Tuesday March 13

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

This morning I thought of a most interesting picture to illustrate faith in our walk with Jesus.  Do you enjoy eating?  Do you enjoy eating really good stuff?  How about cooking and making delectable delights that when you take a bite it’s like a party in your mouth?  That is how Gene, a dear friend of ours in Colorado, describes the taste of Maracuja Mousse, made from a Brazilian passion fruit.

I enjoy cooking but I’m not in the same league with my wife.  She makes some amazing things.  But one thing she loves, important to this picture this morning, is a kitchen fully equipped with everything she needs to make anything she wants.  Some dishes require a blender, while others a food processor or a mixer and of course two ovens.  This kitchen we are picturing also contains all the gadgets that any recipes would require.

Then there are the ingredients and the seasonings – and again, nothing is missing!  No matter what recipe is to be made, the ingredients and seasoning are there.  And speaking of recipes, of course the cookbooks and recipes are all there too.  And the cookbooks tell you exactly how to do anything that needs to be done.  [Side point: If you’re a guy and don’t like to cook, picture having a room in your basement or garage with every repair tool imaginable and the instructions and ability to use them]

Now we’re in the kitchen and a dish is ordered and we have no idea what it is.  But instead of saying “I can’t do that” the response is to look for the recipe and then find the ingredients and seasonings we need and the pans, utensils or equipment needed to make it.  They are all there.  God has provided everything needed for any recipe we encounter.  His complete provision (equipping) is the given in our lives.

We find ourselves in the situation that no matter what food dish is called for, we can do it.  Even if we don’t understand something in the recipe, the Lord provides understanding when we look to Him.  Our faith is in Him because no matter what we encounter He has provided what we need.  Think of the joy that comes from such an understanding.  No matter what comes our way, we can face it because Jesus has given us everything we need.

Suppose we have a nagging issue and nothing seems to resolve it.  We need to recognize that the ‘food dish’ being asked for isn’t primarily a resolution to the problem, but a righteous, faith-filled response by us in its absence until it comes.  What are we like while we’re dealing with the problem?  All of the little ‘crises’ that come along are all ‘food dish’ requests where God has provided everything we need in our ‘spiritual kitchen’ to respond in a way pleasing to Him.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Monday March 12

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 105:3  Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Isn’t it wonderful that we have a miracle working God who is intimately involved in our lives?  Isn’t it incredible that our God, who made the universe, wants – no, make that insists – upon a personal relationship with each of us.  But He doesn’t take a distant, unapproachable, sterile approach of demanding we serve Him.  He woos us as a lover!  His goal is for us to love Him in return.  All of creation is speaking to us, drawing us to seek and to know Him.

Our God is the Holy One of Israel.  He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He is Yahweh.  He gave His son Jesus to die for us and because of that sacrifice; we have the opportunity and privilege of becoming His family.  Jesus is our Lord!  He is incapable of failing, or lying, or being unfaithful.  He never has an ‘oops’.  Nothing escapes His notice.  He never leaves us; He is always with us, inside of us.  He wants us to be aware of Him always.  The more we are aware of Him, the more we seek Him.

Yesterday provided a wonderful experience that is so reflective of what we have in Jesus.  What a joyous day it was!  The setting was perfect here where we are house-sitting.  Hard to believe it was March with temperature in the 60s and bright sunshine.  The back yard borders on a large pond and there are toys and stuff for kids to climb and play on.  Better still was the family and friends we had here for a surprise birthday party for two of our family.

We had 3 of our sons and their families here plus another family of dear friends.  The kids, and there were 10 of them, had so much fun playing.  Snuggles had a field day running and playing with them.  She even went in the pond!  Enhancing this all was the exquisite pleasure of relationships.  I not only had the pleasure of being with people I love, but better still was the delight of seeing them together.  They so enjoy one another.  This is family.

