Driving to and from the Revival Meeting this week has necessitated using US Highway 431, an interesting thoroughfare! The roadway begins in Kentucky (Owensboro) and ends in Alabama (Dothan), having spanned a distance of 556 miles. As you can  tell, it’s general trajectory is north to south.

This route has recently been named one of the “most dangerous” roads in the world! So says the World Heath Organization anyway! And it’s been nicknamed “Highway to Hell” by many!

Today’s Bible Lesson …

I, too, am traveling a “highway.”

Not literally now, spiritually.

But the route I’ve chosen is not the highway to hell.

Isaiah called my road the “highway of holiness!” See Isaiah 35:8 for specifics.

In fact, the road I’m pursuing is a Person! (Yes, Jesus actually said … “I AM THE WAY.” John 14:6)

The journey of which I am speaking is further described by our Lord: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the WAY, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the WAY, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

By the way, friend, which road are you traveling?

Proverbs 14:12 reminds us: “There is a WAY which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Wow!

Paul a few times even called Christianity “the way.” See Acts 19:9 and 19:23 and 24:22, as examples.

One more bit of good news … the path of which I speak, the road to Heaven, is a “free way!”

God has made salvation a Gift … through the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Does anyone today need to “change” roads?

Just tell Jesus!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Oh, one more verse … “The HIGHWAY of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.” Proverbs 16:17

 

 

We often stay at Holiday Inn. Clean rooms, fair price, other reasons too. I made this photo last Saturday in front our motel in Conyers, Georgia. Preaching a sweet Revival in the nearby City of Between, Georgia. Early this morning the name of that motel chain impressed me as never before … in the light of Christmas anyway! Holiday INN, it’s called!

Today’s Bible Lesson …

Mary, Joseph too, had traveled over 90 miles, by donkey we presume. From Nazareth to Bethlehem,  a situation requiring more than one overnight stay! Did I mention … Mary was “with child?” Ready to be delivered.

Then Luke tells us, while “out of town” … “She brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was NO ROOM for them in the INN.” Luke 2:4, amazing, “no room in the inn!”

But, wait a minute! Was not Joseph’s family from Bethlehem? Is that not why he had to go there to be “taxed,” counted or registered? He was of “the house and lineage of David,” whose “kin” lived in the Bethlehem area, at least based on reading Luke 2:4.

I have a question. If relatives of Joseph resided in Bethlehem, why did he and Mary even need to get a room in an “inn?” (Not the Holiday Inn, either. “Inns” back then were often less than clean … and possibly even dangerous places to lay one’s head!)

I also have a (possible) answer. MAYBE Joseph’s family and Mary’s family did not (yet) believe the couple’s account of what had happened. Of an angel coming! Of God conceiving a baby … in Mary’s body! Perhaps they did not approve of these two running around together NOT yet being married!

Maybe this couple was NOT welcome in any of the relatives’ homes … because there appeared to be a “taint” over their very relationship, over Mary’s pregnancy!

Anyway, “there was NO ROOM for them in the INN.”

But, praise God, THERE IS ROOM in the heart of God, of the Lord Jesus, for sinners!

No room for Him, when He was born!

But lots of room IN HIM, as the Saviour of the world!

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus gave this invitation, Matthew 11:30. Sure sounds like there is room!

Also, “He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” Jesus again, John 6:37, what a promise!

Even in the Bible’s last Book, Revelation, there is yet room! “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

The song writer worded it this way …

There’s room at the cross for you
There’s room at the cross for you
Though millions have come
There’s still room for one
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

Praise the Lord!

No room FOR Him, two thousand years ago.

Unlimited room IN Him, even this very minute!

What a Saviour!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I love the way some of you share your thoughts about the Lessons. Or just let me know you study with us from time to time. Text me at 770-844-7627. I always enjoy hearing from our readers, our friends.

 

 

Last week we mailed our monthly Newsletters … from Michigan where I was preaching in Revival. The little city from which I “posted” them was Grant, not far from lake Michigan.

One of the first times a postman is  mentioned in Scripture is Jeremiah 51:31 where God is announcing the doom of the wicked city of Babylon. “One POST shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end.” The Hebrew noun “post” here actually means a “runner!”

But Job (in the Old Testament Book bearing his name) earlier used the same thought, the speed of the mail! Job in his great suffering lamented: “Now my days are swifter than a POST: they flee away, they see no good.” Job 9:25, not long to live, he thought.

One reason I love the monthly mailings we do is that it always includes a new CD Sermon I’ve recently preached. Currently a discussion of over a dozen key Christmas Verses, about the Birth of Jesus. Our “letters” carry a spiritual emphasis, always.

Today’s Bible Lesson …

The post office pictured above really got me to thinking (while still in bed earlier this morning) about the New Testament word “epistle.” Generally defined as a “letter.”

The New Testament is “full” of such letters, you know. Epistles, 21 of them in all. Some are called “Pauline” (named after their author) and the others loosely termed “General Epistles.”

A letter from Paul, how exciting that would have been!

“Epistle” has a Greek etymology, definition. From “epi” (a preposition meaning “to”) and “stello” (a verb meaning “to set in order, to arrange”). Words directed “to” a person (or group) with the goal of “setting them straight” about a matter!

Yes, that’s the true definition of “epistle.”

A letter all right, but an “official” letter. The 21 New Testament letters have the powerful sanction (approval) of Almighty God! In fact, He is the True Author, these little Documents being Holy Spirit inspired! Without error, in other words!

I have an idea.

In the next few days or weeks or even months … study the Epistles!

Survey Paul’s 14 little Jewels! Romans through Hebrews, let’s say.

Or look at the 7 Epistles written by men other than Paul. Namely, John and Peter and James and Jude.

Vast volumes of information have been written to help you study these books collectively, or one by one.

Well, I must close this Monday morning.

Having shared a quick thought inspired by a Post Office!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I was preaching in Roanoke, Virginia. The theme for the whole Meeting was “the Blood of Jesus!” The Lord laid Hebrews chapter 9 on my heart, as a Bible Text for my sermons. The picture shows the choir singing about the Blood … just before I spoke.

Today’s Bible Lesson …

First John 1:7 proclaims: “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST GOD’S SON CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN.”

This important verse is clearly written to Christians. Actually, only to Christians.

The group to whom John (the author seems to have been John the Disciple, as a much older man) was writing includes himself. “If WE walk in the light ….” Therefore he is addressing fellow saints in the Lord. This is an important distinction. (Unbelievers cannot walk in the light, by the way!)

So … we are about to learn a ministry of the powerful Blood of Jesus that is applicable singularly to the Christian man or woman.

“In the light” is a prepositional phrase meaning “in agreement with.” The pronoun “he” is Jesus, the Son of God. And the noun “fellowship” is “koinonia,” meaning “things in common, things shared with another.”

Looks like we have light only because Jesus IS Light! (Listen to the Psalmist, talking to God … “For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy Light shall we see light.” Psalm 36:9, in God’s LIGHT we have our light!) “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light …”

The “if” (in Greek “ean”) is conditional. Some professing Christians do and others (apparently) don’t … walk in fellowship with Jesus! Not one of us does as he should, too often we “err” from that sweet harmony!

But if we do … “we have fellowship one with another.” What a blessed privilege! There’s a progression here. We love and commune with each other as Christians … only because we have first loved and communed with the Lord Jesus!

Wow!

The expression “one with another” is “meta allelon.” Meaning “in the company of others of like faith!” Not others radically different in essence! Like Paul asked in 2 Corinthians 6:14, “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness?”

So far, so good … but things now even get better!

The theme of the Conference where I was preaching … “and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” This refers to the LITERAL Blood of Jesus, no doubt. (John loves the term “washed” in the Blood. See both Revelation 1:5 and Revelation 7:14 for examples.)

But when John  speaks of being WASHED in the Blood, both times, he uses a PAST tense verb, “aorist” in Greek, action completed. We were washed the very second we were saved … an act of the Grace of God based on faith in His darling Son.

But here in 1st John 1:7 the verb (surprisingly) is present tense! “and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son CLEANSETH us from all sin.”

Yes, I carefully checked! “Cleanseth” (in Greek the verb “katharizo”) is present tense, for certain!

Now … we are not merely (though gloriously) talking about past forgiveness … but constant, ongoing, durative, habitual, daily (hourly) cleansing!

Being cleansed … moment by moment!

Every second I live as a child of God … walking in His light, loving my brethren in Christ … I am being perpetually cleansed by that Blood, the Blood of Almighty God’s son Jesus!

Wow, what a truth!

My friends, consciously live today in that knowledge, that assurance.

Purified … moment by moment.

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

If this Lesson is too long, or not clearly explained, our Text Verse … let me know. On the other hand, if it’s a blessing, let me know that too. Your responses are always so encouraging! Text me at 770-844-7627.

We had stopped to eat a meal, along the Mississippi River, while driving back from a Revival Meeting in Louisiana. The quaint little restaurant actually sat by the riverside, just across the street anyway. As we left, I noticed the scene pictured above. Just a little “tugboat,” but what a message it conveyed to me early this morning!

Today’s Bible Lesson …

Paul actually did mention the spiritual gift of “helps,” when writing the Corinthians. God the Holy Spirit has specially equipped some Believers to serve others!

He says again in Romans 12, still discussing the “gifts” of the Holy Ghost, some have the “gift” of “ministering!”

And in 1st Corinthians 16:15 Paul introduces us to: The house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, who have addicted themselves to the ministry (serving) of the saints.” Wow!

“Helping” other Christians, in any way possible!

(I realize we ALL are to “serve one another. “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but BY LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER.” Galatians 5:13 says so. But I am additionally saying some among us are gifted to serve, as a motivation for all they do for Jesus!)

So Elisha served Elijah! “Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which POURED WATER ON THE HANDS of Elijah.” 2nd Kings 3:11, menial work indeed, but recorded in the Bible!

Certainly Timothy served Paul.

And Jonathan served David.

Dorcas served her whole church family! With her hands and a needle and thread, a seamstress! “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.” Acts 9:39

The point I’m making today … just like that little tugboat in my picture exists “to serve” … pulling and pushing and whatever else is needed … to get his load to port or market or the coast … so we ought to constantly be willing … to place ourselves at the disposal of other brothers and sisters in Christ!

Remember what was said of Mary, Martha’s Sister … “She hath done what she could.” Mark 14:8, when she anointed Jesus’ Body, He said, for burial!

And friend, if you get your delight as a Christian SERVING OTHERS, you might want to consider framing such a picture as this, something that exists to HELP, for inspiration!

I too, want to SERVE the Body of Christ!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, the Greek word for “deacon,” spelled “diakonos,” means “one who serves!”

If today’s Lesson makes sense, someone let me know. My text number is 770-844-7627. I hear from at least one or two of you every day! And I love it.