That would be, in the eyes of Bible honoring scholars anyway, Psalm 22. It’s about a man dying on a cross. That Man (prophetically speaking) being Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Watch how the Psalm begins. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? “ Yes, that’s Verse 1.

Jesus appropriated these words, putting them on His Own lips as He died on Calvary. Matthew tells us precisely: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

And Mark agrees: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

Then, just a few minutes later … apparently less than an hour … Jesus died!

But not without quoting the last Verse of Psalm 22! Here we transition from Hebrew to Greek. Let me show you.

Psalm 22:31, its last Clause. “He that done this.”

Now the Greek, John 19:30 … “It is finished!” 

The Whole Verse: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

He died immediately after saying that all (His Work of the Cross) was done!

My point today …

Looks like Jesus pondered, meditated, thought upon Psalm 22, from start to finish, the Day He died for this lost world!

Obviously in His last little while nailed to that cruel tree!

Wow!

I do not know how much the Psalms mean to you, Christian friend. But I do know what they meant to Jesus! I suspect He studied them every day! In fact, He might still be doing so!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Read a few Psalms today, thinking of your Lord!

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It was an ultra busy day, for sure. I preached this month’s CD Bible study and duplicated a number of copies. Then Debbie and I mailed our “Thank You” letters for the month. And in the midst of all that busyness … I did not write the Website Bible Study, Devotional.

So, at nearly Midnight on a Friday in early July … here is a thought the Lord just showed me.

It is lifted from Psalm 21:13, the last Verse of the Poem … “Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”

Obviously, it’s a prayer, these words.

But it calls for God to be adored, exalted NOT on the Basis of His Love or Mercy or Lovingkindness. Or even to be magnified for His Sovereignty, Omniscience (knowing all), Veracity (being pure Truth, incapable of lying), Immutability (never changing) or any other of His many Attributes.

This Text Verse pleads for God to be exalted on the Basis of His Own “Strength!” In Hebrew this word means “to prevail!” Mighty in Battle!

“Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”

For God to be exalted of His “Power.” A word whose cognate (relative) means “Chief, Champion, Giant, One Who excels!”

Power to create, and worlds on display to prove such!

Power to save, even lost sinners from Hell!

Power to overcome the enemy, even Antichrist some day!

And Power to meet our every need, dear Christian friend!

POWER!

Just before His Ascension to Heaven, forty days after His Resurrection … Jesus said: “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.”

Let’s sing unto Him, the all Powerful One!

Let’s praise His Strength indeed!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

When I think of His Power, I feel so secure as a Christian, so at peace! So “in His Hand!”

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Materially speaking, God has no needs!

Paul said so in Acts 17:25, the very words of today’s lesson title.

And Asaph heartily agrees in Psalm 50:12 where God says: “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Also where God succinctly reminds Israel that He “owns the cattle on a thousand hills!”

God is not poor, not needy in that sense.

AND YET PSALM 20:3 RECORDS A PRAYER, MOTIVATED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT HIMSELF, THAT GOD IN HEAVEN WOULD “REMEMBER ALL THY OFFERINGS!”

The Almighty God needs nothing, yet He records every single little gift we bring Him!

“Remember ALL thy offerings!”

In Old Testament days, the times of animal sacrifice, even a little “dove” given by as poor man, God is pleased! God accepts such! (The man could not afford an ox, or even a little lamb!)

In New Testament days, when Jesus was on earth, even a “cup of cold water,” given in the Name of the Lord, will be rewarded! So teaches Matthew 10:42! Better yet, Mark 9:41 … “For whosoever shall give you a CUP OF WATER to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”

Yes, God remembers our offerings!

I suspect He is writing down in His Book everything we do for His Name’s Sake! Even down to our WORDS, “sacrifices of praise” Hebrews 13:15 calls them!

Read this: “Then they that feared the LORD spake (the gift of words) often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE was written (a record Book) before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His Name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:16-17

All I am saying …

Serve the Lord today, with gladness. As we are clearly taught in Psalm 100:2 … “Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.”

Give, give, give to Him!

And He will never forget what you do!

Hebrews 6:10 is a rock-solid Bible promise … “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name.”

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” Luke 6:38

God, Who needs not a single thing, will never forget what you bring to Him in worship!

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Psalm 19 preaches this Truth: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.” (I’ve just shared both verses 1 and 2 of this great Psalm.)

Creation reflecting God’s Glory and Handiwork!

Then chronology (“time” itself) agrees that day and night (the best examples of chronology possible) are witnesses to God’s Essence as well!

To the discerning mind, the one whose conscience is not seared, every sunrise, even noontide, every dusk … says something of God!

And to every mind not yet reprobate … the clock and calendar (chronology) are missionaries proclaiming the existence of God Almighty!

In Romans 1:20, Paul (in a very good exposition of Psalm 19:1-2) writes: “The invisible things of Him (God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even (illustrating) His eternal POWER and GODHEAD.

I’m not saying that a beautiful sunrise will get a man saved, washed in the Blood of Jesus. I am saying it can prove the Power and Wisdom and Patience (and perhaps even Mercy) of God in Heaven! And I am saying if a man or woman sees that majestic sunrise AND WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHOMEVER THAT GRAND ARTIST MIGHT BE … our great God will gladly accommodate them!

He will get to that person (somehow, some way) further information. To use the words of Acts 11:14, “words whereby he or she can be saved.”

Mankind was born with an innate (until it is crushed by the myriad false philosophies of the day) inkling that GOD IS!

Paul (again) in Romans 2:15 believes that man’s conscience “knows” some things about right and wrong! That, to some measure, “the Law of God is written” in every human’s heart, man or woman!

Yes, God’s Works are “clues” to God’s Being and to God’s Ways!

No wonder the enemies of the Bible so viciously attack Genesis chapters 1 and 2 … the inspired Records of God’s grand week of Creation!

Meanwhile, I believe it … “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.”

So called “Naturalism” today omits God and His awesome Creative Ability with a fierce shove! (In the words of Psalm 2:3 … “Let us break God’s bands asunder, and cast away His cords from us. “ Bands and cords meaning restraints, God’s prohibitive Laws, the “Thou shat nots” of Scripture!)

But true science, in conjunction with a reasonable mind … sees God in all His Creation! (Where there is design, there is a Designer!)

Enjoy some “time” (chronology) today with your Lord. Maybe take a walk and “smell the flowers, pick the beans, listen to the creek” (creation) and worship Him (our Creator) a while!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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I have lived all my life under the “Dispensation of the GRACE of God.” I am alluding to Ephesians 3:2, Paul’s term there.

God is administering His Policy of Governance today under “house rules” (what “dispensation” actually means) that emphasize His Mercy, Goodness, Love, Patience, well “GRACE!”

But that Method will change one of these days. A new “dispensation” will dawn! One no longer primarily highlighting God’s Grace, matter of fact.

Rather, God’s awesome WRATH will be most prominent!

Psalm 18:7 … “Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, BECAUSE HE WAS WROTH.”

Revelation 6:12-17 … due to the “Wrath of the Lamb” of God, Who clearly is Jesus! … “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was A GREAT EARTHQUAKE; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from THE WRATH OF THE LAMB. For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

God’s Anger, His righteous Wrath … so fierce that it is palpable, the very earth quivering!

“Revelation 11:13 … “And the same hour was there A GREAT EARTHQUAKE, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

Yet again, Revelation 16:18 … “And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was A GREAT EARTHQUAKE, such as was not since men were upon the earth, SO MIGHTY AN EARTHQUAKE, AND SO GREAT.”

What Power!

The very earth shaking under mankind’s feet!

I am so glad to be saved by Grace!

Which means, Christian friend … “God hath not appointed us to wrath.” Quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:9.

I strongly suspect that when this whole earth is quaking … I (we Believers) will be in the Presence of Jesus … NOT SHAKING, but rejoicing! “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Yes … there are some things “which cannot be shaken,” you know. Hebrews 12:27 says so!

Woe to those who refuse God’s Grace … and undoubtedly as a result … will face God’s Wrath!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31

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