I came across this verse early this morning. And while it speaks historically of Jacob, who had become a kinder man in his later years, it also speaks metaphorically of our dear Lord. The Lord Who is my shepherd!

“And I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure.” Genesis 44:14

Here Jacob plans to continue his homeward journey, from Haran back down to the Holy Land … but only at a pace “the cattle and children” are able to bear. He will not push them, not to their harm!

Yes, that is (intentionally or not) a little “parable” on the Ways of our dear Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Saviour!

He leads us gently!

Or … as said here by the King James translators. “He leads us softly.” The adverb “softly” used here can also mean “secretly.” It’s used that way once in the Bible, in Job 11:15.

Isaiah 40:11 captures this idea about our Lord: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and SHALL GENTLY LEAD those that are with young.”

Luke 15 might be parallel too, a Parable for sure. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he hath found it, HE LAYETH IT ON HIS SHOULDERS, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” Verses 4-6, obviously a shepherd Text! (Laying the little frightened lost lamb on His Shoulders … Tenderness, Softness!)

I find it comforting that my Lord does not DRIVE me like one does a herd of cattle! Behind me with a whip!

Instead He LEADS me like a good (or great or chief) Shepherd directs His sheep! Going ahead of us clearing the danger! Softly and ten-derly so!

Even when it comes to trial and temptation … “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE …” 1 Corinthians 10:13, gentleness, protection, love!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And on that “secretly” idea I mentioned earlier … “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but HE REVEALETH HIS SECRET unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7, I think God loves to reveal His “secrets” to His intimates!

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Actually we’ve driven several hours today … and have just settled into our motel room for the week. I’m preaching Revival the next few days at the First Baptist Church in Fletcher, North Carolina.

I plan to center these five Sermons on one chapter of Scripture … 2 Samuel 23. Often called the Portion of Scripture that focuses on “David’s Mighty Men” (a textual host of preaching within itself), the chapter actually informs us of several others interesting facts as well!

I have long loved studies in the life of David! All I am asking of you is that you pray for me this week. “David” and I will be spending a lot of time together, looks like!

One Theme I MUST preach verse-by-verse is labeled “The Last Words of David!” How does this good man, King of Israel, die?

And don’t forget too, we are studying the Book of JUDE verse-by-verse on our every-other-night Evening Meditations. Just go to our YouTube channel (Dr. Mike Bagwell) and study with us.

Tired, but happy in Jesus and excited about tomorrow morning’s Service … \

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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As a young boy we used to sing in Sunday School, “The Wise Man built his house upon the Rock!”

One day long ago Jesus told a Story about that wise man. “The wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

But all people do not build upon the “rock,” on a solid foundation. Jesus then taught further about: “A foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:26-27

This Parable is pretty straightforward, easily understood. Two foundations, one choice! I see them as: God’s Way or the devil’s way.

I want to build my life on the solid Rock of the Word of God! On the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Solid Rock!”

On what type foundation are YOU building?

Then I though of another scenario, not mentioned by Jesus. Probably folks back in those days were not as foolish as now!

What if I told you about a group of people who built their House, collectively as a Nation, on a rock, immoveable and steadfast … then decided to destroy that house and build another one … on the sand? Quicksand I am afraid!

Preacher, that’s silly!

Well, it has happened in my lifetime.

Those people (particularly the inhabitants of the United States of America) are currently completing the stupidest demolition job every enacted. Destroying a nation once built on the Rock.

And trying to reconstruct on the sand! That Nation will likely be bankrupt before she gets her flimsy house finished. She’s already bankrupt spiritually.

And mark my words, just like Jesus said, a Storm is coming!

The sands will shift.

But the old Rock Foundation is gone, deliberately forsaken!

And the Bible asks: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3

Yes, to those who build upon the sand … “The rain will descend, and the floods will come, and the winds will blow, and beat upon that house; and it will fall: and great will be the fall of it.”

I lament for my Country!

We had better get to praying: “O Lord, in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2, King James Version.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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In one of the Prophet Zechariah’s ten Old Testament visions he saw a man named Joshua, who was a High Priest of Israel. And he was inexplicably wearing “filthy garments!”

But the LORD immediately took care of the situation. Almighty God said, in fact: “Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him (Joshua) he said, “Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” Zechariah 3:4

Wow!

And the Prophet Isaiah mentions our wearing “filthy rags,” if we are depending on our own merit before the Lord! See Isaiah 64:6 … “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf.”

In the New Testament this same word picture holds. The Apostle Paul is found using the “put off” then “put on” metaphor. Ephesians 4:22, Colossians 3:8-9 are two examples.

Furthermore Romans 13:12 is classic in this sense: “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” This means “to put on,” as in wearing something spiritually proper!

And even John in the Book of Revelation sees a multitude who have “washed their robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Revelation 7:14, presumably their original robes were dirty!

But the Bride of Christ, the New Testament Church, probably gives us the best illustration of “what we’re wearing.” Revelation 19:8 describes the scene: “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

Praise the Lord!

Are your spiritual clothes “filthy” or “clean?” Have you been born again, saved by the Grace of God?

Then one more thought … in a surprising “turn,” the Bible in Judges 6:34 says … “The Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon.” The verb “came upon” translates “labash,” which literally means “to wear” or “to put on!”

Now we have God the Third Person WEARING Gideon!

I’m thinking thre best way to don clean garments might just be inviting the Holy Spirit to “PUT YOU ON” and use you to the glory of God! He sure used Gideon that way.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

In Ephesians chapter 6 Paul gives us yet another idea about a suitable Christian wardrobe. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Verse 11 of Ephesians 6.

Seems that what we wear is critically important!

This morning I believe sincerely that I am wearing (in God’s Eyes) the very Righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ! I base that bold thought on 2 Corinthians 5:21. “For He (God the Father) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.”

Hallelujah!

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Hebrews 1:6, clearly speaking of Jesus, declares that all the angels of God worship Him!

The entire verse: “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.”

Paul adds to this Scene by telling us how many angels that involves! “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company (murias in Greek, which is our word myriads, meaning tens of thousands multiplied by tens of thousands) of angels.” Hebrews 12:22, amazing!

Even when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the angels worshipped Him! The night of the Virgin Birth … Luke 2:8-15.

Read it please … “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Furthermore, in 1 Peter 1:12 we learn that when it comes to the Gospel and the preaching of it … “the angels desire to look into it!”It seems they can’t get enough of the things of God!

Peter’s exact wording … “Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

Another example … this one ongoing for sure, non-stop! “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:11-12 … this scene being set in Heaven, in Glory!

So, when we get to Heaven … one of the sights I want to behold and one of the sounds I want to hear … is that crowd of angels still singing and praising and worshipping there “round about the throne!”

I’m in awe writing about it in this motel room! I shall certainly be in awe when that wonderful day comes!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

In fact, in my heart (my spirit) I am worshipping HIM too, right now! Will you join me?

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