Saturday June 2

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Don Schmidt

2 Corinthians 2:15  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

I would like us to consider aroma and fragrance.  These words have to do with the sense of smell, and in a positive sense, things like food cooking, perfumes, the scent of flowers.  The things that we do – our very lives when centered in Christ – emanate the richness of our God.  And this richness is noticed by those we interact with.

Think of all the positive things that impact us – that we notice – that are helpful or make our lives richer: an encouraging word, a helpful hand, the thoughtful presence of a friend, acts of kindness.  All of these things can communicate the love of our Lord.  Yesterday’s devotional included the verse before today’s where it says how God “through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.”

The day by day journey of our lives is as important as the ultimate destination.  Day by day others can experience Jesus as revealed in our attitudes, words and actions.  The more our lives reflect His ways, the more they will emanate the wondrous fragrance of our God.

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Friday June 1

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20  Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,
who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

We seem to be surrounded by voices that are intent on living out these verses to the detriment of everyone. Politicians, media, Hollywood, schools, entertainment, atheists, religious people – the list just goes on.  If the Judeo-Christian heritage is for it, the world is against it.  It’s the truth that sets us free, not the lies; lies bring bondage.  But in this setting Jesus has us!

The good news for us and the world is that Jesus intends us – His people – to be answers not victims!  Instead of viewing this verse from the perspective of it being a warning, our focus today is upon the reality of what the Lord enables us as Christians, and the Church, to be.  In a sick, sick world, we are the compass to lead people to the truth.

Because of Jesus, we are able to live lives that identify good as good and evil as evil.  Because of His love for us, we can put light for light and darkness for darkness.  Because of the Holy Spirit we are able to put sweet for sweet and bitter for bitter.  We, and the lives we lead, are God’s answers for those who are searching for Him and His ways – and who often don’t even know they are searching.

A few verses before this in verse 5:16 it says, “But the LORD Almighty will be exalted by his justice, and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.”  Our calling as Christians means we are to be light and salt.  We are to show forth His love and live lives of righteousness that glorify our God.  Amidst all the darkness and deception that our cultures and the world have, God has placed us!

This opportunity we have is expressed wonderfully by Paul: “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

Think of it!  In a world of darkness and despair He has chosen to spread His fragrance through us.  Some will recoil because they are not interested in Him.  But others will be attracted because they are responding to the work of His Spirit, drawing them to redemption.  We get to share His fragrance with all who surround us, knowing and trusting that there are those who will respond to Him.

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Thursday May 31

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Philemon 4-5  Every time your name comes up in my prayers, I say, “Oh, thank you, God!” I keep hearing of the love and faith you have for the Master Jesus, which brims over to other believers. (MSG)

What a testimony!  Think of inspiring joy and thanksgiving in others because of our love and faith in Jesus – and that faith and love overflow to those around us.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who knew us could write such a declaration describing us?!!  The issue isn’t recognition but one of acknowledgement of the reality of Christ’s love worked out in our lives.

Who are the Christians in our lives who really are a blessing to us and to others?  Take a moment and see who comes to mind; whose lives fulfill such a description.  Does the mere thought of them bring a smile to your face and a heartfelt gratitude that they are in your life?

Now think of the joy if others think of us and react with an, “Oh, thank you God!”  Believe it or not, that is the destiny that the Lord has for each of us!  In John 13:35 Jesus describes how disciples that are truly His will be recognized,

“This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

 It’s not by our verbal testimony – nor by attending meetings or being part of a recognizable “Christian” group.  It is by our love for one another that all will recognize His disciples. And the quality of this love is to be the highest imaginable! In the verse preceding this Jesus describes this love:  “In the same way I loved you, you love one another.”

Instead of being overwhelmed with the thought of “How on earth do we ever do that?” our response should be closer to giddy excitement that our God enables us to love each other just as Jesus did!  This is our destiny – we get to do this!  And when we do, others will know that we belong to Jesus.  It’s all about Him.

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Wednesday May 30

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Hebrews 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (KJV)

I am reminded of our son Andrew and his gymnastic team at Washington Court Athletic Club.  There were 6 boys on the 9 year old team (Class IV) that became state champions: Andrew, Greg, Johnny, Kenny, Matt and Nick.  A 50 point all-around score (6 events) is a very good score at that level and all 6 of the boys were able to score near 50 and above in competition.

