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Your Word for Today

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“there was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God, and eschewed evil (Job 1:1).

Job is the oldest Book in the Bible, and thereby the oldest Book in the world. It was written by Moses (Lk. 24:27, 44). It explains the problem of why good men are afflicted. It is in order to bring about their Sanctification. It is interesting that this difficult question should be the first taken up and answered in the Bible. In the Book of Job, the discovery of the worthlessness of self is the first step in Christian experience. Then we discover the worthfulness of Christ, which is the second step. However, the worthfulness of Christ can never be reached until we fully understand the worthlessness of self. The Book of Job does not symbolize an unconverted man, but rather a Believer. It was necessary that one of God’s Children should be chosen for this trial; for the subject of this Book is not the conversion of the sinner, but the consecration of the Saint. It is evident that an unconverted man needs to be brought to the end of himself; but that a man who feared God, who was perfect in his efforts to serve the Lord, and who hated evil, should also need this, such presents itself as a mystery to most Christians. God chose the most consecrated man on the face of the Earth at that time to portray the fact that “self” is a problem, and that it must be dealt with, and that dealing with it is never easy, but always extremely difficult. The effect of all that happened to Job was that he ultimately came to “abhor himself” (Job 42:5-6). This language shows that previously, i.e. before his great trial, he had thought well of himself. His creed was orthodox, for he approached God through Sacrifice, and his conduct was faultless, for he was a just man and hated evil. But these sharp trials, and especially the anger which the unjust accusations of his friends stirred up in his heart, revealed to himself unknown depths of moral ugliness; and, finally, his being challenged to measure himself with God made him conscious that in him, that is, in his “flesh,” there dwelt no good thing. This is a deep and painful experience which all Christian people have not reached, but yet must be reached, if we are to be what we ought to be in Christ (Williams).”

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

Donnie Swaggart
 
“now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. And the LORD said unto Satan, Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the Earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who fears God, and hates evil? (Job 1:6, 8)

From the experience of Job we find many truths given to us. Some of them are as follows:

1. Satan is a created being, originally created by God as a righteous Angel, who, sometime in eternity past, fell, and who, in fact, led a revolution against God — a conflict which continues even unto this hour (Isa. 14:12-15; Ezek. 28:13-19).

2. We learn that Satan must appear before the Lord periodically to give account of himself.

3. We learn from Chapters 2 and 3 of Job that Satan can do only what the Lord allows him to do, and no more! In other words, Satan has to ask permission for whatever he desires to do, and then minutely must follow directions laid down by the Lord.

4. We learn from Job’s three friends the impotence of man and his efforts. With Eliphaz it was “human experience”; with Bildad, “human tradition”; and with Zophar, “human merit.”

5. We learn from all of this that everything that happens to a Believer, irrespective as to what it might be, is either “caused” by the Lord or “allowed” by the Lord. Of course, the Lord never causes any Believer to sin, but He does allow such, that is, if such a Believer is so inclined; however, the penalty is always posted.

6. We learn that the discovery of the deep corruption of the heart is the most painful and humbling that a Believer can make. So the Patriarch had to crucify all his goodness as truly as all his badness, and sit in wood ashes as a public confession that he merited death because of his sin-defiled nature. This moral principle governs the Salvation of the sinner as well as the Sanctification of the Saint.

7. We learn from the narrative of Job that everyone had to change except God! Job had to humble himself, and to pray for God to bless these three “friends” who had so despitefully used him and persecuted him. The three “friends” had to confess themselves worthy of death, and to seek forgiveness from God through the Precious Blood of Christ, as foreshadowed in the Sacrifices of Chapter 42.

8. We also learn that Job’s latter end was better than his beginning. God gave him twice as much as he had before; and such is ever the result in the spiritual life. Increased spiritual wealth results from the death of self, i.e.,the death of bad self and also of good self. So, the subject of this book is not how God justifies a sinner, but how He sanctifies a Saint. Consequently, none but a good man could have been chosen for the process, or have profited by it. It is plain to all that a wicked man should die to self, but that a perfect man should also need to die to self is not so clear. And yet, this is the offense of the Cross. All of the goodness and beauty which men recognize in themselves and in others must be nailed in death to the Cross; and the only Man Who is to live must be the Risen Man, Christ Jesus. True self-abhorrence comes not from self-examination, but in looking away from self to Jesus, the Perfecter and Author of Faith (Williams).”

