Today in the Word January 3-5th
Today in The Word
Monday Jan 3, 2022
How extravagant was God at Jesus’ birth? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In Luke 2:8-15 we read:
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them…” Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you…”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven…”
Did God’s angels appear to the shepherds because they just happened to be in the neighborhood? Doesn’t it seem like overkill for an entire heavenly choir to sing to a handful of domestic livestock producers? A ‘great company of the heavenly host’ seems too much for such an undersized audience. Couldn’t they at least have sung to the entire village of Bethlehem?
But they didn’t. A ‘great company’ announced and sang to a few shepherds of initiation of the biggest event in human history. God had come to earth to save. It was extravagant.
Isn’t it about time for us to admit that the God we follow is extravagant toward us?
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday Jan 4, 2022
Why did such an extravagant company of angels appear to a few shepherds in the countryside? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. We can’t know all God’s purposes, but Luke 2:12 has the angels announce:
“This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The angels expected the shepherds to go see. And Luke 2:15-17 records:
“…the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,”
Maybe the Lord announced to these shepherds because they would go. And not only did they go, but they spread the word about what they had seen. God was making shepherds into ambassadors. The angels found witnesses on that hillside.
God is still looking for ambassadors of Good News. Will we go toward God’s miracle? Will we share? The shepherds did.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Jan 5, 2022
How extravagant was God at Jesus’ incarnation? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10 speaks about some astrologers:
“…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
…the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”
A sign in the heavens seems like a quite extravagant action by God. But what makes it more so to me is who is affected by the star. It is Magi from the East. It is not Jewish Bible students. It is foreign astrologers. They are another ethnic group and they likely do not practice the Jewish faith. Their poor theology includes the idea that the stars influence or announce the affairs of men.
No one else seems to notice Jesus’ star. God brought about this remarkable event for an effect on some outsiders.
Do you feel like an outsider? Is it possible that God could extravagantly reveal himself to you? The Magi would think he can!
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.