Friday May 1, 2015

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Don Schmidt

John 12:42-43  Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

We have this problem today that we encounter everywhere –  and it is a major problem.  In Scripture it is reflected by Nathanael’s blunt comment to hearing Philip excitedly telling him about Jesus of Nazareth, the one written about by Moses and the prophets, “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46)

Substitute the word Christianity into Nathanael’s sentence for Nazareth and couple it with an attitude of condescension and we have the problem we are facing nearly everywhere in Western Civilization. It’s in academia, business, media, government, courts – basically everywhere.  It’s similar to evolution in that it’s poor theory that’s accepted as true (I will deal with evolution this coming week).  Of course Christianity is viewed as a waste if your ‘given’ is there is no God.

But this perception and accompanying attitudes don’t exist in a vacuum.  They are rooted in forces that have no doubt as to deadly threat posed to them by scriptural Christianity that is truly lived out. Most of the world has no idea they are pawns in the hands of evil powers. Paul addresses them in Ephesians 6:12,

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Their goal is to stamp Christianity out!  Do anything to keep Christians from tapping into the power they truly have in Christ.  In the face of this politically correct societal dismissal, the issue becomes how are Jesus followers going to respond?

Unfortunately, when our walk is weak, we have a tendency to follow the path painfully described by today’s verse – we respond out of fear because we love the praise of men more than the praise of God – OUCH!  That’s why we have been provided with the armor of God and the command to put it on. (Ephesian 6:10-18)  This armor is vital to being strong in the Lord and able to stand.

When we stand, we don’t respond with anger, shaking our fists at those who oppose us.  But we stand strong and secure in our Lord with our response reflecting our faith, rooted in righteousness and glorifying Jesus.  At times we’ll suffer negative consequences, but even then we must do so with fruit of the Spirit attitudes.

After all, our joy and our lives are centered in pleasing God – not men.

 

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Thursday April 30, 2015

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

I have really enjoyed some of the Indiana Jones movies.  A couple of my favorite scenes are in The last Crusade when they get to the cave and encounter the old Crusader still guarding the ‘Holy Grail’ – believed to be the cup used by Christ at the last supper.  There is only one problem – the room has a whole bunch of cups without any indication which is the right one.

Of course the wealthy, learned leader of the bad guys insists on choosing and picks out a magnificent ornate cup, in his mind worthy of the Lord.  He drinks from it expecting some sort of heavenly wonder but unfortunately he chose the wrong cup.  He ages a few hundred years in a few seconds and is no more, to which the old Crusader responds, “He chose poorly.”

Due to the wounding of Indy’s father (Sean Connery), Indy has to choose quickly among the cups.  The story line attributes miraculous power to the cup – like the Ark in the Old Testament – and Indy needs to get it to his father to heal the wound that would kill him.  Well, Indy learned from the bad guy’s mistake and scours the table for the cup of a carpenter and chose a very humble plain wooden cup; to which the old Crusader responds, “You chose…wisely.”

We find ourselves in a world filled with gods – all being represented as the true God. When we look at all of these competing gods, how do we know what He (the True One) looks like?  This isn’t simply an intellectual exercise – this is true reality!  While He doesn’t put a gun at our head or a sword at our throat forcing us to choose, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The good news is that the One True God didn’t leave us to our own devices to figure out which ‘cup on the table’ was Him.  He has made everything available for all to ‘choose wisely’.   He even works with us to guide us in the path that leads to finding Him.  He has communicated that it’s not His will that any should ‘choose poorly’!

Fortunately, He has given us a vibrant, living picture of Himself.  He even enables us to recognize that it is Him – we then, simply have to choose.  And when we do, He confirms our wise choice by allowing us to experience the wonder of Him.

Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being!  When we become His, He begins the transforming wonder whereby we become like Jesus.  The more we are transformed, the more others will see Jesus when they see us – and they too will be drawn to Him.

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Wednesday April 28, 2015

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Ishmael and Isaac  – Which one is the child of promise?

When are two sons, not two sons? Answer: God’s view of Abraham’s offspring – Ishmael and Isaac.  While both boys had Abraham as their father, only one was the child of promise.

Genesis 17:3-6 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.  No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

Genesis 17:18-21 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”  Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.  And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.  But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”

Genesis 22:2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”

Genesis 22:16-18  and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

Hebrews 11:17-18 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.

