Tag: Salvation

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

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

When Christ was born, so was our hope

Loring Schultz

“When Christ was born, so was our hope.” Max Lucado

“….And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” 1 Peter 3:15b NLT

Photo by Laura James on Pexels.com

            This week many children of all ages are hoping they receive what they asked for from the man in the red suit or whoever represents him in your circle of influence. From the Bitzee interactive toy digital pet, to anything Barbie, to the Magna-Tiles Downhill Duo complete with figures and race cars for the youngsters, to the hottest video games, cell phones, and latest in digital devices for the coming of age crowd, not to forget the big toys for the big kids; all have that hope they will receive that requested gift on Christmas morning.

            ‘Hope’ defined by most dictionaries is; ‘to cherish a desire with anticipation:to want something to happen or be true.’ All of us hoping for that gift have the desire to have that hope come to realization. Although, if we are honest with ourselves, we know it does not always hold true. Oh, it is true the one supplying the gift will do everything possible they could to insure the granting of the request, but unavoidable circumstances beyond their control always get in the way.

            Biblical hope is never affected by unavoidable circumstances. Biblical hope is fixed. It is guaranteed. Biblical hope is the future confidence in expecting all that God has promised will come to pass. God has promised that all who believe in His Son Jesus for salvation will be saved from the wrath to come and will have eternal life with Him. Our guaranteed hope, as Max Lucado described it, was born as Christ entered the world on that first Christmas morning. God’s promise to reconcile us back Himself through Christ by defeating Satan on the cross was fulfilled. (Gen. 3:15) Our hope, our assurance of salvation, was born in Christ Jesus.

            Our Christian (Biblical) hope is far different from hoping to receive the latest got-to-have gadget for Christmas. Our hope in Christ is sure, guaranteed and lifesaving. It is backed up by a holy God who does not lie and can do all things. As the apostle Peter says to us this Christmas, “…….if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.”

Devotionals

Christmas; To set us free from the captivity of sin

Loring Schultz

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 NLT

“Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.” 2 Timothy 2:26 NLT

            Like it or not, we are all held captive by the world in one fashion or another. The Christmas holiday is a prime example of being influenced by the events around us that holds us captive. Of course, not all of the festive trimmings and wrappings of the season are a bad influence or have the ability to hold us captive. But when we take our eyes and our minds off the true meaning of Christmas we set ourselves up to fall into the devil’s trap. Satan would like nothing better than to have Jesus placed second or even third on His birthday. The less we inform people of the true ‘reason for the season’ as we say, the more he likes it.

            Jesus said to those who had said they believed in Him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (Jn. 8:32 NLT) But they questioned Jesus saying that they have never been in slavery to anyone, so how can they be set free. They did not understand that Jesus was not referring to physical slavery, but to the spiritual condition of their souls. They were enslaved to sin and to the father of lies, Satan himself. They needed to know the truth (divine revelation) and that truth says Jesus came to set us free from the captivity of sin and of Satan.

            I trust that those of us who know Jesus as our personal Savior will not be held captive by the surroundings of Christmas that the truth of gospel fails to resonate with those around us. The Christmas story is more than about a baby in a manger on a silent night. There was a distant and necessary purpose for the Christ child’s arrival; to set us free from the captivity of sin.

Devotionals

Jesus; a little lower than the angels?  

Loring Schultz

“What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’; and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9 NLT

            There is much in the pages of scripture that is hard to understand, confusing, and at times seem contradictory. For instance, Hebrews 1:6 says, “And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship him.’” (NIV) In the very next chapter the writer of Hebrews says, “What we do see is Jesus, who was given a position ‘a little lower than the angels’” (2:9a NLT) One who is placed in a position lower than angels certainly would not be worshiped by them, it doesn’t make sense, or does it? 

            It makes perfect sense if we remember why Jesus came to earth in the first place. He was born to die. Born to die by crucifixion on a cross for sinners. The apostle John writes, “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.” (1 Jn. 4:10 NLT) And Paul writes in Romans chapter 6, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (6:23 NLT)

            There was a need for a perfect sacrifice for sin which none of us fit that criteria. Jesus, the Son of God, lowered His position to identify with us becoming human, (God-man). But he in no way gave up His Deity, “So the Word became human and made his home among us.” (Jn. 1:14a NLT) Jesus being obedient to the Father’s plan for salvation came to this earth born of a virgin for your sin and mine as we accept Him as our Savior. The writer of Hebrews then tells us the rest of the story, “…..and because he suffered death for us, he is now ‘crowned with glory and honor.’ Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone.” (2:9b NLT) Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor for His sacrificial death for our sins. And yes, the angels continue to worship Him.

Devotionals

These past two thousand years

Loring Schultz

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3 NASB

            Jesus’s love for us is such that He wants us to be with Him throughout all eternity. He has been preparing a place for us for two thousand years. His love for us is such that He left His heavenly place in order to make it possible for us to be in that place with Him. Sound confusing? It’s not really! Jesus, God the Son, left heaven’s throne coming down to earth to redeem those who will put their trust in Him for Salvation. Let’s just say the necessary arrangements needed to be made for us to enter eternity with the Lord Jesus.

            The incarnation of Christ is part of God’s plan of Salvation for mankind. We are all in a lost state, sinners from birth, and cannot stand or live in the presence of God. Our society today tells us that God is a God of love and He would not condemn anyone. It is true God is a God of love, but He is also a Holy God who cannot accept sin. Sin against a Holy God must be dealt with and there is nothing we can do to make it right. Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” (NKJV) As much as we try and as careful as we are to live a clean life doing what is right, the Bible says that our very best is as ‘filthy rags.’

            So where is our hope this Christmas? Our hope is in Jesus, the Christ child, who lived a perfect life, and laid down that perfect life for us to accept Him for Salvation. We can then stand before God in Christ’s righteousness and live in eternity in the place He has been preparing for you and me these past two thousand years.

Devotionals

Ring The Bell

Loring Schultz

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

            The familiar sounds of the Christmas season are many. From the Christmas music, to the holiday greetings, to the sounds of traffic in the streets, to children’s eager anticipation of coming the event on the 24th of December; the sounds of the season constantly remind us that Christmas Day is approaching.

            Among these sounds are the bells of the Salvation Army Bell Ringers. A tradition that started in 1891 in the city of San Francisco, California. Stationed in shopping malls and other retail outlets as well as on street corners, the bell ringers remind people of the need of others during the Christmas season. The sound of the bell is to draw our attention away from ourselves and our task at hand and reflect on those unfortunate in our neighborhoods and around the world.

            The physical and material needs of the countless people in our midst cannot be denied. Christians (the church) should be at the forefront of meeting this need. As the church rings the bell of awareness and participates in meeting the material needs of the downtrodden among us, it also has the responsibility to be a bell ringer for the eternal Salvation of others. Jesus said, speaking of Himself, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Lk. 19:10 ESV) The spiritual need is great and it needs to be met.

            Our Lord instructs us to be witnesses, Bell Ringers, for Him. This Christmas season as you hear the bell ring and drop money into that Red Kettle, pick up your spiritual bell and ring it for all the world to hear the need of Salvation and spread the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Christian Perspective

A Call to Prayer for the Nation

Loring Schultz

For the Christian “A Call to Prayer” should never need to be called for. The sad fact is for some Christians it needs to be, and also the church. We’ve become all too complacent with our lives. We are either too busy, or think we have got it covered, or God knows all our needs and He will take care of it. Some Christians call on God only when a real disaster strikes them in their family, or when a major crisis occurs in our country or somewhere around the world. We are then ready and feel the need to pray either by ourselves, or with our families, or with the church family.

Photo by David Renken on Pexels.com

Such a need has been felt in the United States since January 6, 2021. The nation’s capital, the beacon of democracy and freedom, had been overrun by insurgents with violence causing destruction, desecration, injuries, and loss of life. The political aftermath the last three years has added more confusion, frustration, and division among the people. We would be wise to remember it is God who has the ultimate authority and who established the rule of law. This same God, the creator of all things, has given this authority to men and women to govern and to rule maintaining law and order where they serve.

The terrorist attack on Israel led by Hamas has also heighten divisions between supporters of the Jews and supporters of the Palestinian people here in the United States. This country has been in deep division since the year 2000 and is growing deeper. Sadly we are at a point where it doesn’t take a major crisis or a war to add fuel to the burning house of division in the nation.  

So, as Christians we are to pray as Paul instructs us in 1 Timothy, “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people.” Paul’s concern, as ours should be, is that all would come to know the true God, helping them understand His Word, interceding for them, and thanking God for them. We are to also pray for those who rule over us that they may also come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, and as Paul says, “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”

Christians call to prayer is always to be for the Salvation of all people, including those who rule over us whether we agree with them of not. Nero, the ruler in Paul’s day, was a great blasphemer and persecuted the Christians, yet Paul said to pray for him. What will heal the division today in the United States than our leaders leading in a way, “so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” Let all Christians heed the call to prayer, individually, in our homes, and in the church.

Devotionals

Live Life to the Fullest

Loring Schultz

“Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:11-14 NIV

Photo by Brett Jordan on Pexels.com

            I haven’t come across many people who do not desire the good things in life. The good things of life may differ between individuals and between cultures, what is good for you may not be good for me and vice versa. But each of us desires to live life to the fullest in our cultural surroundings wherever they may be. Struggling to get the most out of life; good health, financial success, close friends, family, satisfying employment, plenty of leisure time, and other deeming qualities of a good life come up short many times. But does coming up short disqualify us from the good things in life?  Is there anything we can do to prevent missing out on these good things?

            King David gives us a couple of suggestions in helping us live the good life. His advice is based on having the right character qualities. One whose character is free from slander, speaking falsely, participating in shady things, or causing trouble goes a long way in having a good life. David writes, “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Ps. 34:12-14 NIV)

            We think we are not that bad saying, ‘I don’t tell any white lies or make up stories to hurt someone, and I certainly don’t gossip!’ We also say, ‘I am not an evil person’ and that may be true in comparison with others, but God looks at all sin as evil. And when we say we should all live in peace and love one another, are we truly pursing it as we pursue trying to live our lives to the fullest?

            None of us is able to live life to the fullest on our own. God has given us His Word to show us how to live a fulfilled life by obeying it. And more importantly, God sent His Son to save us and reconcile us to God. Therefore it is impossible to live a totally fulfilled life without Christ. Jesus says, “….. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (Jn. 10:10b NIV)