Today in the Word July 12-19
Today in The Word
Monday July 12, 2021
How should we respond to the “…God Almighty, who was…”? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Revelation 4:8-10 records part of one of the Apostle John’s visions:
“Each of the four living creatures had six wings…Day and night they never stop saying:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever…”
I am unclear about who the ‘living creatures’ are, but many Bible students would be comfortable with the 24 elders being a description of the Church--12 tribes of Israel, and 12 apostles. So, together they are God’s People, and they continually worship ‘…him who lives for ever and ever’.
One aspect of “…God Almighty, who was…” is God’s eternality. He has always been. He does not have a beginning. He is the God who always was. His eternality makes him trustworthy. Nothing precedes him. There is nothing outside his awareness, and he will always ‘be’. He will never be absent. It makes perfect sense to worship and trust the “…God Almighty, who was…”
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday July 13, 2021
How should we respond to the “…God Almighty, who was…”? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Revelation 4:8-10 records part of one of the Apostle John’s visions:
“Each of the four living creatures had six wings…Day and night they never stop saying:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”
…the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.””
The “…God Almighty, who was…” is an expression communicating that God is the Creator. He is creator of each one of us. He is creator of the planet on which we live. He is creator of the immense physical universe that surrounds us. He is the source of even the oldest part of our universe. The ‘God who was’ precedes all else. As Hebrews 1:10-12 states:
“…the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment…But you remain the same, and your years will never end.””
The God who was is our Creator. He is worthy of every crown that can be thrown.
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday July 14, 2021
What does ‘The God who is’ mean to us? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Revelation 1:4-5 starts off the Apostle John’s book:
“…Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, …and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead…”
The phrase ‘firstborn from the dead’ refers to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus breaks the power of death by the power of God. By his resurrection, he leads the way toward our resurrection too. Jesus is not just a good teacher from 2 millennia ago. He is alive now. He can dwell inside us now. He is at work in the world now. The Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are together ‘The God who is.’ We worship a God who is with us right now. We follow the commands of Jesus who is our King right now. We experience healing and help from God lives in the present.
Christianity is more than an historical remembrance. Jesus rose from the dead. We are to trust, worship and follow ‘The God who is’
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Thursday July 15, 2021
How are we changed by ‘The God who is’? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Revelation 1:4-5 starts off the Apostle John’s book:
“…Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, …and from Jesus Christ…the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…”
Jesus died on the cross to free us from our sins. And he rose from the dead and is ever living now. He is ‘The God who is.’ And as such, he has made us by his sacrifice ‘a kingdom and priests’. The Resurrected One made us Kingdom People. He freed us from the slavery of sin, like he freed the Jewish slaves in Egypt. And just as he made those former slaves into a Nation, so he has made us into participants in his Kingdom. ‘The God who is’ shapes us by his power into a free people useful to his Kingdom.
And that is a beautiful!
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday July 16, 2021
Is it important to recognize the ‘God Who is to Come’? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. John starts his Revelation letter in 1:7-8:
““Look, he is coming with the clouds, and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.””
We are not complete to recognize that God always ‘was.’ The resurrected Jesus ‘who is’ today is vital, but not the whole picture. We are called to understand that Jesus will physically return to draw Christians to himself. He wants us to be with him throughout eternity. And he is a righteous King who will make right many of the wrongs that pervade our world.
Jesus is the One “…who is, and who was, and who is to come…”. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!
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 July 19, 2021
Can scripture give us perspective on our Christian walk? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. In Revelation 1:4 and 8 we see John emphasize the following truth:
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.””
The Lord is the ‘God who was’. We are rooted in an important past. God has always been and he always will be. We are a creation of an eternal God, not an accidental circumstance.
Jesus is the ‘God who is.’ He did not stay dead after that execution on a cross 2,000 years ago. Jesus is alive and working today. We pray to a Jesus who is alive and able to interact with us.
And the Lord is the one ‘who is to come.’ We are not left to our own devices on this planet. He is the Righteous King who will come and set all things right. We have a future in Jesus. We have an eternal home and relationship with One who is coming back for his Bride.
We have value because of the God “…who is, and who was, and who is to come…”
And that’s The Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.