I saw the book (a hardback) while browsing in a local bookstore. Yes indeed, Books-a-Million has come to Dalton, Georgia!

It focused on the Holy Spirit and Jesus.

But we have been so busy, Revival after Revival, studying for each new Series of Sermons … that I have not read the first word in that little volume, not yet anyway.

But still, during the night, my heart was stirred with the very thought of Jesus and the Spirit being in symbiotic Relationship. (As is the Godhead, the Trinity, of course!)

I thought of 1 Timothy 3:16 where, among other things, we are told that Jesus lived His Whole Life … “justified in the Spirit!” Meaning that the Holy Spirit watched and approved all that Jesus did, disallowing absolutely nothing!

Wow!

I thought of Luke 4:14, when Jesus returned from His 40 Day Temptation in the barren wilderness. A return characterized by the Evangelist as being “in the power of the Spirit.” Just as well read it, in the Dynamite (Greek “dunamis”) Power of the Holy Spirit!

Wow again!

Then I remembered that Jesus’ Very (Virgin) Birth was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35, Gabriel to Mary … “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

And that Jesus on the Cross … “through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God!” Hebrews 9:14, the Holy Spirt and Jesus, again!

From our Saviour’s miraculous Birth to His vicarious Death … the Holy Spirit and Jesus!

Even Jesus’ Resurrection was inaugurated by the Spirit! According to Romans 8:11, where the Apostle Paul speaks of … “the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead.”

Wow!

But the Verse that “caps” our whole discussion today is John 3:34. Where we are taught that God the Father bestowed upon Jesus the Holy Spirit “not by measure!” In the King James Version: “For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.” The unlimited resources of the Holy Spirit!

No wonder then, when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, Mark 1:10-11 reminds us: “And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Here note … the Trinity! Jesus (God the Son) is baptized. A Voice (God the Father) speaks from Heaven, authenticating (again) Jesus His Son. And a Dove (God the Holy Spirit) descends upon our Lord.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit … and I am quite sure we have only begun to investigate this Union!

All that to say this … today’s Lesson … we too are commanded (expected) to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit of God! See Ephesians 5:18 for a good proof Text.

Not “filled” to the Capacity of Jesus, of course, Who was (and remains) sinless. But to the utmost of our individual capacities!

Paul went so far as to say we should “walk” in the Spirit, every day of our lives! Galatians 5:25 … “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

By the way, since this Lesson is being written July 4, 2019 … “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Corinthians 3:17

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I was driving to a Revival Meeting, listening to Christian radio. The program featured an interview with an author who is also a Pastor in Florida.

And this young man’s “burden” was the hordes of people who have (somehow) infiltrated (joined) our Churches who in reality do NOT know Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour!

He called them “nominal” Christians. Yes, “in name only” … professing followers of our Lord.

Or the even greater number of (in the Nation’s so called “mainline” Churches) souls who “grew up” in Church … never considering themselves anything but “good, moral people” … individuals who have all their lives basically espoused “Biblical” values.

Or now these days, people who are “religious” but have been misled into accepting all kinds of (once considered) “perversions” as rather “normal” for the “born-again” Christian. In other words, people who have never experienced Holy Ghost conviction!

The Book I’ve mentioned is subtitled (I think) … “Reaching Cultural Christianity” with the Gospel. Get that turn of words? “Cultural Christianity?” NOT truly Blood-Washed Children of God!

I see the author’s concern, though I may not agree with everything he has written. I really do. Even considering Jesus’ well known “Parable of the Sower,” which I preached only yesterday … up to 75% of the “seed” of God’s Word falls on unfruitful soil, falls into unfavorable hearts!

My purpose in writing today is NOT to plant doubt in any genuine Christian’s heart. My purpose in writing today IS to challenge each of us to be sure that we have been saved!

Paul to the Corinthians, discussing this very subject … “EXAMINE YOURSELVES, whether ye be in the faith; PROVE your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” 2 Corinthians 13:5, powerful!

Jesus too warned: “NOT EVERY ONE that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 7:21

Matthew further quotes our Lord as saying: “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.” Matthew 15:8

Then 2 Corinthians 5:17 … “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Has this sort of change occurred in your life?

Just a thought I had, today’s Lesson … earlier this morning.

“Unsaved” Christians. A misnomer indeed, but also an accurate assessment of “Church life” in many places.

Jesus again, still in a Parable … taught us that the enemy (the Devil) has sown “tares” in God’s “wheat” field!

My point today … Are YOU saved?

