"Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God” (Psalm 90:2). "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).

Periodically a song comes along that really grips our attention. I recall back in the eighties when Ray Boltz’ song “Thank You” first came out. It really captured the heart of ministry and reminded us of the bigger picture when we get to the other side. I still enjoy hearing it!

There’s a song that’s been hitting Brooksyne and me like that the last several weeks. Some of you have probably heard it.  It builds to a powerful refrain and I would sure enjoy seeing Brooksyne lead a group of the redeemed in singing it.

One line that has really blessed me expresses a truth that I know but I need regularly reinforcing of this absolute truth as I face life’s turbulence. It simply says, “My God He was, my God He is, my God He’s always gonna be.”

This truth is not simply the musical contrivance of a young 21st century musician. It’s expressed abundantly in the Scriptures. Just consider the last phrase from our first daily Scripture, “From everlasting to everlasting You are God.”  This expresses the eternality of God one of God’s attributes, although not all treatments of His attributes specifically deal with this truth.

An interesting online resource known as Theopedia states, “The Eternality of God refers to His timeless nature. God had no beginning, and will have no end. This is one of the foundational beliefs of Christianity. If God is not eternal, then eternal life is not His to give to anyone. Also if God had a beginning He too would have need of a  creator, at which point He is not the one true God. Without the eternality of God, Christianity is futile. God's eternal Nature is very important to us because it ensures that God will always be there for us. Whenever we need Him, no matter when we are troubled, our eternal God will always be there for us. There are numerous references throughout Scripture about God's eternal nature.  Isaiah 57:15, "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity..."  1 Timothy 1:17, "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

The eternal, almighty God has revealed Himself to us and sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for our redemption as fallen sinners. He is from everlasting to everlasting. He is the Alpha and the Omega, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.  Let's praise Him today and rest in His steadfast care, no matter the turbulence in life we are facing!

My Savior loves, my Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God He was, my God He is
My God He's always gonna be


Be encouraged today,


Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily Prayer:  Father, we want to express gratitude that You included us in Your marvelous handiwork.  All the universe declares Your glory, Almighty God, who creates, sustains, and watches over Your creation.  You created us with a soul that is at the very heart of our existence here on earth and it will exist eternally in the life to come.  While the foundations are being destroyed here on earth we, the redeemed, find great comfort and immense hope in Your eternal foundation. It is from eternity past and eternity future, with no beginning and no end!  Only a loving God like You would choose to include us in Your vast plan and find delight in us, in all our humanness.  You are worthy to receive glory, honor, and praise for all eternity.  Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb!

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Theopedia

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You can listen to the entire song referred to in today’s message on the artist’s website as well as other music on his album.  The song we particularly enjoy is titled “My Savior, My God” and is track #9 on this page.


You can also watch a video of the original artist and his band singing this song on this page.

This artist really shares his music and his site has also posted the lyrics and his personal reflections on the background of the song.

I assume these pages will work on all computers

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For more on the attributes of God I recommend this book by A.W. Pink which can be read online!
Caution this site automatically plays annoying (in my view) midi background music.

Here’s an excerpt related to today’s message: "In the beginning, God" (Genesis 1:1).  There was a time, if 'time' it could be called, when God, in the unity of His nature (though subsisting equally in three Divine Persons), dwelt all alone.  'In the beginning, God.'  There was no heaven, where His glory is now particularly manifested.  There was no earth to engage His attention.  There were no angels to sing His praises; no universe to be upheld by the word of His power. There was nothing, no one, but God; and that, not for a day, a year, or an age, but 'from everlasting.'  During eternity past, God was alone: self-contained, self-sufficient, self-satisfied; in need of nothing.  Had a universe, had angels, had human beings been necessary to Him in any way, they would also have been called into existence from all eternity.  The creating of them when He did added nothing to God essentially.  'He changes not' (Malachi 3:6), therefore His essential glory can be neither augmented nor diminished.  God was under no constraint, no obligation, no necessity to create.  That He chose to do so was purely a sovereign act on His part, caused by nothing outside Himself, determined by nothing but His own mere good pleasure; for He 'worketh all things after the counsel of His own will' (Ephesians 1:11).  That He did create was simply for His manifestative glory. God is no gainer even from our worship.  He was in no need of that external glory of His grace that arises from His redeemed, for He is glorious enough in Himself without that.  What was it that moved Him?  It was, as Ephesians 1:5 tells us, 'according to the good pleasure of His will'.”

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I don’t have any photos for this but we sure had an uplifting experience Saturday morning. We went to a wedding in a very conservative Mennonite setting where no cameras were present.  It is a group characterized among other distinctives as “black bumper Mennonites.” That is, they do drive vehicles, but they have to be black or at least a dark color.  (Our white van really stood out parked among the dark vehicles in the parking lot.)

Brooksyne was the only one in attendance without the characteristic Mennonite cape dress and most noticeably the head covering. For me my black suit fit in OK but my tie didn’t! It was really a neat experience and we were blessed. A neighbor’s daughter was the bride and it was a privilege to be invited, since we were the only non-Mennonite Christians in a gathering of 275 guests. They were warm and cordial toward us.

The three messages were filled with lots of Scripture references, most of them memorized. It included testimonies from married men who encouraged the young couple, a really neat feature in my view.  After the two hymns, the messages brought forth by three speakers and we sang a beautiful Wedding Hymn the minister prayed a beautiful prayer. We all knelt at our chairs, and among other petitions he asked God to help the rulers so that we might continue in peace and freedom. It was clearly based on the Biblical injunction from 1 Timothy 2:1,2 that states, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

As is traditional with this group, the bride’s family assembles the food for the large meal and church volunteers prepare it.  The young people from the congregation (about 20 or more) serve it to the seated guests.  It was a delicious spread and served in such an orderly way.  I considered how much wedding expenses could be lessened if this was done in other church settings.  What a lovely and practical way for a congregation to bless the young people and their families in the church.

Here's a photo of cape dresses.

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Last Friday a neighbor stopped by for an errand and I rode on an old Deutz tractor.

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