Today in the Word For April 13-17

Today in The Word

Monday April 13, 2020

Can our government solve all our problems? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. The great prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 9:6-7 reads:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever…”

Notice that Jesus as the one to bring peace is mentioned twice and Jesus’ government, or kingdom is mentioned 3 times.

Human governments, including the United States’ government have their limits. The COVD19 pandemic has illustrated quite well that no government is able to resolve everything. But Jesus will bring the ultimate government. When Jesus rules all things, he will establish an upright and just government that will serve all mankind and last forever.

So, the answer to the question of governments’ ability to solve all problems, the answer is no---unless it is Jesus’ government!!

And that’s The Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.

Today in The Word

Tuesday April 14, 2020

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. (see Isaiah 9:5-7) Do all see it? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. After Jesus approaches Jerusalem to the roar of the crowd on Palm Sunday, he stopped the parade for a moment and Luke 19:41-42 reads:

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.”

The people of Jerusalem had seen many of Jesus’ miracles. They had heard him preach about the Kingdom of God on several occasions over the past 3 years. He had walked their streets and eaten in their houses. He was the Messiah offering them peace with God. Yet they would, for the most part, reject him. We just commemorated this past weekend how they executed him within just a few days of his statement of these words.

It doesn’t matter if Jesus is the Prince of Peace if we refuse to recognize him as such. He is the Prince of Peace, but not in our heart. In order for peace to shine in our heart, we must recognize Jesus for who he truly is---the only One able to bring us true peace. Will we recognize or reject the Prince?

And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.

Today in the Word

Wednesday April 15, 2020

As Jesus entered Jerusalem on the Palm Sunday that we celebrated a week ago, one thing the crowd shouted in Luke 19:38 was:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.…”

Have you heard that phrase before? It comes from Psalm 118:26-27:

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you. The Lord is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand join in the festal procession…”

The psalm sings about light, and the people sang the psalm. And the prophet also speaks about Jesus and light in Isaiah 9:2:

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

When Jesus rides into Jerusalem on that day long ago, God was shing his spotlight on Jesus. Jesus had come to light up the planet. Jesus was the Light of the World come to penetrate the dark place in which we lived.

We can shine a spotlight on many different things. Maybe it is time to spotlight Jesus, so he can shine to a dark world!

And that’s The Word with Pastor David from Deer Lodge Assembly.    

Today in the Word

Thursday April 16, 2020

When Jesus entered that gate in Jerusalem to the cheering crowd on Easter week 2,000 years ago, he was fulfilling prophecy. Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Psalm 118:20-22,26 reads:

 “This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone…Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord…”

 Many were cheering Jesus that day, but many more had rejected Jesus and his message. He was a rejected stone that was to be God’s cornerstone for the mighty church to be built. Luke 19:39-40 records:

 “Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

“I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

 We have the same choice those Pharisees did. We can reject the very cornerstone of what God is doing in the world or accept and worship him as our King. If we not only refuse to worship him, but instruct others to not worship him either, the very rocks of creation will take our place to do so. Isn’t Jesus calling us to accept him as the ultimate rock to stand on or else he says we are dumber than a pile of rocks? At least a rock pile knows the ultimate cornerstone (the chief Rock) when it sees Him. Will we worship Jesus or not?

 And that is the Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana. 

 Today in the Word

Friday April 17, 2020

Why did God wait a whole weekend before raising Jesus from the dead? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Humans have a tendency to want their answers now. Is there a message for us in Jesus not being resurrected right from the cross?

 As Jesus and his disciples were praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, soldiers come to arrest Jesus. Matthew 26:51-53 reads:

 “…one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest cutting off his ear.

“Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels.?”

 Peter is the companion swinging his sword around, and Jesus not only tells him to knock it off, other gospels describe him healing the ear! Peter, like us, thinks something needs to be done by force right now. Jesus explains that if the situation was to be handled by force, God’s angels have got it covered. I think they would have been far more effective subduing those soldiers than Peter was!

 Peter panics in a scary situation and tries to solve it by force. Jesus does not. He states use of force is literally a double-edged sword. He will wait and trust God for his defense—all weekend in fact. And so should we.

 And that’s the Word.  You can enjoy more of the Word this Sundays at 10:45 at Deer Lodge Assembly’s Facebook page.