Book review: "The Bride(zilla) of Christ: What To Do When God's People Hurt God's People"

It's been quite a while since I blogged, but I just reviewed a book by Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin called,  "The Bride(zilla) of Christ: What To Do When God's People Hurt God's People"

Here's my review:
I highly recommend this book to all pastors and those who have been hurt by others in the church. Though some may treat interpersonal conflict in the church as a taboo subject, Kluck and Martin deal with it honestly and openly, drawing upon their own experiences and biblical teaching.
"Bride(zilla)" is very much needed, and though easy to read, will challenge all who read it; reminding us of how much we've been forgiven and how much we are called to forgive.

 It was a great that I will return to, and one I will recommend to others.

The book can be found on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Bride-zilla-Christ-What-People/dp/1601428723

Crazy Morning

I'm sure that we've all had many of those crazy days.  Today was one for me. 

I don't mean to complain, as I am very blessed, but here's a brief run-down (with associated things to be thankful for):

1.  Last night - received message that our primary song leader was not feeling well and probably would not be at church in the morning. Praise:  Gerry gladly stepped up and filled in.

2.  This morning - piano player's daughter had in incident and we weren't sure if they would be at church this morning.  Praise: the girl is OK and the piano player made it to church. 

3.  This morning - just before walking over to church, my coffee mug broke as I was transferring the coffee to a travel mug, shattering a bowl and splashing coffee all over.  Praise:  My overcoat took the coffee rather than my suit - much easier to clean and I didn't even have to change my clothes. 

4.  This morning (probably during church) - the dog pooped in the basement. Praise:  it wasn't very messy and I didn't find out until after the service, so wasn't distracted by it.

5.  This morning (unsure when) - The cat spit up.  Praise: It was taken care of before I even knew. Again, was not distracted by it in the least ...

6.   This morning (during the service) - Praise songs didn't go all that well due to timing, familiarity (or lack thereof), and sound issues.  Praise:  It isn't about perfection. It's about worship of God (however feeble our efforts may be). 

7.   This afternoon - was planning to preach from 1 Peter tonight, but "wasn't feeling it."  Praise:  God redirected to a message following up on this morning's message.

A couple of thoughts from all this:

1.  I wonder how much of this was a matter of spiritual battle.  I'm sure that this morning's message was one the Devil did not like, as it called us all to not only listen to Jesus' teaching but to do it ... apply it ... obey. Praise God, though distracted earlier by many of these things, God brought clarity of thought. By His grace and empowerment, I believe His Word prevailed over the distractions!

2.  These frustrations and distractions are really quite minor. There are Christians throughout the world living in situations where they may very well die for their faith. It's a reminder of how petty these things, and many of our "problems" really are. Thank you God for the ability to gather with other Christians and worship freely this morning!

3.  Finally, there's the every dark cloud / silver lining thing. If / when we look for it, there is nearly always something to be thankful for and praise God for. It may take some looking. but it's important to try. 

So, when you have one of those crazy days (maybe tomorrow), remember these observations, as I will try to do myself. 

God is Good .... All The Time!!!

In His grip,

Pastor Tim Decker

On the Blog Again ... It's Been Far Too Long

It's been far too long since I've made a blog entry.
When I was writing a weekly devotional for the bulletins at Dayton Center Church, it was a weekly task and fairly automatic. But, now at Ensley Baptist Church, I've hardly done any writing, other than the three messages in the typical week - Sunday AM, Sunday PM, and Wednesday PM.
Yet, I'm going to give it another "go."

There are a variety of Bible reading plans that will take you through the Bible in a year. If you read "Our Daily Bread," whether in print or on-line, each devotional has a "The Bible in One Year" section with a daily reading. I hope that you don't just stop with the quick devotional, but make the time to read God's Word daily. I know it will be a challenge. Even as a pastor, it's a challenge. But, it's time well spent.

I am partial to the "Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan." You can find it to print here: https://www.navigators.org/www_navigators_org/media/navigators/tools/Resources/DJ-Book-at-a-Time-Bible-reading-plan.pdf
Or, as I do, you can use the YouVersion app or www.Bible.com, and it will even read the passage to you.

As I was listening to today's passage (the opening chapters of Leviticus), I was struck by the sacrifices required even for unintentional sin. When people realized their sin, they were to make a sacrifice.

Leviticus 4:27-28 "If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally in doing any one of the things that by the LORD's commandments ought not to be done, and realizes his guilt, 28 or the sin which he has committed is made known to him, he shall bring for his offering a goat, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. (ESV)

The offerings for leaders were different, but also required. The priests had to offer a bull (4:3). Other leaders had to offer a male goat (4:23).

That makes me wonder how much the people were afraid to sin - whether because of the cost of the sacrifice to them, or for more proper reason of sin being an offense against God.

And, here we are today ... when we sin, there are usually consequences to deal with. There is definitely a need to set it right with God and others (if it's a sin against them). But, unless there's restitution to be made, there's little cost.

Because Jesus fulfilled the Law and made the ultimate sacrifice at the cross, we don't have to follow the sacrificial system of the Law. For that, we should all be thankful.

There is always cost to sin, whether we realize it or not, but perhaps not like there was under the Law.

All this to say that we need to have a healthy fear and hatred of sin. While we don't have to bring an animal and see its blood shed because of our sin, we must remember that Christ's blood was already shed for our sin ... the Lamb of God, for sinners slain. What a high cost for our sin. May we never forget the price He paid, and may that be a powerful reminder when the moment of temptation is upon us!

Time to blog again...

It's been a while since I took time to do some writing (other than weekly sermon preparation), and I think it's time to start again.  But, this time, it will be a bit different. 
This blog has been a series of devotionals, and I hope that it continues to reach people.
I may post devotionals from time to time, but for now, I am going to start a new blog about ministry.
It will be open for all, and will be reflections / ponderings from my experience in the pastorate.

I think I will call it mountains and molehills, and will post a link once I get it up and rolling.

In His grip,
Pastor Decker

A Busy Couple of Weeks

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy, and there's no sign of slowing down.With our move and ministry transition, there's been a lot to accomplish around the house and to figure out at church. This week I also have a funeral to officiate (on Tuesday), so I've really "hit the ground running" at Ensley Baptist Church.

We do have much to be thankful for, as we have received a very warm reception, and even a fully stocked pantry.

In the midst of the busyness - whether it's our busyness, or the busyness of the holidays, here are a few Bible passages that I hope will be an encouragement to you. Above all, please remember that God is with us!

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). (Mat 1:22-23 ESV)
 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Cor. 13:11 ESV)
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thes. 2:16-17 ESV)

In His grip,

Pastor Decker

THE CLOSE OF ANOTHER CHAPTER

                                                

If our lives were documented in books (either biographies or autobiographies), I have to imagine that they would be filled with many chapters—each reflecting a different phase of our lives. Though we may see some of you throughout this week, this Sunday closes a chapter in our lives. It’s not very inventive, but I suppose the title would be “Ministry at Dayton Center Church.”

This chapter would be filled with many stories—some sad, some happy, some were easy times, some reflect heartaches—but all were meaningful and valuable. There would be many pictures—some of you who are at Dayton Center Church today, some of people who have come and gone over the years of our ministry, and some of people who are now in our Lord’s presence. As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but I’m sure they would also be worth many, many memories.

There are many things I could say at this point, but, I will sum them up with the words, “Thank you.” Thank you for the impact that all of you have had on our lives over the past five years. We first met some of you on September 30, 2007 as pre-candidates for the pastorate of Dayton Center Church. Two weeks later, we met more of you as I was a candidate to be your pastor. Then, on December 29, 2007, we moved here and I officially became your pastor. I am thankful that God and you called me to be your pastor and for the privilege I’ve had to be involved in your lives. I hope and pray that we’ve all grown during our time together. I also pray that we will continue to grow until we enter Christ’s presence and are finally made perfect in Him.

Today,  I’ve chosen the closing song, “Blest Be The Tie That Binds” (by John Fawcett). I’m sure that the last verse will be hard to sing, but here it is:  “When we asunder part, it gives us inward pain; but we shall still be joined in heart and hope to meet again.” Those words ring true. Please keep is in your prayers, as we will pray for you in this time of transition.

Finally, in the words of Paul, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV)

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker

TRACKS

                                              

This past week, we have had a few days with some beautiful weather. When the weather is nice, I often walk around the church property and pray.  There’s just something special about spending that time with God in the beauty of His creation.

 But, early in the week, I noticed something different. Someone had driven a vehicle on the church lawn on the east and north sides of the church. It didn’t appear that it had been some kids doing a little 4-wheeling, as the ground was not torn up. Perhaps it’s my experience as a chaplain, but it immediately raised a few “red flags.” Fortunately, I didn’t find any evidence that anything had been tampered with. My suspicion is that it may have been someone watching for deer in the fields to the north of the church—they either turned around or parked for a while in a spot that would have given them an excellent view.  What ever the case, it was clear that someone had been there. I don’t know who it was, but they left tracks.

That got me thinking—we all leave tracks as we walk the paths of life. Sure, many things that we do go unnoticed. Others are remembered for a time and then forgotten. But, what about those tracks / memories that remain. What story will those tracks tell? What will people remember you for?  What kind of legacy will you leave behind? These are good questions to ask yourself from time to time—as you evaluate your life.

Now, I wrote about building a legacy back in February and March of 2009, so I won’t repeat myself here.  Still, I’d like you to take a moment to think about the “tracks” you’ve left in people’s lives. If there are some you would rather forget, perhaps you can still make amends for those. Even more, I’d like you to take  a moment and ask yourself what kind of “tracks” would you like to leave in people’s lives while you still have time with them?

I pray that the imprints we leave on people’s lives point them to our risen Savior, Jesus Christ! 

In His grip, 

Pastor Decker