Saturday August 9, 2015

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 119:130  The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

An interesting insight occurred to me recently.  It connects the Old Testament to Southern Magnolia trees.  In this insight, the attributes of the tree are reflective of the view that a person has of the Old Testament.  I realize that many of you might not be aware of what a Southern Magnolia looks like, but we’ll get to that.

If the Old Testament is something that we don’t read much, except for some of the Psalms or Proverbs, than the tree that is reflected by our actions is very small with few flowers on it – if any.  We have a misperception of what it is and what the Lord has there for us.  But here is where the other side of the coin comes in to play.  What is the true reality of what Southern Magnolia are?

I thought they were at most trees that could grow to 20’-25’ high and I had never seen one loaded with flowers.  I still remember how stunned I was to see how big these trees can be and to see them in full bloom!  They can grow to 80’– 90’ tall.  In the spring and early summer they are covered with huge flowers that can be over a foot in diameter.  The beauty of these flowers is amazing and their fragrance is so special.  I never cease to be amazed by seeing the buds grow and turn white and then open into such spectacular flowers.  The Old Testament and what God has there for us is even more stunning!

The Old Testament is not a small flowerless tree.  It is a very large tree, filled with flowers that are open and buds that are about to be.  The Lord is beckoning us to come and look for them.  It is a treasure to be studied just as the New Testament is.  Once we recognize what the Lord has for us there, we spend more time in it – and our perception and appreciation for it grows.

The insights that the Lord gives us are like the flowers that open on the Southern Magnolia.  We can be reading a passage of Scripture and the Lord just unfolds an amazing truth or insight to us, just like the Magnolia blossom opening.  I think of time-lapse photography that shows in seconds what might take hours or days to happen.  We are captured by the beauty and blessing of what we are seeing.

I was so blessed when we lived in Tennessee because these trees were everywhere.  Thinking of them, I am reminded of all the treasure the Lord has in the Old Testament that He wants to bless us with.  Every time we see things in His Word, it is just another magnificent, fragrant flower opening up on this magnificent ‘tree’.

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Saturday August 8, 2015

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Don Schmidt

1 Peter 1:8  Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

This morning I am still overflowing with joy over the wonder and thrill of what Jesus does – and has done – in our lives.  Yesterday’s devotional seemed to just trigger an eruption of that joy.  It recounted how God used my friend Andy and me in His plan of drawing this young Muslim man to Jesus.  The experience of that flight was priceless, but then to receive the email of him finding Jesus!  It just tapped into the wellspring of gratitude and joy that I have for my own experience of finding Jesus.

I’m sitting here writing this, grinning and basking in the inexpressible and glorious joy that Peter writes of in today’s verse.   The joy for this young man and the joy for my own encounter with Jesus are still just engulfing me.  And those salvation experiences are just the beginning!

Becoming a follower of Jesus is not a one-experience life!  If our testimony is simply recounting what God did in our lives years ago, we are missing the mother lode.  Yes, my encounter with Him 47 years ago was astounding.  It’s like the rock of Gibraltar in my life – it is huge!  But that was simply the transforming invitation to ‘come in’.  It’s like the Lord saying, “If you thought that was good, that is merely the foretaste!”

We belong to Him, and as His family we get to experience the treasure of His Word, His ways, His love, His protection, His presence, His provision….  It just goes on and on.  He also surprises us, delights us, disciplines us, prunes us, tests us, comforts us, confronts us, encourages us….  Best of all, we get to experience Him.

Hopefully, this triggers joy within you and the refreshing that comes from remembering the wonder of our God.  But if it doesn’t, hopefully it will spark your active pursuit of Him.  His plan for all of us is for our lives to be filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy because we belong to Him.

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Friday August 7, 2015

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Don Schmidt

1 Corinthians 3:6  I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

Yesterday I asked you to picture yourself on a jet that has just taken off for a long flight.  The person next to you is not a Christian and is searching the various religions to find the right one.  He has been reading the Bible as part of his search and is filled with questions and begins to ask you them.

This specific scenario happened to me and a young friend named Andy several summers ago.  We were in Europe and were on the first leg of our trip home.  The young man next to me was raised a Muslim but had concluded that it was not the answer.  In his search, he had narrowed it down to Judaism and Christianity.  He had been particularly struck by the concept of ‘loving one another’.