Galatians 3:8-9 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Galatians 3:26-29 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4:28 Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

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Tuesday April 28, 2015

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Luke 5:11  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

I just read an excellent article at Breitbart.com entitled “Will the Supreme Court open the door to the criminalization of Christianity?”  (link below)  It appears that the church in the USA is about to encounter persecution like never before in our country’s history.  We are already seeing Christian bakers, photographers and other Christian business people being sued and threatened.  The question becomes how to respond if this happens?  After all, our response must be consistent with following Jesus.  What about those Christians who aren’t facing being taken to court and losing possessions but are facing a choice of life and death?

I thought of this well-known hymn. It comes from India and the story behind it is truly moving.  Think of missionaries in a region of India risking their lives among violent people groups to share the story of Jesus.  Think of what happens when families in those violent people groups choose Jesus.  This song describes what happens to one Indian family when they decide to follow Jesus.  The formation of these words into a hymn is attributed to the Indian missionary Sadhu Sundar Singh.

Here is a 5 minute YouTube that includes both the story and the song:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALP9f4QVIoA&feature=related

I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.

Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.

The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/04/27/will-the-supreme-court-open-the-door-to-the-criminalization-of-christianity/

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Monday April 27, 2015

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Luke 5:10b-11  Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” 11 So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Picture yourself a fisherman.  That is your livelihood.  You and your partners have just spent the entire night fishing and come up empty.  You’re on shore washing your nets when this new friend, a carpenter by background who is doing some amazing things comes up with a crowd around him listening to him teaching.

He sees two boats at water’s edge and gets into one of them – yours – and asks you to push it out a bit.  He then sits down and teaches from the boat.  When he finishes speaking (to the crowd) he says to you, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”  I wonder what goes through your mind at that moment; maybe something like, “Yea – right!”

Maybe you roll your eyes, but who he is gets the better of you – although you do let him know the facts of the situation.  “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.

Maybe you’re thinking that he should stick to what he knows.  Even so, you go along with it.  All of a sudden you and your companions catch such a large number of fish that the nets began to break.  You signal your partners in the other boat to come and help, and they come and both boats are filled so full of fish that they began to sink.

To say everyone is astonished is an understatement!  But this strikes you in a unique way.  This is a miracle and it involved you.  You’re struck by your own unworthiness to be in the presence of something divine.  You fall at his knees and say, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”

But instead of listening to you, he says something far more profound that what you’ve just experienced!  These words come from his mouth addressed to you, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” The group of you that hear this, pull your boats up on shore, leave everything and follow him.

The marvelous thing about this story is that Jesus is inserting himself into the everyday lives and situations of his followers today – just as he did then.  He will do something to get our attention – causing us to turn aside and focus upon him.

We might not understand everything that is going on but we know it is Him.  Then he calls us to be fishers of men – just as he did with them by the shore.  And we get to follow Jesus just as they did into the callings he has for us.

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Sunday April 26, 2015

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Colossians 3:13  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Do we understand that forgiving someone is a simple decision of our will?  Better still is the fact that once done, once we forgive someone, it cannot be undone – no matter how upset we are or want to take it back.  It’s done; a fait accompli!

Think of cracking open a raw egg.  It is a decision of our will and once done it can’t be undone.  No matter how we might want to take it back, we can’t put the egg back in the shell.  Remember Humpty Dumpty, the egg that sat on the wall and had a great fall?  “…All the King’s horses, and all the King’s men – couldn’t put Humpty together again.”

This is beyond good news – it’s great news!  Unforgiveness is to be avoided like the plague.  In yesterday’s devotional I wrote how it’s been described as a person putting arsenic in their own body to hurt someone else.  Unforgiveness is avoided by forgiving – particularly by making the practice of forgiving others into a daily habit pattern.

But what if we don’t feel forgiving?  And what about all the other ‘stuff’ that comes with situations where the need to forgive occurs?  Stuff like anger, resentment, hurt, disappointment, frustration, desire to get even (to name a few) that readily accompany such situations.  Fortunately forgiveness isn’t subject to us feeling like it.

If we are out walking and have an umbrella and suddenly it starts pouring, no matter what is going on, we immediately put up the umbrella – it’s second nature.  It keeps us from getting wet!  When hurts and disappointments come, immediately forgive – just like putting up an umbrella.  It keeps unforgiveness away and allows God’s grace to have unrestricted flow to enable us to handle all the ‘stuff’ in the situation redemptively.

Immediately forgiving others enables us to get our focus off them and our own hurt.  We shift our focus to the Lord.  He is the one we turn to – to help us with all of the accompanying emotions and difficulties.  If we recognize that our responses our sinful, we can confess that and receive forgiveness.  He, and his grace and mercy are at the center of our response.

It’s amazing how readily forgiving those who hurt us enables us to pray redemptively for them.  The healing process proceeds more freely.  Our motivation can become one of glorifying the Lord in the situation.   What a gift being able to readily forgive is!

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Saturday April 25, 2015

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Today’s Scripture is at the end of the devotional

On an April day a few years ago I had the joy of watching part of our granddaughter’s soccer game.  Other than the fact that it was 37 degrees, breezy and raining – it was a great time.  I did my grandfatherly duty by taking her younger sister to our van and sat with her in it with the heater on for 10 minutes during the game when her toes got too cold.

Fortunately I had on hiking shoes that are warm, lightweight and waterproof.  I was dressed warmly, with a winter hat, gloves and coat and of course my favorite big golf umbrella.  While it was still cold and wet out, and my face was getting the brunt of it – I was prepared for it. The ‘gear’ that I had protected me from the elements.

Think of being out there with wet shoes and wet cold feet; no hat and soaked to the skin by the rain and shivering in the cold.  Your little umbrella got turned inside out by the wind and is over in the trash can.  Your nose is running and you’re sneezing and the game just seems to be going on without end.

Does this scenario bring back memories to you?  It sure does to me!  Times when at outside events the weatherman couldn’t have gotten it more wrong – or we failed to take note of updated forecasts and we didn’t have the ‘gear’ we needed to protect ourselves.  Whatever, we became wet, cold and miserable.  Of course if it was a sporting event and out team won it made it a bit better!

This morning when I got up, the Lord brought to mind one of the greatest gifts that He has given us.  It is an absolutely vital component of our spiritual ‘gear’ that provides incredible protection regardless of the ‘inclement’ spiritual situations we encounter.  Better still, this gift can become such a part of our lives that it automatically kicks in whenever we need it.  What is this gift?

It’s the ability to forgive!  No matter what we encounter; no matter what kind of hurt, disappointment, offense or insult – our ability and practice to immediate forgive provides a priceless protection to our lives.  It frees us to respond righteously to whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.

Unforgiveness has been described as putting arsenic in your own body with the intent to get even with someone else.  It’s imperative that we recognize just how vital forgiveness is to our spiritual well-being.  It keeps us dry, warm and healthy no matter what kind of inclement spiritual storms we encounter.  Let us renew our commitment to this truth Jesus taught us Luke 11:4 that describes how we are to live:

“And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us [who has offended us or done us wrong]. And bring us not into temptation but rescue us from evil.” (AMP)

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Friday April 24, 2015

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Don Schmidt

1 John 2:16  Practically everything that goes on in the world—wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important—has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.  (MSG)

This morning I was reminded of a wonderful little book that I read years ago – one that has had a lasting impact on my life.  Its title is My Heart, Christ’s Home by Robert Boyd Munger.  What a treasure this is!  It tells the story of a young man who invites Jesus into his life.  The storyline presented in the book is one of Jesus coming to live in his house (heart) with him.

I recall in the story Jesus going through the rooms (of his heart) one by one over the passing days and dealing with the things he found there.  The young man was thrilled.   Remember when we met the Lord we experienced a marvelous house cleaning too.  It was like Jesus had a crew that just went through and got rid of all kinds of junk.  The cleansing and refreshing were amazing.  But then time passes – and the things of this world seep back in.

Picture your heart having a library and Jesus going in and picking up the very books or magazines that you are embarrassed for him to see.  Imagine him going into your entertainment center and out of hundreds of movies he just pulls one off the shelf and it’s not one that you would want to sit down and watch with him.

I remember seeing a ‘great’ movie in the year following my becoming a Christian.  I was home from college at the time and told my mom about it.  She said she would like to see it too.  Well my mom loved the Lord and to this day I can remember her repeated reactions to the little ‘negatives’ in that movie.  I was mortified as I recognized the stuff I had missed.  We got up and left in the middle of it.

I think the thing that is most painful in the book is when the young man becomes busy – too busy – to spend time with the Lord.  Here Jesus is waiting for him each day, to spend time together, and the things of the young man’s life just don’t leave him the time to do it.  As he goes rushing out the door, he has pangs of regret and the intention to make it right – but somehow the days and weeks just seem to go by.  May we recognize just how easily the world can seep into our lives and isolate us from our Lord.

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Thursday April 23, 2015

Posted on April 23, 2015 by Don Schmidt

2 Peter 1:19  We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. (MSG)

I get up quite early each morning to write these devotionals before the day gets going.  I begin by making a fresh pot of coffee.  While at the kitchen sink this morning I heard what sounded like a bird chirping convention outside.  It was still dark out so I couldn’t see anything but I could sure hear them.  The first thought through my mind was a statement about faith that I have written in the front of my Bible.

“Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings while the dawn is still dark” (Tagore). There are a couple things about this experience that really blessed me.  The first was to experience something entirely normal – birds chirping when it’s dark out – and my mind immediately going to a statement about faith.

The second blessing in the experience was the reminder to respond in faith even though things might seem dark – not evil, just reflecting our inability to see.  Those things or situations we’re praying for or waiting for God’s intervention / provision haven’t happened yet, but this experience refocused my mind and heart upon the faithfulness of Jesus.  No matter what happens – or doesn’t happen – God is faithful.

In terms of the statement above, our attitudes and actions can reflect a belief that the ‘dawn’ is never coming; darkness is here to stay.  We become ‘me’ oriented, centered in disappointment rather than keeping our focus on the Lord.  I love the faith response of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to Nebuchadnezzar,

17 “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”   Daniel 3:17, 18

“But even if he does not…”  WOW!  Isn’t that powerful!!!  Our faith is in our God, no matter how ‘dark’ things might be.  Our faith is not predicated upon Him rescuing us.  Whatever He has for us or allows to come, our faith is in Him.

Let’s also remember Paul and Silas, in the Macedonian jail, in the middle of the night, having been beaten and flogged; they were “praying and singing hymns to God”.  Another WOW!!!  Our focus is upon Jesus.  He enables us to sing praises to Him, in the midst of darkness because He is the light of our lives.

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Wednesday April 22, 2015

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Don Schmidt

Luke 19:9  Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.

Isn’t it incredible how an encounter with Jesus can change your life?!!!  Zacchaeus had no clue how radically his life was going to be changed when he decided to try and see this Jesus who was coming through town.  Maybe he was hoping to see a miracle done or possibly just to see this man who was doing such amazing things.  Whatever his motivation, God’s work in his life became a main event of that day.

In reading about Zacchaeus I think of the jailer in Macedonia who was saved through the ministry of Paul and Silas (Acts 16).  Paul had been looking to go elsewhere but he received a vision of a man of Macedonia, standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  So they went.

Their ministry there seemed ‘normal’ until Paul cast a spirit out of a slave girl that enabled her to tell the future and earn her owners a great deal of money.  Then the uproar over this event turned Paul and Silas into public enemies 1 & 2.  They were drug before the magistrate, stripped and severely flogged and thrown in prison.  The jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.

During the night a violent earthquake shook the prison, opening the prison doors and releasing all the prisoners from their chains.  The jailer woke up and saw this and was going to kill himself but he was stopped by Paul’s shout that everyone was still there.  Then he came and fell trembling before Paul and Silas, brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

Paul & Silas spoke the word of the Lord to him and all in his house.  Then, still in the middle of the night, they were all then saved and baptized and filled with great joy.  At daylight the magistrate sent men to release Paul & Silas – that they could go in peace.  Paul had a bit of a feisty response but the end result was they left Macedonia.

The Macedonian jailer and Zacchaeus both had God come to them.  Both men had hearts ready to respond and God sought and found them.  Neither of them knew they were lost, nor did they realize they were looking and ready to be found.  But both responded to God’s opportunity for them and salvation came to their homes.

It seems that the uproar, stripping and severe flogging of Paul & Silas were simply required by the Lord in order to reach the jailer and all in his house.  I treasure the picture of the two of them praying and singing hymns at midnight and all the prisoners listening just before the earthquake struck.  Paul & Silas never lost sight of the Lord and what they were about!

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