, if the Lord God did not spare His own people from destruction due to their sin, what makes us think He will spare the United States of America? “So now I will pour out my fury on them, consuming them with the fire of my anger. I will heap on their heads the full penalty for all their sins. I, the Sovereign LORD, have spoken!” (Ez.22:31 nlt) Who will help rebuild the wall of righteousness, the sacred Judeo-Christian values that established the United States, and stand in the ‘stand in the gap?’ Will it be you? Will it be me? May it be both of us!

The link below will help get us off to a good start. Today is Day 2 of ’40 Days of Prayer before the U. S. Presidential election.’ May we all be in prayer as we stand in the gap for the next 40 days for America and other countries around the world.

40 Days USA | A Call To Pray For Our Nation

Photo by René DeAnda on Unsplash
Devotionals

The Lord Directs Our Steps

Loring Schultz

“The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:24 NLT

Photo by Miguel A Amutio on Unsplash

I say to myself, ‘I shouldn’t have done that,’ after I already did it. Then I ask myself, ‘why did I do that?’ to which I have no answer, most of the time. Solomon’s proverb may or may not be comforting at this time when he writes, ‘The Lord directs our steps.’ If I did something stupid, how could that be the Lord directing me, but on the other hand if it turns out for the good it had to be the Lord directing me. As I look back over my life, I’ve had many of those occasions perhaps you have too, but do not waste your time trying to figure out how the Lord directs our steps, just accept it.

You may ask, ‘Is God directing my steps when I am involved in sin?’ Absolutely not! God is holy and cannot accept sin in His sight. That is why God the Father turned His back on Jesus at Calvary when the sins of the world were placed on Him at the cross. God gives us free will in making choices in this life, but when we put our trust in Him and accept His Son as our savior God will lead those who are His according to His will. Do Christians still sin. Absolutely! Although God is not directing our steps into sin, He will still work out His purposes as we confess and repent providing us with grace and mercy.

It’s hard to accept at times that we could be in a certain place due to the consequences of our sin and yet the Lord continues to bless us. He uses us in influencing others towards Him according to His will. God does not give up on His children who confess and come back to Him. He will even use our past to glorify Him as we repent and live a life of righteousness. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” (Is.42:3 niv) God does direct the steps of those who are His, even the stupid things we do. He will make them right. But remember God never directs us into sin, but as we confessed and repent, He will forgive us applying His grace and mercy. Hard to accept, I know. Just accept it and praise Him for it!

Devotionals

A Refuge in Times of Trouble

Loring Schultz

“The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” Nahum 1:7 NIV

Photo by Roman Melnychuk on Unsplash

I don’t know of anyone I have ever met that has not had trouble in their life. Some people seem to have trouble following them wherever they go. One of favorite cartoon characters, ‘Ziggy’, had those experiences with a dark cloud always over his head. Ziggy is a good-natured fellow with a kind, warm heart, but that didn’t prevent him from troubled times. In fact, he didn’t let it bother him, he just went along his way being who he is, a kindhearted cartoon character. We can also go along in troubled times being who we are, Christians who know the Lord God.

It would be nice if all our troubles were little things happening to us that some would call bad luck, or the black cloud that hovers above us. But most of our times of trouble are more than a ‘Ziggy’ event, some of them even tragic. Becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee all our troubles disappear, they don’t. We may find that a little odd. After all, why wouldn’t God keep us from trouble. He may not keep us from trouble, but God cares and is always with us as we go through it.

The Old Testament prophet Nahum writes, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.” (Na.1:7 niv) The Lord is our refuge, our safety net, our escape route, our defender, and our strength who will not abandon us. Whatever you may be going through this week remember God is there with you. God cares for you, and He is good. You will continue to have trouble in this life, but as a Christian you can rest assured God is with you. He will not leave you to work it out on your own but will be a refuge for those He cares for as you trust in Him.

Bible Studies

“Prayer and Fasting” Godly Leadership: the book of Nehemiah

Loring Schultz

“The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.” Nehemiah 1:3b-4 NLT

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Today we start our Biblical Insights Fall Series with a study into the book of Nehemiah. While there are many themes and insights we can glean from this book, our focus will be on Godly Leadership in a time of crisis. A selection of events of his leadership from his own memoirs provide the context for this Old Testament history book. Nehemiah demonstrates unmatched skills for his day in overall leadership and organization. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary notes, “No portion of the Old Testament provides us with a greater incentive to dedicated, discerning zeal for the work of God than the book of Nehemiah. The example of Nehemiah’s passion for the truth of God’s word, whatever the cost or consequences, is an example solely needed in the present hour.” (1) With that said, let us begin.

Nehemiah was a trusted Royal official in King Artaxerxes court. Artaxerxes was King Ahasuerus’ son from our study in the book of Esther. In fact, Esther was his stepmother. Nehemiah was one King Artaxerxes most trusted officials for he was the king’s cupbearer. He would choose and taste the king’s wine safeguarding it from being poisoned. He was highly trusted and would be used by God for His purposes as Joseph, Daniel, and Esther. Once again God’s people found themselves in an uncomfortable and dangerous situation.

Some quick background; The Jewish people had returned to Jerusalem from captivity in 538 B.C. and completed the rebuilt temple 515 B.C… There was a second mass return from the Persian Empire under the leadership of Ezra in 458 B.C… The book of Nehemiah begins in Nov/Dec 445 B.C. as Nehemiah receives word from his brother and others who had traveled to Jerusalem to report on the conditions of the city. Nehemiah was concerned for the people there and anxious to receive the report. Scripture does say how involved Nehemiah was in these men going to Jerusalem, but he was certainly concerned. Nehemiah possessed a caring attitude for his brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. When he heard of the bad report he was devastated by the news. “They said to me, ‘Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace.’” (Neh.1:3a nlt) When he heard the news, Nehemiah took the first step a Godly leader takes, he mourned for those in Jerusalem, fasted and prayed. Godly leaders know who to turn to when people are in trouble. A lesson appropriate for leaders today.

What was hard for Nehemiah to grasp was not that the walls and gates were torn down, but that the work had stopped in rebuilding them after their return to the land. There was much opposition and delays when building the temple, but the people were able to see it to completion. Apparently, those distractors still had a stronghold on Jerusalem’s residents that they did not continue the work. This was extremely dangerous for the safety of the people and the protection of the temple with no walls of defense. Nehemiah was not a religious leader but understood what the city of Jerusalem was to the Lord God. It was the city where God had put His name, and His name was not being glorified by the total completion of the city walls when His people returned to Jerusalem. Nehemiah had godly insight into the problem which a Godly leader needs to have to be successful.

Notice another trait of a Godly leader. Nehemiah identified with the people in his prayer. “Listen to my prayer! Look down and see me praying night and day for your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!” (Neh.1:6 nlt) Nehemiah recognizes perhaps the people have not been obedient to God and therefore the walls of protection are gone so he prays to that end and adds his own sin and confesses. Godly leaders confess their sins and the sins of those they represent.

Nehemiah reminds the Lord of His covenant with Israel in his prayer, not that he needs to be reminded but plead with God to activate His promise to them if the people repented. “But if you return to me and obey my commands and live by them, then even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to the place I have chosen for my name to be honored.” (Neh.1:9 nlt) The Lord had indeed brought them back and now Nehemiah is asking God for His name to honored again in Jerusalem through His chosen people. “The people you rescued by your great power and strong hand are your servants.” (Neh.1:10 nlt)

Nehemiah closes his prayer with a request that the king’s heart would be kind to him when he makes his approach to ask permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. He already had a plan. A good leader does go about haphazardly but has a plan in place. We can all use this advice in our daily lives. God may change your plans but have a plan in place Nehemiah did.

Finally, a Godly leader understands the value of bringing everything before God in prayer. Nehemiah prayed recognizing the transcendent God, who is high and mighty far above His people and close enough to help them in their time of need. We have the same God today. May all those in leadership positions follow Nehemiah’s first step when faced with a crisis. Pray!

Read: Nehemiah 1 NLT – These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son – Bible Gateway

(1) Pfeiffer, Charles F, Harrison, Everett F. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, 1990.

A Christian Perspective

Pray for Christian Leaders in Government

Loring Schultz

“Then the other administrators and high officers began searching for some fault in the way Daniel was handling government affairs, but they couldn’t find anything to criticize or condemn. He was faithful, always responsible, and completely trustworthy. So they concluded, ‘Our only chance of finding grounds for accusing Daniel will be in connection with the rules of his religion.’” Daniel 6:4-5 NLT

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Government officials who profess Christianity are looked upon as a threat to our way of life. Adhering to Biblical principles accuses them of intolerance, taking away rights, discrimination, limiting freedom, and dare I say a threat to democracy. Of course, none of this is true for the God of the Bible would never support those things listed above. In fact, the Bible speaks quite openly just the opposite when administered according to His standard of truth and His holiness. God has established government for an orderly way of life in our world to maintain peace by punishing criminals and providing safety and protection for all its citizens. The guidelines to follow are found in His book He has written to us, the Bible. It is when government seeks to establish their own reasoning of right and wrong contrary to God’s standards that we have an unorderly world.

Christians in government leadership positions need our daily prayers. They are in an uphill battle with mostly every piece of legislation being debated or with laws they need to follow which are against God’s Word. There are many who want to silence them and see them out of office. I believe the Lord has placed them there by His grace and will use them for His glory not only for a more stable government, but in advancing His kingdom by leading others to Christ. They have a great responsibility to maintain integrity among their colleagues with whom they are in opposition for the greater cause for doing the right thing for the people.

The prophet Daniel in the Old Testament could well represent a modern-day government official. He, indeed, was one. One of the top three in Darius’ administration. Daniel’s character and integrity were above reproach, and his work was of excellent quality. He was on his way to being promoted but his two companions wanted him out of office and tried to find some accusation against him but couldn’t find any. Daniel’s godly character and work ethic made it impossible to find anything negative in his service to the king. His opponents knew they could only get him to violate the law if it was something that went against his God, so they devised a plan and they passed such a law. This is being done in our government before our very eyes in 2024.

Be praying for all who hold office in our government, Christians and non-Christians alike. For those who do not know the living savior to come to know Him and for Christians to be able to stand for the truth and not be persuaded to compromise God’s Word in fear of losing their jobs. Pray they will maintain their integrity and conduct their work to highest standard as a follower of Jesus. And continue to pray for the United States in the upcoming election that men and women of God will be elected to office governing as God’s Word commands.

Devotionals

Confidently Waiting for the Lord

Loring Schultz

“Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” Psalm 27:14 NLT

Photo by Nikolay Draganov on Pexels.com

Are you able to say with confidence that you always wait with patience for the Lord to help you? Do you have confidence that He will? It is not easy when a heavy burden overshadows your light of day. You find it difficult to concentrate, thinking ahead waiting for the burden to be lifted. You have prayed, but you just can’t leave it there with the Lord. Rehashing it in your mind causes anxiety and you feel the answer can’t come soon enough. Let’s take a look at King David in Psalm 27. He had a mounting problem with those who were conspiring against him, but he prayed to the Lord and waited patiently with confidence.

First of all, David knew he needed not to be afraid. He said, the Lord was his light, his salvation and his protection from danger. (Ps.27:1) David came to this conclusion from the experience of God’s help in the past. You can probably recall instances when God answered your prayers in the past. Rest on that! Secondly, David portrays God’s protection from his enemies as concealing and hiding him in His sanctuary. (Ps.27:5) The sanctuary in David’s day meant the presence of the Lord. If you are a believer in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit residing in you. Rest also in that! And third, David had an intimate prayer session with God. “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’” (Ps.27:8 nlt) Rest in the fact you are invited by God to come and talk with Him!

David prayed earnestly pouring out his heart. He held nothing back and we shouldn’t either. God desires our honest prayers from the heart, so let it all out. David did and was able to say, “Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.” (Ps.27:13 nlt) And he closes his psalm by saying, “Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.” (Ps.27:14 nlt)

Read: Psalm 27 NLT – Psalm 27 – A psalm of David. The LORD – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

What Really Matters When It Comes to Love

Loring Schultz

“I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return.” Philippians 1:9-10 NLT

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash

The world acknowledges every time there is a catastrophic event ‘love’ is missing, that it had been here from the beginning and now it is gone. But has it always been here? The Bible says God is love and for sure He is. There is a misunderstanding of the love of God among the people of the world which justifies sinful behavior. The love of God simply stated in scripture is, “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)

Godly love has not been in the world, outside of those who know God, since the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. The world is incapable of this love if it does not know the true God of the Bible. John writes, “…. for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.” (1Jn.4:7b nlt) Obviously those who do not know God do not possess the love needed the help the world in crisis. But Christians do! “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” (1Jn.4:9-10 nlt)

It is vital for every Christian to know what really matters after we have accepted Christ as savior. Paul encourages us to ‘keep on growing in knowledge and understanding’ and that our love would overflow. It is not sentimental love, but love rooted in the knowledge of God. Understanding what really matters will help us to ‘live pure and blameless lives.’ Paul writes, “May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.” (Ph.1:11 nlt) Then we are capable to share the gospel, the love of God, with the world who so desperately needs it. That’s ‘what really matters when it comes to love.’

A Christian Perspective

Our Rights Come from God

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.” Genesis 1:27 NLT

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash

We have all heard the statement “I have my rights.” You may have said it yourself. Having said it, it stands to reason you believe it. But what is the foundation your rights are built on? Where do your rights come from? Have you ever thought deeply as to their origin? Here in the United States, there is much debate over the issue of human rights. During a Presidential election campaign, the focus is on maintaining those rights whether you are on the left or the right. But what both political parties must recognize is ‘our rights come from God’ and not from the government.

Cries are coming from both sides of the fear of losing their rights. There is fear of losing the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, and the right of a woman’s freedom of choice resulting in losing their reproductive health care rights as it is so cleverly renamed. There is a legitimate concern in America for the possibilities of losing one’s rights as set forth in the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. The founding fathers knew and proclaimed that individual rights come from God. The Declaration of Independence says, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Note these rights are God given, not given by the government.

“However, if you think that we are granted our fundamental rights by the government, then you are more likely to seek additional favors from the government. If the government is the grantor of all good things, what is to stop someone from thinking up more good things that could and should be granted by our elected leaders?” (1) A case in point is the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 which legalized abortion as a woman’s right to choose. The court read abortion in the 14th amendment. “Justice Harry Blackmun said that the court held a woman’s right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected under the 14th Amendment. However, while the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman’s right to choose, it also acknowledged the state’s interest in protecting the ‘potential of human life.’” (2) Notice the Supreme Court didn’t rule that states could not limit abortion to protect human life.

As we head to polls this November or earlier through early voting keep in mind our rights come from God. May we be praying that our God-given rights will not be taken away by the next administration. May we pray that government policies will not create false rights that infringe on others, especially the right of ‘Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness’ for the unborn.

(1) The right way to think about rights | The Heritage Foundation

(2) What is the 14th Amendment and How is It Connected to Abortion Rights, Roe v. Wade? – NBC Chicago

Devotionals

Days of Trouble

Loring Schultz

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Psalm 50:15 NKJV

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

September 11, 2001, is a day that will always be remembered for all those who were alive and old enough to feel the devasting effect it had on the United States. A deadly Islamist terrorist attack organized by al-Qaeda killed 2,977 people by hijacking and crashing air liners into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania. Throughout the week following that Tuesday tragedy and on the following Sunday morning churches were filled with people calling out to God in the day of our trouble. The Lord had provided comfort for the nation and there was peace and unity for a time, but as is witnessed today that is long gone.

Why does it take a tragedy like a 911 to bring people together and call upon God? Granted there has been other tragedies that have brought Americans together the past twenty-three years such as school shootings, natural disasters, mass shootings in public places, and Covid-19. True to form, once the tragedy has past, America again forgets God. He is not call upon until the next the day of trouble. What a mistake that is, we have trouble every day in the United States. Prayer should be offered daily for America for the trouble we are in, our days of trouble.

On a personal note, each of us is in the same boat. Every day is an on-going challenge. We may be having a great day, but there is not a day that goes by that something doesn’t go wrong, so why not start the day by calling upon the Lord in your upcoming day of trouble. You’re going to have one! The Lord promises to deliver us, and we will be able to glorify Him daily for His care over us. Don’t wait until a tragedy comes into your life to call upon God. Yes, He will still deliver you, but He desires to deliver you daily from the small things in your days of trouble.

Read: Psalm 50 NKJV – God the Righteous Judge – A Psalm of – Bible Gateway

Bible Studies

At Last!

Loring Schultz

‘“At last!’ the man exclaimed. ‘This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’ This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” Genesis 2:23-24 NLT

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God’s design and purposes for us are always perfect. They are just the right fit for us to live comfortably in this world. There may be times we do not see God’s design for our lives as we struggle in the confusion of our current day. But God’s way and purposes are right. He does not make mistakes, especially when it comes to His creation.

Adam may have felt God make a mistake after he was given the task to name all the animals God created and found none he could relate to or even have a conversation with. Unknowingly to Adam, God had a plan for an equal partner for him. He will create the perfect helper for him, a woman.  “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” (Gen.2:21-22 nlt) Adam was blessed and encouraged by God’s provision and perfect plan in providing him a helper by establishing marriage and the way to populate the earth.

We share the same blessing today. It is still God’s perfect design of male and female created in His 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.’” (Gen.1:27-28b nlt) God’s design for marriage is naturally between one man and one woman, and it is the only way to populate the earth. No wonder Adam was excited and exclaimed, “At last!”