This Q&A and discussion of our faith went on for the entire flight.  The more we talked the more apparent it became just how thorough his search had been.  He was aware of the price he would pay with his family but determined to find the truth.  He had been waiting for over a year to make this trip to come to school in America.  The Lord timed the flight so that we would have the blessing of being with him on this leg of his trip.  How I thought of this verse as we experienced the joy of responding to his questions and sharing our faith with him.

Shortly before the end of the flight, Andy told me that the young man had said to him, “It was no accident that I sat down with you two!”  What a marvelous opportunity this was to be a part of God’s plan to bring someone to Himself.  We had been given the opportunity to water the seeds others had planted.  In the subsequent months, I wondered if this young man had completed his search.  You can imagine my joy and gratitude to the Lord when I received the following email at Christmas of that year:

“Merry Christmas Don,

I guess you don’t remember me. Well, we met in plane when we were travelling from Ukraine to Amsterdam this July.

Let me share something with you what god has done to me, it may surprise you. If you remember me then you will remember that I was on a spiritual journey. And I was not able to find god’s way or light. I was living in darkness. And when we met, I was on the point where I knew that God’s way was in Judaism or Christianity. Well, on the night of 14th Oct, when I was talking to a pastor I found a light. I was literally crying afterwards. I found Jesus. I tell you after that night, I have lived every moment as a complete life. I am thankful to him that he could come to a sinner like me.   

Well, I just wanted to share my experience with you.

I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.”

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Thursday August 6, 2015

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Don Schmidt

2 Corinthians 3:2  You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody.

Picture yourself on a jet that has just taken off for a long flight.  You begin a conversation with the person next to you and discover that he is searching the various religions to find the right one.  His background is not Christianity but he has been reading the Bible as part of his search.  He is filled with questions and begins to ask you them.

Why are you a Christian?  If you had to identify one or two aspects of your life as a Christian that were the most important to you, what would they be?  How does your daily life reflect your Christian faith?

What would your answers be to him?  Would you be experiencing excitement at the opportunity to share your faith?  Or would your experience be tempered by awareness that other ‘stuff’ has diminished the vibrancy your relationship with Christ in your life?  If your daily life of thoughts and actions were written out, what would they reveal to him about you and your faith?  What would they reveal to those around you?

Today’s scripture presents the reality that our lives are being read by those around us. Their lives are being read by us.  That is simply the reality of life.  It is not an issue of being judgmental, it’s a matter of people being cognizant of the encounters they have.

Is faith reflected in the story, or letter, of our lives?  Do our lives consistently reflect more of our Lord than the worldliness of our culture?   The Holy Spirit is leading each of us to make Jesus the true love of our life.  Hopefully, each chapter of our lives will reflect us coming closer to achieving this goal.

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Wednesday August 5, 2015

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Matthew 7:24  “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

In my NIV Bible, the heading for this portion of scripture is “The Wise and Foolish Builders”. How we respond to the words of Jesus determines the foundation of the house we build.  It’s a major league choice that we have because the alternatives are rock or sand.  The structures built upon rock survive the storms and floods while those built upon sand don’t.

Yesterday I used the Three Little Pigs children’s story as an illustration of foolish choices and misplaced trust.  The first two little pigs were more interested in playing than working and took the shortcuts that enabled them to play.  They didn’t consider the consequences of their decisions until it was too late.  In terms of today’s scripture, they were the foolish builders.  Their homes built of straw or sticks are the equivalent of building them upon the sand.

The third little pig built correctly.  He was the wise builder and his home of bricks is the equivalent of building upon a rock foundation.  It not only withstands the storm and wind (huffing and puffing), but it withstands the floods as well.  When the foundation of a house goes – the house goes with it.  The issue is to be able to withstand whatever comes.

Such a simple story yet it’s significance is profound: doing things the right way leads to good results, while doing them the wrong way leads to catastrophic results.  The obvious question then is how do we determine what the right way is?  Or more accurately, what are the right ways?

Every area of life is affected: how we live, work, raise our children, relate to others, treat our spouse, respond to our parents – to authority, to responsibility – it goes on and on.  There are so many ‘voices’ saying, “This is the way.” – and so many of them lead to building upon sand – houses of straw or sticks.

How do we recognize the wise from the foolish?  Jesus makes it clear that the answer is hearing His words AND putting them into practice.  His words aren’t suggestions where we can pick and choose.  Nor do we have the option of not becoming familiar with what they are – our lives are to embrace them.  We are to become so a part of them that they are engraved upon our lives.  Let us set our hearts upon becoming wise builders so that every area of our lives will glorify our Lord.

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Tuesday August 4, 2015

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Isaiah 31:1  Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the LORD.

Once upon a time there were 3 little pigs.  One built his home out of straw.  The second built his home out of sticks, while the third built his out of bricks.  The wolf comes upon each of the pigs in their homes with the result that straw and sticks are no match for his “huffing and puffing”.  Their houses get blown down and they suffer the consequences.  But the wolf was no match for the third little pig with the brick home.  Not only did it withstand his “huffing and puffing’, but this little pig outwits the wolf resulting in the end of the wolf.  He also wasn’t shaking with fear at the wolf at the door.  He actively countered whatever the wolf tried.

Right now there is a whole lot of “huffing and puffing” going on all around us.  So many things seem to be taking on a threatening nature.  How are we responding to it?  Is our ‘house’ beginning to shake and come apart?  Do we find ourselves awake at night consumed with fear – because of the ‘wolf’ at the door?  Where do we turn for help and assurance?  Where do we place our trust?

The Israelites were tempted to go down to Egypt for help because they had horses and chariots and horsemen for hire – in spite of God’s warning not to.  With the threat of enemy armies approaching, it seems reasonable to want something that can be seen versus trusting what isn’t seen.  But it’s where do we place our faith?  It’s tempting to succumb to the worldly wisdom that faith is nice but we need something that we can get our hands on.  If we’re going to be in a ‘war’, we need an army; we need to be able to defend ourselves.

Fortunately, God is calling us, if we only have ears to hear and eyes to see.  We are to look to Him, the Holy One of Israel, to seek help from the LORD.  Even if we’ve built our lives out of ‘straw’ or ‘sticks’, it is never too late to turn to Him.  He not only will be there for us, He will likely lead us to those who have built their lives with ‘bricks’ so that we might learn of His ways from them.  He will use them to help us to stand securely in the circumstances we face.  God loves to overcome the ‘wolves’ in our lives when we truly turn to Him.

Tomorrow we will talk about the relationship of the bricks and the Rock.

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Monday August 3, 2015

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Romans 2:4b  …not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Have you ever had a friend or someone in your life that believed in you and was for you, no matter what?  Have you ever been that person for someone you know?  The relationship is so strong and motivation so right that difficult things can be communicated because the trust is there.

Many years ago when we were involved in ministry, we moved back to an area we had lived in before.  When we arrived we heard very negative things about two individuals we knew – Bill and Erik.  Bill had been a very good friend and Erik was more of an acquaintance. Erik was a newer Christian and bit more radical.  He had also been the recipient of some good things that I thought (at that time) should have come to me.

Although I am forgiven, I am still humbled by my very different responses to these two brothers.  I was so troubled by what I heard that I met with Bill at our center late one night.  I shared with him what I had become aware of and reaffirmed my love for him and our friendship.  I let him know that I would help him in anyway that I could.  We shared, wept and prayed with each other.

With Erik, the troubling things I heard fit with my perception of him.  I simply wrote him off.  Sometime later after we had moved away, the Lord confronted me with the question of why my responses to these two brothers were so different.  As I pondered the question, the answer became so embarrassingly obvious:  I loved Bill and didn’t love Erik!

When the Lord showed me this, it wasn’t like a trip to the woodshed or the Principal’s office.  It was like a treasured friend taking me aside and sitting down with me for a talk.  Although painful to hear, the relationship we had enabled me to hear Him and receive the truth about myself.  Instead of experiencing rejection, my Lord had His arm around my shoulders – affirming me.

Because of God’s kindness, I was lovingly being offered insight into my own misbehavior so that I might repent and learn.  Isn’t that one of the most marvelous realities of our life with Him?  He will regularly show us where we need to change – and enable us to change – so that our lives will be a continuous, ongoing transformation into the image of Christ.  May we all see that this is our daily way of life with Him and recognize His kindness.

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Sunday August 2, 2015

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Acts 16:34  The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.

Have you experienced a time of when you thought you were following God and everything seemed to go wrong?  You struggled with thoughts that you missed what He wanted you to do.  Then in the midst of some of the worst difficulties, things happened that only He could have arranged and you saw that He was orchestrating the events the whole time.

The 16th chapter of Acts contains such a story and it is one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible.  It details the events leading up to and including this jailer and his family coming to believe in God through the ministry of Paul and Silas.  These events are rather extraordinary and not exactly what we think of when we discuss God providing us with opportunities to share our faith and lead others to the Lord.

