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On Thursday,
earlier in the week, my husband was completing a Revival Meeting
in Roanoke, Alabama. After the service the ladies of the Church
had sent a big beautiful basket with all sorts of goodies
and gifts for me! I wish I had time to mention everything in
that basket! Among many other items, there was a calendar
compiled by a preacher. It, the calendar, was called "The Grace
of Encouragement." I do not know specifically who sent that
gift, but God knew I liked things like that! I picked it up and
my husband had already opened it to the current date, October
14. This is what I read: "It helps me if I
remember that God is in charge of my day ... not me!"
Those words seemed to jump off the page at me! Following that
quotation was this verse of Scripture:
"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He
delighteth in his way." I immediately glanced up at the
wall in front of where I was sitting. There hangs a plaque with
one of my favorite Scripture verses, Psalm 118:24.
"This is the day which the Lord hath made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it."
I am so glad
that I belong to Him and He can order my steps and He delights
when I follow His leading! Every day that we live and breathe
here on this earth ... every single one, is a gift from God!
Thank you Lord
for this day. Help me to rejoice in it!
--- Norma Bagwell
JULY
16, 2005:
Growth!
I've always heard that
anything that's alive will exhibit growth!
Ladies, are you growing in
the Lord?
Are you even trying
to grow in the Lord?
Are you spending time in
the Word regularly?
How is your prayer life?
Do you commune with your
Saviour?
Listen to the very last
words ever written by Simon Peter, the best known Disciple of
our Lord.
"But
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for
ever. Amen." 2nd Peter 3:18 Now that
main verb ... "grow" ... is set in the imperative mood,
expressing a command!
It
basically means "to increase!"
God is not
requesting us to grow.
He expects
it!
He even
commands it!
Now this
matter of growth is a two-fold thing.
In one
sense spiritual growth is out of our hands. True progress
in the Christian life comes from the working power of the Holy
Spirit and the engrafting ability of the Word of God. And
I'm not even mentioning the conducive atmosphere of a Bible
believing Church where love abounds.
On the
other hand ... true spiritual growth only comes when we are
willing to cooperate and yield to the Holy Spirit, the Word of
God and faithful Church attendance!
This
requires our effort too!
Dear Sister
in Christ, are YOU taking some time each day ... even if a brief
time ... to read your Bible? To pray ... especially for
your family? To nurture your life in Christ?
The
old-timers used to call these activities "spiritual
disciplines."
I just call
them "time with the Lord!"
It does
take time to build a relationship ... even one with Jesus!
Have a
"quite time" each day.
Even if
it's in the car driving to or from some regular place.
Even if you
have to get up 15 minutes earlier in the morning ... to go to
bed that much later!
Even if you
have to curtail that television habit some!
The Lord
loves it when we spend time with Him ... when we worship Him!
Even to the
point of saying so!
Listen to
Jesus teach the lady at the well of Jacob. In John
4:23 he said: "But the hour cometh,
and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father
in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship
him."
Notice the
words ... "The Father seeketh such to
worship Him."
That verb "seeketh"
means ... "to desire!"
Build an
atmosphere of spiritual growth in your life!
That will
please the Lord!
And you
will profit thereby!
--- Norma Bagwell
MAY
13, 2005:
Ladies,
sometimes I fear that we may just
need a moment with Him! I mean in your mind. Steal
away and reflect over recent days or weeks. Maybe even to
some of the verses we learned as children. A couple of
them come to my mind right now.
Like Psalm 119:11 ---
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee." It is true that the
more of God's Word we have within us (hidden there), the less we
will sin! This text alone could keep us out of trouble.
And here is a perfect
example from Proverbs 15:1 --- "A soft
answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."
Watch your words ... your responses! In the language of today we
might say: "Words spoken too quickly and without thought
could push someone else's buttons." Think before speaking!
Every thought we have does not have to be spoken out loud or
expressed! When we
were children didn't we also learn Proverbs 3:5-6?
"Trust
in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he
shall direct thy paths."
I have a
very dependent relationship with my Saviour! God's Word
tells me I should and it's the only thing that works for me!
Psychology today will tell you NOT to depend so much on anyone
else. You are "your own master." You can make your
own destiny. This is foolish! That, ladies, is an
example of today's "humanism."
I like the
idea of having a God Who loves me and cares about me. He
knows me even better than I know myself. He created me.
Jeremiah
32:27 says ... "Behold, I am the
LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?"
Another of
my favorite verses is Jeremiah 33:3 ---
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and
mighty things, which thou knowest not."
Ladies, I
believe my life is in good Hands when I place myself under His
Control! How about you?
Let go and
let God His wonderful Way in your life.
--- Norma Bagwell
APRIL
21, 2005:
I once
heard a preacher give this advice: "If you're going to
live any kind of a victorious Christian life you will need to
get some verses from God's Word that you live by on a daily
basis." Sort of like spiritual vitamins! He
suggested that you put them down in writing somewhere, maybe in
a notebook. You should memorize them (the verses) and
quote them to yourself each day.
I've never forgotten what
he said. Maybe I have not been as diligent as he
suggested, but I have some verses that I call my "victory
verses."
Through the years I have
attempted to do what that old preacher suggested.
I've scribbled these on
scratch pads, written in notebooks and in the margins of my
Bible.
Now I want to get down to
business and pass this little habit along to someone else. Therefore I
will share with you a few of my personal verses. The first
one comes today, with others to follow soon.
I believe
that God's Word has the answers to all our problems and
difficulties. My number one verse on the list would be
Psalm 119:165. "Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend
them."
"Thy law"
of course is a term used many times in Scripture which generally
means the Bible or God's Word.
"Offend,"
the verb, means to make one to stumble. It gives us the
idea of falling (tripping) and perhaps not even being able to
get back on our feet again.
If
you love God's Word (your Bible) you will read it
diligently and study it to see what it teaches. You
will believe it. You will practice its teaching.
And when
you do stumble, you won't fall flat but will be able to get back
up and keep on going.
Now you
need to memorize this verse ... learning it by heart. It
carries a very important principle of the Christian life in its
essence. Everything will NOT be perfect. There will
be set-backs, trials, tribulations, problems, disappointments
and difficulties. You need to have a source of strength to keep
you going on the right path. Psalm 46:1 says ---
"God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble."
That
strength to go on ... to be faithful ... can be found anywhere
in the Bible ... but especially in today's "victory verse!"
Satan will
try to defeat you any way he can.
Fight him,
as did our Lord, with "It is written ...!"
--- Norma Bagwell
APRIL 5, 2005,
TUESDAY:
It will
soon be time for what all our Mothers called "Spring Cleaning!"
Box springs and mattresses
were moved outside for a few hours, fluffed (actually
beaten) in the fresh air, curtains washed, closets cleared, and
so much more!
I can see it going on right
now (in my mind)!
I even recall the "wash
days" of years gone by! (Now I guess for the modern
housewife every day is wash day!) I remember seeing
ladies wash clothes on Mondays ... outside ... using pots with
boiling water ... or old "ringer" washing machines! But
they had clean dresses to wear!
By now you may be
wondering: "What's her point?"
Just this: all that
literal Spring Cleaning has its counterpart in our spiritual
lives! There are
times when we need to be "cleansed" from the things of the flesh
as well!
Let's talk
about that a while.
Way back in
Nehemiah 3, where that Man of God is describing the ten Gates of
Jerusalem ... nearly all of which had fallen into disrepair ...
he mentions the "Dung Gate!" Nehemiah 3:14 tells us:
"But the dung gate repaired
Malchiah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem;
he built it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof,
and the bars thereof."
The Dung
Gate is where all the filth and garbage went OUT of the city of
Jerusalem, God's City!
It pictures
for us the necessity of cleansing ourselves if we are
going to please the Lord!
Let's take
a little inventory for a minute!
What part
of my life mentally needs to be cleaned? Is it my
worried mind? Or perhaps I harbor thoughts that are not as
pure as they should be! Or is it a grudge over some past
confrontation I can't get over?
Whatever
... have a mental housecleaning and turn those things over to
Jesus! (That's what Paul said to do with them in 2 Corinthians
10:5. Bring all those thoughts to the dear Lord!
"Bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.")
What part
of my emotional life needs to be scrubbed? Do I
fear too much? Am I angry a lot of the time? Have I
allowed jealousy to creep in? Go down your own check list
... and start scrubbing away! What "cleanser" do I use?
"The blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7
Then
spiritually what must be freshened up? Has my love for
Jesus grown cool? Or my devotion to Bible study? Or my
fervency for the House of God? Has my faith, like those
window panes at home, grown clouded with all winter's grime and
dust? Whatever ... clean it up! Do some
"washing of water by the Word" of
God! Ephesians 5:26
And surely
no lady must clean herself physically today! No one
reading these lines would be involved in some kind of sensual
affair or be allowing herself to "fantasize" lewdly about some
man, would they? Or reading some ungodly novel? Or
wrapped up in some television program that defies everything you
believe?
If so
ladies, take a bath ... in a spiritual sense!
Jesus once
said to His Disciples: "Now ye are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
Wow! John 15:3
Let's open
the "Dung Gate" of our lives today ... and begin Spring
Cleaning!
--- Norma Bagwell
The
Saturday before Easter, March 26, 2005:
My husband read me a phrase this
week that had "struck" him in a wonderful way!
I think he was studying for
a Message and he providentially came across these words:
"Random Acts of Kindness!"
"Random Acts of Kindness!"
Actually the Preacher he
was reading was talking about prerequisites for Revival!
He was of the opinion that
we can forget about any true reviving of our hearts (sent form
God) if we continue in our mean bitter unkind and unforgiving
ways!
We must repent ... trust
God to change us .. and begin being "kind" one to another! Thereafter
Brother Mike went around all week saying often "Random Acts of
Kindness!"
As most of
you know I've been sick for a while and can't walk. My
husband has to do so much for me. And he is kind in doing
so.
"Random
Acts of Kindness!"
That little
saying so impressed me that I had to find a corresponding Bible
verse.
Well, that
was not hard at all!
Ladies,
listen to Paul: "And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians
4:32
In this
verse are embedded 3 little "truths" about kindness!
First see
the "root" of kindness. It is
the awesome fact that Jesus died for us and forgave us our sins!
That is, if you are saved. (If you're lost, He will save
you if you simply meet His conditions!
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is
passed from death unto life." John 5:24)
Also notice
how that "root" springs from Jesus'
forgiveness of us ... to our forgiveness of others! If we
are unforgiving toward someone ... we certainly will not
be kind to them!
If I have
been forgiven a "ton" of sin (at Calvary) ... I must be willing
to forgive someone a "pound" of wrong too (at the grocery store
or wherever)!
Next notice
the "shoot" of that root! The
"shoot" of kind deeds has to be a
"tender heart!" That Greek noun has within it the word for
"bowels or intestines!" Be tender and compassionate deep
down within yourself, down where the Holy Spirit lives!
Then comes
the "fruit" of kindness! That
word Greek for kindness, "chrestos," means sweet, pleasant,
incapable of sharpness and not harsh! And this
"fruit" in all likelihood will indeed go around
practicing "random acts of kindness!"
And that's
where our discussion started today!
Be kind to
each other ... because of Jesus and because of Calvary!
Random
Acts of Kindness:
Their
ROOT ... The Cross of
Calvary
Their
SHOOT ... A tender heart,
filled with the kind Holy Spirit!
Their
FRUIT ... Sweetness and
pleasantness with their matching deeds of love!
There we
have it.
Go practice
one now! (A random act of kindness!)
Amen!
--- Norma Bagwell
MARCH
5, 2005:
Ladies,
Solomon tells us in the Book of Proverbs that an evil man IS
what he thinks!
Here's the exact verse:
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is
he." Proverbs 23:7
If I think dark and gloomy
thoughts ... I will become dark and gloomy!
If I think bright
victorious thoughts about my Savior ... I will be bright and
victorious!
Helen Keller, the blind
poet, said: "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot
see the shadows!"
I once read where a
Preacher said: "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how
we respond to it!" Now I know
I am probably running the risk of being accused of bringing
"psychology" into this discussion, but that's not the case!
So far I've
given Scripture for everything I've said.
Here's some
more.
What one
thinks in his or her heart affects all of life. Jesus says
that! "A good man out of the good
treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil
man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."
Matthew 12:35
The the
Lord immediately adds: "For
out of the (evil) heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
these are the things which defile a man."
Maybe Mark
has worded our Lord's intent better yet. "For
from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness,
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy,
pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and
defile the man." Mark 7:21-23
Then as
usual, Paul eloquently caps the whole situation by writing:
"Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things." Philippians 4:8
Let me
share a pointer or two:
* Be
very careful what thoughts you let settle in your mind!
Reject those who are unapproved according to Paul's Philippians
4 list!
*
Meditate on what Christ Jesus has accomplished for us ... and is
yet doing today at the right Hand of God The Father!
*
Curtail your complaining and murmuring!
"Do all things without murmurings and
disputings." That's Paul again!
Philippians 2:14
* Be
cautious regarding the close friends you have! Those with
constantly negative attitudes and gossiping tongues are NOT good
for you! Listen to what (who else?) Paul says in 1st
Corinthians 5:11 --- "But
now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that
is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with
such an one no not to
eat."
Don't even eat with "railers!" Those who hurt others with
their tongues!
*
Paul even went so far as to encourage us to "bring every
thought" at sword-point captive to Jesus! Wow!
"Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity
every thought to the obedience of Christ!"
Right
thinking will lead to right living!
Ladies, I
guarantee that!
--- Norma Bagwell
FEBRUARY 15, 2005:
A verse spoke to my heart just
this morning!
It's located in Ephesians.
"Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of
the Lord is." Ephesians 5:17
The adjective
"unwise" is in Greek (my husband
says) "aphron." The "a" means no or not and the "phron"
part means one's mind or thinking! Putting it together we
get "without reason!" Senseless! Without
intelligence! Or more plainly ... stupid!
We Christians are not to be
thoughtless! We are to live Biblically reasoned lives.
But, as you can see, Paul
quickly adds to this thought.
"Understanding what the will of the Lord is.
To "understand" is to (in
Greek = "suniemi") "bring together" one's thoughts and
reasonings. That is:
to consider and conclude something based upon Scripture.
According to this
short (but powerful) verse, we are to know God's will for our
lives ... and do it ... thereby becoming wise in the Lord's
sight!
The Will of
the Lord!
But,
ladies, what IS God's Will for us?
The answer
to that question can of course vary some in each individual.
But,
generally speaking, here's God's Will for us all:
* To
live godly lives! "For this is the
will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fornication. That every one of you should
know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour."
1st Thessalonians 4:4-5
* To
love and obey our husbands, being sweetly submissive in heart
attitude! "Teach the young women to
be sober, to love their husbands ... and obedient to their own
husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."
Titus 2:4-5
* To
love and train our precious children (if we have any and if
they're still at home)! "Teach the
young women to love their children!" Titus 2:4
again!
* To
be "keepers at home!" Titus
2:5 (Caring for our homes, providing the right godly
atmosphere for all who live there ... that they might grow in
the Lord!
* To
_________________________________________. Now that you
have the "gist" of it ... add to your own list.
Just
remember that the more you discern and do God's Will ... the
more understanding and wisdom you acquire!
Think of
that!
Just
regular daily chores like washing dishes or sweeping
the floors ... doing the will of God!
Wonderful!
I shall
never look at them the same again!
--- Norma Bagwell
FEBRUARY 2, 2005:
Ladies, I came across this verse
and the Lord used it to speak to my heart.
"As
every man hath received the gift, even so minister the
same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of
God." 1st Peter 4:10
I am sure the Bible
Scholars would tell us that the "gift" mentioned here is some
spiritual gift with which God has endowed us when we were saved.
Every Christian has some
such "gift" for sure.
The best list of them I
think is in Romans 12.
Every believer is skilled
(by virtue of the indwelling and empowering Holy Spirit) at
something he or she can do for the cause of Christ!
Maybe your gift is teaching!
Or encouraging others!
Or perhaps you fall into
that "category" of folks who say, "Sister Norma, I just don't
know WHAT I can do well for my Lord!"
Well, there is something I
assure you!
I once knew a lady who was
just the greatest cook in the whole church!
But how could one use THAT
in Christian service?
She cooked
and served a delicious meal for every Evangelist that ever came!
(Inviting his family and the Pastor and his family and her own
family too of course!) My, what her family learned sitting
around that table with the men of God! How they all
benefited from her cooking "gift!"
Another
lady I knew was best at sewing. She made skirts and
dresses for most of the little girls at church! (What a
way to teach modesty too!) It literally became her
"ministry" to do these things! (This is Biblical!
Reminds you of Dorcas, doesn't it? Acts 9:39 tells us:
"Then Peter arose and went with them. When
he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all
the widows stood by him weeping, and
shewing the coats and
garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.")
And if I
had time I'd tell you about a lady who ALWAYS fixed a meal and
took it to the family who came home from the hospital (surgery
or whatever) ... just to lift that "mealtime" burden from their
shoulders!
And the
lady who went to elderly shut-ins and read to them the Bible and
prayed with them for a while every week or two!
(Especially those whose eyesight had grown dim!)
And the
lady who had a "card sending" ministry. She encouraged
folks near and far with sweet words and an appropriate Scripture
verse!
And the
lady whose church had plenty of Sunday School teachers so didn't
need her ... who creatively started a little Bible Club with
children from the neighborhood, telling them about Jesus every
week!
Or the lady
who started her own Bible Class with a few like-minded sisters
in Christ. She did it in her home. She allowed no
gossip ... just in-depth Bible exposition!
Do not tell
me that each of us is not so gifted by the Lord in some area.
Find out
what yours is! (If you really don't know, ask the Lord to
show you! He will!)
And then
start using it!
Don't you
want to hear some day: "His Lord
said unto him (her, too) ... Well done, thou good and
faithful servant!" Matthew 25:21
Since we've
all received a gift ... let's use it for His Glory!
Helping
others for Jesus' sake!
--- Norma Jean Bagwell
JANUARY 21, 2005:
Ladies, I came across this quote
the other day. Perhaps it is worth sharing.
"I cannot
give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula
for failure ... which is: Try to please everyone."
How often do we Christian
women put undue stress on ourselves by doing just what that
quote says ... trying to please everyone!
Don't you agree?
Please the Husband ... and
the children ... and the relatives ... and the church folks and
... before you know it, you're a bundle of nerves!
Now, it is a legitimate
desire for a lady to want to please her husband. (And the
Apostle Paul says the man should want to please his wife too!
"He that is married careth for the
things that are of the world, how he may please his
wife." 1st Corinthians 7:32) But ... you
can't please everybody!
In fact,
based upon the Scriptures I'm about to share with you ... our
highest priority in the "pleasing" department should be the
Lord!
Listen.
"Study to shew thyself
approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth." 2nd Timothy 2:15 (This is
pleasing God! The verb "study" literally means do your
best, be diligent!)
"But as we were allowed of God to be put
in trust with the gospel, even so we speak;
not as pleasing men, but
God, which trieth our hearts." 1st
Thessalonians 2:4 (Paul wanted to please the Lord!)
"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him,
because we keep his commandments, and
do those things that are
pleasing in his sight." 1st John 3:22
(Pleasing God is an aid to getting our prayers answered!)
"That ye might
walk worthy of the Lord
unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians
1:10 (Our very life, our "walk," should be geared toward
pleasing God!)
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or
do I seek to please men?
for if I yet pleased
men, I should not be the servant of Christ."
Galatians 1:10 (Pleasing men here seems to be the very
opposite of pleasing God!)
"By faith Enoch was translated that he
should not see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him: for before his translation
he had this testimony,
that he pleased God." Hebrews 11:5
(What a testimony! He pleased God!)
And Jesus,
the Ideal of Perfection, sets the right example for "pleasing"
our great God! "And he that sent me
is with me: the Father hath not left me alone;
for I do always those
things that please him." John 8:29
(Always!)
Ladies, you
can't please everyone. It's not even our job to please
them all!
(In
reality, if we live for the Lord, we will displease a good many
of them!)
But we
surely do need to please that dear husband (who represents
Christ as Bridegroom) ... and our Lord!
That's a
pressure reliever!
Jesus said
of Himself one day: "For
my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
What peace
that thought brings!
--- Norma Bagwell
JANUARY 11, 2005:
I've been thinking lately about
singing!
When my health was better I
often sang at Church.
I loved it.
But with this sickness ...
and the wheelchair and confinement to home ... my songs have
been much more private.
No! I've not lost my
joy. It's just taken on a new dimension.
Then ... a few days ago I
had a delightful insight (from the Lord I sense)!
I can no longer sing in
front of the church family ... but I can sing for my
family!
I can sing for those who
want to hear ... and are willing to make the effort! But, Sister
Norma, with all your problems, why sing?
Maybe you
had just better pray!
(Well, I do
that too of course. But I can't lose my song!)
Nehemiah
tells us why!
Listen to
him: "For this day is
holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD
is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10
Did you see
that?
The JOY of
the Lord is our STRENGTH!
Although at
time I am physically weak, I can experience day after day the
strength of the Lord! And the Joy He gives me (which
produces song) is one great sources of that strength!
The Hebrew
noun for "strength" ("maoz") means a fortified place, or that
which is stout! (It is found a total of 36 times in the
Bible.)
The first
time it's used in the Bible (Judges 6:26) it is translated in
the King James Bible as "ROCK!"
Ladies, I
want to stay strong for my Lord!
I shall not
lose my joy!
It can
happen! It did to David. Why else would he have
prayed as he did in Psalm 51?
"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with
thy free spirit."
Therefore
... I have determined to sing, sing, sing!
Nearly
every day our youngest little Grandson (Aaron Elijah Bagwell)
asks Nana to sing with him!
My Husband
and I bought him a little recorder/amplifier machine for
Christmas and he gets it out often and SINGS about Jesus!
My song
will be different that it was back in all those "church special"
years.
In fact, it
will be a "new song!"
(A term
used 9 times in the Bible!)
Psalm 33:3 ---
"Sing unto Him a new song."
Psalm
40:3 --- "And He hath put a new song in my
mouth, even praise unto our God."
Psalm 98:1 ---
"O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He
hath done marvellous things."
Even in the
future expect it.
Revelation 5:9
says: "And they sung a new song,
saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals
thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy
Blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."
I think I
shall even make a tape!
Oh dear
Lord, thank you for a song!
I want to
live the truth of Psalm 9:2 --- "I will be
glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy Name, O Thou
most High."
Pray for me
please.
--- Norma Jean Bagwell
DECEMBER 11, 2004, SATURDAY MORNING:
Ladies, I've been thinking about
a verse of Scripture this morning.
It's found in Psalm 107:2
and says: "Let the redeemed of the
LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the
enemy."
I've never seen a Christmas
Season in which there has been such a concerted effort to snuff
Jesus and the Virgin Birth and the Nativity and the Truth out of
the public mind!
As my husband drove past
our local elementary school yesterday, he saw an announcement on
their roadside lighted sign. It read, "Winter Program,"
and then simply gave the date.
You know as well as I do
that once that event was called the CHRISTMAS Program! But
things have changed. Changed in
a bad sense!
I've
personally decided to use these days to speak out for my Lord
more than ever! If the world can ignore Him ... then I can focus
on Him!
If the
public schools can demote Him ... I can exalt Him!
If the
so-called libertarians can mock Him ... I can praise Him!
If the
atheists can gag Him ... I can speak of Him everywhere I go!
I have been
redeemed and I'm going to say so!
Our verse
again: "Let the redeemed of the LORD
say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the
enemy."
Let's work
Him into our conversations!
And mention
Him every opportunity we have!
After all,
He's done so much for us!
We can even
decorate our homes in such a way to magnify His Name and
concentrate on His Birth! (A Virgin Birth I might add!)
May you
this Christmas: "Be ready
always to give an answer to every man (or woman) that
asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and
fear." 1 Peter 3:15
Let me know
what you think!
In fact,
share your witnessing ideas with me! I would love
to hear them!
(There's a
quick way to e-mail me at the top of this Page.)
--- Norma Bagwell
NOVEMBER 25, 2004 (THANKSGIVING DAY)
Ladies, you have much to do
today!
In fact, you may not even
be reading this on the day it was written.
I well know that with all
the cleaning and cooking and entertaining you've done ...
exhaustion has probably hit you by now!
So ... I thought I would
share a verse with you that just might help some.
Jesus said it.
He was talking to His
Disciples.
It's in Mark 6:31.
"And he said unto
them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a
while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no
leisure so much as to eat." Things were
very busy! (Sound familiar!)
Everyone
needed something!
These dear
men didn't even have time to eat!
But Jesus
... our lovely Wise Jesus ... knew what to do!
Look at the
part of that verse that says: "Come
ye yourselves apart ... and rest a while!"
Ladies, no
wonder we have so much sickness!
Stress is
killing us!
Of course I
understand ... the work has to be done!
BUT ... I
would encourage you to sometime today or tonight ... do just
what Jesus said here.
Come apart!
Get alone!
Be by
yourself ... even if it's just for a short time ... and rest!
Take a nap!
Go for a
walk!
Thank God
for 10 blessings of this year!
Read a
chapter in the Psalms!
Do some
praying as you circle the block!
And I'll
guarantee you that the "pause" will infuse strength and new
vigor into your very being!
WHY?
Because
that is God's way of doing things!
He created
(the earth and all that's in it) for 6 days ... then He rested!
If He gave
us that example ... I'd suggest we follow it!
Remember
what Jesus promised about "rest." It's in Matthew 11:28.
"Come unto me,
all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest."
Amen!
Try it
sometime soon!
(Any any of
you men who have read with us today ... go give your wife a
"break." Watch the kids for an hour. Do the chores for her
today. Lighten her load. Let her relax some too!
And be sure to tell her you enjoyed the turkey and dressing!)
--- Norma Bagwell
NOVEMBER 16, 2004:
Ladies, my heart is sad today.
Today is the "due date" for
our third grandchild to be born.
But we sadly learned
earlier this week that he died in the womb.
We do not question God's
power or His goodness ... even in this situation ... but our
hearts are exceedingly sorrowful.
I watch our other two
grandchildren ... both are boys (as this third one would have
been) ... and I think of the great privilege we all have
teaching and influencing our little ones (whether children or
grandchildren or little relatives or a Sunday School class of
small folks).
I am reminded of a verse of
Scripture here. Paul wrote
to the young Preacher named Timothy and said:
"I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith
that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and
thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also." 2
Timothy 1:5
Look at
that!
The faith
Timothy's Mother had ... and the faith his Grandmother had ...
impacted him years later!
Ladies,
today or tonight sometime go hug that
little one you love!
And for
Jesus' sake live for God in front of him or her every single
day!
Your doing
so will never get your name in the Bible ... but it will get you
a good mention at the Judgment Seat of Christ where we Believers
will all stand some day. We shall there receive rewards for the
deeds done in our earthly lives ... whether good or
bad! See 2 Corinthians 5:10.
And ... be
sure of this ... living faithfully and impacting those little
ones for the glory of God will be a GOOD thing when that
Day comes!
--- Norma Bagwell
NOVEMBER 7, 2004:
Let's study
something one of the great ladies of Scripture did.
Apparently this was a regular activity with her.
Mary, a Jewish
virgin, was the earthly mother of Jesus!
One of her "habits"
is particularly commendable.
"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her
heart." Luke 2:19
Our verse is
centered in the "Incarnation and Virgin Birth" context of Luke.
Therefore much had recently happened in Mary's young
life.
She let none of
them "slip" from memory either!
Mary had
learned the godly art of "meditating" on the Word of God! Let's
examine a few words in our verse for today.
She
"kept" all these things (the
angel's visit, the ensuing events including that trip to
Bethlehem, the Birth itself, the shepherds' arrival and report
and so much more)! What does that mean?
The verb
"kept" translates a Greek word ("suntereo") meaning to "protect"
or to "preserve" or to "guard." The verb is set in the
"imperfect" form ... telling us that she thought on these things
completely in the past ... but that those thoughts continued
impressing and impacting her right up to the very moment this
Scripture verse was written!
Mary
"treasured" these happenings in her life ... as precious "gifts"
from God!
The
accompanying verb "pondered" is
equally interesting too.
"Sumballo"
means to "throw together." ("ballo," the root of our very word
"ball" and "sun" meaning "with") or to "collect" these thoughts
(in her mind)! However this verb (unlike "kept") is a
present participle ... she had been doing this
"pondering" constantly ever since the angel came!
To me these
words perfectly picture the fine Bible art of "meditating" on
the things of God!
Mary was a
"meditator!"
She
harbored these words and events in her mind so the devil
couldn't "steal" them! Oh that we would so value the priceless
Word of God and His doings in our lives!
The she
collected these acts of God (and Words of God) in such a way as
to mix them constantly in her mind!
This is
spiritual mind control! She determined what she would not
forget! And she equally determined what she would remember!
And she determined she would mentally dwell on them daily!
No wonder
she was such a godly lady!
She's not a
lady to be worshipped ... but none-the-less a mature believer in
Christ Jesus the Lord! She even called Jesus her
"Saviour!" (Luke 1:47)
Folks, she
today leaves us an example!
Let us also
meditate in God's Word ... then spend some time in
contemplation on such things as how He saved you ... answers
your prayers, fills you with His Holy Spirit ... intercedes for
you daily ... and is coming again some glorious day to "catch"
you away into the heavens!
An old
Puritan said that Meditation is like the bee and the flower.
There is no sweetness in the bee! It's all in the flower!
There's nothing so special about the act of meditating. Even
the heathen do that (but in a tremendously different way)! The
"power" and "sweetness" is in the Word of God which we need
(like the bee) to penetrate and gather its delicious taste,
thereby imparting strength to us minute by minute!
Ladies, get
you a verse today and "keep" and "ponder" it!
--- Norma Bagwell
OCTOBER 20, 2004:
Ladies, I once heard a preacher
say this. He was teaching the men that their main duty in
the home is to love their wives.
He said, "Nowhere does the
Bible tell the wives to love their husbands! They are only
told to obey them! It's the man's job to LOVE the wife!"
Now while there is a lot of
truth in his line of thought, he missed it on one point.
The Bible DOES tell us
ladies to love our husbands!
Where?
In the Book of Titus.
Let me show you.
Paul has been talking to the
older ladies in the church.
He tells them they are to be
teachers to the younger women!
Teaching them what, Paul?
Among other
things ... "That they may teach the young
women to be sober, to
love their husbands, to love their children,
to be
discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus
2:4-5.
Notice the
capitalized words in the foregoing verse!
Ladies ...
love your husbands!
The verb
here (in Greek ... "philandros") means to love ("phileo") their
men (implying of course their husbands ... in Greek "aner" = the
male of the species).
It is not
the word "agapao," meaning God's love ... but the verb "phileo,"
meaning to be fond of and even to love as a friend!
It implies
progressive constant love too ... faithfulness to one's mate!
Yes, the
Bible says we are to obey our husbands too. And respect
them.
BUT none of
that is as meaningful without love as its foundation!
I think
it's a lifelong goal ... learning more and more to love him with
all the skill God gives us!
Love can
grow. In fact, remind me to tell you sometime (from the
Song of Solomon) how the love of the Shulamite for her
Bridegroom grows all the way through those 8 great chapters!
You can actually see it happening!
Ladies,
let's today again ask the Lord to build our love for our mates!
If we do
... he will answer!
After all,
we are only praying His Will. That's for sure!
For He has
commanded it in His Word!
--- Norma Bagwell
OCTOBER 11,
2004 (MONDAY)
We
all have felt like it at some point in our Christian lives!
Like quitting!
When discouragement
overtakes us and we nearly say: "That's it! I am through!"
Such times even came to the
great Heroes of the Faith whose lives are recorded in Scripture!
Jeremiah went through such
a low period!
As did Elijah ... and Job
... and even John the Baptist!
In fact, the ONLY person in
all the Bible of Whom we can be sure discouragement never
touched was Jesus! Isaiah 42:4
promises us that: "He (Jesus the
Messiah) shall not fail
nor be discouraged, till He have set judgment in the
earth: and the isles shall wait for His law." Jesus was never (and never
will be) discouraged ... even for one second!
Therefore it is not unusual
that Paul would uphold the Saviour as an Example to us all!
He does so in Hebrews.
"For consider him (Jesus) that endured such contradiction of
sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your
minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving
against sin." Hebrews 12:3-4
The verb
"consider" means to logically ponder Jesus! Let your
thoughts dwell upon Him! The verb is an imperative too! It
is issuing a command!
The
secondary verb "endured" means to stay under the LOAD without
complaining or quitting! (Just keep on going no matter
how difficult things get!)
The noun
"contradiction" means a speaking against someone! Folks
talked against Jesus, cursing Him and calling Him names and
lying about Him daily!
YET HE DID
NOT QUIT!
The verb
for being "worried" means to faint!
And the
verb for "faint" (in Greek = "ekluo") literally means to
"unloose" something. (To come all apart!)
Paul
reminds us when we grow tired and weary ... Jesus patiently
withstood so much ... for us to be saved! Remember Him!
And, when
you do ... how can you even think of quitting?
Jesus even
shed His precious Blood for us!
"Have we
yet shed blood?" Paul asks!
When
compared to our Lord ... none of us has suffered much at all!
Shame on me
for even thinking of quitting!
And ...
what a Saviour we have!
Listen to
Paul one more time: "And let us not be weary in well
doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."
Galatians 6:9
Ladies, I
am not saying that I am strong!
No! No! No!
I am saying
that Jesus is!
In fact ...
He is Almighty!
And He is
our Strength!
Psalm 71:16
tells us this: "I will go in the
strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy
righteousness, even of thine only."
Amen!
--- Norma Bagwell
OCTOBER 3, 2004 (SUNDAY)
I believe in the Virgin Birth of
our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!
No man played a role in His
birth. He was sent from God!
But, oh, the lady who bore
our Saviour, the Virgin Mary, was a beautiful example of godly
womanhood!
Listen to one of her
comments in the great Psalm of Praise she uttered in Luke 1.
(This has traditionally been called the "Magnificat.")
Luke 1:46 ---
"And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the
Lord."
Did you hear that?
"MY SOUL
DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD!"
Usually the "soul" (in Greek
the word is "psuche" and gives us such words as psyche,
psychology and psychosomatic) signifies one's mind, will and
emotions!
Mary is saying that her mind (her
thoughts) and her will (her decisions) and her emotions (her
feelings) are all dedicated to magnifying the Lord!
This is
total dedication!
The verb
for "magnify" is "megaluno" ("mega" means big) and has the idea
of enlarging, extolling, praising or showing as great!
She plans
to uplift her Saviour!
The "tense"
implication of this verb "magnify" suggests on-going continual
habitual action! She plans to praise Him all her life!
And "Lord"
means One having power or authority! "Kurios" in Greek
describes the one to whom ownership is ascribed! We are
His!
Ladies,
today (and again tomorrow) let us prepare our souls to magnify
our great God too!
That sure
beats complaining! Or gossiping! Or anything else we
could do really!
In case
you've "lost" the thought already, here's our verse again.
""MY SOUL
DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD!"
Praise His
Good Name!
--- Norma Bagwell
SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 (TUESDAY)
Her name as we remember it:
Queen Elizabeth I of England.
Any longer we know little
about her. (Especially in our day when educated rebels are
re-writing history.)
But she was a godly lady.
After you have read and
pondered one of her prayers (which I am about to share with
you), thanksgiving and worship will swell up within your very
being!
Just think! In times
past this old world has had political leaders and monarchs who
were godly in their hearts!
We Americans had better
beware!
We need more godly leaders. Excuse me
when I interrupt her prayer. (The remarks parenthesized
and highlighted in red are mine!) She prays:
"When I
survey the evils of this world, in which we Thy servants live
(a Queen calling herself a servant of God),
and behold the doings of the wicked, the hate of enemies, the
dangers and crafty machinations of the impious, and by which we
are continually endangered, yet even more when I remember my own
life, how many errors and faults have beset me from my youth
(what humility), I am afraid
(the fear of the Lord), I am
ashamed and full of despondency. But as soon as I reflect
again on Thy mighty hand, the greatness and the continuity of
Thy assistance to me, I resume again my power of reasoning and
become more elevated in my hopes (trust in
the Lord). For this reason, coming to Thee now with
humble heart, I thank thee (a grateful
spirit) ... for all the blessings which Thou hast granted
to me, Thou Who, having preserved me from such great dangers
(her "secret" service) and exalted
me to the royal throne of this kingdom
(England), hast not ceased to guard me upon it.
"...
Wherefore, confiding in Thy unspeakable goodness, I approach and
pray Thee my Master, my Deliverer, King of the universe
(good knowledge of the Names of God): sanctify me
(a leader who wants to be holy) in
soul and in body (no immoral palace
activities here), in mind and in heart, and renew me
wholly. And be to me a Helper and Protector, ruling in
peace my life and my people, Thou Who alone are blessed
everywhere now and for endless ages. Amen."
Dear
Sisters in Christ, God has allowed some great Christian ladies
to live and die before our times. Many of them left great
examples of godliness too!
May we follow them ... just as they followed Jesus!
This prayer
today has challenged my heart!
--- Norma Bagwell
SEPTEMBER 13,
2004 (MONDAY)
Ladies, we have all heard of the
godly Wife and Mother Susanna Wesley.
The other day I came across
some of her devotional writings. I want to share a
paragraph of them with you here today.
This is just a sample of
her prayer life.
She apparently prayed these
words (or something like them) one evening before going to bed.
Listen.
(Now remember that we are
reading old English prose. It is much like the language of the
precious King James Bible.) Susanna
Wesley prays ...
"I give
Thee praise, O God, for a well-spent day.
But I am yet
unsatisfied, because I do not enjoy enough of Thee.
I would have my soul more closely united to Thee by faith and
love. I would love Thee above all things. Thou, Who
hast made me, knowest my desires, my expectations. My joys
all center in Thee and it is Thou Thyself That I desire.
It is Thy favor, Thine acceptance, the communications of Thy
grace that I earnestly wish for more than anything in the world.
I rejoice in Thine essential glory and blessedness.
I rejoice in my relation
to Thee, Who are my Father, my Lord and my God. I
rejoice that Thou hast power over me and that I desire to live
in subjection to Thee. I thank Thee that Thou hast brought
me so far. I will beware of despising Thy mercy fo | 
