Your Word for Today

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Your Word for Today

“son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down, even her, and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the Earth, with them who go down into the pit (Ezek. 32:18).

The last Prophecy concerning Egypt (Vss. 17-32) presents, in vision, Pharaoh, his armies, and the armies of his allies, helpless captives, covered with shame, and shut up in the dungeon of Sheol (Hell), in company with other kings and their armies. When on Earth, all these were mighty and caused terror; but in the world of the dead, they suffer a common misery, ignominy, and helplessness.

These Scriptures present a momentary glance into the dreadful mystery of the spirit-world.

Many of the other monarchs listed in this Chapter had honorable burial in their armor, their swords beneath their heads, which was the custom in those days. But not so Pharaoh. He was, according to history, strangled.

Thus close these seven Prophecies concerning Egypt. She sought, in self-will and the pride of nature, to take the place which God had given to Babylon, i.e., the leader of the world at that time. The mighty empire of Assyria had had to bend to God’s gift of supremacy to Nebuchadnezzar; and Pharaoh, though he owned no god but himself (Ezek. 29:3, 9), was no better than other monarchs in power and might. He was uncircumcised like the others, that is, not owned of God, nor upheld by Him.

Pride and self-will characterized Egypt. Regrettably, she had been the confidence of God’s People (Ezek. 29:16), but should be so no longer; for how could such a principal ever furnish the victories given only to Faith? Egypt shall have her place in the future (Isa., Chpt. 19), but never as a ruler; her judgment secures Israel’s blessing, for the will of man in Pharaoh cannot frustrate the purpose of God in Grace.

We learn from all of this that the nations of the Earth, even the mightiest, are nothing in God’s Hands; one day, every nation in the world will worship the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be in the coming Kingdom Age. The Prophet Isaiah said so (Isa., Chpts. 11-12).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and He said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, You know (Ezek. 37:3).

During World War II, some six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazi butchers. It was Satan’s effort to destroy these ancient people, because he knew that the time had come for the beginning of their restoration. He did not succeed, but it was not for lack of trying.

Out of that funeral pyre, the death camps of Nazi Germany and Poland, the question asked some 2,500 years ago by the Lord of the Prophet Ezekiel now takes on meaning, “Can these bones live?” In 1948, the nation of Israel was reborn, one might say, thereby beginning the fulfillment of the Thirty-seventh Chapter of Ezekiel.

Within themselves, it was not possible, and is not possible, for them to live again.
Within themselves, there is no hope, as should be overly obvious!

However, listen to what the Lord told the Prophet some 2,500 years ago:

“Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel” (Ezek. 37:12).

And that’s exactly what the Lord did. Out of the holocaust, He brought vagabond Jews from all over the world in order to establish the nation of Israel once again.

Concerning Israel and her restoration, some 500 years after the Prophecy of Ezekiel, the Apostle Paul said, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

“For this is My Covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins” (Rom. 11:26-27).

Actually, Paul was quoting both Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isa. 27:9; Jer. 31:31).

Israel is God’s prophetic time clock. In other words, one can look at Israel and tell just how late the time actually is. To be sure, it is late. Israel is about to enter into the worst time of her existence, called the “Great Tribulation” (Mat. 24:21).

Zechariah prophesied that two-thirds of the people of Israel will die at that time (Zech. 13:8-9). Then, and only then, actually during the Battle of Armageddon, when it seems as if Israel will be completely destroyed, will they then begin to call upon the Lord. He will answer that cry. That is the Second Coming, the time that Israel will finally accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s a shame that Israel will have to undergo such sorrow; however, millions in their own way have had to undergo trouble before they finally would say, “Yes,” to Jesus Christ.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves, whithersoever the Rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the River comes (Ezek. 47:9).

This of which Ezekiel speaks will take place in the coming Kingdom Age. The Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, called the “Millennial Temple.” Jesus will rule and reign supreme (Isa., Chpt. 11).

The Scripture tells us that “waters,” i.e., “a river,” will issue out from under the threshold of the Temple and flow eastward. These waters will “come down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the Altar,” which means that the channel is the Altar of Jehovah, i.e., Calvary.

This River is a type of the Holy Spirit. Even though it will be a literal river in the coming Kingdom Age, still, its properties will be very similar to the Spirit of God.

First of all, “The Man with a line in his hand” is the Lord Jesus Christ. He Alone can measure, because the measurement is His.