It started with a vision.  Paul wanted to go elsewhere but God used it to direct them to Macedonia.  Things seemed to be going well until Paul cast a fortune-telling spirit out of a slave girl.  Her owners became upset because this meant that they ceased to earn a great deal of money from the girl.  Due to the owners’ efforts Paul and Silas became ‘public enemies 1 & 2’.  They were seized, with the crowd joining in; dragged into the marketplace before the authorities; stripped, beaten, severely flogged and thrown into prison.  Just to get where God wanted them to be!

The jailer, having been warned, placed them in an inner cell with their feet in stocks.  At midnight, instead of sleeping or grumbling or being distressed over their fate – they were praying and singing hymns to God, with all the others listening!  Then a violent earthquake struck that set everyone free – but no one tried to escape.  The jailer was about to kill himself, but Paul shouted out and stopped him from harming himself.

What a blessing that Paul and Silas were more concerned about the jailer than their freedom.  What a blessing that they were glorifying God.  The jailer came and fell trembling before Paul and Silas – asking what he must do to be saved!  He and his whole household responded to their instructions and experienced the joy of salvation.

The next morning, the authorities wanted to release them as though nothing had happened!  I have no difficulty believing that God orchestrated all these events, simply to reach the jailer and his household.  Yes, a group of believers was established there in that city.  But the series of supernatural events led to the conversion of this jailer and his family.  Paul and Silas were faithful in spite of the unjust suffering and abuse they endured.  Do we understand that the Lord will do similar things with us today?  Are we willing?

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Saturday August 1, 2015

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Happy Birthday Donna!

Proverbs  5:18, 19  18 Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant doe [tender, gentle, attractive]—let her bosom satisfy you at all times, and always be transported with delight in her love.  (Amplified Bible)

I am the richest man in the world because the Lord gave Donna to me – and me to her!  How do I begin to describe the delight and wonder of getting to spend my life with this wonderful woman – truly a daughter of the King.  Her smile – her voice – her touch – her laughter – her kindness – her love for the Lord – her passion – her tenderness – her love for me.  Oh my!!!!

I get to treasure her – I get to be with her – I get to hold her – I get to bless her – I get to rejoice in her – I get to thank God for her – I get to help her accomplish her dreams – I get to spend my life loving her and thanking God for her.  She is God’s gift to me that He uses to enable me to love Him more.  The more I love her, the more I love Him.

She passionately loves the Lord.  Her tender heart is so apparent as she prays and is touched by others and God’s Spirit.  I find myself frequently asking God to make me more like her.  She truly delights in Him.

Today is her birthday.  I just wanted to rejoice and celebrate the blessing I have in this delightful woman – my wife of almost 45 yeaars.

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Friday July 31, 2015

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Hebrews 5:14  But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

Although I grew up in a small port city on the Lake Michigan, I never got to experience sailing until I earned a sales trip to Bermuda.  One of the events for the participants was a sailboat race.  There were three big sailboats and a course laid out for the race that involved sailing in all directions – with and against the wind.  A staggered start was used with the slowest boat going first and the fastest last.  Donna and I were on the middle sailboat.

What a wonderful adventure.  We passed the first sailboat and managed to keep ahead of the fastest one that was methodically gaining on us.  We were still leading when we had one more buoy to sail around and then it would be a sprint for the finish line.  The other sailboat was closing and the strong cross-wind was a real challenge.

I was standing next to our captain as we rounded the final buoy.  He commented that he thought the other sailboat would pass us and win the race, but then he let out a whoop, and yelled, “We’re going to win!”  He explained that the other captain misread the wind and made a wrong move.  This resulted in his sails collapsing and a loss of momentum.  It took him several minutes to regain his speed but by then we were nearing the finish line.

That captain lost because he misread the wind.  Our verse today speaks of acquiring a similar skill – that of distinguishing between good and evil. Sometimes telling the difference is easy, like sailing with the wind at your back.  But other times, it can be much more difficult – thus the imperative of having our senses trained.  Being able to distinguish good from evil is an absolutely essential skill that every believer must practice and develop.  We need it every day and cannot afford to misread the ‘wind’.

We must not succumb to the temptation of allowing culture or opinion to define good and evil.  Is it ever okay to cheat?  To lie? What is cheating?  What is sexual impurity?  Where are the lines that we must not cross?  What qualities must we cultivate in our lives?  What is good?  Thank God for His Holy Spirit and His Word.  They provide the answers and guidance we need.

Here is the Amplified version of this verse which makes it even clearer how important this skill is: “But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.”

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