The writings under this title are not all written by me, Some by family members and others I have found to be an inspiration. I will endeavor to get permission to post them. Thanks to the writers!

Obituary

Scott Mitchell Schultz was born dead on August 26, 1961 to Tobias and Josephine(Schmidt) Schultz in Garden City, Kansas. He had a very normal boyhood with normal bumps and bruises. Having only three sisters in his preteen years, he would have considered himself under privileged. When he was thirteen his parents had another child, and since he was hoping for a brother, he was very disappointed to find out he now had a forth sister! However, since she was somewhat of a stinker, she became special to him. Around this time, being raised in a home where his parents endeavored to serve the Lord, he became aware of his need to have his sins forgiven. He became troubled with living dead and the sins in his life. One evening very much in trouble, he spoke with his dad concerning his sins. His dad was able to lead him to the cross where he found forgiveness. He never doubted that the Lord spoke forgiveness to him there. However, since he was not aware he also needed to be brought to life, he continued to live dead. This naturally brought about a life of failure instead of victory. He became discouraged and sought fulfillment outside the faith. It did not bring the fulfillment he was looking for and death reigned. The Lord graciously brought this to his attention and set him on a path where he endeavored to serve God the best he knew how. In August 1981 a year after Jesus brought him back into the faith, he met Rita Kaye Decker, when she came to teach school at the Salem Congregation. It only took a couple weeks, and she had stolen into his heart and pierced it in a way that could not be repaired. He asked that she would marry him in the latter part of December, and she, having been wounded in the same way, said yes! They were married on March 14, 1982 in DeRidder La. To this union were born three daughters and one son. At the time of this writing they survive, and have each had their own hearts pierced. They are as follows; Audrey Yvonne, Mrs Dennis Goossen, Roxanne Gail, Mrs Jeremy Koehn, Evelyn Kaye, Mrs Darryl Koehn, and Mitchell Blayne and his wife Katelyn (Boese). Also there are sixteen precious grandchildren, whose influence have turned him into a sappy papa. Since he only knew a gospel that depended upon his efforts, he had a life which had times of happiness, but also brought disappointment with many failed endeavors of service. Wanting to serve the Lord, and desiring to know more of His ways, he studied the scriptures and writings of Christians. Since he was still dead, there was a motivation of pride in his studies, he was not aware of. This was a desire to be known of man as someone who understood the scriptures and to be considered a spiritual pillar in the faith. This nurtured a natural propensity in him toward self-righteousness, and brought the fruit of criticalness and hardness toward those he was in contact with. God, being a gracious God, brought this to his attention through his brethren in the early 2000’s. In time God showed him there was a life to be lived in Christ. His faith in God allowed him to believe the promises held forth in the scriptures, and he was brought to life by the Spirit. He, now, trusting in Christ alone, lives alive, never to die again, resting and grasping the “sure hope” promised in the Word until God’s appointed time for him to leave the world, where he will rest under the alter of faith, while waiting for the final promise, eternal life with Christ.

Reevaluating

At times I look back over my life and consider the way I am believing and living verses the way I have in the past. Much of what I believe has not changed for quite a number of years. I have believed in God for as long as I can remember. I believe in Jesus, and have for many years. I have known from my young years, Jesus is the door for the forgiveness of my sins. For a number of years there was a question in my mind concerning the role Jesus had in my life, and what I knew about Him did not all add up in my mind. This was the question; If Jesus is the central theme of the scriptures, and we sing the song “All I Need”, then why did He only have the part of my life concerning the forgiveness of my sins? Now, don’t get me wrong, I know His part on the cross so I could be forgiven was a large happening, but why did I go to Jesus to be forgiven, but living a Christian life was all up to me? Now I knew about the Holy Spirit and how He was to be a helper and a power source in my life, and yet, the message I received from preachers and those around me, focused on the self-denial and effort I needed to put into my life. Now, I must confess, if I was going to do all the work living a Christian life, I wanted the reward, honor and glory I deserved! I do not believe that is wrong, and also believe if God is Who He says He is, and I know He is, He, being a just and fair God, would indeed give me what I deserved! However, I knew the Scriptures did not teach I was going to receive any reward in eternity for the efforts I put into Christian living, so I knew there was something wrong. I also knew with all the effort I put into Christian living and loving like the Bible told me too, I failed miserably! What to do? As I looked into the Scriptures and tried to understand them, I found Christ wants to be much more involved in our lives, if fact He wants to be our life! He wants to live and dwell in our hearts, filling us with love, causing us to walk in the path He has chosen for us. This is not a hard path, rather He tells us the burden is light. He will set before us open doors, and fill us with the power and strength to walk through them. Does He expect perfection? Yes and no. Yes, because in Him we stand perfect before our God and Father, and this is because Jesus accepted the blame for all our sins, past, present, and future. And no, because as long as we live on this earth, we will live in an imperfect body, with all the pulls and desires to the world we live in, and at times we will get dirty with the world. Jesus knows this, and is faithful in His promises to us, drawing us back to Himself, and washing the filth away in a continual washing. Because of Jesus, we can walk with a boldness in our salvation, proclaiming to all we meet the wonderful gospel of love! “Redeemed, Oh How I Love to Proclaim It”

A Love Story

Up until I was 20 years old, I had never been in love. In August of 1981, which is the month I turned 20, I met a young lady named Rita Decker. I had heard she was coming to Kansas to teach school, and I had formed a certain impression she was nobody special. When I met her the first time, I walked up to her, introduced myself, turned around and walked away. I had just given her reason to know I was nobody special, and have tried ever since to give her reasons to believe I am, but… By the next time I saw her, I had already heard things making me think I should sit up and reconsider. Well, to make a short story long, I’ll give a few details. I was a part of the Mennonite youth from Copeland KS, and one week, we were preparing to go to Garden City so we might spread cheer by singing at a nursing home. She arrived a bit late to church where we were gathering, and we were already getting into our vehicles. I had driven my parents late 70’s Ford LTD, and it had a bench seat in the front. One of Rita’s friends called for her to come ride in in my car and arranged it, so she would sit in the middle right beside me! By the time we pulled out of the church yard, I was in love! I did not know it yet, and I did not learn about it for a month or so. When I begin to suspect it, I resisted. Why? You ask. I don’t know! She was irresistible! I proposed in December, just four months later, and we were married in March 1982, three months after the proposal. I still don’t understand why we waited so long! Since I fell in love, I have never stopped loving her. If you know her, you understand. She is irresistible! Face it, she makes me look better than I am!! There have been times, due to my own selfishness, I have mistreated her badly. I am deeply sorry for those times. When I look back, I see I still loved her through those times, I just know I had a love for myself, together with my relationship with Jesus not being healthy, and I lacked power to control my selfishness. Those times are more stories in this story, and ones I wish I could forget. I know both Rita and God have forgiven me, and I am thankful. I say I never made a choice to love my wife, and have not made any choices since to keep loving her, unless you call praying earnestly for grace from God to keep me from the love of my own self, that I might be to her what I am supposed to be. “Forever and Ever, Amen” by Josh Turner.

When I look at my relationship with Jesus, I believe it works the same. My love for Him is what keeps me, even when I’m resisting Him, because of a selfish desire of my own. He always draws me back with His love, which I find irresistible. After many years of a relationship with Jesus, I want to know more about His love. This is the same way I feel concerning the angel I married.

Grace

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:1-2

When thinking of the Grace of God, I find it hard to pick only one section in the scriptures to include. In my verses concerning Grace, I have 33 sections tagged. I imagine it would only take a one minute conversation with another Christian, and I would find more verses to tag under the heading Grace. Because of this I find Grace difficult to write about, not knowing where to start and, for sure, not knowing where to stop. I do not like to use the description “worst sinner” to write what I am going to, because we all fit that description, but I want to be understood, so I am tempted to use it. I think you will know what I mean when I write, “the person most determined to reject the Grace of Jesus Christ,” is still experiencing His Grace, and I write that in order to bring out the next thought. To those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, how much more His Grace is holding us up in the times we walk through the valley of darkness, in spite of how our minds and feelings tell us He is not.

It has been a about 15 years ago, God worked in me a change, which still is very precious to me. He showed me very clear He was my God, just as He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and He had me! I could come before Him, open my heart and say, “This is me”. He in return said, “It’s ok, my child”. I know all of you who know God as your God in that way, know exactly how that assurance makes you feel. Because of that assurance, I had a boldness in Him as I lived my life. I still do not know why, but there came a time I began to feel crippled in my Christian life. I have always known it is connected to my faith in His promises to be with me and keep me. I have walked with Jesus for a number of years now feeling crippled, but through it all, when I am able to come before Him in my closet of prayer leaving the distractions of this life outside, I know His Grace is holding me up, and He is still saying, “It’s ok, my child”. I would have this to be an encouragement to all who are walking this journey with me, look up, He still has you! I have often used Christian life in comparison to a road trip on the interstate. If you get on Interstate 80 at Cheyenne WY, and the sign says Rock Springs WY 257 miles, if you move forward and do not intentionally take an exit, you will arrive at Rock Springs in 257 miles. So it is on this road to Heaven, if you and I accept Jesus Christ and His route to Heaven, and do not intentionally leave His road, rejecting His Grace, we are still on His road and will arrive at the destiny we desire at His appointed time. I would like to end this with the words Paul used at the end of each of his letters to the churches, except Romans. Why not Romans?

May the Grace of God be with each of you.

Poor Wretched and Blind

“Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” Revelations 3:17-18

We are all included with the miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  Many of us live a life that is conducive to a lack of knowledge of our depravity.  Our lack of knowledge does not change the fact.  We do not know about our depravity, because we look at our position in the world and take credit for where we are at.  There are many things which influence us into unbelief about ourselves:  wealth, positions, good behavior, self-discipline, pleasant temperament, knowledge, to name a few.  However, along with our “need of nothing”, we acknowledge we have failings.  We are free to admit we do not pray and read our Bible like we should.  We confess we did not handle this or that situation in the best manner.  This list could go on also, but as we each look into our lives, we tend to lean toward a balancing act.  We place our perceived good on one side and our failings on the other side.  We are a little slow to call our failings sin, because we then would have to acknowledge a certain degree of blindness.  If we ever do something we consider to be sin, we pray about it, and make reconciliation enough to keep our good standing intact.  Much, if not all, of this happens outside our hearts.  However, it is our hearts that are miserable, poor, blind, and naked.  In Hebrews we are told how all things are open before God, which lets us know he sees the content of our hearts.  Also, in the story where David is anointed, we are told man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart.  Are we lacking the knowledge concerning the depravity of our hearts?

This Scripture in Revelations gives us three issues, which need to be dealt with in us: poverty, nakedness, blindness.  Two of them, poverty and blindness, are changed.  We are able to buy the gold and become rich.  Rich with His Spirit, rich with Love, rich with good works, rich in a testimony of Christ and abiding in Him, which will cause others to desire from Christ what He working in us.  Our eyes, when anointed with the eyesalve He anoints with, will allow us to see Jesus in a way that brings Hope, Courage, and Strength for the future.  It does not give us sight to see the way ahead, but rather seeing Jesus and knowing He is with us, removes the fear of the dark.  Concerning our nakedness, we are left with it, and will realize it is there every day of our lives.  We feel the pull toward the evil world of position and power, and we also feel the pull to love the things of the world.  This white raiment purchased by the Blood of Christ and given to us by faith in Him will cover the nakedness as we stand before God, and together with the Gold and Vision received will make us “more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” Romans 8:37b

The Scriptures in Revelations do not talk of fixing the problem of our depravity by balancing our good behavior with our failings but tells us about a covering that is needed.  This covering is mainly needed for us to stand before God without fear.  Without the covering the shame of our nakedness will be right out in the open.  While we many times feel we are hiding our depravity, it is usually noticed by those who know us here on the earth. 

We need to buy the richness of gold and the covering of white raiment and have our eyes anointed with the eyesalve. How do we buy it?  In Isaiah we are told we can buy water to quench our thirst without money and without price.  Is it the same with this gold we need for richness and white raiment we need for clothing?  Is there no price tag on it?  If that is so, how do we buy it?  On this earth buying fits into the bartering system.  I will give you something in exchange for you giving me something in return.  What do we have to give in exchange for the Gold and the White Covering?

This is a hard question to answer.  Those of us who have received the Gold and White Covering, Jesus Christ, look at what we gave in exchange and come to the conclusion, we had nothing to give.  God did it all.  And yet, we know those who do not have the Covering on the last day of time will know it is their own fault they do not have it.  The Scriptures use different ways to point us to the answer. 

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelations 22:17

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.” John 6:65

“Come” the verses say, but even our coming is dependent on the Father. Often in our searches we get weary, because the answer leads to more questions. Trusting in Jesus has a way of removing the “weary”. But let us look on a bit farther in order to bring us to an assurance in Salvation. The verses tell us to “Come”, and even yet we want to look and see what we can do to “Come”. It has been said, if there are not some who are misunderstanding you when you tell the story of Salvation, you are not telling it right. This comes because of the natural looking inside our self for something we can do or give. If we could find that “something”, we feel like it would make it more secure. This is because our nature is “by sight”, and then we could say, “Look at me, I did this for my salvation.” We want to look at a verse now that gives us a different way, and also gives the answer to the question, “How do I come to Jesus?”

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Will you and I come, believing He will reward us with the salvation we want?

Written by Evelyn Koehn and Scott Schultz

Come into me
I hear my Jesus say.
Beautiful words to my weary mind
trying to understand.
All you who labor
and are heavily loaded
With…
My concerns, Lord! They’re real
and important. What if this and what if that?
The church, my brother, my children and my mother…
Most of all
Myself.
Come unto me
I hear my Jesus say.
When did you begin to think
you were strong and wise enough
to work all this in your mind?
I know…
It seems the right thing to do.
But what are the results of your labor?
Peace, rest, light and meekness?
Or do you find
Stress, hardness, roaring and darkness?
Do you find
the very people you love…
You push away instead of drawing.
Mary hath chosen the good way
Martha was troubled and concerned
Come sit here by me and rest under my arm of grace. Learn the lesson of life.
I’ll give you rest from your labor
and yet you’ll spend your life for me.

Rita Schultz

 

Walk on the Water
My life is pictured as a journey over a raging sea…
I see a sturdy bridge that seems to span the gulf. Its beams look thick and strong and beautiful. The floor boards line up perfectly one with another, hardly a crack between to catch a glimpse of the dangers below. And best of all, the railing is made of boards crisscrossing each other in a very secure manner. I step confidently on to the bridge. “This will be a very comfortable way to get to the other shore!”
But what is this? A voice steals into my consciousness. “Child, I’m not there. Can you see where that bridge leads? I won’t lead you on a bridge made by man.” It’s my Lord.
“But Lord,” I argue, “It seems so strong and good.”
“It may seem so to you, My child, but it’s not My Way for you.”
As I ponder what way the Lord might have for me now, another bridge comes into view. This one is just a little worse for wear. It’s a swinging bridge, its cables reaching into the unseen. One slightly fraying rope on each side will be my handrails. And looking down, I see the boards partially gone, large holes opening to the raging water below. “Oh my, what a lot of faith it will take to walk this bridge!” I ponder the unknowns and am just ready to step on when I sense my Lord again.
“My ways are not your ways, my child. Even this bridge was not made by Me.”
“What way then?” I cry.
“I would have you walk on the water,” he calmly replies.
I gasp, “I couldn’t, Lord! I’d never make it!” And I look at the billowing waves.
“No, you couldn’t,” my Savior says, “but I’ve done it before and I’ll help you across if you’ll put your hand in Mine.
I see His hand then. I see the Scar so I know it is His. I muster up all the faith I can find in my helpless self, it is only enough to fill one minute mustard seed, and I place my hand is His. He pulls me gently and I put one foot, then another, onto the water.

Evelyn Koehn