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

Donnie Swaggart
 
Your Word for Today

“he restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake (Ps. 23:3).

The beauty of the Twenty-third Psalm knows no comparison. It is called “The Shepherd’s Psalm,” and it written from the position of the sheep, who look exclusively to the Shepherd for leading and guiding. The Third Verse is particularly insightful.

At times, a sheep would stray from the “correct path.” A sheep, being a sheep, i.e., comparatively dumb, he would soon get lost and find himself in a rocky defile, unable to find his way home; consequently, the sheep would begin to bleat, and then the shepherd would come, taking his crook and lifting the sheep out from the rocky crevice where he had become pinned, and place him back safely with the flock. In fact, this might happen several times, with the shepherd always coming and retrieving the recalcitrant one.

But after a period of time, after the sheep has left the “path of righteousness” again, finding himself lost once again, despite his “bleating,” the shepherd doesn’t come. Finally, when his voice is gone, and becoming very fearful that he will be overtaken by a bear or a lion, panic sets in. Why hasn’t the shepherd come, even as he always has?

Then, with darkness settling in, the shepherd, who was there all the time, finally reaches down, and, with his crook, retrieves the wayward one. But then the shepherd does something totally different from what has previously been done. He picks up the lamb, stretches out one of its forepaws, takes his staff, and then smartly cracks the forepaw, breaking the bone. That is chastisement! Carefully, he then sets the broken leg and carries the little sheep with him, actually close to his heart, until the leg is healed.

The little one then is placed once again on the “path of righteousness.” But now, he is not so quick to desert that path. In a sense, that is the story of the Twenty-third Psalm. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the House of the LORD forever” (Ps. 23:6)."

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

“my God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, and from the words of My roaring? (Ps. 22:1).

This Psalm portrays Christ as the Sin Offering, and doing so for all of mankind. Here, at the Cross, He atoned for all sin, past, present and future. There, the altogether righteous justice of a thrice-Holy God was perfectly satisfied, in that the perfect Sacrifice offered up satisfied every requirement.

Four degrees of suffering appear in this Psalm:

1. Suffering from the Hand of God; for, in effect, God smote Christ on the Cross (Vss. 1-6; Isa. 53:4).

2. Suffering from the rejection of Israel, in effect, His Own People (Vss. 7-8).

3. Suffering from the demons who gathered round His Cross in exulting and hellish triumph, or at least that which they thought was triumph (Vss. 12-13).

4. The physical suffering of the Crucifixion, which was one of the most painful forms of death (Vss. 14-18).

Had the Messiah been only Man, He would have put His physical sufferings first and His spiritual sufferings last. But to Him, as the Only Begotten Son of God, there was no anguish so infinite as the hiding of the Father’s Face. His physical sufferings were exquisitely agonizing, but his mental sufferings from the onslaught of demon spirits were even more terrible. The pain of His wounded Heart, however, because of those He loved and came to save, was a depth of agony deeper still; but an agony unspeakable was His being forsaken of God, at least after a fashion, even for a short period of time, i.e., from 12 noon until 3 p.m.

During His Ministry on Earth, Christ spoke of God as His Father and resumed the title after He had triumphantly shouted “Finished.” But while suffering Divine Wrath as the Sin Offering, He addressed Him as “God” (Vss. 1-2, 10). In fact, the price He paid will never fully be understood; consequently, the victory He won in the paying of that price is likewise beyond comprehension.

Those who believe on this atoning Saviour shall be regarded as a new race — a generation of which the Messiah would be the Head (I Cor. 15:22; Isa. 53:10-11). We shall continually serve Him; we shall keep coming and shall keep declaring unto nations yet to be born that God’s Righteous One accomplished this annihilation of sin by the oblation of Himself as the Sin Offering.

The last word in this Chapter in the Hebrew Text is “accomplished,” which corresponds to the word “Finished” in the Greek Text of Jn. 19:30. Let it ever be known: It was at the Cross where it was all “accomplished”!”