And … “Do you KNOW it?”

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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.” The authentic “Plan of Salvation” from the Lips of Jesus Himself.

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In Mark chapter 3 the Lord Jesus speaks of a sin that is absolutely unforgiveable!

“But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness.” Mark 3:29

The verb “blaspheme” normally means “to speak injuriously, to defame, to revile.” And that is true in this verse for sure.

But there’s more … when the Scribes (in Mark 3) committed this egregious sin, they were attributing Jesus’ miracles and exorcisms … not to the Holy Spirit, but to the Devil!

“And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.” Mark 3:22

Friends, NEVER so impugn the Holy Spirit of God!

This is one reason I am very careful in criticizing any Preacher who is declaring the Word of God! I am not any man’s judge!

But (and the “point” in today’s Lesson) in our day and time … I wonder if the “unpardonable sin” may not only include ascribing God’s Works to the devil … BUT ALSO (think of this carefully) ascribing the Devil’s works to God!

Many so-called religious (Church-going) people today are now telling us that God approves abortion! And they are “twisting” Scripture in an attempt to prove that point! (I just read a book by a Lutheran Pastor who diligently attempts to Biblically pronounce “blessings” upon abortion and all its trappings! And she was adamant in her stand!)

Others today (equally wrong) are now saying God condones (if not outright blesses) same-sex marriage, homosexual relationships. And they too are reinterpreting the Bible to validate their points of view!

Wow!

But let me tell you what they are REALLY doing. They are taking the works of the Devil (yes, that’s what abortion and sexual perversity are) and saying they have become the Works of God, the Will of God, the Ways of God!

Calling the things of Satan … “the things of God!”

And that well may be (in our day) the unpardonable sin!

Beware!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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There are no Isaiah chapters left to study!

We have discussed (some to a greater depth than others) all 66 of them!

Yes, a total of 191 Isaiah Lessons shave been written and posted here on the Website. (If I have counted correctly.) And they all have been archived for you to study (and review) as need be.

We know a good bit about Isaiah the preacher, the prophet. Even glimpses of Isaiah the man (the husband and father).

We know he preached under the reigns of several Judean Kings. Isaiah 1:1 … “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” In fact, he knew some of these men quite well. Looks to me like he had personal access to the Royal Palace under King Hezekiah.

But, do we known anything of Isaiah’s death?

Maybe not history as much a tradition now, but likely still accurate … the Prophet was martyred by wicked King Manasseh of Judah (son of good King Hezekiah)!

Hebrews 11:38-38 mentions this form of death, perhaps with Isaiah in mind. “They were stoned, they were SAWN ASUNDER, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

Notice the verb “sawn asunder.” It is believed by many that our Hero (Isaiah) was killed in that painful manner, for having preached God’s Word so faithfully!

Revelation 14:13 … “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

He is in Heaven today, no doubt rejoicing that he lived so diligently for the God he loved so dearly.

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

To those of you who study with us with regularity … help me pray about what Bible Study “series” to begin next here on the Website.

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Today’s Text is seldom preached.

“And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Isaiah 66:24

The subject of our verse, “they,” means the throngs who have been worshipping Jesus … as they leave town (Jerusalem) … “go forth and look” at something.

The noun “carcases” (spelled “peger” in Hebrew) means “corpses, dead bodies,” just as one would suspect.

Whose carcases?

“The men that have transgressed against me,” says the Lord. Sinners, who died lost in their iniquities.

And in what state are these rebels found?

“Their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched.” The very words Jesus used to describe Hell!

In eternity, we will be able to “see” into Hell?

Very possible, I believe.

Listen to Jesus preach: “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into HELL, into the FIRE that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into HELL, into the FIRE that never shall be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into HELL FIRE: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Word for word, Mark 9:43-48, King James Version.

But, will that not “spoil” eternity for some? SEEING people they know (or love) burning in those flames?

The last line of Isaiah 66:24 … “and they (those being so punished, by fire) shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.” Those in the flames will draw no sympathy, it appears. All earth’s inhabitants, now worshipping Jehovah God (Jesus) … will “abhor” the faithless. A Hebrew word meaning “to hold in contempt.” Or to hold in “aversion,” to spurn!

Wow!

I am so thankful today to be saved.

This verse should impel us all to be better witnesses, soul winners, for Jesus.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

(For those of you who would like a fuller study of this verse, use a search engine and enter “Dr. Mike Bagwell Isaiah 66:24 Hell.” Or visit the “Site Map here on the Website and scour it for that Text.)

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