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Your Word for Today

“but He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour (Mat. 15:26-28).

The lesson taught here is remarkable indeed! A Gentile lady comes to Christ and requests deliverance for her daughter.

As a Minister of the Circumcision for the Truth of God to fulfill the Promises made to the Fathers, Christ refused to answer the Gentile petition addressed to him as Son of David. Obedience must dominate pity. As Man, He was “sent”; He was, therefore, a Servant. Hence, the silence of Verse 23, i.e., “He answered her not a word.”

As stated, there was a reason for that, so He will take another tact. He said to her, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Her answer was classic. She said, “Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

She had previously addressed him as Son of David, to which He could not respond, because she was a Gentile. Now she addresses Him as “Lord.” As God, He has liberty of action; in Grace, He could respond to the need which Faith presented to that Grace. Otherwise, He would have denied His Own Character and Nature as God.

Her plea, “Lord, help me,” was better than her first one. But she did not get blessing until she added, “I am a dog.” This was the same ground the publican took when he said, “Be propitiated to me the sinner.”

If deliverance from the power of sin and Satan be a crumb, what must the whole loaf be!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
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
Wow, I just found this thread. What an easy read!

I quoted this because to me, it's fascinating.
 
Your Word for Today

“while he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a Voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My Beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him (Mat. 17:5).

The transfiguration presents a portrayal of the Glory of Christ. The Glory did not shine upon Jesus, but shone out from Him through His raiment. When Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain with Him, Moses did so as a portrayal of the Law, while Elijah did so as a portrayal of Grace.

The gist of the conversation of Jesus with these two men, one who had been dead for about 1,500 years, and the other who had been translated that he did not see death, is interesting indeed! They spoke with Him of His atoning death (Lk. 9:31). This tells us that this Doctrine, the Atonement, is the great theme of Heaven (Rev. 1:5; 5:6, 9; 7:14).

Peter made a foolish statement about building three tabernacles, “one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” However, the answer from above was quick in coming. God will not have even the greatest Saints associated with His Beloved Son in worship or teaching. Both Moses and Elijah were, in fact, immediately withdrawn and the Divine Voice said, “Hear Him, and Him Alone!”

This means that all prayers to Saints, even prayers to the Virgin Mary, will avail nothing. The Command from God the Father is stark, crisp, and to the point, “Hear ye Him!”’

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

“and, behold, one came and said unto Him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And He said unto him, Why do you call Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God: but if you will enter into life, keep the Commandments (Mat. 19:16-17).

Why did Jesus tell this rich young ruler to keep the Commandments, when He knew it couldn’t be done?

Putting together the facts from the three Evangelists, this man was young, noble, wealthy, strong, courteous, educated, and religious. Most men would esteem him to be perfectly happy; however, despite all of his claims of keeping the Law, he was conscious that he had no “life.” He desired to get it, and he asked what he should do.

Christ answered him in the way He did for two reasons:

First of all, Christ, as a Minister unto the Circumcision under the First Covenant, replied that a perfect obedience to the Law would be rewarded with everlasting life.

Second, the Lord would draw him out, thereby proving the foolishness of his claims.

The young nobleman affirmed that he had rendered perfect obedience. But yet, something was lacking. Spiritually, the young man was blind.

As to the requirement to keep the Commandments, his ridiculous answer was, “Which?”

Jesus was patient with him and named several Commandments, when, in reality, they all had to be kept, and kept all the time, if life was to derived from that source, which, of course, was impossible!

Jesus then hit at the heart of the young man’s problem, which was money. The Lord told him to sell all he had, “And come and follow Me.”

The Scripture is clear. “He went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions” (Mat. 19:22).

Overhearing the exchange, the Disciples were astonished that it should be impossible for a highly moral man, such as this ruler, to go into the Kingdom. They did not understand that there is no good in man; and they quite forgot the declaration of Psalm 14.

