Category: Walk

Blessings in Christ, Walk

Have you lost your Blessings?

Inge Schultz

Where is then, the blessedness you spoke of? For I bear you witness that, if it had been possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.”

Galatians 4:15

If you do not have eyes, then you are blind. Have you lost your blessings that you first had when you believed in Jesus Christ? The apostle Paul is asking this question to the Galatians who have lost their liberty in Christ. The question of how they were saved was put to those churches in Galatia. Were they not saved through the grace of God in Christ Jesus? Was it not by the revelation of Jesus Christ? Many Christians have gone back into legalistic rituals that have chained themselves under the law. These laws are legalistic rituals that they perform in order to be righteous or justified. They no longer have their liberty that they had under Christ. It is as if they could not or did not have faith anymore to continue their walk in Christ. Have we forgotten the words of Paul who stated, “whatever is not of faith is sin,” [Romans14:23]. Have we lost the free and unmerited favor of God? Maybe, for if we are not living under the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ, then what are we living under? How are we to live under the love of God if we serve men under the law through the flesh.

Everyone is responsible for their own actions, however, the apostle Paul states that “no man should put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way,” [see Romans 14:13]. We must remember that “love does not work any ill towards a neighbor; and is therefore the fulfillment of the law,” [see Romans 13:10]. There is only one person who fulfilled the law and that is Jesus Christ. If you do not have love, get down on your knees and pray to God in regard to your lack of love for that individual. Why do we not have love for so and so. Why have we become bitter towards that person. God help us if our love has grown cold. We must receive back that gift of love that God has for all of us through his son Jesus Christ. We must ask him to allow the fruit of the spirit of love to reign again with in our heart of flesh. We must cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light that is in Christ Jesus. Have you put on the armor of light? Each of us struggle with our own weaknesses of the flesh, and not loving someone is one of the weaknesses of the flesh. If our faith is weak, it could be that our love is also weak.

Rituals within the church are good up to a point, and that point is servanthood. Is our servanthood towards men or God? That is a question that each of us should be asking ourselves. Servanthood means a person who performs duties for others like an employed person. A servant of Christ is one who serves God by being a follower of Christ and a person who sets aside their own selfishness to serve others. It is Christ’s love for them that has enabled them to be able to love others. Christ’s love is perfected within the individual’s heart. That love has freed them from the bondage of sin. The works of the flesh is what puts one in bondage of sin like lying, jealousy, envying, hatred, strive, and more, [see Galatians 5:19-21]. The opposite is the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace and self-control etc., [see Galatians 5:22-23]. If your work is to achieve a status within the Chruch then this is not of the fruit of the Spirit. If your work is to achieve righteousness within the Church, then this is not of the fruit of the Spirit.

The only way we can achieve the favor of God is when we come as a child and confess our sins before God and repent from living a life in the flesh. It is the Spirit of God that frees us from the spirit of the flesh. We are to mind the things of the Spirit and not the flesh since whatever is of the flesh brings death. Those living in the flesh are carnally minded and Paul comments “to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,” [Romans 8:6]. We should all desire to have life and peace. We must have Faith that the Spirit of God will change us into the image of Christ. We must be led by the Spirit, and it is that Spirit of Christ who will raise our mortal bodies if we have His Spirit living within us. This is done by faith in Christ Jesus who bore our sins on the cross. Redemption is by blood and by the power of God, and this is done through Jesus Christ. That is why Paul stated that “there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, [Romans 8:1]. Are you in Christ Jesus?

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:2

Has the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death? Test yourselves to see if this is true or false. We have read that it is love for one another that fulfills the law. Everyone must bear his own burden and prove his own work whether it is of God or of their own works. Our sanctification is done through the Holy Spirit and not in the law. The law points to our weaknesses that proves we need to be saved. This is for many, a fathomless concept to understand, and for many it is still a mystery. We cannot understand it in the flesh unless the revelation of the mystery comes to us through the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit.

This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

Galatians 5:16

It is the Holy Spirit that gives us the victory over the law of the flesh. We read how the flesh is contrary to the Spirit in Galatians chapter 5 verse 17. It is only by being led in the Spirit that we will not be under the law. Here comes a revelation that is not always clear to our natural mind let alone a carnal mind.

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.”

Romans 7:14

Since the law of God is spiritual in that we cannot obey it due to our human status through Adam’s sins, we were sold under sin. However, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth, [see John 4:24]. The law is spiritual, yet we are carnal sold under sin. We must be born into the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We must have the Spirit of Christ living inside us as Paul stated in Romans chapter 8, verse 9. This Spirit gives us life and not death. This Spirit has raised up Jesus Christ from the dead and that Spirit now dwells in every believer who believes that Jesus died for their sins. Quicken thou my body by thy Spirit, Oh God! He will do it. God will quicken our mortal bodies by his Spirit. We will be healed in the name of Jesus and the Spirit will do the work. We must trust in God and believe. Some of us will exclaim what is written in Psalms 119.

