I am referring to Jude’s 9th Verse …

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

This short Passage of Scripture has captivated my mind since early last night. In, fact it is our TEXT for tomorrow’s “Evening Meditation.” That’s our on-line Bible Class …

Michael’s name means “one who is like God!”

The noun “devil” means “accuser.”

So here Michael DID NOT accuse the devil!

He DID NOT fall into Satan’s trap! He did not emulate the devil! He did not join the ranks of the “accuser!”

He (Michael) will not judge his “brother!” (Remember, Lucifer and Michael have known each other for millennia! Each being one of God’s “top ranking” angels … until the devil rebelled the Almighty. Both created by God, “brothers” at least in that sense!)

One trait of the “false teachers,” the “abdicators” from the faith … is that they “speak evil of dignities.” (Jude Verse 8)

Michael refuses to do that!

Do you doubt that the devil was once a “dignity?” Then read Ezekiel 28:13 … “Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.” Spoken of Lucifer!

Then, does the devil here (whatever he wanted to do with the “body of Moses”) get by “scot free?”

No!

Michael turns him over to the Lord!

Michael said, “The Lord rebuke thee.”

There just may be here a great Lesson in NOT being too judgmental!

Because, after all, GOD IS THE JUDGE!

Paul wrote … “Why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Romans 14:10

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Watch a fuller discussion of this Text tomorrow evening on our YouTube Channel! Well, let me go and study some more!

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It was just building a wall, and repairing some gates … but Nehemiah the Old Testament patriot believed in the job he was doing.

He even went so far as to call it a “great work!”

His answer to some enemies who wanted him to “come down from the wall and talk,” a ruse at best … “I am doing a GREAT WORK, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” Nehemiah 6:3

And indeed, God had called and equipped Nehemiah to do that work, hence it was great.

But today I have a question.

Is the work you are doing “great” or “mediocre” or maybe just plain “boring?”

If you are truly living “unto the Lord,” I say anything you do in His Will is a “great work!”

Raising a child?

Preparing a Sunday School lesson?

Washing the dishes?

Working you job?

Whatever?

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:31!

Cleaning house?

Winning a lost soul?

YOU WILL BE FAR LESS APT TO QUIT, OR EVEN SLACK OFF … IF YOU VIEW YOUR PRESENT ACTIVITY AS BEING “UNTO THE LORD!”

And I’m saying anything done “unto Him,” anything seeking His Approval … is “great work!

Don’t quit!

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9

Well, I must close for now.

I have a Sermon to prepare … a “great work” I suspect!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Glory to God!

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I came across this verse early this morning. And while it speaks historically of Jacob, who had become a kinder man in his later years, it also speaks metaphorically of our dear Lord. The Lord Who is my shepherd!

“And I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure.” Genesis 44:14

Here Jacob plans to continue his homeward journey, from Haran back down to the Holy Land … but only at a pace “the cattle and children” are able to bear. He will not push them, not to their harm!

Yes, that is (intentionally or not) a little “parable” on the Ways of our dear Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Saviour!

He leads us gently!

Or … as said here by the King James translators. “He leads us softly.” The adverb “softly” used here can also mean “secretly.” It’s used that way once in the Bible, in Job 11:15.

Isaiah 40:11 captures this idea about our Lord: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and SHALL GENTLY LEAD those that are with young.”

Luke 15 might be parallel too, a Parable for sure. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it. And when he hath found it, HE LAYETH IT ON HIS SHOULDERS, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.” Verses 4-6, obviously a shepherd Text! (Laying the little frightened lost lamb on His Shoulders … Tenderness, Softness!)

I find it comforting that my Lord does not DRIVE me like one does a herd of cattle! Behind me with a whip!

Instead He LEADS me like a good (or great or chief) Shepherd directs His sheep! Going ahead of us clearing the danger! Softly and ten-derly so!

Even when it comes to trial and temptation … “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, WHO WILL NOT SUFFER YOU TO BE TEMPTED ABOVE THAT YE ARE ABLE …” 1 Corinthians 10:13, gentleness, protection, love!

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

And on that “secretly” idea I mentioned earlier … “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but HE REVEALETH HIS SECRET unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7, I think God loves to reveal His “secrets” to His intimates!

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Actually we’ve driven several hours today … and have just settled into our motel room for the week. I’m preaching Revival the next few days at the First Baptist Church in Fletcher, North Carolina.

I plan to center these five Sermons on one chapter of Scripture … 2 Samuel 23. Often called the Portion of Scripture that focuses on “David’s Mighty Men” (a textual host of preaching within itself), the chapter actually informs us of several others interesting facts as well!

I have long loved studies in the life of David! All I am asking of you is that you pray for me this week. “David” and I will be spending a lot of time together, looks like!

One Theme I MUST preach verse-by-verse is labeled “The Last Words of David!” How does this good man, King of Israel, die?

And don’t forget too, we are studying the Book of JUDE verse-by-verse on our every-other-night Evening Meditations. Just go to our YouTube channel (Dr. Mike Bagwell) and study with us.

Tired, but happy in Jesus and excited about tomorrow morning’s Service … \

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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As a young boy we used to sing in Sunday School, “The Wise Man built his house upon the Rock!”

One day long ago Jesus told a Story about that wise man. “The wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

But all people do not build upon the “rock,” on a solid foundation. Jesus then taught further about: “A foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:26-27

This Parable is pretty straightforward, easily understood. Two foundations, one choice! I see them as: God’s Way or the devil’s way.

I want to build my life on the solid Rock of the Word of God! On the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Solid Rock!”

On what type foundation are YOU building?

Then I though of another scenario, not mentioned by Jesus. Probably folks back in those days were not as foolish as now!

What if I told you about a group of people who built their House, collectively as a Nation, on a rock, immoveable and steadfast … then decided to destroy that house and build another one … on the sand? Quicksand I am afraid!

Preacher, that’s silly!

Well, it has happened in my lifetime.

Those people (particularly the inhabitants of the United States of America) are currently completing the stupidest demolition job every enacted. Destroying a nation once built on the Rock.

And trying to reconstruct on the sand! That Nation will likely be bankrupt before she gets her flimsy house finished. She’s already bankrupt spiritually.

And mark my words, just like Jesus said, a Storm is coming!

The sands will shift.

But the old Rock Foundation is gone, deliberately forsaken!

And the Bible asks: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3

Yes, to those who build upon the sand … “The rain will descend, and the floods will come, and the winds will blow, and beat upon that house; and it will fall: and great will be the fall of it.”

I lament for my Country!

We had better get to praying: “O Lord, in wrath remember mercy.” Habakkuk 3:2, King James Version.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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