Today in the Word for March 31 - April 7
Today in the Word
Wedneday, March 31st 2021
How is your ‘God gratitude’? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In John 12:1-3 we read:
“Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor…Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”
Mary had grieved her brother’s death. And she had seen with her own eyes his return to life at Jesus’ word. Now they are all having a dinner party, and she is overwhelmed with gratitude to Jesus. She sees her brother alive and well and laughing and eating with Jesus, and she does something extravagant. She spends a year’s salary on perfuming Jesus’ feet, and she pushes social convention to wipe his feet with her hair. She is extravagant in her gratitude and adoration of Jesus, because she has experienced God’s miracle in her family.
Have we experienced God’s miracle in our family? Has God changed you? Has God brought healing and wholeness to you, and others you care about? If so, then extravagant gratitude and adoration is perfectly warranted. It makes sense to be deeply grateful to Jesus and to show it.
. And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Thursday Apr 1, 2021
Can we be guilty of criticism in the church? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Mary is overwhelmed with gratitude to Jesus for raising her brother from the dead, and so John 12:3-4 reads:
Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot…objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.””
Judas criticizes Mary’s act of gratitude and adoration. Doesn’t she know there are kids going to bed hungry tonight? The Mark and Matthew gospels use the phrase, ‘Why this waste?’ Her generous act of worship is judged.
We can do the same, judging another’s gift as wasteful or foolish. We point to something more practical. But gratitude to our Savior is not something we should be quick to judge. Extravagant gratitude helps us all see how amazing God’s investment in our lives has been. We are not the ‘that was over the top’ police. Rather, let us celebrate and be challenged by the lavish acts of adoration and worship of fellow Christ-followers. And may we be moved to be more like them!
Criticism of someone else’s worship is something Judas would do.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday Apr 2, 2021
Can criticism be a cover for selfishness? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Mary has anointed Jesus’ feet in gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus. John 12:4-7 reads:
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot…objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.”He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.’
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied…”
Judas’ criticism that she was not thinking about the need to feed hungry kids was false. It was false because it was motivated by selfishness. He had been skimming from the ‘Traveling Jesus and his Disciples Ministry.’ He wanted control of the giving to Jesus so he could further enrich himself. He could not see the honoring of Jesus. He could only see dollar signs.
We need to beware of our tendency to criticize behavior that simply threatens our control. Do we point out the wrong in other’s actions merely because it does not build our reputation (or pocketbook)? Judas was far too comfortable with making the monetary decisions, and he was justifying his own selfishness.
Jesus tells Judas (and us) to knock off the criticism.
And that’s the Word. Tune in Sundays at 10:30 on the Deer Lodge Assembly Facebook page for our Livestreamed service or join us at the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Monday Apr 5, 2021
Do you want to be on the right side of ‘God-moments’? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. When Lazarus’ sister Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive nard, John 12:4-8 reports:
“But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot…objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages…”
“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied… “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.””
Judas criticizes Mary’s gift, and then Jesus corrects Judas. Jesus says Mary is acting prophetically in relation to the greatest effort by God since creation. The crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the culmination of God’s rescue of humankind. It is the high point of God’s revelation to us. She is in line with God’s moment. Judas is 180 degrees opposite God’s moment when he complains about her action.
When fellow believers give to and worship God extravagantly, I want to join in their worship, not criticize. I want to be on the right side of the next ‘God moment.’
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday Apr 6, 2021
How should we respond to God’s miracle? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. John 12:9-18 reads in part:
“Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead…the next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”…
Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him.”
The triumphal entry to Jerusalem we celebrate on Palm Sunday is largely a celebration of the raising of Lazarus from the dead! The crowd responds to Jesus’ miracle with celebration and testimony. They worship Jesus and they tell the miracle story again and again.
Our response to God’s miracle in our lives should be the same. We should celebrate and worship the God of miracles, and testify to what God has done.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Apr 7, 2021
What kind of a response can The Enemy make to God’s miracle? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. The weekend of the triumphal entry of Jesus, John 12:9-10, 18-19 reads:
“Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him…Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!””
Jesus demonstrated in the raising of Lazarus his defeat of death. The religious leaders respond by planning to kill, not only Jesus, but the one he raised!
They, motivated by Satan, try to answer the defeat of death with more death. Their response is both revealing of their true master, and ludicrous.
And our response to miracle is challenged by this account. Will we follow the Author of Life or the Prince of Death?
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.