Paul certainly was not ashamed … “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.” Romans 1:16

It is not God’s Will for any Believer to be ashamed … “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Romans 9:33 and 10:11, twice!

In fact, Paul was not even ashamed when he suffered, for Jesus’ sake I mean. “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12

But I think the kind of un-ashamedness I’m describing today particularly concerns anything I preach from the powerful Word of God. Sort of like this … “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

David, in Psalm 25:2 prays specifically … “O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed.”

Oh no doubt, we Bible Preachers will be mocked more and more in these days approaching the Lord’s Return. Of that I have no fear, nor will I be ashamed.

I just fear being “wrong” on some point of interpreting the Bible. I KNOW the Bible is perfect, but me as a teacher … very imperfect!

So I need daily the Presence and Power and Wisdom of God the Holy Spirit as I preach and teach the Book!

And in that sense, I like Paul “KNOW THAT I SHALL NOT BE ASHAMED!” But it’s a job at times keeping Brother Bagwell right, in as close a Fellowship as I should be. Oh, to abide in my Saviour constantly!

So many winds of doctrine blowing around nowadays … Ephesians 4:14 … some blowing even good men off the “old paths” … Jeremiah 6:16 … that one can’t be too careful.

“Lord, give me sufficient holy boldness and humble un-ashamedness … I pray.”

Back to Psalm 25, the solution for un-ashamedness I suspect … “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.” (Verse 4)

I shall not be ashamed as God imparts to me His Secrets! I will preach them in fact! Secrets found embedded in the Word of God, Holy Scripture! “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him.” Still Psalm 25:14

David ends the Psalm as he began … “O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.” Psalm 25:20

Boldness in my Faith and and Wisdom from trusting the Lord … and any potential shame will be gone!

Praise the Lord!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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There is no doubt in my mind as to the identity of this great King. In fact the Bible clearly defines Him as the Lord God Almighty.

For example, Psalm 24:10 enquires, twice in fact: “Who is this King of glory?”

And the same Psalm (twice) answers that fundamental question of life! “Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.” (Verse 8) Then again: “Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory.” (Verse 10)

Specifically, the King of Glory is … Jesus, the Son of God!

The Lord Jesus!

On this Point the Bible is adamant.

Now enters man, humanity, into the conversation. Contemporary man, the world in which we live. He/she has a different answer to our question, “Who is the King of Glory?”

And humankind now says: “MAN, MAN HIMSELF IS KING!”

Man can now decide even if he is a man! Perhaps he is a woman!

He can, against every Bible mandate, live his own life as HE (a human being) pleases!

Man today is his own creator, his own saviour (science can do everything these days), and his own god.

Yes, a battle is brewing!

And I am trusting the Bible to be right.

Jesus Christ the Son of God … the King of Glory!

I have by faith made Him my Lord!

I have trusted His Blood shed on an old rugged Cross to wash my sin away.

And this real “King of Glory,” of Whom I write this Thursday morning … is coming again!

When … “At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Isaiah 45:23 and Romans 14:11 and even Philippians 2:10-11.

I’m glad I know Who Jesus is!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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One magnificent Clause in the 23rd Psalm informs us WHY (or at least one reason why) the Lord so diligently leads us day by day.

“He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:3

The Hebrew noun used here for “Name” is spelled “shem.” It means “name” in this sense; “reputation, renown, fame.”

In the Old Testament one could not separate “name” and “character.” A person’s name also depicted that person’s life.

So is it with the Lord God!

He guards the Dignity of His Name, expressly so!

To this extent, and rightly so: “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Exodus 20:7

A Command so important that it is repeated in Deuteronomy 5:11 … “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Leviticus 19:12 amplifies this fact: “Neither shalt thou profane (desecrate) the name of thy God: I am the LORD.”

Some of the awesome character traits God possesses, that His Name represents … “The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” Exodus 34:6, what a Name!

God surely likes it when we study His Name! (His Names actually, for they are many.)

He even commends us for thanking on His Name! “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, AND THAT THOUGHT UPON HIS NAME. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:16-17

Wow!

Books have been written on God and His Names and Titles!

On His Character and Attributes!

The Christian’s proper attitude toward God’s Essence: “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME.” David sure got it right here in Psalm 103:1.

A sinner can even be saved (born again) by Trusting JESUS and His Shed BLOOD, or (as Romans 10:13 words it) “calling on the NAME of the Lord!”

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” King James Version

Hour after hour could be invested in pondering the ineffable Name of the Lord!

God protects His Name … and acts on our behalf “for His Name’s Sake” … so let us reverence Him as well.

Let us never disparage His glorious Name!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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That would be, in the eyes of Bible honoring scholars anyway, Psalm 22. It’s about a man dying on a cross. That Man (prophetically speaking) being Jesus Christ, the Son of God!

Watch how the Psalm begins. “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? “ Yes, that’s Verse 1.

Jesus appropriated these words, putting them on His Own lips as He died on Calvary. Matthew tells us precisely: “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

And Mark agrees: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

Then, just a few minutes later … apparently less than an hour … Jesus died!

But not without quoting the last Verse of Psalm 22! Here we transition from Hebrew to Greek. Let me show you.

Psalm 22:31, its last Clause. “He that done this.”

Now the Greek, John 19:30 … “It is finished!” 

The Whole Verse: “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

He died immediately after saying that all (His Work of the Cross) was done!

My point today …

Looks like Jesus pondered, meditated, thought upon Psalm 22, from start to finish, the Day He died for this lost world!

Obviously in His last little while nailed to that cruel tree!

Wow!

I do not know how much the Psalms mean to you, Christian friend. But I do know what they meant to Jesus! I suspect He studied them every day! In fact, He might still be doing so!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Read a few Psalms today, thinking of your Lord!

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It was an ultra busy day, for sure. I preached this month’s CD Bible study and duplicated a number of copies. Then Debbie and I mailed our “Thank You” letters for the month. And in the midst of all that busyness … I did not write the Website Bible Study, Devotional.

So, at nearly Midnight on a Friday in early July … here is a thought the Lord just showed me.

It is lifted from Psalm 21:13, the last Verse of the Poem … “Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”

Obviously, it’s a prayer, these words.

But it calls for God to be adored, exalted NOT on the Basis of His Love or Mercy or Lovingkindness. Or even to be magnified for His Sovereignty, Omniscience (knowing all), Veracity (being pure Truth, incapable of lying), Immutability (never changing) or any other of His many Attributes.

This Text Verse pleads for God to be exalted on the Basis of His Own “Strength!” In Hebrew this word means “to prevail!” Mighty in Battle!

“Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”

For God to be exalted of His “Power.” A word whose cognate (relative) means “Chief, Champion, Giant, One Who excels!”

Power to create, and worlds on display to prove such!

Power to save, even lost sinners from Hell!

Power to overcome the enemy, even Antichrist some day!

And Power to meet our every need, dear Christian friend!

POWER!

Just before His Ascension to Heaven, forty days after His Resurrection … Jesus said: “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN HEAVEN AND IN EARTH.”

Let’s sing unto Him, the all Powerful One!

Let’s praise His Strength indeed!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

When I think of His Power, I feel so secure as a Christian, so at peace! So “in His Hand!”

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