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

“have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness: according to the multitude of Your tender mercies blot out my transgressions (Ps. 51:1).

The Fifty-first Psalm presents the greatest example of a prayer of Repentance found anywhere in the Bible. It was given by the Holy Spirit to David when, his heart broken and contrite because of his sin against God, he did plead for pardon through the atoning Blood of the Lamb of God, foreshadowed in Exodus, Chapter 12. Thus was David not only fittingly provided with a vehicle of expression regarding Repentance and Faith, but he also was used as a channel of prophetic communication, which we shall see.

Concerning this, Williams says, “David, in his sin, Repentance, and Restoration, is a forepicture of Israel; for as he forsook the Law and was guilty of adultery and murder, so Israel despised the Covenant, turned aside to idolatry, and murdered the Messiah. Thus the scope and structure of the Psalm go far beyond David: they predict the future confession and forgiveness of Israel in the day of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah. They will look upon Him Whom they pierced and they shall mourn and weep (Zech., Chpts. 12-13; Rev. 1:7). The first seventeen Verses are personal to David; the last two are national for Israel.”

Here appears the great principle that only those who have truly experienced forgiveness and pardon themselves can be true messengers of the Gospel. This principle is, in the first part of the Psalm, personally illustrated by David (Vs. 13); and in the latter part nationally illustrated by Israel (Vss. 18-19). These last two Verses, consequently, are not, as some think, a meaningless addition to the Psalm by some later writer. Both Verses belong to the structure and prophetic scope of the Psalm. They refer to that which is spoken of in Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:15-17. David’s sin, confession, and Restoration illustrate this future Chapter in Israel’s history. Their idolatry (“adultery”) and murder forgiven, they will go forth as messengers of the Gospel to win other nations to wholehearted faith and service in and for Christ. This concerning Israel will take place in the coming Kingdom Age.”

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

“surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence (Ps. 91:3).

Moses wrote the Ninetieth Psalm and it is believed that He very well may have written the Ninety-first Psalm also.

The Psalm comforts and encourages the most timid Believer, for it assures him that what God was to His dearly beloved Son in His journey through the wilderness of this world, He will be to the weakest of His Children. We can prove Him to be what Christ proved Him to be.

In the earthly sojourn of Christ, for this is what this Psalm is all about, we find that the Messiah’s path through the desert of this world was one of dependence upon God. Satan’s effort in the temptation was to move Him to the place of independence; but he failed. Jesus walked a path of perfect submission, obedience, and dependence, all as a perfect example for us.

As the Evil One, however, repeatedly came against Christ, he will do the same to the Believer. Satan means to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn. 10:10). As Peter said, he goes about “seeking whom he may devour” (I Pet. 5:8).

And yet, we have this great Promise, illustrated in this Chapter, that whatever type of “snare” that Satan, here called the “fowler,” may lay for us, the Lord has stated, “Surely He shall deliver us.” It is not merely, “He shall deliver,” but rather “Surely He shall deliver.” This also refers to the “noisome pestilence,” which refers to “extreme wickedness.”

All deliverance, without exception, is effected through the Cross. There Jesus defeated Satan and all his minions of darkness, doing so by atoning for all sin (Col. 2:14-15). To effect victory and to maintain victory, therefore, the Saint must ever make the Cross of Christ, where the victory was accomplished, ever the Object of his Faith. That being done, the Holy Spirit, Who is God, will work mightily in one’s life. To be sure, Satan can easily stand up to us, but in no way can he stand up to the Holy Spirit.

Remember: When faith is properly placed, the Lord has said, “Surely”! Not “Maybe,” but “Surely”! (I Cor. 1:17-18, 23, 2:2; Gal. 6:14).”

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

“how sweet are Your Words unto My taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to My mouth! (Ps. 119:103).

The theme of this Psalm is the authority and sufficiency of the Bible as the only revealed Truth in the world. It, and it alone, is the rule of life. Its theme is the Word of God hidden in the heart and obeyed in the life. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Blessed Man Who fully satisfies its language. For He Himself is the Word of God. They only, who, like Him, are subject to that Word, are blessed.

This Psalm is an acrostic. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet and there are 22 stanzas in the Psalm. Each stanza contains 8 Verses. There are, therefore, 176 Verses in all.