Entrance into the Kingdom of God by man, as man, however cultivated and moral, is here declared by the Infallible Judge to be impossible. It is quite impossible for a man to change his color or a leopard, his spots, because that which he exhibits externally is in his nature. But God can do it, for with Him all things are possible. What then cannot be obtained by merit may be received by gift; for the Gift of God is eternal life (Rom. 6:23).

The condition of man, even moral man, is the reason for the Cross!”

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

“but woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them who are entering to go in. You serpents, you generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of Hell? (Mat. 23:13, 33).

The Jesus of this Chapter is not the Jesus of the modern pulpit or the fashionable way, for this Jesus denounced eight “Woes” upon the Preachers of that day; in terrific language, He condemned them to the damnation of Hell.

The first twelve Verses are addressed to the Disciples and the multitude; the remainder, to the Scribes and Pharisees, who, in effect, were the religious leaders of Israel of that day.

The phrase, “Sit in Moses’ seat” (23:2), means that they were the official custodians and teachers of the Bible. But, actually, they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven, took away the key, i.e., the Bible, for they withheld it from the laity, and they nullified it with their own traditions.

Presently, the Bible is under attack as never before. It is not so much ridiculed as it is corrupted. Untold translations, so-called, are making their debut, which actually are no more than interpretations or paraphrases. As a result, many modern Believers, if you could call them that, little know what the Word of God actually says.

For those who pervert the Word of God, would appellatives, such as “serpents,” “hypocrites,” and “vipers,” be suitable?

The outburst of Verse Thirty-seven is extremely moving. The God of Israel stands in His Temple. He suddenly turns from these blind and impure hypocrites. The sinless anger that burns on His Face and in His Eyes melts into anguish and pity, as, it may be assumed, spreading out His Arms, He looks down upon the city spread before and beneath Him, and cries out, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How often would I have gathered you!”

Then, once more addressing the Pharisees, He says, “Behold your House is left unto you desolate,” after which He goes out and departs from the Temple.

Men only saw a simple man leaving the Temple, but the Angels saw the God of Glory and the Glory of God forsaking it. The Glory of God dwelt in Solomon’s Temple; but, in the Second Temple, as predicted by Haggai, the God of Glory Himself!”

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

“and as He sat upon the Mount of Olives, the Disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the world? (Mat. 24:3).

Jesus, the God of Israel, having forsaken His House, it becomes morally leprous — as all become that He forsakes — and in harmony with Leviticus 14:45, He predicted that not one stone of it should be left upon another. He began His Ministry on a mountain, the Mount of Beatitudes, and closed it on another mountain, the Mount of Olives.

Christ offered the Kingdom to Israel, but He and it were refused. Consequently, even as He will say in this Twenty-fourth Chapter, this subjected the world to continued wars, famines, earthquakes, etc. — a continued time frame which has lasted now for nearly twenty centuries.

Most of this Chapter refers to Israel; however, the first fourteen Verses refer to the Church Age directly, and the Church, per se, indirectly. Three particulars stand out. They are:

1. “Deception”: “For many shall come in My Name, saying, I am (of) Christ; and shall deceive many.” Deception is one of Satan’s most powerful weapons. The answer to deception is a firm understanding of the Word of God, which translates into a firm understanding of Christ and the Cross.

2. “False prophets”: “And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” If the Message is not “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified,” then the person must be labeled
a “false prophet.”

3. “The Gospel”: “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; then shall the end come.” Despite the false apostles and the false ways, the prediction is that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached “unto all nations.” It does not say, “all people”; but it does say, “all nations.” We have personally aired Gospel programming by Television in approximately 35 nations, with the Message translated into their language, whatever that language might have been.

The phrase, “And then shall the end come,” plainly tells us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached all over the world proclaims the fact that the Church Age is about over.

The Fifteenth Verse of the Twenty-fourth Chapter of Matthew signals the Great Tribulation. All of this means that the Church should be getting ready for the Rapture (I Thess. 4:13-18).”

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

“and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven: and then shall all the Tribes of the Earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory (Mat. 24:30).

This speaks of the Second Coming, which will be the single most cataclysmic event in the annals of human history. The Coming of the Son of Man to deliver His ancient People will not be secret, but Worldwide. In fact, during the Great Tribulation, many false messiahs will arise, claiming to be the one which Israel desperately seeks.

At the beginning of the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist, the greatest of them all, will make his debut, with Israel announcing to the world that he is the Messiah. In fact, he will sign a seven-year treaty with Israel guaranteeing their protection. He also will enable them to rebuild their Temple.

But in the midst of the Great Tribulation, he will show his true colors and attack Israel, in which she will suffer her first defeat since again becoming a nation in 1948.

That’s what Paul was speaking of when he said, “For when they (Israel) shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape” (I Thess. 5:3). Israel would then be destroyed, but events will draw away the Antichrist and he will leave Israel for another day — the Battle of Armageddon.

When all of these false messiahs come forth at that time, Jesus said, “Believe it not!” Then He said, “For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even unto the west; so shall the Coming of the Son of Man be” (Mat. 24:27). In other words, it will be obvious and on a Worldwide basis, with the entirety of the heavens putting on a display of glory such as it has never done before, because the King is coming home. There will be no doubt as to Who He is!

As stated, this is the Second Coming!”

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

“and they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His Disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging (Mk. 10:46).

The healing of blind Bartimaeus presents one of the greatest recorded miracles found in the Bible.

There is no evidence that Jesus had been to Jericho before this. In fact, it was only a few days before the Crucifixion. He had come from Galilee, and had come the long way around, and did so by crossing the Jordan and coming down on the east side. He would have crossed back to the west side at Jericho, hence Him going through the city.

I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit had Jesus to go through Jericho in order that Zacchaeus be saved and Bartimaeus be healed and saved. There is a good possibility that both of these men had earnestly sought the Lord that Jesus would come this way. If they had, their prayer was now answered.

Upon ascertaining that it was Jesus, Bartimaeus began to cry out, saying, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” He was, in effect, publicly confessing that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, the Lord of Glory. He asked for mercy.

Let it ever be said:

No one has ever asked mercy of the Lord but that they received it!

Many tried to stop Bartimaeus from shouting out to Jesus, but he only shouted the louder. Sadly, there isn’t much of a helping hand, as it regards people coming to the Lord. There should be, but there isn’t!

The more they told Bartimaeus to shut up, the louder he cried.

The Scripture then says, “Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called.” This was Bartimaeus’ day.

In a sense, the Lord, at this very moment, is commanding certain people to be called.

Are you ready for that call? Will you respond favorably?

The Scripture says, “Casting way his garment, he rose, and came to Jesus.” This was a garment carried by beggars, which would be used as a receptacle to catch a few coins during the day, and as a garment to ward off the chill at night. Bartimaeus threw it away because he knew that he would no longer need it. In other words, in just a few moments, he would no longer be blind and he would no longer be a beggar.

The way his name is given in the Sacred Text insinuates that he may have once come from a well-to-do family. If that was the case, fortune had not shined on him too well, and now he is reduced to begging. But his day is about to change.

Jesus said to him, “What will you that I should do unto you?”

What a question!

The answer was immediate, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.”

He was immediately healed and followed Jesus. Tradition says that he became a stalwart in the Church in Jerusalem and remained so until the day of his death.

The lesson is clear. Jesus can change things!”

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

“in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1).

In this First Chapter of the Gospel of St. John, we are given a compendium of the entirety of the Word of God.

The first Verse tells us that Jesus, as the Living Word, is the same as the Written Word. This means that the entirety of the Bible, in some way, is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, and unequivocally so. Then the Scripture says, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His Glory, the Glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father,) full of Grace and Truth” (Jn. 1:14).

We are told here that “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,” which means that He came to this world for a specific purpose. To do what He had to do, God would have to become Man, hence the Incarnation. The Creator would become a creature. Unthinkable! But yet it happened.

The Scripture then said, “The next day John (John the Baptist) sees Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).

Why did John refer to Christ as “the Lamb of God”? Why not “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah”?

The Holy Spirit had John to refer to Jesus as “the Lamb of God” for a specific purpose and reason. He would be what all the millions of lambs had represented since the dawn of time, the Perfect Sacrifice. That is the reason He came!

The destination of the Son of God was the Cross, ever the Cross!

Concerning this, the Prophet Isaiah said, “I gave My back to the smiters, and My cheeks to them who plucked off the hair: I hid not My face from shame and spitting.

“For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed” (Isa. 50:6-7).

Calvary was ever before Him because His mission was to liberate the fallen sons of Adam’s lost race.

And that He did!”

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

“but He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offense unto Me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men (Mat. 16:23).

Any number of times, Jesus told His Disciples that He would go to Jerusalem, be killed, and raised again the third day (16:21). They seemed to understand not at all what He was saying, despite the several times He related this to them. There was a reason for that.

In their thinking, there was no place in the picture for a “Cross.” Jesus was going to take the Throne of Israel, use His mighty power to throw off the Roman yoke, and make Israel, once again, they thought, the leading light in the world. They could see nothing else!

Jesus had come to this Earth in order to redeem the entirety of the world, not just Israel. Further, Israel was a long way from being ready for that of which the Disciples spoke. As becomes overly obvious, the religious leaders of Israel passionately hated the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Jesus mentioned the terrible Sacrifice which was soon to come, “Then Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from You, Lord: this shall not be unto You.”

Concerning this, Williams says, “The poor human heart likes position and glory, and is quite willing to exalt the Messiah even to Heaven, but it shrinks from self-mortification, shame, hatred, persecution, and death.”

Unfortunately, the term “Cross” encompasses all this. If anyone wishes to go after Jesus, he must consent to share His reproach, and, if need be, to die with Him. “At the door of the Roman Court of Justice, crosses were piled high, and the condemned, on leaving, took up a cross and carried it to the place of execution. The Believer must follow Christ in that path.

“Those who take up that cross lose their life in relation to this world, but find it in Christ; those who refuse safeguard their life in this world, but suffer eternal loss.”

The “loss” is far greater than that which they think to gain. Those who, in action, take up the Cross will be rewarded with “life”; others will lose “life” (Mat. 16:24-25).

Jesus turned and said unto Peter, “Get thee behind Me, Satan: you are an offense unto Me: for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” (Mat. 16:23).

Let it ever be understood:

Any Message that belittles the Cross, lessens the Cross, denigrates the Cross, or tries to bypass the Cross, is said to be, by the Lord Jesus Himself, of Satan. That which is of God follows the pattern of the Cross, and follows the pattern of the Cross exclusively! Those who, in action, take up the Cross will be rewarded with “life”; the others will lose “life.”’

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

“and it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that He entered into the Synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered (Lk. 6:6).

What a blessing it must have been to have heard Jesus teach! And yet, those whose hearts were not right with God found no substance in His Words of Life, just as those presently! That’s why Jesus was constantly saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk. 8:8).

There was a man in the Synagogue “whose right hand was withered.” This portrays the entirety of the human race, spiritually withered as a result of the Fall, especially the “right hand.” Considering that the man, as are most, was right-handed, his activities, of necessity, would have been greatly curtailed. This pictures the entirety of the human race, which is in the same condition.

Concerning this, Paul said, “For the flesh (in this case, evil desires) lusts against the Spirit (is the opposite of the Holy Spirit), and the Spirit against the flesh (it is the Holy Spirit Alone, Who can subdue the flesh; He does so, as we have repeatedly stated, by our Faith being placed exclusively in the Cross): and these are contrary one to the other (these two can never harmonize; as Paul has stated, the old nature must be cast out, which the Holy Spirit Alone can do): so that you cannot do the things that you would. (Without the Holy Spirit, Who works by the Cross, the Believer cannot live a Holy life [Gal. 5:17].)

It must be remembered that Paul is speaking here to Believers. He is simply telling us that, due to the “withered hand,” we simply cannot function as we ought to, even though we are saved and are new creations in Christ Jesus (II Cor. 5:17). Consequently, we must function according to the pattern laid down by Christ.

Unfortunately, the Scribes and the Pharisees greatly opposed His healing the man. They were more concerned about their petty rules, which, incidentally, were manmade, than about the restoration of this man. That is a perfect picture of religion.

Despite their opposition, the Christ of Glory told the man to stand up in obvious view of the entirety of the crowd, and then told Him, “Stretch forth your hand.” The man did so, “and his hand was restored whole as the other.” That is the only cure for the fallen sons of Adam’s lost race. The Church, at least for the most part, however, has unfortunately adopted the ways of the world, and I speak of humanistic psychology, in trying to meet this problem. There is no help from that source, even as there cannot be any help from that source.

Let all know and realize:

No matter how badly withered is the right hand, Jesus can restore it. That’s His business!”

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

“and it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that He entered into the Synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered (Lk. 6:6).

What a blessing it must have been to have heard Jesus teach! And yet, those whose hearts were not right with God found no substance in His Words of Life, just as those presently! That’s why Jesus was constantly saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Lk. 8:8).

There was a man in the Synagogue “whose right hand was withered.” This portrays the entirety of the human race, spiritually withered as a result of the Fall, especially the “right hand.” Considering that the man, as are most, was right-handed, his activities, of necessity, would have been greatly curtailed. This pictures the entirety of the human race, which is in the same condition.

Concerning this, Paul said, “For the flesh (in this case, evil desires) lusts against the Spirit (is the opposite of the Holy Spirit), and the Spirit against the flesh (it is the Holy Spirit Alone, Who can subdue the flesh; He does so, as we have repeatedly stated, by our Faith being placed exclusively in the Cross): and these are contrary one to the other (these two can never harmonize; as Paul has stated, the old nature must be cast out, which the Holy Spirit Alone can do): so that you cannot do the things that you would. (Without the Holy Spirit, Who works by the Cross, the Believer cannot live a Holy life [Gal. 5:17].)

It must be remembered that Paul is speaking here to Believers. He is simply telling us that, due to the “withered hand,” we simply cannot function as we ought to, even though we are saved and are new creations in Christ Jesus (II Cor. 5:17). Consequently, we must function according to the pattern laid down by Christ.

Unfortunately, the Scribes and the Pharisees greatly opposed His healing the man. They were more concerned about their petty rules, which, incidentally, were manmade, than about the restoration of this man. That is a perfect picture of religion.

Despite their opposition, the Christ of Glory told the man to stand up in obvious view of the entirety of the crowd, and then told Him, “Stretch forth your hand.” The man did so, “and his hand was restored whole as the other.” That is the only cure for the fallen sons of Adam’s lost race. The Church, at least for the most part, however, has unfortunately adopted the ways of the world, and I speak of humanistic psychology, in trying to meet this problem. There is no help from that source, even as there cannot be any help from that source.

Let all know and realize:

No matter how badly withered is the right hand, Jesus can restore it. That’s His business!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
Love this...
The big time rule in Israel was "Rest on the Sabbath Day".
In Hebrew euphamisms it was written "Work of the hands" literally. There were exceptions and precisely what constituted work was painstakingly laid out in minute detail.

And the healing of the man's hand...
Obviously a miracle performed by God...but done on a Sabbath Day. The obvious contradiction to the rules designed by them to try and stop all those "rule breakers" who "got away with it" by finding loopholes. (Prosecuting Attorneys and Police of today have the same attitudes very often.
And this guy who got his withered hand restored...what would you do if it was you? I know that I personally would work the stew out of that hand marveling at how it worked yet again as a normal hand. I would forget all about "doing no work of my hands" and raise it to God and thank him and do all kinds of stuff with it. Flexing it at every opportunity and lifting things with it all day long in spite of the ban.

And I think that this was Jesus' very intent.
Jesus was the LORD of the Sabbath. He was the very cause of it and the End of it. He instituted The New Covenant because of his Sacrifice on the Cross.

Not saying that a day of rest is a bad idea...because it isn't.
But that the legality and the "Rule upon rule" is over because of it. I need a Savior...Just like they needed a Savior...and that was what all those rules were really about. Throwing yourself on the mercy of the Savior...and not believing in your own righteousness because of all the rules that you follow.
 
Your Word for Today

“and they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when He went forth to land, there met Him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs (Lk. 8:26-27).

As stated in other accounts, every miracle of healing that Jesus performed was not only for the person or persons involved, but also was meant to teach a great spiritual truth. The deliverance of the maniac of Gadara presents an excellent example.

Matthew mentions two demoniacs; but, Mark and Luke, mention one. If there were two, there certainly was one. He is here individualized as being probably both the fiercer and better known of the two; he also alone asked to be permitted to remain with the Lord, becoming an effective Preacher. The other demoniac presented no such peculiar interests and is, therefore, not mentioned by Mark or Luke.

The man described by Luke was demon-possessed, so controlled by demons, in fact, that he could no longer function in society. He wore no clothes, cut himself with stones (Mk. 5:5), and dwelt in tombs among the dead bodies. Spiritually speaking, this is a perfect description of much of the world. They are controlled by demon spirits; death, in many and varied ways, is the result, i.e., all unredeemed, in a sense, are dead while they live (I Tim. 5:6).

According to the Scripture, when the demoniac saw Jesus, he ran and worshipped Him (Mk. 5:6). This tells us that demon spirits worship the Lord more than many who call themselves “Christians.” When Jesus questioned him, asking him his name, he answered, “Legion.” This means that a host of demon spirits occupied this man, at least 2,000 (Mk. 5:13).

The demons asked if they could go into the swine which were nearby, and Jesus permitted them to do so. Upon the entrance of the demons, the swine immediately ran into the lake and were drowned.

The only answer for possessed, dissipated, disconcerted, displaced humanity is the Lord Jesus Christ. To be sure, humanistic psychology holds no answer whatsoever. Jesus Alone holds the answer; but, regrettably, psychology is preached in most Churches, and Jesus little, if at all!

The Gadarenes took no interest in the Salvation from Satan’s power of a fellow human being, but they viewed the loss of their property, i.e., the hogs, with deep concern. They have many successors today. The deliverance of people from the powers of darkness, be it alcohol, drugs, etc., excites no one in the world, but the destruction of a distillery by fire causes much excitement.

The delivered man wanted to come and be with Jesus, which is easy to understand; however, Jesus told him to go and “Show what great things God has done for you.” The young ruler was commanded to follow Christ (Mk. 10:21); the leper was forbidden to speak of Christ (Mk. 1:43); but the former demoniac was ordered to publish what great things Jesus had done for him.”

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

“and it came to pass afterward, that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God: and the Twelve were with Him. And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him of their substance (Lk. 8:1-3).

Man magnifies sacraments and ceremonies and belittles preaching. God magnifies preaching. It pleases Him, by the foolishness of preaching, i.e., preaching the Cross, to save men (I Cor. 1:21). Christ preached incessantly, and so did the Apostle Paul, the Twelve, and the Seventy. To be sure, that is our example. If we are to see spiritual results, we will have to follow that example.

Satan does not fear ceremonies, but he greatly fears the anointed preaching of the Gospel.

Women are prominent and honorably mentioned in Luke. Some of these women were wealthy and they used their money to minister to the Lord’s necessities. His were the cattle on a thousand hills; with a few loaves, He could feed thousands. But He did not feed Himself. For sustenance, He depended on these women and others. Thus, He proved that He was a Man like his fellowmen; at the same time, He tested their fidelity to, and their affection for, Himself. True Disciples, now as then, minister to Him; mere professors do not.

“Susanna” is mentioned only here. Nothing whatever is known of her, and yet is her name known throughout the whole world because it is recorded in this one Verse. Here, as elsewhere, it seems that women worked and men talked.

Mary Magdalene was delivered from Satanic dominion; she, therefore, loved Him greatly. She was, in fact, the very first one to preach the Gospel of the Resurrection (Mk. 16:9-10).

It must have been difficult for these women to face the scorn and contempt of the religious leaders of Israel; yet they were faithful to the end. It was not a woman who betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver; it was not women who forsook Him and fled; nor was it a woman who thrice denied that she knew Him. But it was women who wailed and lamented when He was led forth to be crucified; it was women who stood to the last by His Cross; and it was women who were the first to visit His Tomb on the Resurrection Morning.

It was Jesus, therefore, Who liberated women from the stigma of Eve being the first to fall (Gen. 3:1-6).”

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

“and a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind Him, and touched the border of His garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched (Lk. 8:43-44).

There is a tremendous lesson on faith in the illustration of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. This lesson is applicable to all!

The woman had been sick for some twelve years. The implication is that she had been financially well off, but had spent all that she had on physicians, “neither could be healed of any.” This is not meant to be a diatribe against doctors, for Luke himself was a physician. It simply meant that they couldn’t help her, just as doctors presently are helpless in many cases. The implication also is that some pretended to help her only to get her money.

As Jesus came, hundreds thronged Him. No doubt, the woman wanted to appeal to Him personally, but there was no way it could be done. Too many people were pushing and shoving; besides that, she was frail and weak.

Faith, however, does not quit. She said, “If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole” (Mk. 5:28). The great lesson presented here is that if Christ doesn’t touch us, we can touch Him. So that opens the door to all, at least all who will believe. When she touched Him, she was healed immediately.

Jesus then asked her to give her testimony, which she did. “And He said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: your faith has made you whole; go in peace” (Lk. 8:48).

There is one more great lesson here! In Verse 43, she was addressed merely as “a woman.” But now Jesus calls her “Daughter,” which means that He claimed her.

Of this woman, one might say the following:

1. She was chained: She was chained by sickness and sin.

2. She was changed: There is only One Who truly can change people, and that is the Lord.

3. She was claimed: She was merely “a woman” previously, but now she is “Daughter.”

The Lord “claims” all those whom He “changes.”’

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
thanks. I've always related well to this healing in The Bible, because doctors claimed I was 'hopeless,' while also over-billing and...yeah. anyway...

thanks. the commentary from Swaggart is quite helpful, also. :)
 
Your Word for Today

“and, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the Synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought Him that He would come into his house: For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as He went the people thronged Him (Lk. 8:41-42).

Love descends rather than ascends. Hence parents love their children more than children love their parents. So God loves man, but man does not love God. With one exception (Mk. 1:30), the Gospels do not record children coming to Jesus on behalf of their parents, but cases of parents coming to Him on behalf of their children are frequent.

Jairus would have Jesus come to heal his daughter, who was at the point of death. In fact, the little girl died while her father was gone to get Jesus. When the child grew ill, Jesus was across the Sea of Galilee, delivering the maniac of Gadara. Jairus was undoubtedly desperate for Jesus to return, and when He returned, the man hastened to Him.

But Jesus was delayed again by the woman who touched the hem of His garment. Finally, he is told, “Your daughter is dead. Trouble not the Master.” Jesus, however, says, “Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” What thoughts ran through Jairus’ mind when Jesus made this statement?

When the Master went to Jairus’ home, He asked only Peter, James, and John to go with Him. Three times He did this. Why these Three?

1. He would raise the child from the dead, showing these Three His “Power.”

2. At the Mount of Transfiguration, He would show these Three His “Glory” (Lk. 9:28).

3. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He would show these Three His “Suffering” (Mat. 26:37).

When Jesus told the mourners that the child was only sleeping, they laughed Him to scorn. What the Lord meant was that the child was not going to stay dead! He spoke of death as sleeping, because He would take all fear out of death; He would do so by defeating death at the Cross.

Mark said they “entered in where the damsel was lying” (Mk. 5:40). The Greek word for “entered” here means “to go on a journey.” To be sure, it was a journey of unprecedented proportions for His Three Disciples and the parents. They would witness the child being raised from the dead. Any and every person who makes Christ the Saviour and Lord of his life enters on a journey of staggering proportions, so staggering, in fact, that it is impossible presently to comprehend it all.

Jesus took the child by the hand and said, “Maid, arise.” Then “her spirit came again, and she arose immediately.” This fact demonstrates the separate existence of the spirit, independent from the body. Evidently, the spirit of the child went to Paradise, but was, as is obvious, abruptly called back.

Jesus “charged them that they should tell no man what was done.” He sought neither publicity nor admiration. His appeal was to the heart and to the conscience. His mission was to bring people to Repentance and to forgiveness of sins. There can be no understanding of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ apart from this consciousness of sin against God and the need of pardon.

To work great miracles and yet seek to hide them is foreign to human nature. Men love admiration and publicity; shallow streams make the most noise (Williams).”

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

“and, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
(Lk. 10:25).

In the Israel of Jesus’ day, a lawyer was one who devoted himself to the study of the Law of Moses. This lawyer meant to test Christ’s knowledge of the Law. Eternal life is man’s greatest interest; no more tremendous question could be asked than that of this Verse.

In His reply, the Lord immediately points to the Bible as an infallible authority. In the lawyer’s answer, which, incidentally, was correct, is revealed a clear knowledge of God and of Truth which men in Israel possessed at that time, or at least could possess, if they so desired. It was knowledge immeasurably in advance of that of other parts of the world.

Greece, with its pagan poets and philosophers, claimed great knowledge; they had, however, no knowledge of the things that really counted.

Sadly, the lawyer, though he answered correctly, did not evidence faith correctly, because he was self-righteous. He was determined to win Heaven by religious self-efforts.

At a point in his Ministry, Spurgeon was criticized for not speaking enough about science, etc. His answer to the accusation was revealing. When he took the pulpit on the Sunday morning in question, he laid his Bible on the podium, and then said:

“There is a woman in this audience who recently lost a child. To know where that child presently is, she cannot go to science. She must go to the Bible.”

The great Preacher was, in essence, saying that the answers that really matter are found only in the Word of God. No person truly can be said to be educated, no matter how many university degrees they might hold, unless they are properly educated in the Word of God.

This is one of the reasons that many of the modern translations, so-called, of the Bible (which are really mere paraphrases) are so dangerous. Jesus didn’t say, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every thought . . . ,” but rather, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the Mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4).

In the Christian life, the daily study of the Word of God (but make certain that it actually is the Word of God that you are studying) must have first place. All other duties must give way to it.”

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

”and He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? (Lk. 11:5-6).

Here we are taught a great lesson. It might be called “The Parable of the Three Loaves.” A man went to a friend at midnight requesting that he lend him “three loaves,” because a friend of his on a long journey had stopped by his home, but he had no food to set before him. That’s why he needed to borrow the bread.

Evidently, he awakened his friend, because it was midnight. The man answered immediately; his reply was that the door was shut and that he could not arise. But Jesus said the man at the door kept knocking and would not take “No” for an answer. Because of his persistence, the friend arose and gave the man as much as he needed.

The moral is this:

When we ask the Lord for something, whatever the circumstances may be, whatever the situation may seem to be, if the answer doesn’t come immediately (and most of the time, it doesn’t), we should not quit; we should “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep knocking.” Jesus clearly said that if we did this, we would “receive,” we would “find,” and the door would be “opened.” Jesus further said that we will receive that for which we are asking, i.e., if we ask for bread, we will not receive a stone, etc.

The problem with many Christians is that we “quit asking,” we quit “seeking,” and we quit “knocking.” We must understand that “delay” is not “denial.” We also must understand that everything the Lord does with us and for us, especially answers to prayer, all are meant to increase our faith, our trust, and our dependence upon Him. He is very mindful of all our needs, more mindful, in fact, than we would ever know.

However, we should carefully ask for that which we truly need, even as this man needed three loaves. Too often we ask for things for which we have little need.

The moral of this is:

If what we are asking is in the Will of God, we must not allow delay to discourage us. We must “keep asking,” “keep seeking,” and “keep knocking.”’

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