It was early Thursday morning, before sunrise I mean.

Debbie and I had the car nearly packed, ready to drive from Michigan to Georgia.

And I stepped back over to the Church, where I had preached in Revival Services, over five hours of verse-by-verse exposition I am told.

I walked into the empty, quiet sanctuary, auditorium.

And it “hit,” not a rare feeling, rather quite common (to an evangelist) I suppose.

Weekly, in my case.

My heart was sad!

Yes, sad.

This set of scheduled Revival Services had come to an end.

Was over!

And I was somber, almost melancholy!

I know. There is another Revival scheduled soon, sometimes within a day or two.

New Texts (from the Bible) to preach!

A different Pastor to seek to encourage.

A new congregation, perhaps equally as eager for the Truth of God’s Word!

But still, sad!

Look at this particular Church’s Bible reading pattern for the last three years! Glory to God! Or: “the LORD be MAGNIFIED!” Psalm 40:16

There is something about being with a Bible-hungry people for a week makes you “fall in love” with them, with their desire to grow in Christ!

Is there a verse, I wondered, that makes this “feeling” feasible, Biblically permissible?

Maybe.

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.” Philippians 1:3

I even feel this way about the folks who regularly support our Ministry, using that thought of remembrance to trigger a prayer for that individual or Church.

Even as Paul, describing himself, said to Timothy … “Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy.” 2 Timothy 1:4, “greatly desiring” means “craving” essentially!

Now let me be clear.

I had that feeling last week in Illinois.

And will next week in Alabama.

God’s people sure can “get into you heart!”

I guess in a way I fell like Paul did in 2 Corinthians 11:28. “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of ALL THE CHURCHES.” I too have a care and concern and love for “all the Churches” where God lets me preach!

I must close.

Do YOU love the Christians God has placed in your life?

Are YOU dedicated to your Pastor, his encouragement and well-being?

Do YOU miss fellow Believers in Christ when you won’t see them again for perhaps a year?

Just a thought today … on what might be called “Christian emotion,” in a (I pray) right sense!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I finally (after 13 1/2 hours in the car, yesterday being a travel day) wrote a Lesson (more of a Bible “thought” really) last night (about 10:00) which most of you have not yet read, or so I suspect. I hope you’ll take the time this morning to do that, study my thoughts about the “snow.” (My favorite “snow” verse, too!)

As for today’s “nugget,” I am driving to (really through) Atlanta and then east to the Conyers area (where my motel is located for the next 3 nights) … and once arriving there, I shall (Lord willing) write today’s Lesson.

Pastor Hollingsworth and his Wife Linda, photo made last year.

I am so looking forward to the Christmas Revival … tonight through Sunday Evening in the little City of Between, Georgia. At the Baptist Church of Between, with Pastor Lynn Hollingsworth and his people..

By the way, I already think I know what the Lord wants me to discuss with you later today.

Pray for safety as I drive, please.

And, thank you!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

This month’s newsletters and CD Sermons were mailed this week (Wednesday) from a place called Howard City, Michigan. You (our supporters) should be receiving yours any day.

Written at 10:36 PM … Well, better make that promised Lesson tomorrow morning now. I am exhausted! Today’s drive (Atlanta having snow and ice) took over five hours! It should have taken two hours, tops! I’ve never seen such traffic snarls!

 

Our day began with the phone alarming at 5:00 this morning! And an 11 1/2 hour trip ahead of us, from Newaygo, Michigan to Tunnel Hill, Georgia! After a precious week of Revival, I might add.

Ready to load!

Ready to leave!

Do you see the snow?

Not as much as some years, but still snow!

Surprisingly, this sight (the snow) triggered the thought for today’s Bible nugget.

God is the Speaker, questioning Job the old patriarch, godly man that he was. “Hast thou entered into the treasures of the SNOW? or hast thou seen the treasures of the hail?” Job 38:22

Now …

I’m writing you at 9:45 this evening, after the Lord has given us a safe trip home.

We drove several hours through that snow, heavy at times … heading south.

Which gave me plenty of time to consider it … the “snow.”

And what unique “treasures” God may have had in Mind.

The Hebrew noun translated “treasures” is “otzsar,” meaning “storehouse!”

Once in fact it is even translated (in the King James Version) “armoury!”

There’s no telling what value snow contributes to life on earth!

But for me tonight, as tired as I am, just knowing the Creator of that frozen powder (no two flakes ever alike) is enough to consider.

A meditation about “snow?”

Yes, and here is my favorite “snow verse” in all the Bible …

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as SNOW; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18

Amen!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I believe the Lord has laid upon my heart a series of sermons from the Book of Ezra. Either from the whole Book (chapter by chapter) or concerning the man himself, Ezra the Scribe. If this “tugging” at my heart continues, I will have our printer prepare me a “Bible Portion” Booklet, containing just the Book of Ezra, all 10 chapters, just 280 verses, if I have counted correctly. Then I shall (Lord willing) preach from Ezra for a complete Revival Meeting, challenging the people to read the chapters in Ezra, over and over again. No telling what God might do that week!

Here’s my favorite description of Ezra, the man of God. “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” Ezra 7:10

Wow!

The verb “to seek” translates “darash” in Hebrew. It is an intense longing for something! In fact, 12 times it is rendered as “to require” in the Old Testament! Ezra HAD TO HAVE God’s Word in his life, an absolute necessity!

My second favorite designation for Ezra is found earlier in that 7th chapter where the man is called a “ready” scribe! “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a READY scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given ….” Ezra 7:6

This word means “diligent, prompt,” even “skilled” according to one source!

Yes, that’s our “nugget” today. Meet and learn more about this gallant character of the Bible!

Who “hungered” for God’s Word!

Who then “obeyed” God’s Word!

Who then earnestly “taught” God’s Word!

“For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.”

Mercy, what a man to emulate.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

How much do WE love the Bible?

 

Our Lord, teaching His Disciples to pray, added these words to the “model” He gave … “Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11 (And Luke includes the same command as well, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Luke 11:3)

No doubt this can be seen as trusting God for all our groceries! He being the Creator, Provider, Sender of Rain, etc. over all the earth. That’s one reason why we Christians ask a “blessing” and give “thanks” over every meal we eat, we enjoy.

But, surely, “our daily bread” includes things spiritual too!

If so, are YOU gleaning from God’s Manna Book (also known as the Holy Bible) every single day?

I surely want to do so.

And have (sincerely) for years.

Last year (this very week in fact, exactly) I was preaching Revival in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. And while here I visited a Ministry named “Our Daily Bread.”

It was founded by a godly old Preacher named Dr. Martin R. DeHaan. Born in Michigan (a city called Zeeland) in 1891 (March 23), Dr. DeHaan lived a long and productive life (to the Glory of God), having now gone to Heaven to be with the Lord he so loved. He died in 1965, December 13.)

He preached each Sunday on a program named “The Radio Bible Class.” He loved the great fundamentals of our Faith, the Word of God being his infallible Guide! Here’s one of his (precious to him) old Scofield Study Bibles, King James Version of course.

His motto for life was always displayed on his desk (you can see it in the background in the photo above) … “Perhaps Today,” obviously referring to the imminent Coming (Second Coming) of Jesus!

I can remember his distinctive (coarse) old voice even now as I type here many years later! I still have a few of the Bible Study Booklets he published and mailed to his supporters month after month!

Wow!

It just might be that I have tried to spend some time in God’s Word (daily) since those pre-teen years. And I owe some of that propensity to old Dr. DeHaan!

Friends, may I urge you to also glean every 24 hour period in your life from the Book … The Inspired Word of God? Make it “YOUR DAILY BREAD” too!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell