Tag: Salvation

Devotionals

There is a Light at the End of the Tunnel

Loring Schultz

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.” 1 Peter 1:6 NLT

Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

Life has its many trials. There are many dark roads we travel on and not by choice. It is often said and is true that the longer you live the more dark roads you will travel, the more trials will come upon you, but you will have many opportunities to test your faith in the Lord, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The apostle Peter tells us, “These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.” (1 Pt. 1:7a nlt)

The Christian’s faith in Jesus leads to salvation. “The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pt. 1:9nlt) But we live in this interim period after our acceptance of Christ for salvation and the full fulfillment of that decision where we are still in a fallen world filled with trials and temptations. Jesus Himself says to us, “…. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33b nlt) Jesus is assuring us that our faith in Him is not in vain. Although we have trials and sorrows in this world, Jesus our savior has overcome the world. We can trust Him to see us through the trials and come out with our faith strong in the Lord Jesus bringing much praise to the glory of God.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.” (1 Pt. 1:6nlt) The Lord comforts us during our dark days here on earth by reminding us of His power of overcoming the darkness. Jesus is the light of the world. And for those who have accepted Him as their savior, He is the light at the end of the tunnel.

Read: 1 Peter 1:3-9 NLT – The Hope of Eternal Life – All praise – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

A Cry of Rejected Love

Loring Schultz

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.” Matthew 23:37 NLT

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I am sure many of us have felt the rejection of love, either by a romantic relationship, by a parent or sibling, by our closest friends, or a group of people you had a close bond with. There is a deep hole in your heart that takes time to fill if at all. Our Lord Jesus, being fully man and fully God, also felt the rejection of love from those He came to save, His own chosen people of Israel.

In the final week of Jesus’ life on earth, known as Passion Week, before His crucifixion Jesus cried out His heart-felt rejection from the people of the nation and the city of Jerusalem which he loved. Despite His rebuke of them in rejecting and killing the prophets throughout their history, Jesus loved His people and wanted to protect them from harm by coming to save them. But they refused and rejected His love for them.

We are amid the Lenten season with Passion Week just around the corner. As we observed the events of Jesus’ last week may we remember the reason for each one. Jesus came to us in our sinful world for just that reason, to die redeeming us from eternal wrath away from God for those who trust in Him for salvation. He rose again on Easter Sunday to assure of everlasting life. This Easter season do not reject the love Jesus has shown towards you. Jesus wants to gather you and protect you under His wings of salvation, please let Him do it. Accept His gift of salvation.

Devotionals

Lasting Joy and Peace is found only in the God of Hope

Loring Schultz

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NIV

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels.com

Every human being needs a little joy and peace from time to time. But what happens when the ‘little’ doesn’t last and fades away? There are many things that we escape to in search of joy and peace. Entertainment by way of musical artists, major sporting events, and the theatre provide moments of joy, peace, and relaxation for a few hours if your team wins, or you hear your favorite song. Travelling on vacation to an exotic resort and taking in all the sights of your surroundings may give a sense of awe and pleasure during your stay. And then there is the inexpensive way to find joy and peace in settling down with a good book, or taking a nature walk in God’s creation. All of these will satisfy your desire for joy and peace for a period, but did you know there is a way to experience joy and peace that never fades away.

Paul writing to the church in Rome encouraged them by saying, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro. 15:13 NIV) Paul was convinced his readers would be filled with lasting joy and peace as they trusted in God. Paul also knew the Holy Spirit would instill hope in each believer in Christ; hope being the assurance of salvation and not wishful thinking. The assurance of salvation is guaranteed to bring lasting joy and peace in this life for those who accept Christ.

Be careful of the distinction between ‘joy’ and ‘happiness’, and ‘peace’ and ‘inner peace.’ Joy is real contentment that comes through the Holy Spirit in midst of trials and sorrows. Happiness is a joyful pleasure for a moment in masking our sorrow. Inner peace is the true peace we enjoy every day from the Holy Spirit’s presence, and not only for a quiet moment. The Christian’s joy and peace is rooted in the God of hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Have you experienced true lasting joy and inner peace, or are you still in the momentary state of peace and happiness? “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him.”

Devotionals

Your own light will not dispel your darkness

Loring Schultz

“Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.” Isaiah 50:10-11 NLT

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Most people have a favorable opinion of themselves. We tend to see ourselves as basically good with only a few flaws which all of us have. There aren’t too many who would say they are walking in darkness. But if you are a true Christian, you know that you have walked in darkness. Ephesians 5:8 says, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” (NLT) Those who have accepted Christ as savior walked in darkness of unforgiven sin and separation from God until they saw the light of Christ dispel their darkness. Paul confirms this in Colossians 1:13 when he says, “For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.” (NLT)

The temptation to create your own light, either by acts of self-righteousness denying God, or observing laws of man-made religions, may make you feel good and secure, but it leads to great torment. The prophet Isaiah writing what God revealed to him wrote, “But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon fall down in great torment.” (Is. 50:11 NLT) The Lord God graciously gives us an invitation for salvation by trusting in Him and warning us that any effort to create our own light and fires to illuminate the way to God will end in eternal torment. There is only one way to dispel your darkness, “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)

It’s time to dispel your favorable opinion of yourself because your own light will not dispel your darkness. But the true light has come as John proclaimed, “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (Jn. 1:9, 12 NLT)

Devotionals

This is the message we preach

Loring Schultz

“And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:8b-9 NLT

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

The message of salvation we preach today is the same one as Paul instructed us to preach two thousand years ago. It has not changed. In fact, Paul said in his day writing to the churches of Galatia, “Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you.” (Gal. 1:8 NLT) The message is simple, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Ro. 10:9 NLT)

In Romans 10, Paul was writing in his deep concern for his Jewish brethren to be saved. Paul himself was a former Jewish scholar and teacher who knew all the traditions and Laws of the Jewish people. He also knew practicing those laws will not get you into heaven outside of Jesus Christ. The first thing Paul needed to establish is the deity of Christ. In using the Greek word, kyrios, for Lord, which is found over 6,000 times in the Septuagint, (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) Paul was affirming Jesus’ deity. Believing in your heart is not just an emotional state of response, but of your intellect and will. Your entire being recognizing Jesus is the Lord God who came down from heaven, died on the cross for sins, was raised from the dead, and is alive today is true belief and you will be saved.

This is the message we preach in 2024. In will be the message preached in 2034, and the one preached 1,000 years from now should the Lord Jesus not return by then. It is the only true message of salvation from the Lord Himself explained in detail with clarity in His Word. “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NLT) This is the message we preach!

Read: Romans 10:8-17 NLT – In fact, it says, “The message is – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

A Place of Undeserved Privilege

Loring Schultz

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” Romans 5:2 NLT

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

The most coveted championship ring in all sports is the NFL Super Bowl Ring. Depending on the design and the materials used to produce them, they range from $30,000 to $50,000. The winning team orders the standard 150 rings. There are many who are not in uniform and on the field but are on the sidelines and within the organization in various support positions. The distribution of the Super Bowl rings is at the discretion of ownership. Obviously, every player and the coaching staff receives a ring, along with those deemed vital to the team’s success on the field. But there are others receiving a ring who may have a sense of an undeserved privilege in receiving one due to their limited role. Clubs have been known to give rings to the members of the practice squad and even the cheerleaders among others.

 Have you ever felt you have been put in a place of undeserved privilege? Perhaps you received an award with your corporate team members for outstanding accomplishments knowing your input was of a limited nature. Awkwardness surrounds you as you share in the glory with your teammates. No matter how hard you try you cannot shake the undeserved feeling until your team leader says you were brought on to share in this joy. You may have felt undeserved, but your team leader wanted you on the team.

God wants us on His team. He has made it possible by sending Christ to provide the way for us through His death and resurrection. Romans 5:2 says, “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” (NLT) It is by our faith in what Jesus Christ has done for us that we are brought into this place of undeserved privilege. An important note to remember is that everyone God’s team is an undeserved member. God chose us for His team, not for our abilities, but because of His love for us. We now have the undeserved privilege with our teammates to share God’s glory confidently and joyfully with others in need of a ring.  

Devotionals

What have you done to be accepted by God?

Loring Schultz

“Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” Romans 3:27-28 NLT

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Paul, writing to the church in Rome, says, “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law.” (Ro. 3:27 NLT) There are many churches today, denominational, and autonomous, that have incorporated sets of rules or by laws to be agreed to and followed by members of the church. But in no way by obeying them along with your good deeds of kindness do they guarantee you or help you get a seat in heaven. Paul further goes on to say, “It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” (Ro. 3:27b-28 NLT) Paul was referring to the Old Testament law of Moses, but it can be easily applied here in our day. The people in Paul’s day, both Jews and Gentiles, were saved by faith in Christ and not by keeping the law.

There has been a false narrative passed down from generation to generation that says, if my good deeds of kindness outweigh my bad deeds, God will accept me into heaven. No one can take issue with ‘good deeds being good.’ Yes, they are, and we should do as many of them as possible. But where do we find reasonable evidence that God accepts these as good enough for entrance into heaven except in our mind.  The only rock-solid evidence we have for entrance into heaven and eternal life is found in the pages of scripture, the Holy Bible.

Being accepted by God is not about doing good works or obeying the rules for church membership as important they may be. Acceptance by God for salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ. “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.” (Eph. 2:8-9 ESV)

If you feel you have fallen short with all you’re trying to do for God’s acceptance, you’re right! If you feel you are doing enough or the best you can to be accepted by God, I’m sorry but you are wrong. Salvation and acceptance by God into heaven is through simple faith as recorded for us in God’s Word. So, what have you done to be accepted by God? All you need to do is have faith!

Read: Romans 3:21-31 NLT – Christ Took Our Punishment – But now – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Guard the Treasure

Loring Schultz

“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” 2 Timothy 1:14 NASB

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What treasures have you been entrusted with? Those who have children have those precious jewels placed in their trusting care from God. Those who work in financial institutions have large sums of money entrusted to them.  Those who serve in law enforcement have the safety of the lives they protect and serve entrusted to them. And those of us who are Christians have the treasure of the Gospel entrusted to us.

The apostle Paul instructs his son in the faith, Timothy, to guard the treasure which had been entrusted to him, the life giving message of Salvation. Timothy was instructed to guard or keep watch over the presentation of the gospel of Jesus Christ against the false teachers of his day.

Just as Timothy had false teachers in his day, we also have false teachers in our day who distort the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ. We are to guard and keep watch, “through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us” the True Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. And we can use Jesus’s own words: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life………. I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (Jn. 3:16, 14:6 NASB)

We have been entrusted with the most valuable treasure known to mankind, Guard the Treasure!

Devotionals

My Comfortable Clothes Are Good Enough

Loring Schultz

“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.” Matthew 22:11-12 NLT

Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR

            Most of us possess clothes while wearing them are very comfortable. Sometimes we regret even the need to remove them for washing, but it must be done. Physical clothing may not be the only clothing that is comfortable, our garments of intellect, financial success, good looks, and popularity never want to be removed even for something better. Jesus gave us parable to show us the terrible consequences of holding on to our comfortable clothes in place of what He has to offer, eternal life with Him.

            The parable is ‘The Parable of the Great Feast,’ or the ‘Wedding Feast.’ A king prepared a wedding feast for his son. After all the preparations were made, he sent out his servants to gather all those who were invited, but they all refused to come. The king was very angry and sent his servants out again to invite others, in fact they were to invite everyone they saw. “So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.” (Mt. 22:10 NLT) Jesus told this parable in reference to the Jewish religious rulers who had rejected Him as the Messiah. The king in the parable represents God the Father, the son is Jesus the Messiah, and those invited were the Jewish people of the nation Israel.

            God further extended His invitation of salvation to all people for John 1:11 says, “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” (NLT) Every person of all ethnicities, Jews included, male and female, black and white are invited to the wedding feast. But there is one caveat, you must remove your comfortable clothes and put on the wedding clothes the Lord has provided for you.

            In the parable, those invited the second time were given wedding clothes (God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son), but some refused it as the previous invited guests had done. They were too comfortable in the clothes they were wearing and felt no need to change. In their minds the clothes they had on were good enough and they were good enough to attend the wedding feast. But the king gave the harsh reality of rejecting His Son, Jesus Christ, “Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Mt. 22:13 NLT) It’s time to throw away your old comfortable clothes, they are not good enough.

Read: Matthew 22:1-14 NLT – Parable of the Great Feast – Jesus also – Bible Gateway

Devotionals

Rejecting the Cornerstone of Salvation         

Loring Schultz

“For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12 NLT

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            The cornerstone, also called a foundational or setting stone, is the first stone set in building a brick or stone structure. Building then begins by placing bricks and stones around and on top of the foundational stone to secure a strong structure. The cornerstone must be free from defect and perfectly placed to avoid future collapse of the structure due to tilting. The term cornerstone is used several times in Scripture. In the New Testament it is applied to Jesus as being the cornerstone of salvation.

            Jesus used this term referring to Himself as He rebuked the religious rulers once again in a parable. Quoting from the book of Psalms Jesus said to them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the LORD’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’” (Mt. 21:42 NLT) Jesus condemned the religious rulers for rejecting Him as the only way to God, the way of salvation. The religious rulers were the wicked tenant farmers in Jesus’s parable who killed the landowner’s servants and his son to gain control of the vineyard. Jesus said to them, “I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.” (Mt. 21:43 NLT)

            Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of our salvation. Salvation is only through Him. He is the solid rock on which our salvation stands. Those who reject Him are rejecting the only sure foundation for securing eternal life. Jesus is the perfectly place setting stone. All other placed stones of good works and religious practices will crumble under the weight of self-righteousness. Do not allow your self-righteousness to continue rejecting Jesus, the cornerstone of salvation.

Read: Matthew 21:33-46 NLT – Parable of the Evil Farmers – “Now – Bible Gateway