At first, the waters were only to the “ankles”; this typifies the Holy Spirit changing our “direction.” Next, the waters were to the “knees”; this addresses our prayer life. Then, the waters were to the “loins,” speaking of our procreation abilities, i.e., the bringing of children into the Kingdom of God. Then, finally, it was “waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.” The Holy Spirit, of which all of this is a Type, is of such magnitude that no one has ever exhausted His potential, and no one ever will!

The waters will be living and life-giving; but there shall be no healing for the miry places (Vs. 11). Imperfection will continue to exist during the Millennium, for man will still be under trial. He will have freedom of choice. If he accepts Messiah’s rule, he will enjoy the blessings pictured in Verses 1 through 10 and Verse 12; but if he rejects that Government, he will be turned over to judgment, for Grace despised involves bitterness and death.

Millennium blessing will be powerful and abiding; it will greatly surmount and almost efface evil, but not entirely. Nor only in the New Heaven and New Earth will there be perfection (Rev., Chpts. 21-22).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and it shall come to pass, that everything that lives, which moves, whithersoever the Rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the River comes (Ezek. 47:9).

This of which Ezekiel speaks will take place in the coming Kingdom Age. The Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, called the “Millennial Temple.” Jesus will rule and reign supreme (Isa., Chpt. 11).

The Scripture tells us that “waters,” i.e., “a river,” will issue out from under the threshold of the Temple and flow eastward. These waters will “come down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the Altar,” which means that the channel is the Altar of Jehovah, i.e., Calvary.

This River is a type of the Holy Spirit. Even though it will be a literal river in the coming Kingdom Age, still, its properties will be very similar to the Spirit of God.

First of all, “The Man with a line in his hand” is the Lord Jesus Christ. He Alone can measure, because the measurement is His.

At first, the waters were only to the “ankles”; this typifies the Holy Spirit changing our “direction.” Next, the waters were to the “knees”; this addresses our prayer life. Then, the waters were to the “loins,” speaking of our procreation abilities, i.e., the bringing of children into the Kingdom of God. Then, finally, it was “waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.” The Holy Spirit, of which all of this is a Type, is of such magnitude that no one has ever exhausted His potential, and no one ever will!

The waters will be living and life-giving; but there shall be no healing for the miry places (Vs. 11). Imperfection will continue to exist during the Millennium, for man will still be under trial. He will have freedom of choice. If he accepts Messiah’s rule, he will enjoy the blessings pictured in Verses 1 through 10 and Verse 12; but if he rejects that Government, he will be turned over to judgment, for Grace despised involves bitterness and death.

Millennium blessing will be powerful and abiding; it will greatly surmount and almost efface evil, but not entirely. Nor only in the New Heaven and New Earth will there be perfection (Rev., Chpts. 21-22).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. And he said, You have asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you; but if not, it shall not be so (II Ki. 2:9-10).

There have never been two Prophets quite like Elijah and Elisha. The name “Elijah” means “Jehovah is God,” and figures Law. “Elisha” means “God is Salvation,” and represents Grace. Elisha has now been some ten years with Elijah — a testing time — and the last test now comes.

The Scripture indicates that Elisha knew that Elijah was going to be taken. Exactly how, that he did not know! Consequently, Elisha will not let the great Prophet out of his sight. Irrespective that Elijah told him first to remain in Gilgal, then to remain in Bethel, and finally to remain in Jericho, Elisha, prompted by the Spirit of God, knew that he must not let Elijah out of his sight. He hungered and thirsted after Righteousness; consequently, he would be filled (Mat. 5:6).

And then, at the miracle of the parting of the waters of Jordan, Elijah said to his protégé, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you.” The answer from Elisha was instant, “Let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.” Elisha wanted the Power of God. He was little interested in anything else.

For what is the modern Church seeking?

Then Elijah said to him, “You have asked a hard thing.” A better translation from the Hebrew would be, “You have staked a great claim.” And that’s exactly what the Holy Spirit wanted him to do. Far too many Christians presently are staking insignificant claims, or rather none at all. The Church desperately needs those who will “stake a great claim,” i.e., “ask for the impossible.”

To be frank, it was impossible for Elijah to give any part of his spirit to Elisha, much less a double portion; however, the Lord could do such; to be sure, the Lord did so such! There only was one requirement:

Elisha was not to take his eyes off the great Prophet. If Elisha observed Elijah as he was translated, he would receive his request; if not, “it shall not be so.” To be sure, the moment this tremendous spectacle occurred, i.e., the translation of Elijah, and done so by a “chariot of fire, and horses of fire,” Elisha was intently observing, and he received exactly that for which he asked — a double portion.

The “double portion” is exactly what I want from the Lord, and it should be exactly what you want. Grace promised it to Elisha, and Grace gave it to Elisha. Grace will do the same for us! We must not be satisfied with the status quo, or even what has been. There awaits a double portion for all who will believe.

Elisha got exactly that for which he asked. He performed exactly twice as many miracles as Elijah.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Follow The Man Bearing the Pitcher of Water

“And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover (the lamb was killed), His disciples said unto Him, Where will You that we go and prepare that You may eat the passover? (A place had to be prepared.) And He sent forth two of His disciples (refers to Peter and John [Lk. 22:8]), and said unto them, Go ye into the city (Jerusalem), and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water (this was seldom done by men): follow him (in a spiritual sense, this man was a type of the Holy Spirit). And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house (believed to have been owned by John Mark, or his family, who wrote the gospel according to Mark), The Master says, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with My disciples? (Actually says, ‘My guestchamber.’) And he (the owner of the house) will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared (was in a state of readiness): there make ready for us (has to do with the preparation of the passover ingredients). And His disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as He had said unto them: and they made ready the passover (meant that Peter and John took the paschal lamb to the temple where it was there killed, with the priests officiating, with the blood poured out at the base of the brazen altar; the carcass of the lamb would have then been brought back to this house, where it would have been roasted and prepared by the disciples)” (Mk. 14:12-16) (The Expositor’s Study Bible).

The baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues is God’s greatest gift to the church. It is through the Holy Spirit that God works in the church and in our lives. Actually, one could say that the Spirit is the executive of the Godhead, working in us and on behalf of us.

The infilling of the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct work of grace afforded to us by and through what Christ did at Calvary.

With the Holy Spirit, the believer and the church are vibrant and dynamic. Without the Holy Spirit, the work that could be done is greatly hindered.
In this account given to us in Mark, we are given a glimpse of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

con't

 

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Passover
In verse 12, the Scripture tells us that it was the time of the Passover.

As you know, the Passover typified Calvary and our salvation. This tells us that all of the great benefits of Calvary (healing, deliverance, joy, peace, etc.) can only come to us after our conversion and the infilling of the Spirit, for power and service can only come after one has been saved.

During the Passover week, there could have been up to 2 million people gathered in Jerusalem.

During Passover, approximately 250,000 lambs would be offered up in sacrifice. A quart of blood would be drained out of each lamb. The blood would fall into a golden bowl, and then the bowl would be passed down from priest to priest until it reached the brazen altar, and then the blood was poured over it. There were conduits running out from the brazen altar in which the blood would be carried to the brook Kidron, where for days it would run red with the blood.

However, in spite of all the lambs being offered up during the entirety of the dispensation of the law, and all the blood that would flow from the lambs being offered up, the sin of man could only be covered. However, when Christ, the Lamb of God, died on Calvary, one drop of His blood was enough to atone for all sin—past, present, and future.

When the Passover was observed, the entire lamb was to be eaten, except for some of the inward parts, meaning, you must accept all of Christ and not just the part of Him you desire.

They were to eat the lamb in a reclining or resting position, typifying the rest that comes to man through Christ (Mat. 11:28-30).

They were to eat the lamb with bitter herbs, meaning, they were never to forget that they were once slaves in Egypt, unable to free themselves. Today, man cannot free himself from sin except through the blood of Christ. Man cannot earn it, buy it, or inherit it. Only through the acceptance of Christ as man’s Redeemer can one be free from the bitter slavery of sin.

They would eat the meal with unleavened bread, meaning, there could be no sin in the Passover.

Then they would drink a cup of wine, with the wine representing joy—the joy that comes to man when he knows that all sin has been forgiven and cleansed.

The Man Bearing A Pitcher Of Water
When the disciples inquired of the Lord as to where they would eat the Passover, He told them to go into the city “and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water.”

There are two things that are important here:

• The water is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit (Ex. 17:6; Ezek. 36:25-27; 47:1; Jn. 3:5; 4:14; 7:38-39). The Holy Spirit is the fountain of Living Water, the purest and the best. The Holy Spirit is a veritable River of Life. As natural water purifies, refreshes, and quenches thirst, so the Holy Spirit purifies, refreshes, and quenches our spiritual thirst. As natural water is an indispensable source of physical life, the Holy Spirit is an indispensable element of spiritual life. As the song says:
There’s a river of life,
Flowing out from me,
Makes the lame to walk,
And the blind to see;
Opens prison doors,
And sets the captive free,
There’s a river of life,
Flowing out from me.
• Men in those days didn’t carry water. This was a task reserved for women, thus, a man carrying water would stand out amongst the entire crowd crossing the streets of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit stands out. He cannot be hidden. You can spot a person, work, or a church that is full of the River of Life; they stand out.
Immediately upon the acceptance of Christ, the Lord sends the believer to meet the man bearing a pitcher of water. It is the will of the Lord that after salvation, the believer go on and be filled with the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:1-4.

Follow Him
The Lord instructed the disciples to follow the man.

This speaks to the fact that as believers, we are to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Everything we do is to be done in accordance with the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit.

When the Lord first called His disciples, He stated, “Follow Me,” and now He says, “Follow Him,” the Holy Spirit.

Upper Room
The Lord said, “He will show you a large upper room.” This pertains to all we need for life and godliness. Everything is found in the upper room. Notice that He said, “Large upper room.” Everything the Lord has for us is big.

Furnished
The room is already furnished; we don’t add anything to it. The Holy Spirit knows what we need.

Prepared
The large upper room is furnished and prepared by the Holy Spirit and not man, a church, or a denomination, but by the Holy Spirit alone.

So, follow the man bearing a pitcher of water!

Pastor Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“in that day there shall be a fountain opened to the House of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness (Zech. 13:1).

This fountain of which Zechariah speaks was historically opened at Calvary, but will be consciously opened to repentant Judah in the future day of her repentance; but the fact and function of that fountain only become conscious to the awakened sinner. A true sense of sin and guilt in relationship to God awakens the sense of the need of cleansing; so the shed and cleansing Blood of the Lamb of God becomes precious to the convicted conscience. The fear of punishment does not come in here to impair the character and depth of Judah’s sorrow and repentance.

The ever-living efficacy of Christ’s atoning Work and its power to cleanse the conscience and the life is justly comparable to a fountain. The sense of the Hebrew Text is that this fountain shall be opened and shall remain open.

Of all sinners, the Jerusalem sinner may be accounted the greatest. It was Jerusalem that stoned the Prophets and that crucified the Messiah. Great sinners, therefore, may hope for pardon and cleansing in this fountain open for the House of David.

The entrance of Christ judges sin, unmasks its true character, and arouses a moral consciousness which approves that judgment. Israel must accept Christ and what He did at the Cross in order for sin to be judged, the same as any other believing sinner.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“for I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle (Zech. 14:2-3).

This signifies the Second Coming, which will be the most cataclysmic event in human history. It will take place during the Battle of Armageddon, when it looks like Jerusalem is lost and Israel is annihilated.

The Old Testament records many instances when the Lord fought for Israel. He will do the same at that coming time, in fact, in a greater way than ever.

The Thirty-eighth and Thirty-ninth Chapters of Ezekiel give an account of this battle. This particular day when the Lord does come back will be a day unlike any other. The Scripture says, “That the light shall not be clear, nor dark” (Zech. 14:6). After Israel accepts Him as Saviour and Lord, which they will do immediately, then the Lord Jesus Christ will be the One God of the whole Earth. There will be no religious Denominations at that time, consequently no divided Church.

The world, with Jesus Christ at its Head, will enter into the greatest time of peace and prosperity it has even known. The Prince of Peace will then be reigning. As a result, peace will envelop the world, which it has never seen before. The Prophet Isaiah predicted this day by saying:

“And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:4).

At that time, every Saint who has ever lived, beginning with Abel and coming through unto the time of the First Resurrection, will have Glorified Bodies and will help the Lord administer the affairs of the universe. That includes every Believer now alive, and, of course, all who have died.

This is the Kingdom that Israel rejected upon the First Advent of Christ, but will accept at the Second Advent of Christ.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in My House, and prove Me now herewith, saith the LORD of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of Heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it (Mal. 3:10).

While this great Promise was given under the Law, still, tithing predates the Law by several hundreds of years. The first mention of tithing in the Bible is when Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen. 14:20). Some claim that while God blessed Israel economically, at least when they did somewhat right, He will not do such to the Church, our blessings only being spiritual! Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, whatever the Lord did for Israel of old, He will do for His People presently, and even greater. How could He do less now under a greater and better Covenant than He did for Israel with an inferior Covenant?

If any Believer will faithfully believe the Lord, will ask Him to meet our every need, irrespective if that need is financial, physical, domestic, or spiritual, to be sure, the Lord will answer that prayer. As stated, we now have a better Covenant, based on better Promises (Heb. 8:6).

“We have not, because we ask not.”

And then, all too often, our motives aren’t right. If that is the case, God cannot honor any request. “You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4: 2-3).

If, under the Old Covenant, the Lord said that He would “open the windows of Heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there would not be room enough to receive it,” He definitely will do the same identical thing now for those who will believe Him.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“in those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. For this is He Who was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the Way of the LORD, make His paths straight (Mat. 3:1-3).

The preaching of John the Baptist wasn’t exactly according to diplomatic skills. It was personal, abrupt, powerful, forceful, and straight to the point. It minced no words. People sometimes speak of the spirit of the New Testament being different from that of the Old Testament, but Matthew 3:1-7 overthrows this belief, as do many other Passages, notably those of the Book of Revelation.

How could God’s attitude towards sin change?

The Baptist called these individuals children of Satan; he declared the Wrath of God was coming, that the ax of judgment was even then lying at the root of the tree of religious profession, and that if these moralists did not repent, they would be burned up as chaff in the unquenchable fire.

To strike off a branch of a tree is partial destruction, but to lay the ax at the root means total destruction. To be sure, John the Baptist used the tree as a symbol to picture the professors of religion.

The voice of John the Baptist was the first voice of a Prophet heard in Israel in some 400 years. Without the voice of the Prophet, Israel became bogged down in legalism. Without the voice of the Prophet, this is the direction the Church always takes.

It should be noticed that John’s preaching carried very little foretelling; almost all was in the class of “forthtelling.” In other words, John was a powerful Preacher of Righteousness, which is the major calling of the true Prophet.

John was the last of the Prophets under the Old Covenant; he would be the greatest of all, simply because he went immediately before the face of Jehovah-Messiah. In fact, he introduced Christ!

How much preaching presently measures up to that carried out by the Baptist?”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil (Mat. 4:1).

The First Adam was tempted in a Garden; the Second Man, the Last Adam, was tempted in a wilderness.

“Tempted” means “to be put to the test.” Adam was tested in innocence; Jesus was tempted knowing both good and evil, though He, in Himself, was sinless. He entered the wilderness of this world’s misery and evil to render in it a life of absolute obedience and dependence; it was, therefore, necessary for that Perfect Obedience and Dependence to be tested. It demanded that He should have no other Will than that of His Father; and that He would accept that Will and delight in it, no matter what might be the consequences to Himself. We should remember that!

It was this Obedience and Dependence that the tempter sought to impair. So he invited Him to use His Privileges as the Son of God, as the Messiah, and as the Son of Man, to work a miracle in His Own favor, to manifest Himself to Israel, and to take up the sovereignty of the Earth promised to Him. But Satan failed!

The manner in which Jesus was tempted is the manner of all temptation. The act performed, whatever it might be, is the result of the real temptation, that being to step outside of the Will of God. Oftentimes we tend to look at the act and not the cause. In doing so, we miss the point altogether. Worse yet, we will not find victory in such a pursuit.

We Believers cannot meet Satan on the same terms that Jesus met him. We are foolish if we think we can. Our way of escape, the only way, in fact, of escape, is to look exclusively to what was done at the Cross by Christ, Who is our Substitute, and Who, with His Perfect Life and Perfect Sacrifice of Himself, defeated the powers of darkness on all counts.

Paul said, “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross;

And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” (Col. 2:14-15).

Faith in Christ and the Cross, ever making the Cross the Object of our Faith, is the only pathway to victory, simply because no other pathway is needed.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: And He opened His Mouth, and taught them, saying (Mat. 5:1-2).

Two sermons, both delivered on mountains, opened and closed the Lord’s public Ministry. The first, which we are now discussing, was upon a mountain near Capernaum; the last, upon Olivet, near Jerusalem (Mat., Chpt. 24). The theme of each was the Kingdom from the Heavens.

Of the nine Beatitudes, the first four proclaim the Salvation experience. They are:

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”: First of all, the individual must know and realize that he is morally and spiritually bankrupt. That is what is meant by being “poor in spirit.” It is hard for man to understand that’s what he is, and harder still for him to admit it. But entrance into this Kingdom of Heaven demands that man admit what he is.

2. “Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted”: This does not speak of sadness or mourning at funerals. It refers to being sorry for one’s undone condition before God. Once again, we go back to admitting what we are, and we are sorry, very sorry!

3. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the Earth”: The proud will not come to God; if they do, they will not admit what they are, so they leave without having received anything. In fact, the key to all the Beatitudes is the first, i.e., “poor in spirit.” Realizing that, one “mourns,” which results in “meekness.” The only personal thing that Jesus ever said about Himself was that He was “meek and lowly in heart” (Mat. 11:29).

4. “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness: for they shall be filled”: Having fulfilled the first three, such will guarantee a hunger and thirst after Righteousness. This being the case, it is guaranteed of fulfillment.

Those first four Beatitudes being carried out, the balance will fall into place.

I might quickly add:

The only way that any person can be what these Beatitudes state is that Faith is ever in Christ and what He did for us at the Cross. Only when one sees the Cross, and sees it properly, can one come to the place of being “poor in spirit,” which, as stated, is the key to all the other Beatitudes.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves (Mat. 7:15).

The preachers of falsehood are now at once introduced; they deny the need of Christ and the Cross; they stand in contrast to the Preachers of Truth.

The moral fruit of these false teachers is corruption in the Church and corruption in the world. Any way that one desires to put the account, false teachers are workers of iniquity, however attractive their personal character may be. All false doctrine propagated by false preachers has its beginning in a faulty understanding of the Cross. The Cross is the foundation on which all doctrine must be built (I Pet. 1:18-20); if doctrine is not built on that foundation, it will, in some way, be specious. Unless there is a proper understanding of the Cross, false doctrine and false prophets are going to be, in some way, the result.

Our Lord plainly tells us in these Passages (Mat. 7:15-20) that no good fruit can come from a corrupt tree. It’s not possible! It may look promising to begin with, but the end result will not be favorable at all.

How does one recognize a false prophet?

Jesus told us! “Therefore by their fruits you shall know them.”

A false way is always loaded down with religious machinery. Those ensnared are always hard at work at their religion; consequently, there is much outward activity, but no inner change, i.e., “no spiritual growth.” True Spiritual Growth comes about only by and through one’s Faith in Christ and His Finished Work on our behalf.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“and behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if You will, You can make me clean. And Jesus put forth His Hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Mat. 8:2-3).

Having exhibited on the mountain the Statutes of the Kingdom which He proposed to set up on the Earth, our Lord descended, and, in the midst of the people, demonstrated His Power as God over disease (Vss. 2-16), over nature (Vss. 24-26), and over demons (Vss. 28-32), and His Ability, by banishing evil, to fill the Earth with happiness and destroy the works and kingdom of the Devil. But men preferred Satanic domination, disease, demons, and swine (Vs. 34).

It was against the Mosaic Law for one to touch a leper. To do so made one ceremonially unclean.

Did Jesus break the Law?

Leprosy was a type of sin and was looked at by Israel of old as a judgment from God. Not only was the disease loathsome, but many even thought that a leper could not be saved. Luke said that this man was “full of leprosy,” which means that he was near death (Lk. 5:12). Desperate, even though the Law forbade such, he came close to Jesus, close enough to touch Him.

He did not doubt the Power of Christ to cleanse the leprosy, only the Will of Christ. Knowing his terrible condition, he made the statement, “If You will, You can make me clean!”

Upon this declaration, coupled with the man’s faith, Jesus “put forth His hand, and touched him.” As His hand was going toward the leper, He said, “I will; be thou clean!”

No! Jesus did not break the Law by touching the leper. The Greek Text implies that His Word healed the leper, and not His touch. In fact, when His hand touched the leper, he had already been cleansed, so no Law was broken. The Scripture says that he was “cleansed immediately”!

Everything that Jesus did was meant not only to help the individual in question, but also to serve as a great Spiritual Truth. The “cleansing of the leper” portrayed His Power to cleanse from all sin, and to do so immediately upon a proper confession of faith.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“when Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to them who followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel (Mat. 8:10).

The Centurion comes to Christ, asking our Lord to heal his servant, who was “sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” The answer of Christ was immediate, “I will come and heal him.” The Centurion surprised the Lord by saying, “I am not worthy that You should come under my roof: but speak the Word only, and my servant shall be healed.”

The intelligence of this man was remarkable. He argued that the soldiers had to obey him because in his person resided the authority of the emperor; similarly, disease obeyed Jesus because in Him was the authority of God. And he was right!

When Jesus heard this statement, “He marveled.” This records one of only two times He marveled: at the “faith” of this Gentile, and at the “unbelief” of the Jews (Mk. 6:6).

The Lord followed His reaction by saying, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” This is a portrayal of the fact that the Gentiles would accept Christ while Israel would not. Jesus then did exactly what the Centurion requested. He said to him, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so be it done unto you.”

The Scripture is emphatic when it says, “And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.”

This great miracle by Christ portrays the fact that “faith” is the chief ingredient demanded by the Lord on our part.

But let the following ever be understood:

Then the faith had to be registered solely in Christ, and for the obvious reasons. Now that the Cross is a fact, we must ever realize that while Christ is the Source, the Cross is the means. Then our faith will ever be honored.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“but when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils (Mat. 12:24).

To attribute the Power of God to demon spirits is blasphemy. This is, in fact, the worst blasphemy of all, blaspheming the Holy Spirit, for which there is no forgiveness. The Pharisees, who, incidentally, were the religious leaders in Israel during Jesus’ day, could not deny the healings and miracles performed by Christ, nor did they have a rebuttal for His messages. So they claimed that the power He evidenced was furnished by the Devil, and not by the Holy Spirit. They were, therefore, attributing the Work of the Holy Spirit to the Devil. That is the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mat. 12:24-32).

There are two groups of people who can blaspheme the Holy Spirit: those who have once know the Lord and then turned their back upon Him, or else professors of religion, as these Pharisees. An individual who has never known the Lord and who makes no religious profession cannot blaspheme the Holy Spirit, simply because he doesn’t have enough knowledge to do so.

A person who has truly blasphemed the Holy Spirit, even as these Pharisees, will have no desire to come to Christ, no desire to function Scripturally. The idea is patently unscriptural that a person may want to come to the Lord but cannot do so because they think they have blasphemed the Holy Spirit. The very fact that a person wants to come to the Lord means that such a desire has been generated by the Holy Spirit. To be sure, the Holy Spirit would not generate such a desire if there was no hope.

Considering this exceedingly important subject, I fear for those who malign, as being of the Devil, speaking in tongues, or any other thing truly done by the Holy Spirit.

“Wherefore I say unto you (addressing the most fearsome statement), All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men (that is, if they properly confess the sin to the Lord [I Jn. 1:9]): but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men” (Mat. 12:31).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“and He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed, and broke, and gave the loaves to His Disciples, and the Disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full (Mat. 14:19-20).

An order is developed here which characterizes the life and living of Believers, at least if they want to truly follow the Lord. That order is:

1. “He took”: His taking the five loaves and two fish characterize Him taking us when we were Born-Again. Let it be understood: As these were multiplied to feed thousands of people, He desires to multiply us, as well. If we will truly follow Him, in other words, follow the order that is laid out here, thousands will be spiritually fed and spiritually healed.

2. “He blessed”: Almost immediately after the person is saved, the blessings of the Lord begin. They come from all directions in order to encourage the new convert. It is a blessed time; however, we cannot remain in that particular position, simply because the Lord has something much greater for us. Many Christians, in this state, attempt to give the “blessing” to others, but the conclusion is that self is glorified instead of the Lord. Consequently, the end result is of no positive benefit.

3. “He broke”: After the blessing comes the breaking, and this is the part that none of us enjoy. However, if we are to be what we must be in the Lord, it is inevitable, meaning absolutely necessary, that we experience the breaking process. It is painful and hurtful, but necessary! This is what John the Baptist was speaking of when, concerning Jesus, he said, “Whose fan is in His Hand, and He will thoroughly purge His Floor, and gather His Wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Mat. 3:12).

4. “He gave”: Only after we have been properly broken can we then be successfully given. And now there is a great difference. Instead of “self” being glorified, the Master is glorified. We can now be multiplied, which will then spiritually feed the multiplied thousands who are in such desperate need.

Unfortunately, many do not survive the breaking process. They quit, lose faith, lose heart, and, thereby, miss the greatest blessing of all.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart