Every once in a while, one of you hand me something that has been an encouragement to you and that you think might be beneficial for others at DCC. A couple of months ago, Dale Linder gave me a small sheet of paper with the following on it:
Recipe For Faithful Living
Live Simply,
Love Generously,
Serve Faithfully,
Speak Truthfully,
Pray Daily,
And Leave the Rest to God.
A — Ask and it will be given you,
For everyone who asks receives.
S — Seek and you will find, for
Everyone who seeks finds.
K — Knock and the door will be
Opened to you, for to the one
Who knocks it will be opened.
We know that the “ask—seek—knock” formula comes directly from Christ (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10), but I am not sure who came up with the recipe formulation. Nonetheless, it speaks well of the Christian life. Thanks, Dale, for this good reminder about faithful living!
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
P.S. I am unable to provide any citation for the "Recipe for Faithful Living" because I have no information on the author.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Asking and Receiving
This morning (Wednesday), Janette asked me what time I was going to make our reservations for our summer vacation. I’ve been “going to do it” for the last month, but I got the hint, figured out the details, and made the reservations this afternoon. Most of you probably know, but we are planning to go to Disney World ® this summer. We’ve been saving for several years, and the boys have been talking about it for the last year or so.
After I got all the details nailed down with the agent, I let her know I was a AAA member, and asked about the discount. She informed me that we could not get the AAA discount on the rooms when they’re part of a package. So, I asked her what the cost would be to do it separately. She paused for a minute and then came back with a discount she could use (it was even better than the AAA discount). I’m glad I asked, because we saved over $500 on the package! If I hadn’t asked, we would have paid far more than we had to.
This reminded me of Jesus’ words, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) John records it a little differently: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) Based on the difference in context, I suspect that Jesus spoke these similar things at different times. In John, the context is about bearing fruit for Christ. He also qualifies our asking by our abiding in Him. In either case, I believe that the receiving comes when we are asking and praying like Jesus instructed us: “Thy will be done.” (Mt. 6:10)
Still, the question remains, are we abiding AND asking? If we’re not abiding in Him, our asking often proves fruitless. Or, if we are abiding, but not asking … what might we be missing out on? I don’t mean to sound like Bruce Wilkinson (The Prayer of Jabez) but, still, I wonder… Lord, please do your will in and through your people here at Dayton Center Church.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
After I got all the details nailed down with the agent, I let her know I was a AAA member, and asked about the discount. She informed me that we could not get the AAA discount on the rooms when they’re part of a package. So, I asked her what the cost would be to do it separately. She paused for a minute and then came back with a discount she could use (it was even better than the AAA discount). I’m glad I asked, because we saved over $500 on the package! If I hadn’t asked, we would have paid far more than we had to.
This reminded me of Jesus’ words, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) John records it a little differently: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) Based on the difference in context, I suspect that Jesus spoke these similar things at different times. In John, the context is about bearing fruit for Christ. He also qualifies our asking by our abiding in Him. In either case, I believe that the receiving comes when we are asking and praying like Jesus instructed us: “Thy will be done.” (Mt. 6:10)
Still, the question remains, are we abiding AND asking? If we’re not abiding in Him, our asking often proves fruitless. Or, if we are abiding, but not asking … what might we be missing out on? I don’t mean to sound like Bruce Wilkinson (The Prayer of Jabez) but, still, I wonder… Lord, please do your will in and through your people here at Dayton Center Church.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Perspective
This past Monday, I had a new experience; I rode along with a State Trooper from the Caro Post. It was a quiet night, with no more excitement than routine traffic stops, and I am happy to report that none of them involved people from DCC. It was interesting to get to know the trooper and more about his work. I hope I was an encouragement to him, or at least good company for his shift.
I don’t know about you, but I tend to pay extra careful attention to my speed and driving anytime I see a police officer out on patrol. I think most people slow down, out of instinct, regardless of what speed they are going. And, for those who get stopped, a variety of emotions (frustration, nervousness, fear, etc.) come to the surface. I’m sure a number of things also run through the trooper’s mind. One thing that he wondered out loud was, “I wonder what their story (excuse) is going to be.” And, there were several … some believable, some not so likely. The trooper wasn’t “out to get” anyone, he was just upholding the law. He was a regular guy doing his job. Nonetheless, I’m sure the person stopped and the trooper had different perspectives on the situation.