In this Psalm, the Bible is given ten different titles, which, in effect, correspond to the Ten Commandments. Those titles are: “Way,” “Testimonies,” “Precepts,” “Commandments,” “Law,” “Judgments,” “Righteousness,” “Statutes,” “Word,” and “Words.”

This Psalm portrays the pilgrim walking through this world on a dangerous road on a dark night, wholly dependent upon a lamp to light his way and guide his feet (II Pet. 1:19). The lesson of the Psalm is that the lamp may be wholly trusted, and that whoever follows its light will be preserved from the squalors of the way, saved from the dangers of the path, and surely led to its desired end. This lamp is the Bible (Williams).”

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

“let every thing that has breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD (Ps. 150:6).

This song, and all the Psalms are songs, will be sung on that coming day after Israel has finally accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as both Saviour and Lord. As a result, and in her rightful place, even as the Lord originally intended, the whole world is in harmony, because the Prince of Peace reigns supreme. As a result, the entirety of the world will function in the world of “Praise” to the Lord. He will be praised in His Sanctuary, which refers to the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem. He also will be praised for the “firmament of His power,” which refers to every problem being solved.

Then everyone’s lips will be praise to the Lord because of “His mighty acts,” which will be evident throughout the entirety of the Earth. Men have tried to magnify their personal greatness, when, in reality, they have no greatness; however, the Lord of Glory will truly have “greatness,” and, on top of that, “excellent greatness.”

Every musical instrument in the world will be used in praise to the Lord, which will bring the very elements into harmony with peace and prosperity. In other words, there will be no more tornados, hurricanes, famines, tidal waves, earthquakes, etc. Those things will be things of the past.

All sickness will be done away with, death placed in abeyance except in particular circumstances. All poverty will be eliminated, all war will be a thing of the past, superstition and ignorance will forever be laid aside, and the whole world will be at rest; then, and only then, will “everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the LORD.” This will be in the coming Kingdom Age.”

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

“if the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the Earth: if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it shall be (Eccl. 11:3).

In this one Chapter, we are given God’s Formula for success. It is as follows:

Verse 1: The “bread” is the Word of God. The “waters” constitute the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will function only upon the True Word of God, and it is guaranteed to bring home the blessing, whether in few or many days.

Verse 2: The number “seven” is God’s Perfect Number. It refers to His Perfect Salvation, which is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23). The number “eight” pertains to Resurrection, for it was on this day that Christ rose from the dead. If we proclaim the Perfect Gospel of the Cross, “we shall also be in the likeness of His Resurrection,” i.e., “Resurrection Life” (Rom. 6:5). Verse

3: If the Believer functions according to the Word of God, which means to function according to the Message of the Cross, it really doesn’t matter where the person is, or what the circumstances are, blessings will follow. In other words, the tree can fall toward the south, the north, etc. Wherever it falls, the person can be blessed, but only if they go God’s Way.

Verse 4: The Believer is not to observe circumstances, but rather the Promises of God.

Verse 5: It is not known or understood exactly how a baby grows in its mother’s womb. Likewise, we cannot know exactly how God will bring to pass His Promises, but bring them to pass He definitely shall, that is, if we will believe Him!

Verse 6: We are to sow the seed of the Word of God, not looking at circumstances, but rather continuing to believe the Lord, and then watch God work, even in ways that seem least likely. The Promise is: “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you shall find it after many days” (Eccl. 11:1).”

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

“then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the Altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged (Isa. 6:6-7).

When men, like Isaiah, see themselves in the Divine Light, they cry out like the Prophet that they are “undone.” The word “undone” means justly doomed to death. In the light of the Throne of God, which Isaiah saw, the Prophet learned that he was a moral leper; that his people were moral lepers; and that they altogether were as vile as King Uzziah, who was a leper (II Ki. 15:5).

If, in the Presence of the thrice-Holy LORD of Hosts, the sinless Seraphim had to veil both their faces and their feet, how hopeless was it for a moral leper such as Isaiah to stand in such a light! He needed a cleansing and covering of his sin: the living coals from off the Altar of Burnt Offering, symbolizing the fire of the Wrath of God and the Blood of the Lamb of God, when brought in contact with his “unclean lips,” removed his iniquity and expiated his sin.

