“GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU”

A couple of weeks ago, we sang the hymn, “God Will Take Care Of You,” and, for what ever reason, that song came to mind again. Consider the words of the first two verses and the chorus:

(Verse 1) Be not dismayed whate'er betide, God will take care of you; beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you.

(Verse 2) Through days of toil when heart doth fail, God will take care of you; when dangers fierce your path assail, God will take care of you.

(Chorus) God will take care of you, through every day, o'er all the way; he will take care of you, God will take care of you.

Though some of the words are not in our common vernacular, they are encouraging and lift our spirits. Songs like this are memorable and precious to many, but Scripture ought to be even more important and precious, as it is God’s Word - His revelation to us. Today, I encourage you to treasure up the following passages from God’s Word in your heart for those times you need it most.

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." (Deut. 31:8 ESV)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7 ESV)

Though the road may not always be easy, please remember, God WILL take care of you!

In His grip,
Pastor Decker

ARE YOU PREPARED?

On Tuesday night, Janette and I went out for a Valentine’s Day dinner. We had seen an ad in the newspaper, and prepared by making reservations. When we arrived at the restaurant, we were surprised that the sign said, “Please seat yourself.” The restaurant was quite busy, but we found a table waiting for us, with our name and time of reservation written on a red heart that marked our table as reserved. While we were prepared, I’m not so sure the restaurant was. They were understaffed, and the stress showed. Soon after we placed our order, I overheard the manager say that they had only received eight reservations and had run out of the advertised special. With a full restaurant, I thought we must have made it just in time, but perhaps they saved enough of the special for the guests who had prepared by making reservations.

On the other side of preparation, the National Geographic Channel has aired a show called, "Doomsday Preppers", highlighting the lengths that some people go to in anticipation of some cataclysmic event. These families have spent a lot of time and money building up supplies of food, water, and often weapons, as they anticipate the collapse of our society. While some preparation is good (FEMA suggests at least a three-day supply of food and water), this seems like overkill to me.

But, I wonder if these people are prepared for the most important things of all … either the return of Christ, or their own death? They may be prepared for a cataclysmic event, but are they prepared for eternity? I don’t mean to sound morbid, but this is serious business. Paul made this clear to the church of Thessalonica, “For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1Th 5:2 ESV) Jesus taught about it in the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25.

Now, I turn the question to you. Are you prepared? Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Have you confessed your sin and found salvation in Him? If not, today is the day to prepare! I’d love to help, so please let me know (whether in person, by e-mail, or blog comment) if you’re ready to receive Him. At a minimum, please visit a site like http://www.gotquestions.org/Romans-road-salvation.html or http://www.navigators.org/us/resources/illustrations/items/bridge, either of which will guide you through a decision to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and begin a relationship with Him.

If you are prepared, consider the implications of the following verses for you and those you know (hint: share the Good News with them):

For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Rom 10:13-15 ESV)

In His grip, Pastor Decker

THE WAY OF LOVE

With Valentines Day quickly approaching (this Tuesday), some might say, “love is in the air.” Our boys have begun to prepare valentines to hand out at school, and AJ has prepared a box for kids to put valentines into for him. For a young child, it’s innocent fun. From there, Valentines Day may take on different meanings throughout your life. Maybe it is an occasion for a special date night—no matter how long you’ve been married. For those who have lost their spouse, it may be a hard day, missing that loved one. For the grandparent, maybe there’s a call to young grandchildren or great-grandchildren telling them that they are your special valentine. Or, maybe it’s just another day for you. Regardless, with all the decorations and hubbub, we tend to think about love a little more when February 14 approaches.

While romantic love is important, true love goes much deeper than that. And, what passage do you think I’m going to refer to … you guessed it … 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1Co 13:4-7 ESV)

Now, I’m not going to go into a discussion of the three Greek terms for love, but it is “agape” love in this passage. Instead, I’d like to rearrange this passage into lists of what love is, is not, does, and does not, and I hope it gives us a fresh perspective on this important passage.

Love is: patient, kind
Love is not: arrogant, rude, irritable, resentful
Love does: rejoice with the truth, bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things
Love does not: envy, boast, insist on its own way, rejoice at wrongdoing

It almost goes without saying, but true love is self-sacrificing. It is other-centered, not self-centered. It is seeking and believing the best of and in someone else. True love fights the saying, “familiarity breeds contempt,” with compassion and concern. I hope and pray that our lives are filled with true love for God and for each other!

In His grip,
Pastor Decker

PEACE IN THE GOSPELS

As I was considering what to write this week, I stumbled on something interesting (at least it was to me). I typed the word “peace” into my Bible software, and found that of the Gospels, Luke used the word “peace” more often than the other three Gospels put together. For what it’s worth, here are the statistics: Matthew—2 verses, Mark—3 verses, John—5 verses, and Luke—12 verses!

The first three occurrences in Luke surround the birth of Christ, from Zechariah’s prophecy, to the proclamation of the angels, to Simeon’s declaration that he could now depart in peace because he had seen the Messiah.

The next two occurrences of “peace” relate to Jesus’ forgiveness and healing. Other instances of “peace” relate to the reception of the disciples when they were to enter a house, a king asking for terms of peace, the Triumphal Entry, and Jesus appearance to the disciples after the resurrection. Clearly, peace was important to Luke … I’m sure the emphasis was not accidental.

But, in the midst of all these verses is one that stands out like a sore thumb: “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” (Luk 12:51 ESV) From here, Jesus goes on to explain that following Him—experiencing the peace that He gives—may have great cost in this life … even to the dividing of families. That’s because the peace of Christ is different than the peace that many people envision.

Peace doesn’t mean that that we’re always going to agree with each other, or that there will never be conflicts. Rather, true peace comes from Christ alone and comes because we love each other enough to work through disagreements, conflicts, and differences of opinion as we seek reconciliation (see 2 Cor. 5:18-20). Peace grows in the fertile ground of humility and prayer. Let’s strive for that kind of peace!

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phi 4:5-7 ESV)

In His grip,
Pastor Decker