This meant that their practices were something special because they all were doing so many things right.  They still had fun – they were 9 year old boys – but they were seeing and experiencing commitment to excellence in every practice.  They worked hard and watched one another do routines right.  They helped and encouraged each other.  They wanted to win as individuals but it was the team that was most important.

Today’s verse talks about us provoking one another to love and good works.  The NIV uses the phrase ‘spur one another on’.  The idea is the reverse of being jealous or depressed by seeing the efforts and accomplishments of our peers.  The efforts and accomplishments of those around us can provoke similar things in us. They are meant to encourage and motivate.  We can all experience excellence in the tasks we face.

This is what we need to see in our relationships with those around us.  It will encourage and challenge us.  It makes us all want to try harder and support one another.  It also provokes such a sense of gratitude that we get to be part of such a group.  The Lord has given us such a marvelous opportunity to bless one another, our community and most of all Him.  Our prayer is that we will be ever-faithful to the challenge He has placed before us.

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Tuesday May 29

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Job 1:22  In all this Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

It’s difficult to imagine the impact of all that happened to Job in chapter one.  Loss, destruction and death were involved in each message brought to him with the last one being the death of his sons and daughters. Yet his response was to fall to the ground in worship.

Seldom will we or anyone we know experience loss of the magnitude that Job did.  But we do experience loss, pain and tragedy in many forms.  How wonderful it would be to respond in such times by worshipping the Lord as Job did.  Unfortunately many would find it difficult to worship freely in such a time of agony.  But that is where the verse today is such a blessing and offers important instruction.

Job didn’t charge God with wrong doing.  He didn’t say, “God how could you….”  He didn’t lash out at the Lord or blame Him in any way.  It’s so important to understand that such responses are sin.  They charge God with wrongdoing.  It’s not that God won’t forgive such responses, but it’s what they reveal about us.

They stem from an inadequate and inaccurate understanding of who God is and of our relationship with Him.  We are weak where we should be strong.  When we find ourselves in such situations, think of the difference between these responses: 1) “God how could you…” and 2) Oh Lord, I’m so glad that I have you in the midst of this…”

There are times when my heart is not in the place to worship.  But thankfully, it’s not in the place to charge Him with wrongdoing.  I find myself in a faith position of thanking the Lord for keeping me from sinning and asking Him to work the change in me so that my heart-response is to worship Him in the midst of it all.

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Monday May 28 Memorial Day

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 78:5-6  He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, 6 so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

One of the realities of human nature is the tendency over time to forget important things.  I still shake my head in amazement how the children of Israel in a short time after the death of Joshua and his generation they forgot everything.  In Judges 2:10 we read,

After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel.

Think of that!  How could they forget the miracles and the wonder of their deliverance from Egypt; the parting of the Red Sea?  How could Joshua’s generation not communicate faithfully what God had done?  I don’t know the answer, but it’s clear what happened – the subsequent generations didn’t remember God nor did they know what He had done.  Unfortunately the same tendency can afflict us.

Today is the last Monday in May and is the day when the United States celebrates Memorial Day.  The holiday was originally called Decoration Day due to the practice of decorating graves of soldiers.  It began following the Civil War.  It is a day of remembrance in honor of those who have died serving America during war.

May we take the time today to honor and remember those who died fighting for our freedom.  May we explain to our children the importance of honoring and remembering them.  They were and are God’s gift to us for we would not have the blessing of our country without them.  We mustn’t allow this to simply be a three day weekend.

We rejoice with those in the military who fought in wars and made it home alive.  But we especially remember and honor today those who didn’t.  We thank God for all of them.  We mustn’t forget!

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Sunday May 27

Posted on May 27, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Some thoughts on the Mt Everest rescue…. (news account in yesterday’s devotional)

I imagine there have been times when the decision made and actions taken by the young Israeli, Nadav Ben Yehuda, would have appeared normal rather than exemplary.  Regardless of the times, I find it always inspiring to see or read about people who make significant sacrifices to do the right thing.