This all is a wonderful picture of the treasure we have in Jesus.  The joy and laughter and the warmth of being loved and with those we love.  We not only get to experience relationship with one another, we get to experience relationship with Him.  As followers of Jesus, the love we have for one another is reflective of His love for us.  His intent is that everyone should experience the wonder of such love.  What a privilege we have to receive it and share it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sunday March 11

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Psalm 122:6-7  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.”

From today’s Jerusalem Post: Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday said that Israel was still in a state of alert amid a terror threat emanating from Sinai…Over 100 rockets have been fired into Israel since Friday.

Yesterday afternoon when we heard about the rocket attacks on Israel we immediately stopped our activity and immediately began praying for Israel and the peace of Jerusalem.  We prayed that the one true God, who is our God as Christians and is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will protect them and intervene for them; that His angels will surround them and form a wall of protection.  We prayed that He will show Himself strong in Israel’s behalf.

Israel is very dear to us, as it should be to all Christians.  I am always moved by wife’s heart and passion for Israel and the Jewish people.  With weeping she passionately cries out to God for them.  While they are dear to me, Jesus has placed a passion within her that is wonderful.

It sounds obvious but remember – Christianity is Jewish!  They are the people of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Our God is the Holy One of Israel.  They will discover that Jesus is the one and only Messiah.  I might not understand everything about the relationship of God with Israel, but I know that regardless of what some Bible scholars think, the nation of Israel is here today in fulfillment of Biblical prophecy.  God has not abandoned the Jewish people.  That is made clear by the 9th, 10th and 11th chapters of the Book of Romans.  The end times are unfolding around them.

Let us make a point to pray for them – and that our government will always support them and refrain from any actions that hinder their well-being.  This is so important given the situation with Iran and their pursuit of developing a nublear weapon.  That must not happen.  May God guide and direct Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli leadership in His path for them.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Saturday March 10

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 3:6  in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths.

As most of you know we are in the midst of job hunting and house sitting for missionary friends. They will be returning the beginning of July.  So our continuing adventure is to find good jobs and a place to call home in the next few months.  It’s important that you know that we aren’t victims.  We don’t feel deprived of anything.  Even though we go through struggles, we are sustained by the goodness of our Lord.  By focusing upon the Lord and trusting in Him we are going to come through this fine.  But I thought it would be helpful to share a bit of what we are going through.

Do we encounter anxiety, fear, frustration, uncertainty and questions?  Yes we do.  These things buffet us but we don’t give in to them.  Do we experience times of wondering why this had to happen?  And what is the Lord doing with us?  Yes we do.  Although the thrill of being near family again after so many years is absolutely priceless!  What we’ve lost is pale in comparison to being near them.

Is God giving us daily marching orders?  No He is not.  Is God quiet most of the time?  Yes He is.  Is it a major blessing for each of us to have the other spouse committed to Him and pursuing what He wants for us?  Unquestionably!  Do we experience times of despair and defeat?  No, not at all.  While it was disappointing not to get a job with my former company, that just meant God has something else.  But just as the Lord wonderfully provided this house sitting opportunity, He will provide what we need when we need it.

Because of the wonderful treasury that we have of experiences with God, we can encourage one another with many, “Remember when God did….”   We remind each other of stories of God’s people in the Bible who, when faced with far greater trials, responded with faith and trusted the Lord.  We also, note those stories where they didn’t respond in faith and we have been determined to learn from these examples.

One of the great blessings of God’s goodness is by focusing on Him; He frees us from the fear of making a mistake.  Being human, we’re prone to make mistakes.  But we just sense that by keeping the Lord at the center, we will find what He wants us to have and that things will work out no matter what does or doesn’t happen.  He is looking out for us and directing us in His path.   The unknown to us is not unknown to Him.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Friday March 9 – We the people…

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Don Schmidt

1 Timothy 2:1-2  I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Yesterday I read an article by David Barton, an honored and respected historian, that brought into sharp focus the apparent hostility our current President displays towards Biblical faith, people and values (linked below).  I had no idea of its extensive nature.  The small portion of the article deals with the author’s description of the problem and conclusions.  The extensive portion is a concise, documented listing of the specific actions of hostility taken by our President and his administration.  The author’s conclusion is that “the hostility of President Obama toward Biblical faith and values is without equal from any previous American president.”

We are not talking about a Democrat / Republican thing here or where we just disagree with some policies; it’s a far different world than that.  This has to do with the very nature and foundation of our country.  In ancient Israel, the king led the country in either ways pleasing to God or in ways that were opposed to God.  The well-being or decline of the country happened accordingly.

We are required by our faith to pray for our leaders.  But the gift God has given us in our country requires far more than that.  Our faith and actions must be active and not passive.  We do not have kings and leaders who rule for life, but we have a representative form of government that requires us to take an active role in the selection – or removal – of those leaders.  God holds us responsible too.

Our involvement in the electoral process must be done peaceably, characterized by righteousness, without anger or rebellion.  We can be passionate about our convictions, but again our words, attitudes and actions must reflect the fruit of the Holy Spirit and our faith.  Remember Godly people can disagree on things.

Our situation is made more difficult by the amount of lying that is going on by leaders and the media.  Knowing the truth is not as simple as it should be.  This is a further reflection of a society gone astray.  When God and His values are removed from education and all aspects of public life is it any wonder that sin abounds?

Remember, our Constitution begins, “We the People of the United States,…”.  What a privilege and responsibility we have to do our part in picking our leaders to govern in a manner consistent with Biblical faith and values.  Please read the article and documentation for yourself.  Let us respond accordingly.

Note: The article is at WallBuilders and is written by David Barton titled, ”America’s Most Biblically-Hostile U. S. President”.  The link is http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=106938

WallBuilders is an organization dedicated to presenting America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional heritage.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thursday March 8

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Don Schmidt

John 15:18  If the world hates you, keep in mind in mind that it hated me first.

Have you ever been bullied?  Have you ever been one of those people that a bully looked for and as soon as he saw you he came running to mess with you?  Fortunately such things typically only happen to some of us when we’re children.  Plus we live in a western culture where such behavior is generally disapproved of.

But think of being in a culture where this type of behavior is a way of life and instead of the bully being an individual, it is a group, or mob or even family.  Worse still consider the reality that all ages are affected by such groups – not just children – and it includes anything from beating to burning to killing.  Becoming a target, results in the reality that it could cost you your life.  So, what makes a person a target of such groups?

In many places in the world today, becoming a follower of Jesus Christ makes one a target of such groups, resulting in severe, often bloody persecution.  Conversion to Jesus Christ requires a price that many in the West just don’t realize.  Fortunately Jesus is more than worth the price!

We encounter discrimination and persecution but it is more in the context Christian activities being excluded from all manner of places where they have always existed: Merry Christmas becomes Happy Holidays; Christmas vacation becomes Winter break; no prayers at graduation ceremonies; situations in the military where Chaplains are ordered not to pray in the name of Jesus.

We have had a rule of law here that has protected us.  But in too many other parts of the world that law doesn’t exist or is ignored.  There, becoming a believer in Jesus Christ often results in disowning, disinheritance, expulsion, arrest or death.  The hatred that Jesus spoke of (today’s verse) is alive and well in the world.

People all over the world – today – are being tortured, beaten, enslaved, imprisoned and broken because of the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Recognizing the love of God and Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior, triggers a hateful revenge in so many places that we in the west are often clueless about.  But this is what so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are facing and experiencing.

We must remember the spiritual reality that exists in all this.  Paul reminds us 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.”  Fortunately, Jesus has equipped us all to face and overcome such opposition, “because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4b)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Wednesday March 7

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Don Schmidt

John 15:8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

When I was a new Christian I remember being given some advice by an evangelist friend.  He said it was a good idea to identify those around me who were really like Jesus and to go rub up against them in hopes that some of it would rub off.  After we quit laughing, I took to heart the importance of identifying the qualities of Jesus in others and learning from them how to make them in my own life.

