Today in the Word for March 16-20
Today in The Word
Monday Mar 16, 2020
What is the problem with getting caught up in the latest religious fad or guru? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Moses in Deuteronomy 32:15-18 states:
“They abandoned the God who made them and rejected the Rock their Savior. They…angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to false gods, which are not God—gods they had not known, gods that recently appeared, gods your ancestors did not fear. You deserted the Rock, who fathered you; you forgot the God who gave you birth.”
God is described as the Rock in this passage who is their Creator and Father. The problem with the ‘new and improved’ religions of Israel’s neighbors was that they were ‘Johnny-come-lately’ enterprises. Shouldn’t we worship the one who made the universe and all of us in it by the power of his word? He is the uncreated Creator. He has always been. Why worship a lesser power? Shouldn’t we worship the One who made and made good on a promise to Abraham so long ago? Why chase after knock-offs when we can follow the real thing?
The God of the Bible is the Rock—our Creator and Father.
And that’s The Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
If the God of the Bible is really our Rock, then how should we respond to him? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Psalm 95:1-7 tells us how to respond to God:
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it…
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God…”
God is our fortress where we can be saved. He can protect his children. God is our Creator, our Maker. God is God above all others. He is the ‘capital R Rock’ and all others are ‘small r rocks.’ God is always faithful. His character never wavers. He is solid as a…. well, as a Rock.
So, worship belongs to The Rock.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Mar 18, 2020
When there is something like the corona virus on everyone’s mind, Jesus’ words can bring balance to our thinking. Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In Luke 10:27-36 the following exchange between a legal expert and Jesus is found:
“…’Love your neighbor as yourself.’…But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?””
Jesus tells of a man who was robbed and beaten and two different Jews would not help him.
“But a Samaritan…took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds…Then he…brought him to an inn and took care of him…Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
…” The one who had mercy in him.””
The Samaritan had no expectation that the Jew would help him in return. He just shows mercy to someone who is hurting. He gives of his time and resources and that is what makes him a neighbor. He does not narrowly define who his neighbor is, he chooses to be a neighbor.
And so, in this stressful time, nurses and doctors, EMT’s and firemen, prison employees and waste disposal truck drivers, all choose to reach out to others. They choose us as neighbors. They show mercy to others.
Thanks for being a neighbor. And may we all be a neighbor to each other.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly. Join our Wednesday adult Bible Study at 6:30 for more of the Word.
Today in the Word
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
When there is something like the corona virus on everyone’s mind, is there anything in scripture that can bring balance to our thinking? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In Leviticus 13:4-8, the science of quarantine in Israelite society is explained:
“…the priest is to isolate the affected person for seven days. On the seventh day the priest is to examine them, and if he sees the sore is unchanged and has not spread in the skin, he is to isolate them for another seven days. …if the sore has faded and has not spread in the skin, the priest shall pronounce them clean; it is only a rash. They must wash their clothes, and they will be clean.”
One aspect of being a follower of the Lord is to reach out in mercy as we discussed yesterday, but that is also to be balanced by actions that pull back when people are sick. Why did the Israelites do this? It was for the good of the entire community, so communicable diseases did not ravage the community. And we do this today, even though most of us will not suffer any serious effects from the corona virus. We pull back from social contact considering the elderly and vulnerable among us. We choose to be their neighbor by being careful not to pass the flu along.
Both actions are being a neighbor. Actions that reach out to the hurting shows mercy and actions that pull back from contact to protect the vulnerable shows care.
And that is The Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday Mar 20, 2020
We can feel quite powerless when the corona virus is dominating our thinking. Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Jesus shows himself to be very powerful in Mark 1:40-42:
“A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.”
One of Jesus’ first miracles was to heal a leper. As we noted yesterday, skin diseases like leprosy were discussed in Old Testament Law. People could be quarantined away from the community for a lifetime. Anyone who touched them was also considered unclean. Yet Jesus touches the man. He passes healing power to the man. He is not worried about the man passing disease to him. Jesus’ power is such that he touches the untouchable. In this ‘corona virus’ time, the image is vivid. We can feel ‘untouchable’ for many reasons other than the flu. The Word wants to make clear to us. Jesus is still in the business of touching the untouchable. And making them clean again.
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:45 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.