There is no other way of cleansing and expiation than through the Wrath of God and the Atoning Blood of Christ. These are revealed and glorified at Calvary. There God judged sin infinitely and eternally in the Person of Christ; His Precious Blood there shed is the one and only perfect expiation for, and covering of, sin.

The modern Church must come back to the place that it knows and understands that the problem is sin, as the problem has always been sin. Understanding that, and understanding it properly, it will then come to realize that the only answer for sin is the Cross of Calvary.

Paul said: “But this Man, after He had offered one Sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the Right Hand of God; “For by one Offering He has perfected forever them who are sanctified” (Heb. 10:12, 14).”

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

“and there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the LORD (Isa. 11:1-2).

Isaiah here sees the explanation of what John saw on the Isle of Patmos. John said, “And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the Throne and of the four Beasts (Living Ones), and in the midst of the Elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the Seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the Earth” (Rev. 5:6).

There aren’t “seven Holy Spirits.” This phrase rather stands for the seven attributes of the Spirit of God, or, one might say, “His sevenfold fullness.” Those attributes are: “Spirit, Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Might, Knowledge, and Fear.”

In this “sevenfold fullness,” we find all the “help” that we need in order to live this life and to be what we ought to be in the Lord (Jn. 14:16-18).

Tragically, the modern Church seeks to live for God without the help of this “sevenfold fullness.” Even though the Holy Spirit most definitely resides in the heart and life of every single Believer, irrespective of the spiritual condition of such a Believer, still, what He can do is only potential. In other words, His help is not automatic.

But every single Believer can have this “sevenfold fullness” if the Believer will place his faith absolutely and exclusively in the Cross. The Holy Spirit always works within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ. The Cross ever being the Object of our Faith, then the Holy Spirit will work mightily on our behalf, giving us the benefit of “His sevenfold fullness,” but only if our faith is properly placed in Christ and the Cross. He tells us this in Romans 8:2.”

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

“the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:6-9).

Most of the evidence of the Fall will be eradicated and eliminated in the coming Resurrection of Life. At the Second Coming, which will begin the Kingdom Age when Christ shall rule and reign Personally from Jerusalem, the entire complexion of everything will be changed.

For instance, the animal kingdom will revert back to the manner of its original creation. Now, many animals are carnivorous (meat eaters). Then, in the coming Kingdom Age, every animal will be docile. The wolf, the leopard, and the lion will no longer be fierce, but will be as the little lamb and the young calf; even a little child will play safely among them.

The cow and the bear, the latter being one of the most ferocious beasts in the world, shall, in that coming day, “feed together.” Even the venom of the serpent will be gone forever; a little child will play with reptiles, even those reptiles which once were extremely venomous and deadly, but which now are totally changed. In fact, anything and everything that once was an instrument of “hurt” or “destruction” will be no more.

Why? How?

“The Earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” The one spoken of as the “LORD” is Jesus Christ. “His Rest shall be glorious.” Jesus is the “Why” and “How.”

What this world has wanted and desired, trying repeatedly, in one way or the other, to bring it about, all to no avail, will then take place. It is, however, impossible to recreate the Garden of Eden without the Tree of Life.

Jesus is the Tree of Life. With Him superintending the affairs of Earth, which He most definitely will do in the coming Kingdom Age, the world will finally know the peace, prosperity, and security that the Lord all along intended.

This will be a time, one thousand years, such as the world has never before seen, but which it could have had all along, but especially when Jesus first came; however, Israel rejected Him, which submitted the world to now some 2,000 years of continued war, starvation, pain, suffering, and want. However, as surely as He came the first time, He most definitely will come the second time. Then Peace will reign!”

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

“all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa. 53:6).

If two men, moving at the same speed, were to advance toward each other, one starting with Moses and the other from Christ, they would meet exactly in the middle of the Fifty-third Chapter of Isaiah, and, more particularly, Verses 5 and 6. Here is the simple doctrine of the Gospel — the death of Christ. This is the unique glory of the Gospel. All other founders of religions base their claims upon their life and their teaching — their death was a calamity, and without significance. But Christ’s Death was His Glory and forms the imperishable foundation of the one and only Salvation. In fact, His Purpose in coming to this Earth was to die (I Cor. 15:1-4).

A young man was asked once if he was saved. His answer was to the point: “I simply don’t understand how to be saved.”

The Preacher who asked the question had to leave to catch a train, so he gave the young man his own personal Bible, along with these brief instructions: “Read Isaiah 53:6. Go in at the first ‘all’ and come out at the last ‘all.’”

A few days later he saw the young man again and asked him if he had followed the instructions. The face which the Preacher had left some days earlier had been dour, but now a bright smile covered the young man’s countenance. He replied, “Oh yes. I read that 6th Verse. I went in at the first ‘all’ and came out at the last ‘all.’ Then I knew what Salvation was.”

“All” of us are sinners; Jesus Christ paid the price at Calvary’s Cross for us “all.” In fact, ladies and gentlemen, it is just that simple!”

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

“for My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water (Jer. 2:13).

The people of Jerusalem, God’s Own Chosen People, had sunk to a level that was morally lower than the heathen. They committed two evils. First, they forsook Jehovah; second, they embraced idolatry. They exchanged a living fountain for a broken cistern. The heathen were only guilty of one evil, that is, of idolatry. For God had not revealed Himself and His Law to them.

Is it possible that the modern Church is in worse condition spiritually than even the heathen?

For all practical purposes, with some few exceptions, the modern Church has forsaken the Cross. To forsake the Cross is to forsake Christ.

The modern Church no longer believes the answer is found in the Cross of Christ, and only in the Cross of Christ. In place of the Cross, it has substituted humanistic psychology. Never mind that such wisdom is “earthly, sensual, and devilish” (James 3:15). They have opted for that in place of the “wisdom that is from above,” which is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

So, as Israel of old, the modern Church also has committed two evils. First of all, it has abandoned the light of the Gospel; second, it has adopted the ways of the world. As an excellent example, the false direction of the book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” has been adopted by the Church, by the Mormons, by the Catholics, by secular interests of the world, and even by some Muslims; however, the Church is so spiritually blind that it cannot see that the whole thing is a “broken cistern,” which will “hold no water.” Something accepted by all cannot be spiritually valid, as should be obvious!

To forsake the Cross is to forsake Christ. They cannot be separated. And, to be sure, the modern Church has forsaken the Cross. When this is done, and it has been done in a wholesale way, then the Church becomes a ready recipient of false doctrine. Without the Cross, there are no spiritual bearings.”

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

“is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he spoiled? (Jer. 2:14).

What did Jeremiah mean by Israel being a “homeborn slave”? He meant they were a slave to their evil passions, to their sins, and to their bondages, which is the greatest enslavement of all. Tragically, they were slaves and didn’t even know it.

The best way to explain it, I think, is according to the following:

To use the leopard as an example, if such an animal is born in a zoo and raised in a zoo, it is a slave without really knowing it. It does not know, and will never know, the freedom of being able to bound across the grasslands or the forest floor. There are a thousand and one things that a leopard cooped up in a zoo will never know, but that such an animal should enjoy.

This is typical, in fact, of most modern Christians. Most Christians do not know the freedom of a victorious, overcoming life. They are “homeborn” slaves without even knowing it. To say the least, that is tragic! There is only one way out of such bondage, and that is by the way of the Cross (Rom. 6:1-14; 8:1-2, 11). If the individual doesn’t know the Message of the Cross, he cannot know true freedom; he cannot know what he is missing.

Every single Christian in the world, at least those who are truly Born-Again, has “more abundant life” (Jn. 10:10). However, only the Christians who understand the Cross and what it means to our everyday living actually live and enjoy this “more abundant life.” The rest are “homeborn slaves.”

Considering the price that Christ has paid, it’s a shame not to have all of that for which He did pay such a price. The choice is yours!

It’s the Cross of Christ which brings victory and freedom, or it’s works, which bring slavery, i.e., a “homeborn slave.”

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

“and Jabez was more honorable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bore him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested (I Chron. 4:9-10).

Like a beautiful gem, the Lord drops this glorious testimony in the midst of these genealogies. In Jewish culture of old, it was the mother who usually named the child that was born. The name “Jabez” means “sorrow,” which evidently pertained to the fact that something very grievous had happened in this family; consequently, Jabez, like untold millions, was born into a situation over which he had no control and which spelled hurt for him.

