Tag: The Gospel

Devotionals

Free from Lawlessness

Loring Schultz

Read: Titus 2:11-15 NLT – For the grace of God has been revealed, – Bible Gateway

“who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:14 ESV

Photo by Martin Podsiad on Unsplash

Have you ever stopped and thanked the Lord for keeping you from lawlessness? You may think to yourself, I’m not that bad. I would never do anything against the law. The ESV translation uses the word ‘lawlessness.’ However, the KJV uses the word ‘iniquity.’ The NIV translation uses ‘wickedness’ and the NLT uses ‘every kind of (plain old) sin.’ Again, you may say, that’s not me, and I would agree. For a child of God, if you truly know the Lord, that is not you, or me. But it very well could be if Christ hadn’t redeemed us by His sacrifice on the cross and purified us for Himself.

But we all need to be careful in saying, ‘I’m not that bad,’ remembering what Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (nlt) Falling short of God’s glorious standard is plain old sin and lawlessness in the eyes of God. There is no way to get around it. There are no big sins or little sins. All sin and lawlessness is the same with God. There may be different degrees, but it all falls short of God’s standard.

The penalty for sin and lawlessness is eternal death with Satan and his angels in hell separated from God. Accepting Christ as savior frees us not only from the lawlessness that we may participate in during our lives here on earth but frees us from the penalty of sin and lawlessness in eternity by accepting Christ as savior. So, have you thanked Him for keeping you from lawlessness, both in this life and in eternity? It’s something to think about.  

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 AI Generated wordpress

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 cover 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

Prayer Walk

Loring Schultz

“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” Matthew 9:37-38 ESV

Photo AI Generated wordpress

Living in the United States there are plenty of opportunities to participate in various walks for a worthy cause. Organized by volunteers, these walks take on the spirit and passion each walker brings with them. Grass roots movements, as they are called, inspire others with the same passion and desire to help the cause. Sponsored events, although much larger, fail to display the true passion of any movement as they are concerned only with numbers. People dedicated to their righteous cause will have success because what drives them is an unselfish attitude to help others.

This week my church started a weekly ‘Prayer Walk.’ Those with the desire and passion for our neighbors will gather each week to walk and pray together. A simple walk through the streets of the neighborhood consisting of residential properties, a nearby elementary school, a major university, and a few commercial buildings. The desire and compassion for each individual throughout the neighborhood is for their well-being and safety, but most of all for them to come to know the Lord Jesus as their savior. This is beginning as a small grass roots movement with a very big job to do. Jesus told His disciples,  “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Mt.9:37-38 esv)

No matter where you live, there is opportunity for you to start your own prayer walk for your neighborhood. You can start with yourself as you do your daily walks, adding a close friend or two with the same passion. Small groups within your church can be a source to expand walks in different communities in your area. Small grass roots movement start small, but don’t stay small for very long as the passion swells, especially for the lost. Jesus said the harvest is plentiful so let’s get to work. We can start with a prayer walk.

Devotionals

Heroes

Loring Schultz

Read: Judges 6:1-16 NLT – Gideon Becomes Israel’s Judge – The – Bible Gateway

“The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, ‘Mighty hero, the LORD is with you!’” Judges 6:12 NLT

Photo by christopher lemercier on Unsplash

“Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT

Do you ever consider yourself to be a hero, a mighty person of valor, a mighty and courageous warrior? If not, consider yourself to be one, because you are or at least you could be. All around us wherever we reside there is some kind of trouble. Some of us have quite a bit, others not so much, but we live in an imperfect world so there will be some. Trouble and chaos stem from sin in the world. Sinners do what comes naturally. At times it takes the form of violence, drug and alcohol abuse, along with many other vices that run through our neighborhoods.

Gideon had a different kind of trouble in his day. The children of Israel once again did evil against God who then put them under the hand of the Midianites. The Midianites would constantly attack, stealing their crops and their livestock. Israel was starving from lack of food. When Israel cried out to God, as in other times, God raised up a judge to deliver them. This time it was Gideon, whose family was the weakest tribe of  Manasseh, and Gideon was the weakest in his family. Yet, God chose him to deliver Israel with His help.

The apostle Paul said God chose the weak and those the world considers foolish to shame those who think they are wise. That’s us. The Lord has chosen us, Christians, to tell the good news about Him and His salvation plan for everyone. The trouble in our world will be relieved only through the changed lives of men and women who trust in the Lord. That’s where we come in. Heroes live a life pleasing to God drawing others to accept Christ. He alone saves them but uses His heroes. Consider yourself one in God’s eyes.