In this case we read about many climbers who passed by the Turkish climber lying there.  They were solely committed to reaching the summit so close at hand.  The account also mentions the fresh corpses that were along the trail that everyone climbing passed by.  I cannot imagine the physical and mental strain that climbing a mountain such as Everest would entail particularly being aware of the climbers who died attempting the climb.

And then to be so near the summit – a climber would be so focused on the achievement of the goal.  The planning and preparation; the cost and the time; the physical toll; and the exhilaration of the end in sight – all these could produce tunnel vision that wouldn’t see anything else.  But fortunately for the 46 year old Turk, Aydin Irmak, an Israeli climber he had met earlier at the base camp passed by and turned aside to help.

Ben Yehuda said that when he saw him, lying there unconscious in the dark, he had no second thoughts.  He knew he had to save him.  That meant abandoning the goal of reaching the summit because he knew the Turk would be dead before he could possibly return for him.

In another account of this wonderful rescue, Ben Yehuda mentioned how he was helped by his military training in Israel.  They were taught to never leave a friend in the field.

I am reminded of the verse in James 4:17, Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.  But let us see this for the privilege it is rather than obligation.  Let’s reverse the thought and express it another way – call it Don’s paraphrase:

Oh Lord, thank you for the joy and blessing it is to see the good you want us to do and to wholeheartedly do it!

Thank you Lord for this wonderful rescue and may it be used by You to bring them both to yourself.

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Saturday May 26 – Wonderful Rescue

Posted on May 26, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Young Israeli man rescues Turk on top of Mt Everest this past week!  He carries him nine hours to the nearest base camp.

This is a wonderful story of a life that was just saved.   This rescue happened one week ago and is so similar to the story of the Good Samaritan.  Someone stops to help someone in need.  What makes it even more special is that a young Israeli man sacrifices his bid to reach the top of Mt Everest in order to save the life of a climber who happens to be a Turk.  He recognized the Turk as someone he’d met at the Base Camp.  Read and be blessed.  Luke 10:25-37  The Parable of the Good Samaritan

The Times of Israel

‘He was waiting for the end’ — Israeli climber describes how he saved Turkish friend on Everest

Both men say they still want to conquer the mountain, perhaps together

By and May 23, 2012, 7:44 pm 1

Nadav Ben Yehuda, the Israeli mountaineer who on Saturday halted his ascent of Mount Everest 300 meters from the peak to save an unconscious Turkish climber, said on Wednesday that he still hoped to make it to the summit one day. And the climber he saved, Aydin Irmak, said he hoped they’d do it together.

Israeli mountain climber Nadav Ben Yehuda with Aydin Irmak, the Turkish climber he rescued on Mount Everest at the weekend. (Photo credit: Channel 2 screen capture)

Israeli mountain climber Nadav Ben Yehuda with Aydin Irmak, the Turkish climber he rescued on Mount Everest at the weekend. (Photo credit: Channel 2 screen capture)

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 2 news from Nepal, Ben Yehuda, 24, a law student from Rehovot who would have become the youngest Israeli to summit the world’s highest mountain, described how he had revived Irmak — who he said he knew before — and carried him down the mountain.

“I’d passed two fresh corpses,” Ben Yehuda said, “when I found him. He was unconscious. He had no gloves. No oxygen. No crampons. No cover… He was waiting for the end,” Ben Yehuda told Channel 2.

Ben Yehuda said he was certain he would have made it to the summit. But “if I had continued climbing, (Irmak) would have died for certain. Other climbers just passed him by and didn’t lift a finger, but I had no second thoughts. I knew that I had to save him,” Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Ben Yehuda saying.

Ben Yehuda said he tied Irmak to his harness and began the descent — about a nine-hour journey to the nearest base. “It was very hard to carry him because he was heavy. At times he would gain consciousness, but then faint again. When he woke up he would scream in pain, which made it even more difficult,” he told Yedioth Ahronoth.

Irmak told the newspaper that, without Ben Yehuda, “I would have died on the mountain. It was a miracle… I remember falling down. I woke up with Nadav standing over me and shouting my name. Nadav did a great thing. He built a bridge between Turkey and Israel, and our leaders can learn a lot from him… I may have missed the summit, but I gained a new brother. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll climb the Everest together.”

Ben Yehuda held up his white-bandaged right hand to the TV camera — “my boxing glove,” he called it — and said he had frostbite in four of his fingers, as well as in two toes, and that he had a certain loss of sensation in his left-hand. “They don’t quite know what to do about (my injuries)” in Nepal, he said. “I think I’ll do most of my treatment back home (in Israel).”

Asked if he still hoped to scale Everest, he said, “I do want to see the view from the top.”

Ben Yehuda said on Monday that he assisted two other climbers in the course of his attempted ascent — a Briton and a Georgian.

Four climbers lost their lives on Everest at the weekend, and Ben Yehuda said his route was “strewn with bodies.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/he-was-waiting-for-the-end-israeli-climber-describes-how-he-saved-turkish-friend-on-everest/

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Friday May 25

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 25:11-12  The right word at the right time is like a custom-made piece of jewelry, And a wise friend’s timely reprimand is like a gold ring slipped on your finger. (MSG)

My wife Donna has this wonderful habit.  When the two of us disagree on something, she is right about 99% of the time.  I’m not certain but I suspect on those rare occasions when she is mistaken, that she’s just being kind and giving me an opportunity to be right.

A similar situation exists with our sons.  They are right and I am wrong a whole lot more often than seems reasonable – particularly when it comes to remembering things.  It’s not that it happens all the time – just frequently enough for them to remind me.  It typically results in smiles and laughter.  The feelings I experience are similar to those I have when they share stories of goofy things I have done over the years.

I realize this sounds pretty dumb but isn’t it better to discover that we are mistaken about something and accept correction than to go merrily on our way being wrong?  There are situations where it’s easier to accept correction like if we’re going the wrong direction to get somewhere or when an event is scheduled.

But what about when our beliefs, actions or attitudes in relationships are either wrong or less than they should be?  How positive (or negative) are our responses to someone informing us of that?  Is this an area where we have created (through our past responses) a big NO TRESPASSING sign?  Our family and friends know they go there at their own risk – sort of the only thing worse than me being wrong is you making the mistake of informing me of that fact.

It all boils down to being teachable and becoming a lover of the truth.  We are to have a spirit that wants to improve and is willing to hear and receive a timely word or some corrective input.  Think of how wonderful it is when something we share is graciously received.  Of course it always helps if it is graciously given, but the truth is the truth no matter how it’s given.

Being a lover of the truth means that we don’t reject the message because 1) we reject the messenger, nor 2) the manner in which the message was given.  We have our ears attuned to the Spirit and we cultivate an attitude that responds righteously to others input.  It’s amazing the things we can learn about ourselves and the helpful changes we can make when we do.

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Thursday May 24

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Mark 12: 28 – 31  28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”  29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  There is no commandment greater than these.”

This portion of Mark describes a wonderful interaction between Jesus and a teacher of the law.  It is one of my favorites because this teacher recognized the truth.  This teacher is one of the very few leaders who interacted wisely with Jesus.  Jesus is asked to identify the most important commandment – which He does in quoting Deuteronomy 6: 4, 5.

Note how Jesus describes loving God.  Jesus describes it as loving Him with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  This is something that you work at in accomplishing – not something that just happens.  It requires intentionality and is all consuming.  Also remember that this is the greatest commandment.  Nothing is greater.

Let’s look at it from a different perspective.  Consider loving God as an acquired skill.  It is defined by a whole set of beliefs, attitudes, motives and actions. It has standards all its own, and Scripture details what they are.  It involves learning the specific required skills in order to become good at it. In order to develop excellence, a great deal of practice is required.  We might think of it as being lifelong apprentices – we never stop learning how to do it better.

When we were born again we became new in Christ.  We were freed from the power of sin in order to become the people that God wants us to be.  Jesus’ answer describes the people we are to become – lovers of God.  But loving God goes beyond skill sets we acquire because it involves who we are as a person. Praise God, the Holy Spirit is the master craftsman, our personal trainer, coach, enabler and so much more.  He is God’s gift to us so that this might all come about.

We may start out doing many of these things because we are supposed to, but as we embrace the process, the Spirit will transform us so that it all becomes a genuine expression of a life committed to Jesus.  We more and more become that which we are doing.   Loving God becomes the passion of our lives.

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