Pastor Tim Fluty of the Garrison Creek Baptist Church near Connersville, Indiana

The brief Text Message arrived late last night. From the Pastor where I preached last week in Revival Meeting … near the city of Connersville, Indiana.

It briefly read: “Three souls saved this morning. Revival fires still burning!”

Needless to say, my heart was thrilled.

I am reminded of Paul’s divinely inspired words in Romans 10:13. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Or the answer to that ages old question (“What must I do to be saved?”) as recorded in Acts 16:31. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”

Or, maybe better yet, Jesus’ Words in John 5:24. “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.”

The “key” word in each of the cited Verses involves FAITH.

Here’s an even fuller statement, set of instructions: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10

It encourages me just knowing that God worked again yesterday (as He does every day) saving souls and encouraging His people.

Hallelujah!

Oh yes, “TO GOD BE THE GLORY!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, here’s maybe the most important question you will ever be asked …  ARE YOU SAVED?

 

 

Debbie and I one year visited a lovely North Carolina Park called “Grandfather Mountain!” But I chose this photo to especially show you the rocks (in the foreground) and trees (in the background). Keep reading and you will understand why …

Today’s Bible thought …

Years ago I saw a used book about trees, specifically trees in the Bible. Then again a few weeks (or was it months) ago I saw a book about trees in general, the benefit they are to society, critically so. And just a few days ago I remembered these three pictures.

Yes, once in Jesus’ Day a (blind) man our Lord healed actually described men as “trees!” (Until Jesus touched him again, that is!) “And he looked up, and said, I see MEN AS TREES, walking.” Mark 8:24, word for word, from the King James Version. Men compared to, likened to trees!

Now I am remembering Psalm 1, that beautiful description of the godly man who “meditates” in the Word, day and night! The Holy Spirit says of him … “And he shall be LIKE A TREE planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3, Wow! This applies to ladies, too.

And now the idea of wind and trees? Yes, once the Holy Spirit (symbolized as “wind,” a soft “breeze”) indicated to David the right time to attack an enemy! How? By gently “going” (“blowing”) in the tops of some nearby mulberry trees! This is meticulously recorded in 2nd Samuel 5:23. “When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the MULBERRY TREES, that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines.” The “sound of a going,” a thrust of wind! Trees cooperating with the Spirit of God! So should we, for sure!

This tree, on a mountain top in North Carolina, has been so influenced by the prevailing winds that it has grown with all its limbs yielding to the power of those breezes! That’s submission!

Again I remind you of our Lesson topic: “Men as trees!”

But Psalm 92 is even more detailed! “The righteous shall flourish like the PALM TREE: he shall grow like a CEDAR in Lebanon. Those that be PLANTED in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; to shew that the Lord is upright: he is my rock.” Psalm 92:12-15, if you want to know the exact verses.

This massive oak is literally growing out of rock! Jesus is our Rock!

And Jesus (in His Preaching) used “trees” as object Lessons often. “Even so every good TREE bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt TREE bringeth forth evil fruit. A good TREE cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt TREE bring forth good fruit.” A whole book could be written about this theme, “Spiritual Lessons trees can teach us!” I just used our Lord’s Words from Matthew 7:17-18.

My goal today … I eagerly want us all to begin seeing TREES as “object lessons,” revealing their Creator’s Power and Glory and Truth. One reason being … trees are nearly everywhere … constant reminders of spiritual realities!

Yes … Trees!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, whole books have already been written about the many lessons trees can share with us Christians. Phillip Keller’s little volume entitled “As a Tree Grows” comes to mind. It’s good, too.

 

 

This is a Bible, King James Version, printed in 1613. And I held it in my hands! A priceless Document, beyond doubt. This photo was made in our motel room, in Connersville, Indiana, two or three years ago.

The Bible, God’s Holy Word! That’s about all I ever heard that Old Book called, growing up in rural South Carolina. Mom and Dad both revered the Scriptures, and taught us children to do so as well.

I’m thinking of a verse in Isaiah. God is speaking: “To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” And “trembling” is the Hebrew word “chared,” literally “fearful!” Yes, a lowly man who deeply respects God’s Word … will have God’s “Eye” upon Him, in a good sense. It’s Isaiah 66:2, friends.

And Psalm 12:6 teaches us: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Wow! “Pure” here means “clean!”

Psalm 119:89 adds: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Jesus believed and preached, John 10:35, “The scripture cannot be broken.” The verb “be broken” is “luo,” can never be “dissolved, unloosed, destroyed!”

And I do remember this, a warning repeated throughout all the Bible. “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall ADD unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” This again is Jesus talking, folks, Revelation 22:18-19.

Men by the dozens have died that we might have God’s Word in our English tongue.

Yes, I counted it an honor to bring that old Bible home with me … just for that single night.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

I made this picture several months ago in Florida, just north of Pensacola. This cotton field was indeed “white,” waiting for the harvest!

Today’s Bible Thought …

It occurred in John chapter 4, the event we now call “The Woman at the Well” Story. A lady of questionable background. She had met Jesus at a well. Near the Noon hour, in fact, an oddity within itself.

But she soon found a different Kind of Water!

She trusted Jesus as Messiah, her Saviour … and ran back into town to tell everyone!

Not much later she returned … bringing folks with her.

Here’s what she told the crowd, to get them to “follow.”

“Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” John 4:29

What happened next?

“Then they (the local people) went out of the city, and came unto him.” John 4:30, on their way to meet Jesus!

And it was at this point, as the multitude approached our Lord, coming out of the City through the grain fields (crops that would not be “ripe” or “white” for four more months) …

Jesus asked His Disciples: “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, LIFT UP YOUR EYES, and LOOK on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” John 4:35

I really believe dozens of people (in white robes, the common dress of that day) were marching to Jesus! Across the fields of “corn!”

Look!

Look!

Look!

Fields still green (or brown) with grain, prematurely “white” unto harvest!

People, needing the Lord!

Approaching the Son of God!

Trusting He is Messiah!

And that term, “white unto harvest,” has now come into our vocabulary, generally expressing something that is “ready for the picking!”

EVERY TIME I SEE A COTTON FIELD, ONE WHITE WITH THE FRUIT OF THOSE LITTLE PLANTS … I THINK OF JOHN 4:35, OF PEOPLE NEEDING JESUS!

Oh, Lord … help us be soul winners, for Jesus’ Sake.

Remember what Solomon said in Proverbs 11:30 … “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Friend, I suspect YOU know somebody right now who is “near” accepting Jesus!

“Not far from the Kingdom of God!”

Ripe, “white” unto harvest!

Go tell them, one more time, about our Saviour!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I made these photos with my cellphone looking out the window of a Piedmont Airlines (flying under contract to American Airlines) propeller aircraft. This particular morning I was going from Roanoke, Virginia to Charlotte, North Carolina, to get a connecting flight home, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was the second most turbulent flight I’ve ever experienced. Why? We were flying directly toward a hurricane, Matthew to be exact! Clouds above us, clouds below us, plenty of accompany wind also! While people on the shaking, lurching plane were screaming in fright (some of them) … I could not help but think of the “theophanies” of Scripture!

Today’s Bible Thought …

I want to use a big word this morning, “theophany.”

It means something like “a visible appearance of God!”

Particularly built into Old Testament theology, this phenomenon occurs with some regularity.

Job 38:1 is a classic example: “Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said ….” And God then said a lot! Yes, God appeared to Job … using a storm as His Cloak!

Clouds, lightning, thunder, wind … these often accompany our great God!

They did at Sinai, when God came down to give His Law! Here’s Exodus 19:16-19. See if this counts as a storm in your estimation. “And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were THUNDERS and LIGHTNINGS, and a thick CLOUD upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount QUAKED greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.” I guess here we add smoke, fire and an earthquake, too!

Another storm when God came … the Psalmist becoming quite graphic … Psalm 18:8-16. “There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. HE BOWED THE HEAVENS ALSO AND CAME DOWN: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the WIND. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick CLOUDS passed, HAIL STONES and coals of fire. The LORD also THUNDERED in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; HAIL STONES and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out LIGHTNINGS, and discomfited them. Then the channels of WATERS were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.” Now, a flood (torrents of rain) is added! But clearly it’s still a storm of epic proportions!

God and storms!

Now let’s allow the Prophet Habakkuk to teach us about one of God’s “visitations” Here He comes again, our great God. “God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. And his brightness was as the LIGHT; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. Before him went the PESTILENCE, and burning coals went forth at his feet. He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered (the earth quaking), the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction: and the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble.” Habakkuk 3:3-7, where again (though not as clearly meteorological) bright lightning, earth shaking (maybe from the roar of thunder?), and pestilent (like a plague) storm damage dramatically exhibit God’s Arrival.

No wonder God chose to speak to Job … out of a storm, out of a whirlwind!

And by the way, this Same God is coming yet again, to planet earth, in a time of unprecedented natural convulsion, storms galore!

Even in heaven John (banished to the isle of Patmos) sees the lightning and hears of thunder surrounding our Lord! One quick episode of such. “And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 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.” Revelation 16:17-18, yes a storm!

Wow!

Think of HIM next time you’re in a “storm,” either literally or spiritually!

He is the Author of those things!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell