Israel was at one of her lowest points ever! Seventy years of Babylonian captivity had just about broken her spirit as a nation.

Even when give the opportunity to return “home” to the Jerusalem area … only a relative few attempted the journey. So many obstacles, so little love for the things of God.

That’s when God did one thing (among others of course) to encourage them, at least the faithful remnant among them.

He sent them a Prophet named Zechariah!

A Preaching man and an writing man, author! We have the book he gave us (via the Holy Spirit’s inspiration) in the Old Testament yet today. Next to last place in order, just before Malachi. Yes, it bears the Prophet’s very name … ZECHARIAH!

Zechariah preached to Israel about a future God was going to give her! I mean short-term and long-term, all the way to the Second Coming of Messiah! An ultimately bright future! How very encouraging!

Oh, i need to tell you … Zechariah’s name (also a booster for Israel) means “God remembers!” (In detail … zakar means “to remember” and Yah is God’s Name “Jehovah!”)

Israel, here he is, a man sent from God just for you at this particularly “low” time!

GOD REMEMBERS!

He has not forgotten you!

He never will!

As in Isaiah 49:15 … “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”

And if you will allow me to superimpose a New Testament verse here … “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Hebrews 6:10, God’s Memory promised yet again!

GOD REMEMBERS!

And it well may be that some discouraged saint of God is reading right here today (or tonight), feeling all alone. Wondering of God still fondly thinks about you …

I have good news!

ZECHARIAH!

GOD REMEMBERS!

He is “good” for every Promise He’s ever made!

You are not forgotten!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Thank you, Zechariah!

More so, we thank Thee Lord!

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Have you ever heard this old saying?

“You are what you eat!”

In some ways it’s true!

I was reading a Jewish writer earlier this morning and he presented to my mind this Biblical thought: “The Priests of ancient Israel ate of the holy sacrifices presented at the brazen altar of the Tabernacle!”

Wow, they did!

Talk about eating holy, healthy food!

And those priests were, in God’s Eyes (if they were otherwise obedient) “Holy unto the Lord.” (2 Chronicles 35:3)

Old Testament practice now yields to New Testament principle …

Yes … as Christians today (alive after Jesus’ Death, Buril and Resurrection) we too are called “priests!” Precisely, 1 Peter 2:5 tells us. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

So I am wondering, “What do we eat?” Sacrifices as well, like those Old Testament Servants of the Lord?

The answer should be …

We eat the Supreme Sacrifice!

Jesus Christ our dear Saviour … He is our meat, our food!

Read this Verse: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” John 6:51, Jesus speaking of Himself!

Then just two Verses later … “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.”

Wow!

How then do I so partake of the Lord?

By knowing Him personally, by trusting Him as my Saviour! Then by studying and following His Life, obeying His Commands!

By ingesting His Word, every day that I live.

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Psalm 34:8

And on that regular spiritual diet … I too will soon become more like what I eat! More like Jesus! Yes, me an old sinner saved by Grace … “conformed to the image of God’s Son!” (Romans 8:29)

One man also quipped, “You do what you eat!” Meaning that we derive our strength from our food, our diet!

In that light, Elijah in 1 Kings 19:18 … “And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.”

Again, as we meditate and personalize the Lord Jesus … the stronger we become for His Glory Paul agrees … “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Wow!

I close with a prayer … “O Lord, with these thoughts in mind, make us hungry!”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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The noun “Gospel” occurs 101 times in the New Testament. Technically it means “good news!” Paul defines it as the Message of Jesus’ Death, Burial and Resurrection! (1 Corinthians 15:1-3)

But I have just learned, with excitement, that the Greek noun “Gospel” has a Hebrew equivalent!

Watch …

Jesus, preaching in Nazareth, chose Isaiah 61 as His Text. This is part of our Lord’s Sermon that day, quoting Isaiah the Prophet.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the GOSPEL to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised …”  (Luke 4:18)

Now let’s go to the Old Testament, Isaiah 61:1, and see what word is the equivalent to “Gospel.”

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach GOOD TIDINGS unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound …”

The Hebrew word “good tidings” is translated in the New Testament (by the Holy Spirit) as “Gospel!”

The Hebrew spells that word “basar.”

Now let’s define it, basar: “glad, joyful!”

Is that not exactly what happens when a soul believes the Good News about Jesus, accepting His Death and Burial and Resurrection as the means (the only means) to Heaven?

Gladness, joyfulness!

The word also means “rosy,” as in a healthy countenance! And the Gospel certainly does give us a holy “glow,” spiritual hygiene at its best!

And some lexicons also say of “basar” … something “fresh,” never stale or old or outdated!

One Hebrew word, the equivalent of “Gospel” …

Cheerful, joyful!

Rosy, not pale and sickly!

And fresh, not plain or boring!

Aren’t you glad you received that grand Message, whereby your lost soul was saved forever?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Let’s never get over the “wonder” of the Gospel!

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Yes, it’s the name of a false god. “Baal” I mean.

An idol, no doubt with a demon behind it, empowering it in some amazing (but wicked) ways!

Israel, in direct disobedience to God, to His Commandments, worshipped Baal, according to Judges 2:13.

They built sanctuaries for him, 1 Kings 16:32.

They allowed hundreds of their young men to become “prophets” of Baal, too! See 1 Kings 18:19.

Baal and his cohorts!

By the way, an idol can be defined as “the terminal focus of one’s affections.” What (or whom) do you love most of all? Consumes most of your time, for example.

And God, being just and holy, disciplined Israel severely for her attachment to Baal.

But get this please.

We “moderns” have our own “Baals” to serve!

Money!

Self, ourselves!

Pleasure!

Sex!

Fame!

The list goes on ad infinitum.

Oh, I have forgotten to define that Name “Baal!”

It means “owner!”

The idol (demon) some poor human “serves” to supposedly get his or her needs met … that “thing” ends up “owning, controlling, bossing” that devotee for the rest of his or her life!

Baal will never be happy until he is Boss!

Now, let me talk about the real Lord!

Jesus, Whom I serve as do most of you readers.

He does not “use” me … rather He provides for me, protects me, meets my every need!

Someone that good to me … can certainly be my Lord the rest of my life!

Hallelujah!

The devil takes!

The Lord Jesus gives!

My, what a choice!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Joshua, many years ago, made this wise decision. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

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I enjoy word study.

Especially the study of Bible words!

And recently I learned something worth sharing!

I gleaned it from a Jewish Believer, adding to the authenticity of the truth I am about to relate.

The Hebrew noun for “desert” (that dry, barren land where Israel spent so much time) is spelled “midbar.” It is used a total of 270 times in the Old Testament!

But “dry places” can not only be literal life experiences, but metaphorical ones too!

Any Chrisitan can to through a “dry spell” in his or her life for Christ. Those “hard, discouraging times.”

But, and here’s what I am excited to tell you, the word for “desert” comes from (is derived from) the Hebrew verb “dabar.” And that means “to speak!” To communicate! (“Dabar” is found an amazing 2,635 times in the Old Testament!)

Now … let me draw a spiritual truth from these two Hebrew words. Words that to me, a lately as last month, were unrelated!

When I am in my MIDBAR (hard, dry, discouraging time) … perhaps that is exactly when the Lord wants to DABAR (to speak, communicate) with me most clearly!

Wow!

This though nearly makes my desert experiences (as was the case with Moses the man of God) “holy ground” events! (Exodus 3:5)

Friend, next time you’re in the “desert,” pray what young Samuel was taught to pray years ago.

“Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth.” 1st Samuel 3:9!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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