This led me to realize that I had to learn what the qualities of Jesus were.  It was a whole lot more than just someone who is nice or pleasant to be around.  Have you ever had a friend who was nice but cheated at games you played?  What about friends who would talk about Jesus in a great way, but then they would go out and involve themselves in immorality?

Or being a sales person and stretching the truth regarding their products in order to get the sale?  What about not following through on commitments made, leaving it to others to pick up the loose ends?  What about someone one who is nice with everyone but has a habit of taking their frustrations out on their spouse?  They might be wonderful to their spouse most of the time, but with some degree of frequency they let their anger fly wounding the one they say they love the most.

This was the one that I was so guilty of 20 years ago.  I was so blind to the anger I would let fly at home.  I had to come to grips with the reality that in spite of all wonderful things I did for and with my wife, this one “fruit” was undermining it all.  I was so embarrassed that my grasp of the obvious in this area was so totally malfunctioning.  Fortunately, God dealt with it and me, and our marriage became better and stronger than ever.  Using the fruit illustration we’ve been talking about, it was like seeing a beautiful apple and turning it in our hands and finding it rotten on the back.  Thankfully, repentance and forgiveness works!!  Jesus can touch that “apple” and make it rich and new.

The simple reality is that we don’t become perfect overnight – or in a lifetime.  But when we are truly disciples of Jesus, the Holy Spirit enables us to more and more walk in His ways.  We are continually being transformed into His image.  We learn to recognize our sins much more quickly so that Godliness flourishes in every area of our lives.  No matter where we are or what we’re doing or who we’re doing it with, we want our lives to glorify our Father in Heaven.  This comes by bearing the fruit consistent with being full-time disciples of Jesus.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Tuesday March 6

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Isaiah 27:2b-3  “Sing about a fruitful vineyard: 3 I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually.  I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it.

I grew up in Southwestern Michigan in an area known as the Fruitbelt.  Orchards and vineyards were everywhere and the area had renown for its wonderful non-citrus fruit.  Strawberries, peaches, apples, grapes, plums, blueberries… – it makes me hungry just writing about them.  So many different varieties yet how wonderful they all were.

Every farmer and buyer wanted a fruitful season – as well as anyone who enjoyed fruit.  I remember walking through vineyards and seeing the vines loaded with ripening grapes.  It was particularly nice to be able to pick a bunch of grapes and eat them as we walked.  There is something very special about tasting sweet fruit out in the field; that juicy taste in our mouths that says, “YES! – I want another one!!”

But there is a well known expression that covers an experience that we don’t want to have.  That expression is ‘sour grapes’.  Think of walking along, picking a grape and when you bite into it, your mouth is filled with sourness! You spit it out!  Think of being in a fruit market where you are able to sample the fruit before purchasing it.  Does the fruit pass the taste test?

Today’s verse particularly applies to Israel, but I love its application to us, both individually and corporately.  I love the picture of being a vineyard that the Lord watches over and is sung about.  I want to be a fruitful vineyard and I also want to be part of a fruitful vineyard.  Jesus said He is the true vine; we are the branches; and the Father is the gardener (think vine dresser).  The goal is bearing much fruit – sweet fruit.  If we remain in Jesus we will bear much fruit and the Father will prune us so that we will bear even more.

Think of the people that are in our lives.  They can be anything from strangers to close friends or family.  Also think of our lives being a vineyard where they sample the fruit that we are bearing.  What if we have no fruit or if the fruit we have is sour?  That is our testimony no matter what we might say.  But think of the joy of having abundant fruit and the fruit is sweet.  Our lives glorify our Lord Jesus and He will work with us so that we bear even more.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday March 5

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Don Schmidt

Proverbs 16:22a  Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,

About six weeks after meeting the Lord, I went up to Minneapolis for what I thought was going to be a youth retreat for high school and college age.   I had just turned 21 and hitched a ride up there with 3 other Western Michigan college students in a VW Bug.  I was in the back seat with a large suitcase and another large person.  That was a ride to remember!

When they dropped me off, I discovered the retreat had been cancelled.  The folks at the ministry center there were then wondering what to do with me – probably not the first time in my life that’s happened.  They had a Christian community / retreat center in northern Minnesota and one of the families was going up there for the weekend so they decided to take me along.  It turned out to be one of the most critically important times of my entire life.  I didn’t know it but I had a date with destiny.

The people at the community where we went were wonderful and very gracious to me.  The worship and ministry times were wonderful.  In my joy as a new Christian I was struggling with a serious issue that was warring within me.  During one of the services, the leader called me up to the front.  The Lord had divinely given him knowledge of my struggle and in a brief time of ministry my issue was dealt with and gone.  My war with this issue was over!

What followed next was profoundly important.  He said to me, “Don.  You cannot afford dating either spiritually or financially.  Seek Christian fellowship.”  Then he said, “I want you to pray for your wife – but don’t pray, ‘God, send me a wife’.  I want you to pray for her like this.  Lord Jesus, I thank you that you have the girl I am going to marry.  I pray that she will come to know you – that you will protect her and bless her.  Thank you that you are preparing us for one another.  I acknowledge that in your time and in your way, you will bring us together.  I commit her and our relationship to you.”

So I regularly began praying in this way for the unknown girl who would be my wife.  This enabled me to really release this whole area to the Lord.  Later the next spring I read an article by Billy Graham where he wrote about his children playing on a hillside.  He realized that on some other hillside were the children who would one day be the spouses of his kids.  So he prayed for their future spouses in the very same way.  We should do so as well.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sunday March 4

Posted on March 4, 2012 by Don Schmidt

2 Corinthians 5:7  We live by faith, not by sight.

Have you ever noticed how common mistakes are?  Fortunately we don’t have video replay in our daily lives where family and friends can relive our blunders.  It’s bad enough listening to our kids hilariously remembering them.  But the sporting world provides some wrenching examples of errors by referees / umpires, and usually there is video replay that everyone has to live with – for better or worse.  While no one expects perfection, you just hope mistakes are inconsequential.  Unfortunately, some errors that come to mind were anything but.

In the summer two years ago a Detroit Tiger pitcher was deprived of a perfect game by an umpire’s mistake.  With two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the umpire mistakenly called a runner safe at first when replays clearly showed he was out – the last out! Afterward, the umpire was devastated to see the video replay of his mistake that deprived the pitcher of a rare perfect game.  Yes, umpires make mistakes, but this one involved the final out of a perfect game.

Most sports use technology or video replay to some degree to ensure against significant refereeing mistakes.  Soccer does not.  In the most recent World Cup, on the same day, Germany and Argentina advanced in games marred by refereeing errors.  The whole world saw that England scored against Germanyto tie the game up before the half at 2-2.  Unfortunately the referee and his linesman missed it! Germany went on to win 4-1.  That evening Argentina beat Mexico3-1, but Argentina’s first goal should have been disallowed because it was scored by a player clearly offside.

Such mistakes really offend our sense of fairness – particularly when video replay confirms the error!  If only the mistakes could have been corrected, the results might have been different.  If only the baseball Commissioner had overturned the umpire’s call… If only video replay had been used in World Cup games…  If only God had….

Our response in difficult situations reveals what we really believe about God – who we think He is.  Is He our rock, our refuge, our comforter, our sustainer, our enabler, our inspiration, etc….  Or is He a referee who occasionally gets it wrong – who allows things that aren’t fair?  Do we get upset because something happens that is ‘against our understanding of the rules’ and we complain and question and argue: “He should have caught that!”

We need to understand that walking by ‘sight’ leads us on the path to the ‘referee / fairness’ model that results in victims and blown calls.  Walking by ‘faith’ leads us to the reality of who God is and how incredibly secure we are in Him – no matter what our circumstances look like.  Remember, God never has an “Oops!”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment