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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Since we are focusing on the Book of Revelation in our “Evening Meditation” videos, I thought this quick little “word study” might prove interesting.

The Greek noun “apocalypse” literally means “revelation,” but in this lovely precise sense …

Its prefix, also a preposition is simply spelled “apo.” It means “from” or “away from.” And the word’s main root is a verb, spelled “krupto,” meaning “to hide” something. Better yet, it means “to veil” a person or thing. Therefore, when these two words are placed together we see that “apocalypse” is essentially an uncovering, an UNVEILING!

So then, Revelation 1:1 is quite helpful. Read it with me … “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John” …

The Book is not a revelation of John the writer, the Disciple! It is an unveiling of Jesus our Saviour! Jesus Who then unveils “things which must shortly come to pass!”

Immediately thereupon (after Revelation 1:1) is revealed: the glorified Lord, the seven Churches, the Rapture of Believers in Christ Jesus, Heaven itself, the Tribulation, and so much more!

But that’s not all!

There is another “unveiling” in Jewish culture and life. It centers around a wedding, where a beautiful and pure Bride-to-be, wearing her wedding veil (picturing modesty) LIFTS that thing to reveal her countenance (eyes, lips, smile, etc.) to her very-soon-to-be husband. Yes, a wedding in that sense is an “unveiling.”

But is that ceremony mentioned in Revelation?

Yes!

Near Book’s end, really.

“And there came unto me (John) one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the BRIDE, the Lamb’s WIFE.” Revelation 21:9

Add this verse … “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the MARRIAGE of the Lamb is come, and his WIFE hath made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7, where her being ready includes her veil being in place!

Thus, the Book of Revelation starts with an unveiling of Jesus. And ends with an unveiling of His Bride, the Church of the living God!

Oh, how fitting, how very appropriate!

Because Jesus is not only the Theme of the Book, He is also also the very Bridegroom!

Jesus, unveiled!

The Church, unveiled!

A Wedding to occur!

The Two being made One!

And really … “living happily ever after!”

Who would have thought it?

The Book of Revelation ending with a Wedding! An unveiling!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Are YOU saved?

(If not, let me know. I’d love to discuss the matter with you. John 3:16 is still true!)

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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