Devotionals

Tell the Truth

Loring Schultz

“But Paul said, ‘I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth.’” Acts 26:25 NASB

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash

When I was a young boy there were certain times I was afraid to tell the truth. These occasions were associated with something I had said or done wrong and telling the truth would have dire consequences for me in the form of punishment. Making up a good story was not an option; my parents would never buy it. They would know I wasn’t telling the truth. So out came the truth with the consequences of punishment along with it.   

Today, many years later, telling the truth can still have consequences for me although not due to the same circumstances. The apostle Paul in his defense of the gospel said, “I am not out of my mind…….but I utter words of sober truth.” Today if we preach Jesus Christ, the true gospel message, even using His words we are sometimes accused of being irrational or “out of our minds.” We are accused of being insensitive, offensive, and narrow minded.

One very important point to remember is that we are not making up a good story, we are telling a good story, the Greatest Story ever to be told. And we are commanded by Jesus Himself to tell the story (Mt.28:19-20.) Yes, there may be consequences, but Jesus promised never to leave us or forsake us (Heb.13:5.) Let us not be afraid of the consequences, let us not be afraid to ‘Tell the Truth!’

Devotionals

A Trustworthy Statement          

Loring Schultz

“It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.” 1 Tim.1:15 nasb

Photo AI Generated wordpress

What makes a statement trustworthy? Well, for one thing, consider the source. Our modern-day news sources have us searching across the internet to a verify a breaking news story. When news outlets are trustworthy, this is unnecessary. It would nice to have the assurance the news we consume every day is trustworthy.

Having accurate information is important in our day-to-day lives- but crucially important for our souls after this life. The church in Ephesus had trustworthy statements they could count on through previous teaching from Paul establishing sound doctrine. These statements were common knowledge to the people if they had paid attention to the apostle’s teaching. Paul uses the term, ‘a trustworthy statement’ in his letter to Timothy. In fact Paul uses it five times in his Pastoral Epistles, and it is found in no other place in the New Testament.

The trustworthy statement is, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1Tim.1:15 nasb) Just eight simple words to explain the most vital life-or-death breaking news story ever, and we can count on it. It comes from the most reliable trusted news source in history, the Holy Spirit speaking through the apostle Paul. No need to fact check or search other sources. The Lord God can be trusted.

So, what have you done with this breaking news? Don’t put it off another day. This news story will not be updated. It will not change. Don’t look for an updated version of this news. You have all the information you need to make your decision. So, what will it be? It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
Devotionals

Answer the Call    

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 5:27-32 NLT – Jesus Calls Levi (Matthew) – Later, as – Bible Gateway

“Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28 NLT

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

Cell phones are a target for every scammer looking to deceive and make a quick dollar. The block call list on our phones grows with the amount of scam calls or pesky fundraiser calls we receive daily. For clarification, I’m not against fundraising, it’s just those repeated pesky calls. It is only natural we secure our phones and block certain numbers from potential scam artists. A typical reaction when seeing an unwelcomed call is, ‘Oh no, not again’ and we quickly delete and block it. But there may be some calls that are annoying that you should answer, in fact you need to answer.

Levi, a tax collector in Jesus’ day, answered such a call. Tax collectors were the most hated people in first century Palestine. They scammed people by charging an excess amount over what was owed to the Roman government and put the money in their own pockets. What made it worse was a fellow Jew sitting in the tax booth. Levi, no doubt, heard of Jesus. He may have been one who had said, ‘Oh no, here He comes again!’ Levi may have blocked Jesus out of his mind, but there He was again around his tax booth. One day Jesus called him, and Levi answered the call.

Now Scripture doesn’t inform us how many times Levi was in the vicinity of Jesus’ teaching. Levi may have just heard of Jesus, but he was beginning to take it in, and when the call came he answered it. You could be in a similar situation. You have heard about Jesus through various resources. You may have friends who shared the gospel with you. However, you say, ‘Oh no, not again,’ and you’re about to block them once again, but there’s a hesitation in doing so. It’s the Holy Spirit who is working in you and wants you to answer the call. So, answer the call. It’s not a scam!

Devotionals

Something to Talk About         

Loring Schultz

Read: Luke 16:19-31 NIV – The Rich Man and Lazarus – “There was – Bible Gateway

“In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’” Luke 16:23-24 NIV

Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash

In presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ some advocate not mentioning ‘hell’ in fear of turning away people. Unfortunately even pastors in some of our most prominent churches will not preach on hell for the same reason. They would rather preach on the love of Jesus and for us to follow Jesus’ teaching on love, and well we should, but Jesus also taught about ‘hell.’ Jesus talked about hell to warn us the consequences of rejecting Him and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross of calvary.

Jesus tells a story found in the New Testament book of Luke about a rich man and the poor man, Lazarus. Most scholars consider this story one of Jesus’ parables, but if it is a parable, it is the only one He tells with an actual name of an individual. In any case, Jesus is clearly referring to hell in this story.

The rich man had all the comforts life could offer. He was rich, had fine clothing, and plenty of food, life was good. Lazarus was a poor beggar with sores covering his body. He would crave to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. One living in luxury and the other in dire poverty. Jesus says, “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.” (Lk.16:22-23 niv) Lazarus and the rich man both died physically, but their souls live on. Lazarus is in comfort at Abraham’s side while the rich man is suffering in torment.

Don’t miss the point here. The rich man isn’t in hell because he was rich, but because he rejected God and His plan for salvation. Lazarus isn’t alongside Abraham because he was poor in life, but because he accepted God’s plan of salvation. Jesus is confirming there are two destinations for each one of us when we die, heaven or hell. Jesus came to save us from the torments of hell if we put our trust in Him for salvation. Jesus felt it was important enough and something to talk about. We should too!

Devotionals

A Shaken Reed

Loring Schultz

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” Luke 7:24b ESV

Photo by Mabel Amber on Pexels.com

Have you ever noticed a reed, a tall slender blade of grass, blowing in the wind? It blows whichever way the wind is blowing. It is weak in that it is easily swayed.

Jesus asks those in the crowd, who have been following Him, and who apparently had followed John the Baptist, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” John the Baptist, obviously wasn’t a man easily swayed by public opinion. He didn’t sugar coat his message to the people. He was a true prophet of God. (Luke 7:26-28)

Are you a reed shaken by the wind? I need to ask myself the same question, am I a reed shaken by the wind of this world that prevents me from speaking the truth? The truth about the sinful condition of mankind, the wrath of God, and the judgment to come. One cannot read through the entire Holy Scriptures, The Bible, and not see it. The truth is those without Christ will die in their sins into eternal damnation. But, the truth is also that Jesus came to pay the penalty for sin and those who put their faith and trust in Him will escape the eternal punishment and received eternal life in Heaven with Him.

Are you proclaiming the whole truth of God’s Word, the Bible, or is your reed (your message) being shaken by the wind?

Devotionals

Tragedy Unites

Loring Schultz

“I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God” John 3:3 NLT

Photo by Mikhail Nilov on Pexels.com

On September 11, 2001, tragedy united the citizens of America. A sudden terrorist attack came to shores of the United States. In New York city, Washington, D.C. and in a rural community in Pennsylvania four jet planes carrying innocent passengers to their destination were brought down by radical religious extremists. Innocent workers, by standers, and those who just happened to in the buildings suffered the same ill-fate of those on the planes. It was a day that is etched in every American mind as to where they where when they hear and saw the news, I know I do. Also what is remembered is the unity of spirit among people immediately brought about by this tragedy.

Tragedy has a way of uniting people and reminding them what is truly important. Christians are already united through the Holy Spirit, brothers and sisters in Christ, but there is a tragedy that should unite us stronger together and is the fate of those without Christ. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” (Jn.3:3 nlt) This are Jesus’ words, not mine. The tragedy that awaits those we know, and love is real and should unite us in reaching out to the lost. Believe it or not, it is a tragedy far worse than ‘911’ as it is known in the United States. There is something we can do to avoid this tragedy for many people and that is follow Jesus’ last command to us before He ascended to heaven. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Mt.28:19 nlt)

The way we make disciples is to share the good news of the gospel. There is a tragedy on the horizon for all those who do not know Christ as their savior. It is a tragedy that will last for eternity if not dealt with in this life. This good news needs to be presented to them while there is still time, for none of us know when our last day on earth will be, as those on September 11, 2001. Let this upcoming tragedy unite all of us in Christ to lead those without Christ to His saving knowledge and advance the Kingdom of God.