T+3

God has it going on at camp! But do please pray for clearer weather. The temperatures are GREAT but it's a little soggy! PRAY!

T-0: Camp Begins

Well, today marks the beginning of Camp Tsungani 2008. I’m already at the camp with a handful of people and we’ve already distributed all the supplies and materials around the camp. At 11:00 today the staff arrives and staff training begins. Tomorrow at 11:00 the campers arrive and camp begins in earnest.

In my devotional journey leading up to this day, I’ve come to understand several personality traits, behaviors and beliefs of the various characters I studied. Caleb exemplifies encouragement; Nehemiah exemplifies faithfulness; Daniel exemplifies self-control and Mary exemplifies obedience. Each of these people help me to understand a single facet of my relationship to God. Their example points me in the right direction and encourages me to allow these same traits to be developed in myself.

As important as that is, what is really critical for my understanding is that the stories of each of these people help me to better understand the true nature of Christ. Christ embodied and perfected the characteristics of encouragement, faithfulness, self-control, obedience and thousands more. To understand these four people is to see a reflection of the totality of Christ. To practice encouragement, faithfulness, self-control and obedience is to move me one step closer to the full realization of my rebirth in Christ.

I’m sure that in the coming days, there will be ample opportunities to chip away at the walls of my heart and to reveal these characteristics of Christ in me.

With that, I lay aside my computer for the coming week. I have no intention of posting my daily devotional musings while at camp and I ask that you be in prayer for this camp.

Warm Regards,
Carl 'Chief Running Water' Schultz

T-3: Christ in All the Scriptures

Examining the faith of Daniel, I look to see Jesus.

In the story of Daniel, we find many virtues and characteristics that are worthy of our emulation. More importantly, we see a reflection of the coming king. Consider these observations…

Daniel was a foreigner in a strange land. Captured by the Babylonians and removed from Judah, he grew and matured in Babylon. Jesus was a foreigner in a strange land. Captured by his love for the Father and by his love for mankind, he stepped down from the heavens and grew and matured on Earth.

Daniel was given a new name, Belteshazzar which loosely translated means ‘protect his life.’ The earthly name of the Messiah was Jesus; I can’t say or write his heavenly name. He was called many things many of which I’m sure were not very nice. But no matter what he was called, he is Immanuel, the Christ, Lord of lords and King of kings, Prince of Peace, Savior, Redeemer, Son of God, Son of man, Jesus.

At the time of his capture and indoctrination, Daniel was only a boy. In a time of great struggle and confusion, he was of an age where his opinions would be discounted and dismissed. When we first catch a glimpse of the maturing Messiah, he is but a boy (same as Daniel) and is found talking with the priests in the temple.

Daniel was tempted to eat the king’s food and to drink the king’s wine; earthly success awaited him. Jesus was tempted to use his power to turn stones into bread, to test God for protection and to worship Lucifer in exchange for worldly power and earthly success.

Though tempted, Daniel remained resolute. Though tempted, Jesus remained resolute. They both honored and glorified God with their decisions.

As a result of his steadfastness, Daniel was blessed. He grew and prospered in the service of the Babylonian kings because of his faith and by the provisions of God. By his example we see the rewards of faithfulness, obedience and purity. Jesus too grew in wisdom and stature and was blessed. By his example we see the bright and sparkly jewels of faithfulness, obedience and purity.

Warm Regards,
Carl

T-6: Christ in All the Scriptures

I turn now to look at Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:1-20) to see where I see Christ in this scripture.

Nehemiah was; compassionate, prayerful, practical and faithful. Christ IS all these things and more!

When Nehemiah heard the plight of the ‘remnant’ still in Jerusalem, though the walls had been breached and the city ruined, his heart was deeply moved. I can IMAGINE that Christ felt the same way about the remnant of people still on the earth. Though they had been separated from God by sin, though they had turned to idols and all manner of hypocrisy, Christ loved them, loves them still.

When Nehemiah was questioned by the king for an explanation of his ‘long face’ Nehemiah ‘breathed a prayer to the God of heaven’ and then answered. Christ was a man of prayer. Throughout the stories of his life, Christ may be seen going to the garden (alone or with others) to talk with God. Christ prayed, taught on prayer and lived on prayer. In the wilderness, Christ literally survived on the word of God by prayer.

Nehemiah went to Jerusalem, observed and analyzed before taking action. Christ came, observed, experienced and analyzed for 30 years before revealing himself. Having experienced all that man experienced, he completed the plan.

Nehemiah was not dissuaded by naysayers, nor was he distracted from his task. Christ was not discouraged by the naysayers and in fact, seemed to draw encouragement from their constant opposition. Though tempted by man and Satan to abandon his post, Christ defined faithful.

Nehemiah knew that God would see him through the reconstruction of the wall. Christ Jesus knew that God would see him through the reconciliation of mankind.

Nehemiah set aside his life that he might rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in compliance with God’s will. Christ set aside his life that he might be the instrument of God’s will in our lives.

שָׁלֹם

Carl

T-9: Christ in All the Scriptures

Going back to the beginning of my study series (Numbers 13:17-33) looking for Jesus in all the scriptures, here’s a few points to ponder;

The passage in Numbers begins with an act of obedience. Moses was told by God to send the spies and so he sent. While I don’t fully understand how it all came about, God essentially told Jesus to come down to Earth on a mission. Jesus in what can only be characterized as the supreme act of obedience to God, descended.

The spies from Numbers were told to explore, to examine and to analyze the land into which they were sent. Jesus came to experience the human condition so he did the whole thing; he was born, he grew, he rejoiced, he suffered, he laughed, he cried, he knew fullness and he knew emptiness. He died. Along the way, he never stopped examining and analyzing the human condition.

The spies went. Jesus came.

The spies gave reports as to the wonders of the Promised Land. Jesus reported and taught on the matter of the Promised Land of God’s Kingdom.

The spies reported on the riches within the Promised Land. Jesus spoke and taught of the true riches of God’s Kingdom.

Caleb spoke with courage and faith of God’s ability to bring the Israelites to victory over their opponents. In him there was no doubt. Jesus spoke with courage, faith and knowledge of God’s ability to bring a sinful people into a state of reconciliation with God. Jesus spoke of God’s ability to overcome sin and the penalty of death. In Him there was no doubt.

The spies saw the fortified cities of the inhabitants of the Promised Land. Jesus saw the hardened hearts and the entrenched sin of a lost people.

The spies saw giants in the land and were discouraged. Jesus saw the giants in the land, the religious leaders of the day and was indignant.

I love it when God opens my eyes to the treasures before me! I had never noticed Jesus in the middle of that story before. Yet there He is, patiently waiting for me, my friend. How good to see Him!


Regards,
Carl

T-11: Backward Glances

A few weeks ago, I was standing at a podium delivering a lesson and I looked down to see a small plaque affixed to the surface of the podium. In large, bold letters it declared “Exalt Christ.” That little exhortation stuck with me and I’ve been dwelling on it for a little while now.

You see, I take my charge very seriously; that is the charge in 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. [1]

When I consider how I may ‘correctly handle(s) the word of truth’ I come to the convergence of the exhortation to ‘Exalt Christ’ and the call to preach the word. I decided to study how Jesus handled the word of truth and that led me to today’s verse. Consider… Luke 24:27 (NIV)
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
[2]
Christ sets the standard for all our behavior, beliefs and endeavors. Christ himself ALWAYS correctly handled the word of truth and I can do no better than to follow His example. And as revealed in this passage, we see that Christ exalted himself through the interpretation of scripture.

As a preface I offer that it is clear that Jesus knew the scripture. We could debate whether he had an unfair advantage over us in that respect but that would be to no good end. As we, as I endeavor to follow in His footsteps I must therefore immerse myself in the word of God that I may be totally filled with His word; so that I will know, with the same degree of certainty as Christ, the truth that is presented therein. Only then will I be able to ‘rightly divide the word of truth’ in my frail efforts to exalt Christ.

Tomorrow, I shall revisit the stories of Caleb, Nehemiah, Daniel and of Mary. In so doing I will seek to reveal Christ in each of those examples, to rightly handle the word of truth and to exalt Christ. But today, today I will live as one who loves Christ and I will pray that my life, my very breath, will exalt Christ.

שָׁלֹם

Carl

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

[2] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

T-14: Obedient Acceptance

Having demonstrated to Mary that God was able to conceive his Son within her, having shown that her assumptions of what could and could not be done do not apply to God, Mary accepts her charge with dignity and grace.

Consider our text today;
Luke 1:38 (NIV)
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
[1]

As illustrated by her reply, Mary knew who she was. There was no misconception on her part as to her primary role. She simply observes that “I am the Lord’s servant.” The concept of servanthood meant that her understanding was not required nor was her approval. As a servant, when the master speaks, the matter is concluded. So it was in this exchange. The master (God) had spoken through his messenger Gabriel and as a servant, Mary knew that no amount of argument, debate or discussion would change that. Instead she embraces her servanthood and reassures herself of this by her statement.

Further, Mary being a girl that seeks God’s will, reveals her acceptance of her assignment when she ‘prays’ “May it be to me as you have said.” What a positive attitude and statement of faith. No argument, no lamentation, no sense of resolution but rather a forceful statement of her desire that God’s will be done in her life. It is more than a statement of desire like “I hope it does happen” or a fatalistic acceptance like “Whatever you want.” Her reply was much more positive and reveals her absolute expectation that the prophesy would be fulfilled.

Finally, having fulfilled his task by delivering the message, the angel Gabriel departs.

From her example, I see how I am to receive revelations from God; with grace, amazement, awe and most of all obedient acceptance. By faith, my acceptance must be expectant otherwise, my prayers are prayed in vain. Further, knowing what God has planned for my life I must embrace the opportunities whether my plans are in concert with His or not. “May it be to me as God has planned.”

Warm Regards,
Carl 'Chief Running Water' Schultz
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

T-19: Blessed Assurance

I used to look for signs that God is real, that is until I read the words of Jesus who said ‘no more signs.’ Since then, I’ve seen plenty of signs that God is real but they are more about acknowledgment of the obvious than about revelation of the hidden. In our passage today, we get to see one of those signs that reveal what was hidden.

Consider…
Luke 1:36-37 (NIV)
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
[1]

The fact of the matter is that God’s plans are so intricately interwoven and are so far above our ability to comprehend that we can scarcely recognize the relationships. In the conversation between Gabriel and Mary, an aspect of that plan was revealed to Mary.

As we all know, John the Baptist was sent to ‘prepare the way for the Lord’ and was conceived in the womb of Elizabeth. Elizabeth was barren, she had no children and was well past the age of child-bearing. That of course was no obstacle to God who had previously caused conception in barren wombs. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was barren and this fact was known to her relatives, among them Mary.

Thus, John was conceived to Elizabeth for two reasons. First, so that he would arrive before Christ and fulfill the prophesies and secondly so that the pregnancy of Elizabeth could serve as a sign unto Mary.

In Mary’s mind, it was as impossible for her to get pregnant (being a virgin) as it was for Elizabeth (being old and barren). So for her to find out that Elizabeth was not only pregnant but already at the end of her second trimester was a revelation. It was a testimony to God’s power and it served as a sign to Mary that God not only could do what was foretold but was already doing it.

There are two points to which I want to direct your thinking. The first is the concept that God’s work is always unfolding. Whether we are aware of it or blind to it, it is happening all around us, all the time. God’s plan for the salvation of man has been in progress since the beginning of time. In Mary’s day, they were always looking forward to what was to come but they were continually unaware that it was already happening. We can conclude from this that our acceptance or rejection of God or His plans is of no consequence to their factual fruition. As an illustration, consider gravity. You can disbelieve if you like but that doesn’t make it not true. To disbelieve gravity would only mean that you would be continually and constantly surprised as you fall to the ground when you trip or leap.

The second point is about God’s ability to bring forth life from barrenness. This one really hits home to me for my life was once a barren wasteland of selfishness. But when God moved, the barrenness of my sinful life was replaced with the fruit of the Spirit. In the same way, the barrenness of Elizabeth’s womb was replaced with the miraculous fruit of creation; John. Then comes Mary and the miraculous conception of Christ. Her holy barrenness, barren in that she chose to save her virginity for her husband, was used by God to bring forth the Messiah.

In these three situations (my self, Elizabeth and Mary) we see how God can and does bring forth miracles where there was only barrenness. We see how God can and does defy our understanding and our beliefs in order to reveal His power and to make known His presence. We can see that despite our belief in the impossibility, nothing is impossible with God.

Warm Regards,
Carl
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

T-21: Creation Conception

In response to Mary’s question, the angel Gabriel reveals God’s method and in so doing, brings the story of creation down to earth.

Our text today…

Luke 1:35 (NIV)
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be calleda the Son of God. [1]

In the beginning…. Perhaps the second most known verse of the Bible is the story of creation. You can complete that sentence without even thinking about it… God created the heavens and the earth. But don’t stop there, read the next verse… “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” There, right there is a picture of God. Can you see it? The Spirit of God hovering over the Earth. Then by the power of His Will, by the speaking of His voice, by His word came all that we know; it was creation, light and dark, land and see, vegetable, mineral, animal and ultimately man.

In the passage today, we seem to have come full circle. The creation of Earth marked the beginning of the Law and a long history of pain, suffering, stupidity and sin which was man’s contribution. As the Angel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God, the plan of our loving Father comes to maturity. “The Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The Spirit of God will hover over you. Creation, or in this case, conception will occur; a miracle will be made manifest and the prophesies of the ages will be fulfilled.

My friend, Scott Brady, asked me if I thought this event explained how we are each reborn into the family of God. After careful consideration and prayer, I believe he has a valid point. The creation of Earth began with the Spirit of God hovering over the earth; formless, empty and dark. The conception of Christ occurred by the Spirit of God hovering over Mary whose womb was empty and dark. My own understanding of God, the realization of my justification by the blood of Christ, occurred when the Spirit of God hovered over me. Me, whose life was formless, empty and dark.

The darkness of the original void was shattered when God said “Let there be light.” The darkness of the world was shattered when God said, by way of Gabriel, ‘you will give birth to a son.’ The darkness of my soul was penetrated, revealed and destroyed when God said “come to me.”

In these three similar yet distinct miracles of creation is revealed a perception of our conception in Christ. The Spirit of God hovered over the earth. The Spirit of God hovered over the virgin Mary. The Spirit of God hovered over you. Perhaps the Spirit of God is hovering over you now about to awaken a miracle in you.

As the earth yielded to the will of God, as Mary yielded to the will of God, so too should we, believer and believer-to-be yield to God.


Regards,
Carl
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a Or So the child to be born will be called holy,

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

T-25: What's That?

Mary was rightly amazed at the words of Gabriel and was ‘troubled.’ The Angel, sensing her concerns, consoled her with a revelation that not only would she become pregnant and give birth but that her offspring would be the very Son of God who would ascend to the throne of her ancestors and reign forevermore.

At those words, Mary’s fears and concerns evaporated. My friend Scott Brady articulated this in this way… When the angel said fear not, her fear left ref. 1John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. When the angel was with Mary there was perfect love so therefore fear was no more. Also, When the angel says, you have found favor with God. Favor is a sweetness, loveliness, joy, a delight. We to can find favor with God when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. We need to thank God for the love that drives out fear and gives us the sweetness, the loveliness, the joy and delight of God our Father.

Consider today’s text… Luke 1:34 (NIV)
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
[1]
The concept of Mary’s fears abating is revealed in the child-like question she posed to Gabriel. A four year old asks ‘why’ but a young teenager asks ‘how.’ And that is how Mary responded, she wanted to know ‘how will this be, since I am a virgin?’ Mary knew the mechanics of how pregnancy worked and she knew that she could not conceive according to the ways with which she knew. She was absolutely confident of her chastity and so posed a valid question.

As we know, however, Mary was not accounting for the divine. I have to wonder how many times God has sent messenger to me and I’ve discounted the message because of my own knowledge and assumptions, making no provision for the divine. In Mary’s response, I see a simple and peaceful faith displayed; one which I am to emulate. Instead of responding ‘that cannot be!’ I must be free to ask ‘how can this be done?’

In all my opportunities in life, I must be open, willing and vigilant for how God moves and how God answers prayers. I must not ‘box God in’ by my own understanding and I must not be fearful. I can imagine Mary with wide eyes and perhaps an arched eyebrow as she queries Gabriel. But in her there was no doubt, only healthy curiosity prefaced by an obedient faith. I want to be that way before my God when I’m facing my own troubles. Eyes wide with amazement at His power and no doubt whatsoever.

I can hardly wait for today to discover how God will cause me to put this newfound confidence to the test.

Regards,
Carl
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[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.