Isaiah 44:22 is our Text today … “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins.” God is speaking to His people!

The verb “blotted out” (in Hebrew “machah”) certainly means “to wipe out,” but in the sense of “exterminating” something! Additionally, in the King James Bible it is translated (6 different times) “to destroy!” Pretty strong testimony concerning the forgiveness that is to be found in our Gracious Lord, through the Death of Jesus on the Cross.

This is amazing!

Yet do notice we have two words used for “cloud” here, in Hebrew I mean. One is a thicker cloud, which God obviously can dispel with ease!

The other suggests more of a “mist,” a “fog,” which of course would be no trouble to God, dissipating such a thing.

Neither big sins, nor little sins (if one can make that distinction) are a problem to our great God.

He can forgive!

He can redeem!

I believe the proper response to today’s Verse is just to pause and thank the Lord. Offer Him praise! Even worship Him!

Have you asked Him, trusted Him, to forgive you?

Luke 18:13 … “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER.”

That’s all it took!

And God saved the publican’s (tax collector’s) soul!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Wow!

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It’s a bold Statement Jesus made, but undoubtedly accurate …

“The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” John 8:29

Two things impress me in this divinely inspired Quote.

First, the Communion, the Companionship Jesus constantly shared with His Father.

The Greek verb “hath left” is spelled “aphiemi,” fundamentally meaning “to send away.” (The only Time the Father ever “forsook” His Son, insofar as Scripture records, is on the Cross. “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?” Matthew 27:46)

Not only perfect harmony, but eternally so … now that the Cross of Calvary is “finished.”

And the second impressive thing?

Jesus ALWAYS pleasing His Father!

The adjective here, “pleasing,” has the seed idea of exciting the Father, making Him (so-to-speak) joyful and delighted!

What close Fellowship, what Unity!

So much so that Jesus one day could proclaim: “I and my Father are one.”

And that’s nearly the same relationship Jesus seeks with us, my Christian friends!

In John 17:23 Jesus preaches this: “I IN them.” (Yes, He is “in” us!) Then in Colossians 1:27 Paul writes: “Christ IN you, the hope of glory.”

Wow!

The question now remaining … do I please my Saviour? Do I please the Father?

Put a smile on His Face?

Excite Him as I live according to the Word of God?

Give Him pleasure and glory as a Christian?

After all, Jesus is our Example!

In 1 Peter 2:21 the Apostle reminds us of Jesus .. “leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.”

Amazing!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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America has lost her ability to think clearly!

Even to the dangerous point of “reversing” nearly everything God says in His inspired Word!

I say dangerous because God places a curse on such thinking … “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20

If this is true (and it is) America is on her way “down!” She will no longer be a world “leader” in any major, positive area. (A goal many politicians and educators have had for our Country for years now, including some Presidents.)

Tarnished, retarded … the United States of America.

And this self-imposed inferiority includes the area of “creative thinking!” (Other than inventing new ways to commit evil.) “They provoked the Lord to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.” Psalm 106:29

There is such a thing in Scripture, however as creative inventionsor helpful inventions. An area of life where America once excelled. Before she jettisoned the Wisdom of God from her schools, courthouses, assemblies … and the list goes on!

All this typing to lead up to today’s VERSE …

“I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions.” Proverbs 8:12, a Bible fact indeed.

But in our Land …

Wisdom (nationally) is gone.

Prudence (nationally) is gone.

Knowledge (nationally, the Bible kind of knowledge) is gone.

And so of course … “witty inventions” are as well. The Hebrew expression here implies “God’s Ways, Thoughts, Plans, Purposes, Devices!”

We may be beyond help! God did say in Genesis 6:3, just before the Flood … “My spirit shall not always strive with man.”

One remaining prayer might be pertinent this morning …

“O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work (of judgment) in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; IN WRATH REMEMBER MERCY.” Habakkuk 3:2

Those last four Words … “IN WRATH REMEMBER MERCY.”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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The Psalmist, of course, sets the pace for a thought like this. Loving the Law of God, law simply being a synonym for the entire Word of God.

“O how love I thy law!” Psalm 119:97

And he must really do that, love the Bible, because he has talked about it for 96 verses now, with several Paragraphs to go! (In Psalm 119, all 176 verses are about the Scripture.)

Several people I’ve known come to mind, saints of God in my estimation, who really loved the Bible. I treasure having been around them, too.

The world has many (though their number is decreasing) bibliophiles. The noun means “book lovers.” (It’s Greek, “biblos” and “phileo.”)

But the world no longer has as many true Bible lovers, I fear.

Yet … there’s more involved than just loving the Bible, great as that quality is in a human life.

Back to Psalm 119:97 … “O how love I thy law! it is my MEDITATION all the day.”

If we love the Book enough, apparently we will meditate on it constantly. This verb (meditate = in Hebrew “siychah”) means “to think, ponder, reflect” on something.

Literally, to talk about the Word of God, even to pray the Word of God!

How much? How often? Look at the godly man as presented in Psalm 1 … “His delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

The idea surely being that as I love the Bible, I will also ponder the Bible, then undoubtedly I will obey the Bible!

A lot of “meat” in a single little verse today. Chew on it a while, digest it, grow from it!

“O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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Proverbs 4 (the Proverbs chapter that matches the day of the month) says this: “For I give you good doctrine.” Quoting wise King Solomon teaching one of his sons.

And the Holy Spirit has skillfully incorporated those words into the Bile, Holy Writ.

The noun “doctrine” here is spelled “leqach” in Hebrew, meaning “that which is learned” Actually one time (in the King James Version) it’s translated “fair speech.”

Many Churches today are deemphasizing (marginalizing) Bible Doctrine! They call it “divisive,” or worse!

But I say “doctrine” is essential to a healthy Christian life, even to be saved one must believe “right doctrine.”

You will to to Heaven or Hell based on your “doctrine.” On whether you believe Jesus is God’s Son or not! Or whether you believe in His bodily Resurrection or not!

All I am doing this morning is urging you to get into a good, Bible preaching Church … under a godly Pastor who knows how to teach … BIBLE DOCTRINE!

One who can “rightly divide the Word.” 2 Timothy 2:15, using a clause that pictures a Daddy slicing a loaf of bread to give to each member of his family! Cut it neatly and straight and evenly … because all the children are hungry!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

God’s Doctrine is not without benefit! He says: “My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.” Deuteronomy 32:2

Then let it rain!

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