The Lesson today is NOT simply an announcement! Or an advertisement! It contains a real “kernel” of Biblical Truth, I believe.

Yes, a four-hour Bible Study! (Truth be told, we are going to take a “break” around Noon for a snack, refreshments!) But still, concentrated Bible Study, Ephesians chapter 6, Paul’s great “Whole Armour of God” Passage.

At a Church perhaps 45 minutes from our home. Next Saturday, January 21st. By the way, since I’ve mentioned this outreach for our Ministry … let me ask you to pray with us about the day. That God will powerfully instill His Word within our hearts.

Today’s Bible Lesson …

Is THAT MUCH Bible Study “overkill,” too much in too short a time?

I think not.

I see examples in the Bible of men who were placed, by God Himself, into such times of accelerated Bible training!

Paul, for example.

Virtually, soon as he was saved … “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I WENT INTO ARABIA, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after THREE YEARS I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” Galatians 1:15-18

Why would Paul give all that time, up to three years, in the Arabian desert?

I believe … to be taught of the Lord, a multi-year seminary course in “the things of God!”

Wow!

Moses too!

Forty years, in his case, in the wilderness … learning from God!

All I’m saying is this … maybe WE too should set aside some times of dedicated Bible Study, more than just an hour of Sunday School (which isn’t really an hour most places now).

And that’s (partly) the idea behind our Ephesians 6 Class.

I realize most of you can’t be in attendance next week.

BUT I also realize you can do your own focused Bible Class, perhaps just you and the Holy Spirit, next week or next month or anytime the Lord directs you!

Goodness!

I love this idea.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

PS – Tackle that Book of the Bible about which you feel you know the least! Study it diligently a week, or a month! Here 2nd Timothy 2:15 does apply. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Where the verb “study” (in Greek “spoudazo”) liteally means “intensively giving it all you’ve got!” Fervently! Laboriously!

Amen.

 

 

This is the actual Bible owned by Dr. M. R. DeHaan, founder and teacher of the nationally known Radio Bible Class of bygone years. Look how “studied” it is! I saw it in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the offices of “Our Daily Bread.”

Old Bibles, nearly coming to pieces, used time and time again! Handled reverently, truth be told! And before I realized it, the “picture” became a “parable!”

Today’s Bible Lesson …

Every Bible, in one sense, is an old Bible!

Having now been written, completed, for thousands of years. Psalm 119:89 literally does claim for the Scriptures: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”

Then, in an equally true sense, the same Bible is eternal! Old … but ever fresh! 1st Peter 1:23 preaches about: “The word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”

It’s pages may become brittle, but never its Message!

By the way, the Bible Dr. DeHaan loved and used so faithfully was a King James Version … with the Scofield  Reference notes incorporated. It accepted and promoted the “dispensationalist” view of God’s Program!  (Dr. C. I. Scofield)

Old fashioned, that hermeneutic, indeed.

But still accurate!

And off to the left in the photo, barely discernable, is the Preacher’s little plaque which bears the words “Perhaps Today!”

That’s what Dr. DeHaan believed, and Dr. Scofield and their cohorts!

I believe it too.

Jesus can come, is coming … “perhaps today!”

I’ve said it before, quoting thousands …

One picture is (or at least can be) worth a thousand words!

And today’s photo just might be indeed.

Wow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

 

I made this photo last night after the Revival Service. Two children, both of whom showed unusual interest in the Word of God this week! Both Kassie and Keenan listened well to the Sermons I preached each night. And each read (or heard read) our Text (Psalm 14) for the week … dozens and dozens of times, hundreds in Kassie’s case.

Today’s Bible Lesson …

While I have heard some Preachers criticize encouraging children in the area of salvation, I am happy to report that boys and girls do exist who have a sincere affinity (if not outright love) for the Bible.

And I suggest most (if not all) children can (with a little encouragement) come to a place of learning the Scriptures … in an astounding manner!

In fact, many of the Preachers of bygone years (I’m roughly talking 1650 to 1800 now, AD) had already (in their youth) learned elementary Greek (and a few, even Hebrew)! Folks, learning such by the age of 10 or 12, and certainly by their teenage years!

Why?

They had parents who wanted to instill in their sons an abiding knowledge of God’s Holy Word!

Any Bible precedent for this?

I think young Samuel in the Old Testament (recall Hannah his Mother and Eli his mentor) is an example of such early learning.

I know Timothy (in the New Testament) is!

Paul wrote to that young man, who had not been “called” to preach very long … “From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

And the noun “child” here is the Greek word “brephos,” meaning “infant” once in the King James Version! And “babe” five times! And “young child” once more. In ancient Greek the word could even mean “fetus, embryo.” Wow!

And the verb “hast known” used by Paul here is not “ginosko,” the “read and study and learn” verb. It is “eido,” the “seeing with understanding” verb! The Holy Spirit giving perception … even to young hearts and minds!

Look what the Bible is called here … “Holy Scriptures!” With “holy” suggesting they are in a class by themselves … none other like them! “God-breathed,” we learn in the next verse, in 2 Timothy 3:16.

What can the Bible do for young people like those pictured above? Paul again: “Make them wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The verb “is able” (actually “are able”) translates “dunamai,” our word “dynamite!” That kind of power, in the Word of God!

And “wise unto salvation” speaks for itself, that clause. These little folks CAN be saved, no matter what some misguided Preacher might say.

They (the Scriptures) surely worked for Timothy, didn’t they?

I pray they will for the children we know and love as well.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

To anyone reading here today with “little people” in your life … prayerfully try to ingrain in them an appreciation for, a knowledge of, and loving spirit toward the “Scriptures of Truth.” If you do … God might bless you with a Samuel or Timothy … or Keenan or Cassie!

Amen.

 

Yesterday I was in Asheville, North Carolina, for about an hour. Actually it was Candler, a suburb not far west of the City. There is located a small bookstore, mostly housing Christian material, some of it rare.

I frequent such places rather often.

I compare my habit of going to bookstores … to a fisherman casting his lure into the lake or river! Or a miner digging for gold or silver! Yes, I am on a treasure hunt! There’s no telling what I might discover!

For example, the picture above. I’ve never seen this title … until 2:00 pm yesterday! I’m not familiar with the author, either. But the concept sure is worth a lot … at least to me!

There’s a line near the bottom of the book. Can you see it, read it? It says “THE GRAND CHRIST HYMN OF PSALM 1-8.” And I say … WOW!

There’s my 10 pound bass for the day!

Or my generous allotment of gold!

I (yesterday) learned of a new idea with which to approach the Psalms, the first 8 of them anyway!

And the unifying Theme?    JESUS!!!  

Now all this leads me to Today’s Bible Lesson …

I really believe our Lord (in Matthew 13) was sitting by the seaside, looking up into the nearby hills … when He saw something.  “The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat ….” Matthew 13:1, Jesus always alert to the things of God, His Father.

I think He in the distance likely spied a farmer, casting a bag of seed onto the earth, his little plot.

Then it happened, Jesus struck gold too!

He landed a big one, a beautiful thought by which to illustrate a truth!

Much like what happened to me in the bookstore yesterday. (Except all Jesus did was perfect! I “miss the mark” way too often.)

And then Jesus … “spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a SOWER went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up. Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and ….” Matthew 13:3-4

I of course can’t prove that’s the way it happened. But I do KNOW Jesus was keenly aware of His surroundings. Always looking for fresh ways to present Truth to His followers.

What about us?

Do I look for God’s “fingerprints” all day long?

His Hand guiding me, even in the so-called “incidentals” of daily life?

Like seeing a book?

Oh, Lord … make us more sensitive to Thy Presence!

End of today’s Lesson.

Now, I can hardly wait (yes, I bought the book. I had been reduced to 5.00 anyway) to think today about Psalms 1-8, how they “link” together … around the Subject of our dear Lord!

Guess I had best go get started!

Have a great day of discovery, ya’ll!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Jeremiah 29:13 is a promise, directly from God! “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Amazing!

 

Our motel room, outside looking in, at dusk, Sunday Evening

The Church sign, last night, after the Revival Service

Yes, even with several inches of snow, the Services were not cancelled. And this is in South Carolina, where snow is NOT an everyday occurrence.

I do realize those “go” or “no go” decisions are not as easy as they might sound. There are lots of things to consider. And I am not being critical this morning, just making an observation.

Today’s Bible Lesson …

I remember such a snowy Sunday night years ago, back when I was pastoring a Church south of Atlanta, Georgia. And it was not several inches of snow, either, as pictured above.

But it was cold and the roads were becoming slippery, at least in places. No other Churches were meeting either, they had already decided that. But I (granted, a young man at the time) was not inclined to cancel the Service.

We did meet.

Seems like not many people came. I never would ask an elderly couple to come out at night if any danger is involved. And I’m quite sure no “pressure” was exerted on anyone, but several dozen folks did come to worship our Lord.

Here’s my point today.

One young man, a young married gentleman, attended with his wife, visitors! (In such weather!) They had been invited by a family already in the Church, relatives.

And that night I preached the Word of God.

And Norman was saved!

Wow!

Right then I decided that, whenever possible, even if no one else could come, I would be at the Lord’s House when Service times arrived.

What if (the answer remains unknown) no Service had been held?

Would he have come the next week?

And if so, would he have trusted Christ?

But this I do know … Jesus held in high importance the “ones” of His Day!

One blind man.

One lame man.

One, for that matter, dead man!

Jesus died for us all, Amen!

But He would have (I believe) died for just “one!”

For YOU.

For ME.

Our Lord gave a parable one day about this very matter. About a shepherd and one lost little lamb. Jesus’ thoughts along the line of going to get just “one?”

“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?” Luke 15:3

There’s more … “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. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over ONE sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.” Luke 15:6-7

Revival in the snow!

Yes … perhaps for that ONE who most needed to hear some truth from the mighty Word of God!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I love to hear from you occasionally, my text number … 770-844-7627. Anyone still enjoying the pictures? Anyone “hungry” for some more of the verse-by-verse exposition? I don’t know how to do both!