I wonder how many people in this world look at God like the person who was speeding or violating some other traffic law looks at the trooper when that red light is flashing. Perhaps they look at God’s Word like they do the speed limit. Perhaps they see God as someone to be avoided, if at all possible. However, they will not be able to avoid God forever. And, if they try long enough, they will find His judgment instead of love and grace.
My question is this: When non-Christians see us, do they see God’s judgment or His love. While we need to call sin “sin,” we first need to show God’s love and grace to those around us. When we see the sins of others, I hope that we never forget that our sins have been forgiven. Indeed, we have been forgiven much. May God’s love, forgiveness, and grace be evident to all we meet.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
I don’t know about you, but I tend to pay extra careful attention to my speed and driving anytime I see a police officer out on patrol. I think most people slow down, out of instinct, regardless of what speed they are going. And, for those who get stopped, a variety of emotions (frustration, nervousness, fear, etc.) come to the surface. I’m sure a number of things also run through the trooper’s mind. One thing that he wondered out loud was, “I wonder what their story (excuse) is going to be.” And, there were several … some believable, some not so likely. The trooper wasn’t “out to get” anyone, he was just upholding the law. He was a regular guy doing his job. Nonetheless, I’m sure the person stopped and the trooper had different perspectives on the situation.
I wonder how many people in this world look at God like the person who was speeding or violating some other traffic law looks at the trooper when that red light is flashing. Perhaps they look at God’s Word like they do the speed limit. Perhaps they see God as someone to be avoided, if at all possible. However, they will not be able to avoid God forever. And, if they try long enough, they will find His judgment instead of love and grace.
My question is this: When non-Christians see us, do they see God’s judgment or His love. While we need to call sin “sin,” we first need to show God’s love and grace to those around us. When we see the sins of others, I hope that we never forget that our sins have been forgiven. Indeed, we have been forgiven much. May God’s love, forgiveness, and grace be evident to all we meet.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Rest For Your Souls
Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
Sometimes (far too often) we get caught up in the troubles of this world. We know our hearts should be light and our demeanor optimistic. But, as we face the challenges that come our way, we often feel overwhelmed and we lose heart. When we feel this way, chances are, we have taken too much upon ourselves. But, I’m not talking about being too busy or doing too many things here. What I am referring to is trying to do too much on our own and in our own strength. And, when our strength fails, we find ourselves discouraged, stressed out, and even burnt out. It’s a dangerous place to be.
When Paul was dealing with his own weakness, God had a message for him; "… My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a) If we are honest with ourselves and with God, there are times we need to come to Him and say, “I’ve got nothing left … I’ve done what I can, but there’s so much more to do. I’ll keep pressing on, but Lord, please help me.” And, you know what … He does help. When we humble ourselves and ask God to step in and empower us, there is often reason to be amazed and praise God for what He has done.
So, to those who are “weary and heavy laden”, I remind you to come to Christ and you will find rest … rest for your souls. The more weary and heavy laden we feel, the more time we need to spend on our knees with the Savior. When we confess our need and ask Him for help, we find that He’s already been helping. In that realization alone, we quickly find rest … and the ability to press on and press forward.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
Sometimes (far too often) we get caught up in the troubles of this world. We know our hearts should be light and our demeanor optimistic. But, as we face the challenges that come our way, we often feel overwhelmed and we lose heart. When we feel this way, chances are, we have taken too much upon ourselves. But, I’m not talking about being too busy or doing too many things here. What I am referring to is trying to do too much on our own and in our own strength. And, when our strength fails, we find ourselves discouraged, stressed out, and even burnt out. It’s a dangerous place to be.
When Paul was dealing with his own weakness, God had a message for him; "… My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9a) If we are honest with ourselves and with God, there are times we need to come to Him and say, “I’ve got nothing left … I’ve done what I can, but there’s so much more to do. I’ll keep pressing on, but Lord, please help me.” And, you know what … He does help. When we humble ourselves and ask God to step in and empower us, there is often reason to be amazed and praise God for what He has done.
So, to those who are “weary and heavy laden”, I remind you to come to Christ and you will find rest … rest for your souls. The more weary and heavy laden we feel, the more time we need to spend on our knees with the Savior. When we confess our need and ask Him for help, we find that He’s already been helping. In that realization alone, we quickly find rest … and the ability to press on and press forward.
In His grip,
Pastor Decker
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