Most children never climb out over a negative childhood. In other words, if they are abused at an early age, it scars them for life. In fact, only the Lord can address such a problem, thereby turning bitter waters into sweet. So Jabez had two strikes against him even before he began, as do most in the world.

But Jabez turned to the one Source Who could change the situation, and it was God. Beautifully enough, that privilege is available to every human being in the world, that is, if they will only take advantage of its potential. There is nothing that the Lord cannot change. In fact, the very First Miracle that Jesus performed in His earthly Ministry was the changing of the water to wine at the marriage feast of Cana (Jn. 2:1-11). The Holy Spirit designed this in order that all may know and understand that despite adverse circumstances, or how bad they might be, the Lord Jesus Christ, as He changed the water to wine at Cana, can change any situation, if men will only call on Him and believe Him (Mk. 9:23).

All too often, however, men look to other men for help and get what help man can provide, which is little or nothing. If we call on God, as stated, there is nothing that He cannot change, nothing that He cannot do.

The prayer of Jabez was as follows:
1. “Bless me”: We learn from all of this that the Lord desires that we ask Him to bless us, and in every capacity. In fact, He is a blessing God. He wants to bless financially, domestically, physically, and, above all, spiritually. We have but to ask Him!

2. “Enlarge my coast”: The word “coast” actually means “border.” In other words, Jabez was asking the Lord to get him out of this problem into which he had been born. Most people never break out of that which imprisons them, because they look to all the wrong sources. Only the Lord can enlarge your borders. He only waits for you to ask Him!

3. “That Your hand might be with me”: The way this is given speaks of the Right Hand of God, which is the Hand of blessing and power. It can be judgment or it can be blessing. For Jabez it was blessing, because Jabez put his trust in the Lord. If you will put your trust in the Lord, it will be blessing, as well, for God is no respecter of persons.

4. “That You would keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me”: This, in effect, is the same prayer that Jesus told all of us to pray when He said, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Mat. 6:13). Actually, all the “blessing” depended on Jabez being kept from evil, which the Lord Alone could do. Jabez realized that, within himself, he could not bring about this place and position of freedom from evil. But the Lord could bring it about, and the Lord did.

As Believers, if we are to have the “Blessing of Jabez,” we must, at the same time, depart from all evil, which can be done only in Christ and our Faith in what He did for us at the Cross (Rom. 6:3-5).

The Bible plainly tells us that “God granted him that which he requested.” He will do the same for anyone who, as Jabez, will dare to believe Him.

That means that you can pray the prayer of Jabez. The Lord, in fact, had it placed here that we might follow suit; however, He buried it in these genealogies in order that only the hungry and the thirsty would find it.

Believe the Lord, and allow Him to prove Himself to you, exactly as He did to Jabez so long ago!”

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

“and it shall come to pass, if you shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD your God, to observe and to do all His Commandments, which I command you this day, that the LORD your God will set you on high above all nations of the Earth (Deut. 28:1).

In this tremendous Chapter, we have a promise of Blessings which are absolutely unparalleled. Some may argue that the Lord did these things for Israel under the Old Covenant, but will not do them for modern Christians under the New Covenant. There is nothing in the Word of God that even remotely lends credence to such an idea. We presently have, in fact, a much better Covenant, based on better Promises than anything in the Old Covenant (Heb. 8:6).

In this panoply of Promises, five great things are said. They are:
1. “And all these blessings shall come on you, and overtake you”: This literally means that the blessings of the Lord will literally chase down the individual. What a promise! (28:2).

2. “The LORD shall command the blessing upon you”: At this moment, if we will only believe it, the Lord is commanding blessing upon us. We must believe it, expect it, and receive it (28:8).

3. “And the LORD shall make you plenteous in goods”: “Plenty” is what the Lord here promises. The word “goods” means everything that we need, whatever it might be (Deut. 28:11).

4. “The LORD shall open unto you His good treasure”: The Lord here tells us that we Believers literally have access to the treasure house of Heaven. Again, what a Promise! (28:12).

5. “And the LORD shall make you the head and not the tail”: To use an earthly vernacular, someone, regarding an Alaskan dog-sled team, has well said, “If you’re not the lead dog, the view never changes.” To continue to use the earthly vernacular, the Lord intends for His People to be the “lead dog” (28:13).

All of this is made possible by the Cross!”

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

“when I say unto the wicked, You shall surely die; and you give him not warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at your hand (Ezek. 3:18).

The Lord, in effect, has made every single Preacher of the Gospel a “watchman.” We are to watch for people’s souls. We are to watch for false doctrine — especially for false doctrine.

If the Preacher sees wrong direction being followed, it is incumbent upon him to point out that wrong direction, and, if necessary, to the ones who are leading the false way. The Scripture is abundantly clear on the subject.

If the person or people aren’t warned, they will still die lost, because ignorance is not Salvation; however, their blood will be required at the hands of Preachers who were silent when they should have spoken up. That’s the sin of the modern Ministry, i.e., “Don’t rock the boat!” Let me also say this:

If it is any message other than the Cross, then it’s false doctrine. The Apostle Paul said so (Gal. 1:8-9).”

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

“therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn you back, and leave but the sixth part of you, and will cause you to come up from the north parts, and will bring you upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 39:1-2).

Chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel give an account of the coming Battle of Armageddon. This will be the doom of the Antichrist, also of Satan and all of his cohorts of darkness. It will be the time of the Second Coming, when Israel will finally be brought to Christ.

At this present moment, the Church is awaiting the Rapture (I Thess. 4:13-18). At some point after the Rapture (also can be referred to as the Resurrection), the Great Tribulation will commence. It will be a time of trouble such as the world, especially Israel, has never seen before. Jesus said so (Mat. 24:21).

During this time, the Antichrist will make his debut, attempting to take over the entirety of the world; however, he will have it in his spirit to completely annihilate Israel. In fact, the present problems between the Palestinians and Israel are leading up to this conflict. At the beginning, the Antichrist will seem to solve this problem. However, he will soon show his true colors, revealing himself for what he actually is — a hater of God, and especially the Jews.

At the midpoint of his seven-year pact with Israel, he will break that covenant and attack this tiny nation. Israel will suffer her first defeat since becoming a nation again in 1948. Then will begin the last effort at the “final solution.” The Antichrist will attempt to do what Haman, Herod, and Hitler failed to do. He will come close!

But during the Battle of Armageddon, Israel will cry to the Lord for help as never before. If He doesn’t help them, they will be totally annihilated. The Second Coming will be the answer of the Lord to the plea of His ancient People. At that time, Israel will be snatched from the jaws of defeat.

All of this, the fulfillment of all the futuristic events recorded in the Word of God, is made possible by the Cross (Heb. 13:20).”

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

“afterward He brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His Voice was like a noise of many waters, and the Earth shined with His glory (Ezek. 43:1-2).

Some 500 years before Christ, the Prophet Ezekiel saw the Holy Spirit leave the Temple at Jerusalem. He could no longer remain. The idol-worship of the people had become so acute that there was no place left for the Lord. So He was forced to leave (Ezek. 11:23).

The return of the Holy Spirit will be after the Second Coming when Israel will finally have accepted Christ as Saviour and Lord. The Temple, which Ezekiel describes in the last eight Chapters of his Book, the new Millennial Temple, will then be occupied by the Holy Spirit, because Israel is finally right with God.

Israel is God’s prophetic time clock. In other words, one can look at this newly formed nation and pretty well tell the lateness of the prophetic hour.

Concerning this, Jesus said: “Now learn a Parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near” (Mat. 24:32).

Israel is here likened to a “fig tree.” For the first time in nearly 2,000 years, that branch is starting to “put forth leaves.” This refers to Israel becoming a nation in 1948 and following. So, looking at Israel as a prophetic time clock, we “know that it is near, even at the doors” (Mat. 24:33). The Dispensation of the Church is about to end, which will usher Israel once again back to her rightful place, but, as stated, through much trouble (Jer. 30:7).

The Spirit of God will return, but only after Israel has accepted Christ.

Please understand:
They are going to have to accept the Christ of the Cross. The Prophet Zechariah said so (Zech. 13:6).”

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