The very phraseology of the King James Bible is beautiful. At least in my eyes. And today’s Verse is no exception.

“This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be CREATED shall PRAISE the LORD.” Psalm 102:18

The applicable Truth the Holy Spirit is giving me this morning, “a little “nugget” on which to chew, centers on two verbs, “created” and “shall praise.”

The latter being a result of the former. I PRAISE because I have been CREATED!

I do believe in the miracle of creation, as described in Genesis chapters 1 and 2. God literally created the heaven and the earth. In six days, then He rested.

The verb “create” used here is “bara” in Hebrew. It means “to make something out of nothing!” And I can find nowhere in all the Bible this verb being used, without God being the Subject, the Creator. Either explicitly or implicitly.

Wow!

The more that is learned about the human body … the more astounding it becomes. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14

Yes, we do have a Creator!

And what should be my response to this truth?

Back to the other verb now, “praise!”

“Halal” in Hebrew most often means “to shine,” thus “to delight in” something (or Someone). It also means “to boast” in a Person, the Creator presumably! “To glorify” Him!

Next time you realize you’re a created being, break out into praise to the Creator. That is, if you know Him personally!

Come to think of it … according to numerous verses … JESUS our Saviour, God the Son, is also the Creator! John 1:3, speaking of Jesus … “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Pretty clear!

Then … praise Him today.

Oh, by the way … if you have ever been created anew (born again) another whole set of reasons to praise the Lord! The Lord Jesus Who is not only Creator but Saviour!

Hallelujah, what a God!

What a plan!

Created, alive, breathing?

“Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.” Psalm 150:6, a fitting end to the Psalter!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Evolutionists who do not believe in creation … they don’t have much of a reason to praise God I guess. So their reasoning goes. Oh I forgot, they are atheists anyway!

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I just heard of the death of another great Preacher. As far as I can tell, not from the virus either, his death.

He’s one of a string, an ever lengthening string, of men of God who have gone home in recent months.

(This phenomenon may simply be due to the fact that I’m getting older myself. And my peers, as well as my seniors, are just “wearing out” in the good work God has called us to pursue.)

But I am beginning to wonder this. Is God calling His best men home … more rapidly than normal … due to His judging Hand on America?

I do recall Revelation 2:5 … “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, AND WILL REMOVE THY CANDLESTICK OUT OF HIS PLACE, except thou repent.”

Obviously in this verse God is removing His “witness” (in this case a whole Church, “candlestick,” which would undoubtedly include her Preacher) due to sin, lukewarmness!

As America (not “slides,” too slow a descriptor) plunges deeper and deeper into iniquity … is God removing the Light He has so long given this Nation?

Way back in Genesis 6:3 we learned: “And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

God does have some deadlines!

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” Amos 8:11, a God-sent famine due to the sins of a Nation!

Is God through with the United States of America?

Now, wait a second. I do know He is big enough a God to yet send Revival even to this land. This I know too … He is a righteous God Who judges unrepentant sin.

Psalm 9:17 … “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Sobering!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

So thankful my hope is anchored in Jesus today, and nowhere else.

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No longer do I tell someone … “You are saved.”

KNOWING one’s relationship with the Lord is not man generated.

My Verse today, for us to consider: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Romans 8:16

In simple words, the HOLY SPIRIT is the ASSURER of our salvation, that we are genuine “children of God.”

The verb “beareth witness” is (Greek) a blend of “sun” (meaning “together, along with”) and “martureo,” meaning “to affirm, to testify, to give a good report!”

Wow!

And once the Holy Spirit gives a person that “witness” within … he or she can truly trust the validity of their salvation experience.

Do YOU enjoy His witness today?

This great Truth does not alter God’s Plan of Salvation.

I think Jesus gave that best 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.”

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

But the very second you are born-again … the Holy Spirit moves “inside” you … and He WILL bear witness with your human spirit that HE HAS ARRIVED!

The hymnwriter was correct …

“BLESSED ASSURANCE, JESUS IS MINE!”

Praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Learn the delight of “communing” with the sweet Holy Spirit of God. He will always point you to Jesus, always magnify Jesus in your life. Read Paul’s closing prayer in one of his glorious Epistles … “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.” 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Do not misunderstand me. I believe in the immanency of Jesus’s Return, both in the Rapture and in His literal coming to earth seven years later. He could come today!

But our Lord Himself, in Acts 1:7, told His Disciples this: “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

Wow!

They had just asked Him for some “sign!” (Acts 1:6 … “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?”)

Now, having said that …

It could be years and years before the Lord comes again.

My faith in His Coming does not depend on how soon it might be, rather … on the FACT that He has promised to return!

It may take years for the United States to become a poor, non-entity on the world scene. (Though the collapse had already begun.)

It may take years for very nation on earth to turn against Israel. (Though we are getting closer to that singularity, looks like to me.)

Armageddon: “For I will gather ALL NATIONS against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.” Zechariah 14:2

It may take years for Christianity everywhere to become the scourge of mankind, though even that is on the way. (“Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.” Jesus teaching in John 16:2.)

It may take years for the anti-Christ to worm his way into worldwide hegemony.

It may …

Such times and seasons are in the Fathers’ Hands, going back to my Text today, Acts 1:7.

We are just to be faithful!

As the Lord said to His servants, “Occupy till I come.”

Oh yes, Acts 1:8 specifically tells us what to do until Jesus comes … “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Yes, tell somebody about Jesus today.

Jesus, Who is coming again, precisely according to the Father’s Timetable.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Whether tonight … or a thousand years from now … God’s Program is right on schedule. I can promise you that.

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Looking back over this bout with the Virus (Covid 19) I am most impressed with one verse of Scripture.

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.” Psalm 23:2

Yet again let me highlight one word, the verb … “He MAKETH me to lie down!”

Admittedly, I am a busy Preacher. Sermon after sermon, Revival after Revival, week after week, month after month! And most recently, year after year!

I suspect over the past two weeks (with one more week to go) I have been MADE to rest, by my loving Shepherd!

Thanks be unto Thee, dear Lord.

He always knows what’s best.

Oh, the “green pastures” part?

God has taken care of us in the midst of these weeks without Revivals.

No wonder He is called not only the Good Shepherd, and the Great Shepherd, but also the Chief Shepherd!

“IN HIS HANDS!”

“UNDER HIS CARE!”

I think I’ll take a nap today!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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