Tag: Salvation

Devotionals

Giving Thanks for a Soul Set Free

Loring Schultz

“Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Your name.” Psalm 142:7a NASB

“I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” Psalm 7:17 NASB

Photo by Kirk Cameron on Unsplash

This Thanksgiving Day there are over 1 million people in prison in the United States. Souls who will not celebrate the holiday with friends and loved ones. Their cry may be as David’s was, ‘bring my soul out of prison.’ Their desire is to be restored back in society as it was before their incarceration. The fact is their soul can be set free right they are. A prison sentence will pay the debt to society when completed and freedom will be granted. However, there is a prison sentence where no one can ever serve and pay off. It is the sentence of an eternal death separated from God and heaven for our sinful nature and our sins against God. But that soul can indeed be set free.

Perhaps you are not behind prison bars on this day, but you are behind bars that are keeping you imprisoned in your own soul. Your struggles with a particular sin, or vices you can’t seem to control keep you under lock and key. Your desire is the same cry, ‘bring my soul out of prison.’ I’m not a psychologist and not offering advice of which my knowledge is very limited. Professional services are a god-sent in our day and age and should be used if needed. But one thing I do know is that a soul can be set from sin and eternal death through Jesus Christ, God’s Son who sacrificed His life that we may have life. He paid the penalty for a soul to be set free.

If you are sitting in prison behind bars on this day, please understand that your soul can be set free. You can have assurance of eternal salvation and that your sin debt has been paid. For those of you outside prison walls who also need to be set free from your struggles with sin, Christ has paid the sin penalty for you as well. Your prayer, ‘bring my soul out of prison, will be heard and answered by accepting Christ as your savior this day. Then you can praise and thank God with David this Thanksgiving by saying, “I will give thanks to the LORD according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Ps.7:17 nasb) Happy Thanksgiving!

Devotionals

Thanksgiving Travel: Following the Highway of God

Loring Schultz

“A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.” Isaiah 35:8a NKJV

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.’” Isaiah 40:3 NKJV

Photo by Peter Robbins on Unsplash
 

Today is the busiest travel day of the year across the United States as millions of Americans make their way to friends and family for Thanksgiving. “AAA projects 79.9 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. ‘Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday for travel, and this year we’re expecting to set new records across the board, from driving to flying and cruising,’ said Stacey Barber, Vice President of AAA Travel. (1) Of those estimated 79.9 million travelers, 71.1 million people will go by car. That’s a lot of highway miles.

The United States has a vast interstate highway system which can get you to grandma’s house whether 50 or 500 miles away with no trouble. Years of planning the infrastructure of major roadways in America have proven successful. One only needs a roadmap from AAA or a GPS device and you’re all set.

Highways are mentioned several times in Scripture. Isaiah speaks about ‘The Highway of Holiness, a highway for our God.’ It was a prophetic exhortation to Israel for preparing for the coming of the Messiah. It foretold John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ. “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’” (Mt.3:3 nkjv) The Messiah, the Lord Jesus, had come, and He has come to save those who call on His name.

God had designed His infrastructure of heaven’s highway for you and me before the world began. You don’t need a GPS or a road map. The plan of salvation and the highway to heaven is to simply trust in Jesus and His work on the cross for your sin. There is only one road, one highway to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn.14:6 nkjv) Accept Christ as your savior this Thanksgiving and you’re on the highway to heaven. What a Thanksgiving feast that will be.

(1) Thanksgiving Travel Expected to Set New Record | AAA Newsroom

Devotionals

Thankfulness through Giving            

Loring Schultz

“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” 2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

In gift giving, the recipient is the one giving thanks. They are thankful for the gift received and for the giver. We don’t think much about the giver being the one giving thanks, but as Christians that should be our main intent in giving any gift or doing any good deed for someone. God the Father gave the first gift, His Son Jesus Christ. No other gift will ever match or come close to the gift He gave us. We can never top it. But we can be thankful.

God gave us His only Son to redeem us from eternal separation from Him. Jesus came willingly to earth as a man to pave the way for our salvation from eternal hell fire. Thankfulness, indeed, should be our way of life. One sign of being thankful is giving. The apostle Paul describes the ministry of giving to the church in Corinth as a two-fold operation. The needs of people will be met, and God will be thanked for it. “So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” (2Cor.9:12 nlt) Paul goes on to say, “For your generosity to them and to all believers will prove that you are obedient to the Good News of Christ.” (2Cor.9:13b nlt)

The good news of Christ is the gospel unto salvation which we have accepted and are thankful. We show our thankfulness by giving of ourselves, sharing the gospel, and meeting the needs of others. Yes, through giving. Our thankfulness through giving is not only for others, but also to the one most deserving, Jesus Christ. “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” (Col.3:17 nlt) May we always be giving thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus in everything we say and do, in this way we show our thankfulness through giving.  

Devotionals

On the Spur of the Moment

Loring Schultz

“One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-20 NLT

Photo by Eugene on Unsplash

Have you ever done anything on the spur of the moment? Perhaps you were prompted or had a sudden urge and without thinking about it, you did it. How did that work out for you? Perhaps it worked out or perhaps not. It’s too late now to reverse course, what’s done is done. The New Testament story of Jesus calling His first disciples is hard to explain in our 21st century world. On the spur of the moment Peter and his brother Andrew and later James and John, dropped everything, left their livelihood, and decided to follow Jesus.

Scripture doesn’t reveal what were in the minds of these four new recruits for Jesus’ ministry. There have been many sermons preached on the immediate response of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. How would we respond if we were in their shoes? Would we react as they did? Would we leave our jobs, our careers, and our families as James and John to follow Jesus? That could be a hard sell for most people. The point is are we willing to give up all to follow Christ.  

It seems a lot easier for us today to make that decision than the first disciples. We have so much more information through the completed Word of God about Jesus, His life, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. But even with all that knowledge of Christ many still refuse to follow Him. It still takes a spur of the moment decision to follow Jesus Christ as the first disciples had. Jesus says in the gospel of John, “For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.” (Jn.6:44a nlt) If you feel the Spirit of God drawing you today, accept Jesus as your savior and begin to follow Him. “For God says, ‘At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.’ Indeed, the ‘right time’ is now. Today is the day of salvation.” (2Cor.6:2 nlt) Join the first four disciples who left it all and followed Jesus on the spur of the moment. This one will work out.

A Christian Perspective

N.I.L. our name, image, and likeness

Loring Schultz

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 ESV

Photo by Jacob Rice on Unsplash

It is true nothing stays the same. Some changes that come along are good, others not so good, and it is one’s perspective if it’s good or not. What is good for some may not be good for others. The sporting world has seen its share of changes throughout the years. Of course, the older you are, the more changes you’ll observe during your life, and I have seen a few. Most changes in professional sports are made for safety, making the game more enjoyable and exciting, and keeping up with fan interests, although they have never asked me! Nevertheless, change is inevitable, and I will deal with it.

Collegian sports have changed over the years for the same reasons as professional sports as far as the game itself, but a concerning change has taken place in the last few years with student athletes. There has been a debate for years whether college athletes should be paid. Never mind the dollar amount of the scholarship programs providing free education each semester for these athletes. The cry is that universities are making millions of dollars through their highly successful sports program, and that cannot be denied. Student athletes were feeling used and being taken advantage of in the marketing of their talent without any compensation. An agreement was reached on the creation of N.I.L… The student athletes will now be paid for their name, image, and likeness used by the schools they represent.

What has made it more complicated is the extension of the transfer portal with thousands of students seeking a better deal or more playing time. According to NPR, “NCAA statistics show that between August 2021 and July 2022, more than 20,900 Division I student athletes entered the transfer portal. And the numbers are building. The 20,900 student athletes in 2021-2022 was up from 18,000 the previous year.” (1)

College sports and education opportunities for student athletes are changing in a big way. They are beginning to see the fruit of these changes with diminished opportunities to be molded into successful men and women as many high-profile coaches are finding it difficult to continue their style of coaching. A good number have left over the last few years as they have seen this coming. The latest surprise was Tony Bennett, head basketball coach at the University of Virginia, who stepped down right before the start of the season. A report from AP News quotes Bennett’s reasoning for stepping down, “I looked at myself and I realized, I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program, if you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in. You’ve got to have everything. And if you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men. That’s what made me step down. The game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot,” Bennett said. “And there needs to be change. I think I was equipped to do the job here the old way. That’s who I am and that’s how it was.” (2)

So, what is the Chrisitan Perspective on N.I.L.? Christian student athletes have a tremendous opportunity not only to represent their school with N.I.L. but also Jesus Christ. There are serious issues now with the NCAA, and Christian students should not shy away, but represent Christ in a way that brings honor and glory to God. Bear His likeness noting that it is not about me or the money, but this is where God has placed you.

All Christians have the same opportunity, in fact it is our new likeness. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Cor.5:17 esv) We are to be image bearers of our Lord and Savior. Our name, image, and likeness are not us, but Jesus Christ. It is worth more the any N.I.L. package, and we did enter the transfer portal. We were transferred from death unto life. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (Jn.5:24 esv)

Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

(1) Welcome to the NCAA transfer portal — where athletes can make a shot at glory : NPR

(2) Virginia coach Tony Bennett explains sudden retirement | AP News

Devotionals

Sin’s Deadly Destruction

Loring Schultz

‘“Repent and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die,’ says the Sovereign LORD. ‘Turn back and live!’” Ezekiel 18:30b-32 NLT

Photo by Rhodi Lopez on Unsplash

Sin has a way of ruining our lives. You can bet, if you’re involved in some illegal activity long enough, you’ll get caught and pay the price. Illicit sexual behavior will result in broken homes, broken relationships and broken individuals. Habitual lying disgraces your reputation where you can’t be trusted even when you are telling the truth in an urgent manner. Yes, sin is known to ruin us, for the author of sin is Satan, the father of lies and all things contrary to God.

The prophet Ezekiel prophesized to the remaining people left in Judah to repent of their sins as they were about to be destroyed by the Babylonians. There was still a chance for them to escape the same fate their predecessors faced if they repented their sins and turned to the Lord. The Lord speaking through Ezekiel says, “Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel?” (Ez.18:31 nlt) A holy God must judge sin, and the people of Israel were guilty on all counts, and judgement was coming. But God also said, ‘“I don’t want you to die, says,’ the Sovereign LORD. ‘Turn back and live!’” (Ez.18:32 nlt)

The Lord God gives us the same message today, ‘I don’t want you to die, turn back and live!’ God is a merciful, just and holy God, and because He is just and holy, He must judge sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” (Ro.6:23a nlt) All of us die physically due to our sin nature. Our spiritual death is just payment for our sins and rejecting Christ as savior.  But God is also a merciful God who does not want us to die spiritually and be separated from Him, but to turn to His Son Jesus and live eternally. “But the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro.6:23b nlt)

Sin does have a way of ruining lives, and if not dealt with can bring about deadly destruction and even an early death. But even more tragic is the deadly destruction of your soul if you haven’t repented and accepted Christ as your savior There will be an eternal separation of spiritual death from God the Father and eternity in heaven. Don’t go another day without making it right with the Lord, He wants you to live.

Find Peace with God | Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Devotionals

The Stone was Rolled Away    

Loring Schultz

“Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it.” Matthew 28:2 NLT

Photo by Pisit Heng on Unsplash

You possibly may have heard it said when Jesus rose from the dead, ‘the stone was rolled away not to let Jesus out, but to show the tomb was empty.’ Indeed, it was. Jesus rose in His new glorified body and had no need for a door to be opened for Him. Matthew tells us an angel descended amid a great earthquake and rolled away the stone, and just in time for Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, had just arrived at the tomb. The women were discussing along the way how would they move the stone away to anoint Jesus’ body which they had intended to do. (Mk.16:3) There was a barrier of a large stone between them and Jesus that needed to be moved. But as they arrived, the stone had rolled away.

Is there a stone in your life that needs to be rolled away that is creating a barrier between you and the Lord? Your busy work schedule is causing you to lose all interests in the things of God, the things of this world are winning the battle to be on top of your priority list, or perhaps it’s some besetting sin that is continually reoccurring that is the stone needing to be rolled away. So, what do you do?

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James, met Jesus on the road while running from the tomb. The stone had been rolled away and Jesus wasn’t in the tomb but stood before them alive. The stone has been rolled away to show you that Jesus has risen from the dead. He is alive, ready, willing, and able to forgive your stones of sin and break down that barrier by rolling those sins away and placing them under His blood to be remembered no more. Ask Jesus to place those sinful stones at the foot of His cross by confessing and repenting of them, and He will. The stone was rolled away for our benefit. Jesus is not dead, He’s our living savior ready to forgive.

Read: MATTHEW 28:1-15 NLT – The Resurrection – Early on Sunday – Bible Gateway

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

Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde on Unsplash

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 covers 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

Whose Approval Are You Trying to Win?

Loring Schultz

“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” Galatians 1:10 NLT

Photo by Anastasiya Badun on Unsplash

There is an old saying, ‘never discuss religion or politics.’ And never, never, never, discuss them in context with each other. The Presidential election of 2024 in the United States have tested the restrain of most Christians to remain silent when the urge is to speak in such turbulent times. That is not to say that some Christians do speak their minds. We should be ready to speak the truth when the occasion arises and not be silent. However, this is much more than speaking religion and politics but serving as an example of what Paul told the churches of Galatia. Paul told them not to be seeking the approval of people, but of God. They were not to be deceived from what they know to be true into believing a false narrative. Lives are at stake.

The apostle Paul was being accused of preaching what the Jews called ‘a cheap form of the gospel.’ They obviously were against Paul’s preaching, disagreeing on every front. These Jews tried to persuade the Gentiles to whom Paul was preaching that his message was incomplete. The gospel Paul preached required no circumcision, no dietary restrictions, and no obligation to Sabbath Laws. It was just faith in Christ alone that was needed for salvation and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. If Paul wanted to not stir up waves by remaining silent many lost souls would not have been saved and those who accepted Christ would be forever confused and unable to reach their full potential to serve Christ. Paul did not want to please and impress his fellow Jews but wanted to please his Lord and savior and lead people into the kingdom.

We have that same dilemma today. Do we risk alienation from our friends and loved ones when we speak the truth of God’s Word? The truth is, sometimes speaking the truth will result in just that. Are we willing to take the risk? Do we refrain from speaking to keep the peace? The peace will be kept, but so will their souls be kept right where they are. Christians are not to be confrontational in presenting the gospel, but to speak the truth in love. There will be natural resistance from most, and yes, there may be alienation, but whose approval are we trying to win? Remember Paul’s words, “I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God.” (Gal.1:10a nlt)

Read: Galatians 1:1-10 NLT – Greetings from Paul – This letter is – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Nothing Prevents the Fruition of God’s Plans

Loring Schultz

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT

“So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.” Matthew 27:66 NLT

Photo by GRAY on Unsplash

Have you ever felt you messed up God’s plans for your life? You say to yourself, ‘Obviously, God’s plans didn’t work out or I wouldn’t be in the situation I am in. I messed up along the way throwing the plans off course.’ It may be true that you messed up, I’ve done it myself but rest assured God’s plans for you are still in tack. There is nothing you can do to alter the plans the creator of the universe has for you since before you were born. It’s hard to understand, I know. Take heart, you may have messed up, but it didn’t mess up God’s plans.

Every Christian should be thankful nothing prevents the fruition of God’s plans especially His plan of salvation for all who believe in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. God’s plan of salvation was for His only Son to come to earth, live a perfect life, die as a sacrifice for sins, be buried, and rise again on the third day. Nothing was going to mess that up. The leading priests and the Pharisees also had a plan that worked, but it didn’t turn out the way they thought it would. They asked to Pilate to have the tomb in which Jesus was buried be guarded and sealed. The religious rulers were afraid the disciples would steal Jesus’ body and claim He had risen from the dead as Jesus said He would after three days. The seal remained in place for no one tried to steal Jesus’ body, but Jesus did rise on the third day.

Many of those who followed Jesus didn’t understand all they witnessed during His arrest, trials, and crucifixion. It seemed a master plan had gone terribly wrong. Yes, it was a master plan, but everything about it was right. You can trust God for the plans he has for you. He sent His Son to die as a sacrifice for your sin. It was His plan for you and me. “Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?” (Ro.8:32 nlt) Rejoice that God has a plan for you. You may not understand it, but He does. Trust Him that nothing will prevent all His plans from coming to fruition.

Read: Matthew 27:62-66 NLT – The Guard at the Tomb – The next day, – Bible Gateway