Make me to understand the way of thy precepts; so, shall I talk of thy wondrous works. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity and revive thou me in thy way.”

Psalms 119:27,34-37

Let this Psalms be your prayer for every new day, and He will not only revive you but also quicken your mortal bodies. Repent and be healed in the name of Jesus. Those who trust in the Lord will be blessed. Remember your inheritance is in the Lord. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God, [Romans 8″14]. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but we have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry out to Father God. It is Christ who has redeemed us from the curse of the law, [see Galatians 3:13]. Stand fast in the liberty you have in Christ and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage, [Galatians 5:1]. Come back into the fold of Christ who has redeemed you from the curse of sin that is under the law. Christ is the fulfillment of the law. You cannot establish your own righteousness. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Let us keep our faith in Christ alone so that we all may be heirs according to the promise of God. Let us receive our blessings and favor in God and continue to always walk in His Spirit.

Let us put on the armor of light and walk in it.

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Teach, Walk

Teach Me Thy Way

Inge Schultz

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name.”

Psalms 86:2

Teach me thy way, and I will walk in thy truth. . .do we want the Lord to teach us His way? Do we want to walk in His truth? Do we fear His name? These are questions we should ask ourselves, but I fear that many are no longer fearing the Lord’s name let alone walking in truth and being taught His ways. It seems that some are wandering in the wilderness not knowing where they are going. Some are just living day to day and wondering what will happen next. In the world today, war is escalating along with climate change and inflation/recession. What should we be doing? “Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober,” [1 Thessalonians 5:6]. Are we sleeping instead of watching, praying and being sober-minded. “The end is not yet,” stated Jesus in Matthew chapter 24 verse 6. Jesus said this after stating about how we will hear about wars and rumors of wars. We have witnessed the Russia/Ukraine war and rumors of other wars. But let us read on to what else Jesus said, “nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers’ places. All these are the beginning of sorrows,” [see Matthew 24:7-8].

The beginning of sorrows may be upon us for Jesus also tells us in Matthew chapter 24 that the love of many shall grow cold. Are we witnessing a coldness among people in general? We have witnessed political divide here in America and lots of boasting of discontent. We have witness shootings on a regular basis along with robberies. We have witnessed gas prices going up along with the cost of food. How Covid-19 brought trouble for many infants with not having enough baby formula on the shelves of stores. The cost of housing continues with inflated prices in buying a home and rent of apartments and houses continue to rise in cost. Lest we forget about the 1950 to 1960’s government subsidized housing here in America which has had a bad reputation due to mismanagement at the local level. We still need affordable housing. So many promises were made to end homelessness in the last 25 years, and still today, it has not been achieved. Then there is climate change to where flooding in certain areas is at an all-time high and many are without a home. It’s not just those who are homeless due to no jobs and substance abuse but added to that is disasters such as flooding, drought, fire, etc., We could be witnessing the “beginning of sorrows.”

The beginning of sorrows is when lawlessness is more widespread and the falling away and departing from the faith of those within the church. These things were written down in the Bible to explain to us about what will happen in the end times. How man will be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, and disobedient [see 2 Timothy 3:1-7]. There will be those who seem to be ever learning and never be able to come to the knowledge of the truth. These are those who are sleeping and just plain ignoring the signs of the times and going their own way. Teach us thy ways O Lord. Help us to walk in thy ways. Unit our hearts to fear thy name.

“Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.”

Revelation 15:4

The question for many Christians should be who shall fear thee, O Lord? He who has called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life,” [1 Peter 1:16]. Are we holy? Are we living a holy life in all that we do? Have we forgotten that the Lord has given us a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This is an inheritance that will not fade away but be kept by the power of God. This is our faith unto salvation which will be revealed in that day to come. We are to pass our time here in fear since every man’s work will be judged [see 1 Peter 1:17]. We were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, so we should be holy; for God is holy. Have we even witnessed anyone that is striving to be holy? The frailty of humanity has witnessed many faults, yet the apostle Peter stated that “it is written for us to be holy; for I am holy,” [1 Peter 1:16]. So, what does it mean to be holy? It means to be spiritually pure and to be set apart from those who are not of the faith in Christ Jesus, for Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. To worship the Lord with a pure heart and know that He is God Almighty, our provider, protector, and healer.

Whatever happens in the world today, we should have the peace of God reign in our hearts. Why? Because we have taken all our needs to Him in prayer.

“Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

Philippians 4:6

Have you taken your cares to the Lord in prayer? I can remember the 1975 song titled, “He is Our Peace,” written by Kandela Groves. It is good to revisit this song and sing it and know that He truly is our peace.

He Is Our Peace

He is our peace
Who has broken down every wall,
He is our peace, He is our peace.
He is our peace
Who has broken down every wall,
He is our peace, He is our peace.

Cast all your cares on Him,
For He cares for you,
He is our peace, He is our peace.


“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;”

Ephesians 2:14

It is Jesus Christ who has broken down the middle wall of partition in order that we may be reconciled to God. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, and that you may be rooted and grounded in His love. We must know the love of Christ because it surpasses all knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fullness of God, [see Ephesians 3:19].

These things command and teach.  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:11-13

To know God’s way, we must read the word. Believers are to be an example in word, conversation, love, spirit, faith and purity. This is walking in His truth. Let us give attendance to the reading of the word. Lord let our ears hear and give us a willing heart to listen and walk in your truth. Let us be teachable and continue to unite our hearts to fear thy Holy name. All we have to do is ask in prayer like David did in Psalms 86:2, “Teach me thy way O Lord that I may walk in your truth and unite my heart to fear your name.”

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Good and Evil, Unclean, Walk

Be Ye Followers of God

Inge Schultz

Be ye, therefore, followers of God as dear children.

Ephesians 5:1

Are you a follower of God? Have put off your former conversations and put on the new man? If you are speaking with deceit and are greedy for what you don’t have, it is time to take another look in the mirror at the life you are living. Are you bitter, angry, and saying negative things about everything in your environment? Most conversations I hear today is about what is wrong in the world we live in today. Some truthful, and some not so truthful. It is getting harder these days to know what the truth is since the social media networks has hit the internet.  Let me remind you that propaganda has taken hold in recent years and some truth is being withheld. This has been proven in the advertising of consumer goods. We should think twice about all the advertising we see on a regular basis and remember that they use propaganda to play on people’s emotional state in persuading them to buy specific products. Deliberate omission of certain facts can destroy one’s faith in a product as well as in people in general.

Deceitfulness and lying are the biggest offenders in the body of Christ and it brings dissensions and strife. The apostle Paul is addressing the body of believers about their walk as Christians. Chapter’s four and five of Ephesians is a must read if you have any questions how you should walk as a Christian.  Christians are to be followers of God and walk in love as Christ has loved us and given himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God [see Ephesians 5:2].  The apostle Paul states clearly that no fornicator, covetousness man hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God [see Ephesians 5:5]. In fact, we are warned about not letting man deceive us with vain words in the next verse of 6 in chapter 5.  Anything that is unclean such as these actions will bring the wrath of God because of disobedience. We should be careful to whom we are following if these things such as lying, deceit, filthy talking, crude joking, and racist comments are flowing out of the mouth. This is not flattering of a person who is follower of God.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins; keep thyself pure.

1st Timothy 5:22

Even Elders are to be careful as to not be a partaker of any other men’s sins.  We all need to keep ourselves pure before God our Father.  We are to remember not to take part in sin.  We are to reprove them as is stated in verse 11 of Ephesians chapter 5. There is to be a difference in our daily walk as a Christian. If there is not, then we must repent and ask God to change our heart. Reproving a person in the love of Christ is gently speaking to them about the way they are acting and speaking. The choice is up to the individual who is not walking in the way of Christ. The Christian’s walk is a reflection of Christ. Therefore, the old man or former life is put away through repentance and the new man in Christ is put on through the love of Christ. This is the renewal in knowledge after the image of Christ. We have the help of the Holy Spirit to change us and to know the love of Christ. We should be filled with all the fullness of God and not of anything else that is unclean. We are to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man, [see Ephesians 3:16].

We came out of darkness in ignorance to the meaning of the love of God through His Son Jesus Christ. We followed the course of this world living in sin.

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

Ephesians 2:2

We all followed the desires of the flesh towards self-gratification rather than following love, which is only in God’s son Jesus Christ. We have been reconciled to God through the cross of Christ and have been given the status of fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God [see Ephesians 2:19]. We are not to abuse that status that was given to us. Our foundation is built upon Jesus Christ who is the chief corner stone, [see Ephesians 2:20]. Because of that status, we are to grow to be a holy temple in the Lord. Listen to what Paul said in verse 22 of Ephesians chapter 2, “in whom ye also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” This habitation is our body being filled with the Holy Spirit with the love of Christ. This is so we can walk in Christ bearing the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, and peace.  In otherwards, as a follower of God we should be walking daily in His love speaking truth to each other and edifying one another and not speaking evil, deceit, or anything that is unclean. We are not to be partakers of what is unclean. We are not to go back into filthy communications because this is not of the Spirit of Christ.

There is a distinction between what is godly and what is evil. As Christians, we should know the difference. We should know that bitterness, anger, and evil speaking is not from the Spirit of Christ but of the spirit of the children of disobedience. We should remember that bitterness, anger, and evil speaking will grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Do not think that God’s Spirit can reside in anyone who is unclean. That is why the apostle Paul is warning Christians not to allow the devil a place in their life by evil speaking, lying, and stealing. We are to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, and he will flee from you [see James 4:7]. Resist the devil in the name of Jesus and he will flee. You do not have to yield yourself to evil, for you are now children of the light and not of darkness. Remember your standing in Christ. Remember what Paul told the Corinthians, “To not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.”  Plus, Paul questioned what fellowship light has with darkness [see 2 Corinthians 6:14]? That is why as Christians we are to be separate from what is unclean. How is God to be our God if we are unclean? We can only be followers of God when we are clean from all things that is unclean, so keep yourself pure and be ye followers of God. 

As some churches are in observance of Lent, take the time through prayer and fasting in your own personal reflection of what you are struggling with.  Remember, Jesus himself went through being tempted. He used the word of God as his strength in overcoming to not take part of what the devil wanted him to do.  Read about it in Matthew chapter 4.  Take time to read the word, pray, and ask God to help you reflect the love of Christ to those around you.

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Walk

Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. . .

Inge Schultz

Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psalms 1:1

How is our walk today? Who do we get advice, direction, or guidance from? Usually, we think about making a change after New Year by making a new resolution, but sometimes the Lord is steering us to move in a different direction at a given moment in time. Sometimes a move can be a blessing away from ridicule or mocking that one may experience every day. Standing in the way of sinners is to become like them. To sit in the seat of the scornful is to make fun of someone or put them down. This is the opposite of exhortation and encouraging one another. We are living in a world of gossip and sneering without confirmation of truth, and everybody is doing it. What is your moral code of living today? Is society moral code changing from that of the ten commandments? This is what we as Christians should be contemplating and thinking about every day.

Psalms chapter one is talking about two different ways of living. One is living by faith in God while the other has no faith or is wavering in their faith in God. Every day we have a choice to make on how we will walk as Christian’s. We will either choose to learn God ways, or we will choose the way of the world. We are not to be seated with the counsel of the ungodly or be friends with an angry furious man. Why? Because we may go that way instead of the way of the Lord.  Knowing your own weaknesses and how you personally may be tempted are the warning signs one needs to be aware of the possibility of falling into temptations.  It is the same for an alcoholic who is said to “fall off the wagon” and going back to drinking.  It is a snare to your own soul as stated in Proverbs.

Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

Proverbs 22:24

Which way will you choose? Maybe we should read more of Proverbs in the Bible for it is full of human failures and ways in which a person should not go and what one should be aware of in life. Proverbs 29:22 states that “an angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.” Strife and rebellion are seen within society when a person cannot get what they want. The reason why we have laws is to have peace within society. However, laws change every year to bring new rules within society and not all rules are for the better when it comes to equality. What kind of justice can we have if we do not have the ten commandments, or the Bible? Is all about what we worship? Maybe we should look at what we worship every day.  In Matthew 6:21, it states that where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  So, reevaluating where we stand is important to our walk.  This brings us to the question if we meditate in the law of the Lord, day, and night? I know I fall short in doing this and ask the Lord to draw me in and give me revelation to see and understand His way.

Psalms chapter one says that one will prosper when they delight in the law of the Lord [see Psalms 1:2-3]. That person shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water and bring forth fruit in due season. When a year of drought comes, they shall still bring forth fruit [see Jeremiah 17:8]. The person who brings forth fruit is grounded and rooted in God’s ways. When we can gain an understanding that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ and that we are justified by faith [see Galatians 3:24] as the apostle Paul states, we can begin to see that we fall short of living a gracious life in the Love of the Lord. As a believer we are not under the law but under grace. Not to sin, but to love one another. This is how we are perfected by keeping his word on a daily basis. We mature as a Christian by gaining wisdom and revelation to the meaning of His Word.

Whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; by this know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

1 John2:5-6

God puts it in our heart through the love of His son Jesus Christ. We are to share that love with others. We are to be separate from sinners and not walk in darkness. Walking in darkness means you do not know where you are going. With Christ we know where we are going and that there is a place prepared for us in heaven. We do not conform to the world, for we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds [see Romans 12:2]. Our counsel is from the word of God, our path is the path of Christ, and we are to walk in the love of God. Our confidence is in God knowing that when Christ shall appear we shall be with him.   If there is anything in our heart holding us back from the way of Christ, put it down at the feet of Christ.  Ask him to purify your heart so that you can be blessed and be that tree planted by the rivers of water who will bring forth fruit in due season.  Ask the Lord in prayer to guide you to receive good counsel.  Ask the Lord to give you the desire to meditate and read the Bible daily.  Ask the Lord for you to not “Fall of the wagon” and go back to your old ways.  No matter what state you find yourself in, the Lord is there with you ready to hear your prayer.   

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