If one is diligent they will notice that Paul in this Verse begins with the Cross: “I am crucified with Christ,” and it ends with the Cross: “Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
    
Never forget Calvary was the greatest day in human history.  Everything, as it regards Salvation and all the benefits the Lord has willed for us, come exclusively through what Christ did on Calvary’s Cross. Therefore, the preaching of the Cross should be the foundation of every message that is preached, but, sad to say, religious man attempts to improve on what the Lord has already done.  They resort to preaching psychology, self-help, comedy, and even plain old worldly presentations calling it the Gospel.
    
Recently, one preacher referred to our preaching of the Cross as “Greasy Grace.” Now, let me be blunt, that man is a fool and in my opinion is edging close to blasphemy. There is nothing greasy about Grace. That statement shows how little he knows about Grace and how much He needs Grace.
    
Today in the Church there is a growing hostility towards the Message of the Cross. Why is that? The answer is the following.

THE CROSS REVEALS THE HEART

The Cross reveals the true heart of man as it regards sin. Paul said in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked, that you were servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered to you.” Notice that it begins in the past tense, “you were the servants of sin.”  We were slaves to sin, but at Calvary, Jesus Christ paid the price to deliver humanity from sin. You can’t stand at the foot of the Cross Spiritually speaking and deny who and what we are.
    
To better explain this Verse the word “delivered” in the Greek Text is somewhat different in how it is normally used. The Greek Text says it this way, “the form of Doctrine into which you were delivered.”
    
He is actually saying that the Believer was delivered into the “form of Doctrine,” that is in Salvation.  The Doctrine of Salvation is all in the Cross, not works, not good deeds, but one coming to Calvary’s Cross and admitting they are a sinner and accepting the precious atoning Blood of Jesus Christ as the only means of Salvation.

THE CROSS EXPOSES FALSE DOCTRINE

Paul said in Galatians 2:21, “I do not frustrate the Grace of God:  for if Righteousness come by the Law, then Christ died in vain.”  All false doctrine constitutes some form of man-made doctrine or law that is false and does not lead man close to Christ but away from Christ.  All false doctrine deviates from the Cross in some way. Let me make it simple, if it’s not the Cross, it’s false doctrine.

THE CROSS EXPOSES THE FLESH OF MAN

Paul said in Romans 8:3, “For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His Own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh (doesn’t mean Christ was sinful but fully human, conformed in the appearance of flesh, which is characterized by sin, yet He was sinless), and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”                     

Religious man loves to feed the flesh:  sinful man in vice and religious man through his supposed good works.  Religious man loves religious pomp and ceremony, but the Word plainly says, whether the law of Moses, which preachers are trying to bring back into the Church, which is a sin for the Law has been done away with and a new and better Covenant has taken its place.  But, Paul says if you try to keep the Law, whether the Law of Moses or man-made doctrines, or denominational rules that are not Scriptural, “you are fallen from Grace” (Gal. 5:4).
    
Yes, the Cross is hated by some preachers, but as for me, I like what the great Hymn of the Church says, “I will cling to the old rugged Cross,” and so should you.

Your Evangelist,
Donnie Swaggart

1. THE LAST STAND:  The newest book concerning Custer’s last stand at the Little Bighorn in Montana.  It was a very interesting book with new information.

2. OMAHA BEACH, JUNE 6, 1944:  This book concerned the allied landing at the Omaha Beach head, regarding the allied invasion of Nazi occupied France.  It was a very factitive book giving an in-depth description of the fighting for that Beach head.

3. RORKE’S DRIFT:  This book was about the battle fought between the British and the Zulu’s of Natal, South Africa, in 1879.  I’ve been to South Africa nearly thirty times and am keenly interested in the history of the country.

Just as soon as I finished reading those books, I made the mistake of going to Barnes and Noble and left with three more books that I am planning on reading.

Keep me in your prayers as I start back on the road traveling in Ministry soon.  I have a full schedule and I covet your prayers for God’s protection and anointing.

I also want to let you know that THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE is now available in Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony eReader, and iBooks, so if you have one of these devises, get THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE for easier reading.

II John 9-11 – “Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the Doctrine of Christ, has not God.  (The ‘Doctrine of Christ’ is in brief ‘the Cross.’  If one leaves the Cross, one transgresses, and no longer has the Lord, which means that the soul will be lost if such direction is continued.)  He who abides in the Doctrine of Christ, he has Both the Father and the Son (Gal. 5:1-6).

“If there come any unto you, and bring not this Doctrine (Jesus Christ and Him Crucified), receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed (to receive such shows acceptance):

“For he who bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.  (To help or finance false Apostles makes the person doing such a part of the false doctrine, which is serious indeed!)”

John begins this letter to “the elect lady.”  This states that she was a Christian woman of some prominence.  The word “lady” in the Greek is “Kunia,” it is the feminine form of “Kurios,” which means “lord master.”  It was a common name in those days.  It is the Greek form of the name “Martha.”

It is believed she was a devout Christian who lived near Ephesus and from the wording of the Text, it appears that her home was a meeting place for a church and, as well, she probably was the pastor.

WOMEN IN CHURCH

    
It should be obvious from the accounts given in the New Testament that the Holy Spirit makes no distinction between men and women in the Work of God other than what Paul said in Ephesians 5:22-24:  “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church:  and He is the Saviour of the Body.  Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.”  But that submission only goes as far as that which is Scriptural.

Galatians 3:28 says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:  for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Some claim that it is not proper for a woman to preach, however, the Bible does not bear that out.  Peter, quoting the Prophet Joel in Acts 2:17 said, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh:  and your sons and your DAUGHTERS shall prophesy.”  The truth is, whatever men can do, as it regards Work for the Lord, women can do as well, as there is no discrimination in the Bible.  However, there is one caveat to that.  Nowhere in the New Testament do we read of women being called Apostles.  As well, I do believe as it regards pastoring a church, I feel it would be better for a man to fill that position; however, sometimes a man is not available.

“LET YOUR WOMEN KEEP SILENCE IN THE CHURCHES”

I Corinthians 14:34 says, “. . . for it is not permitted unto them to speak. . . .”  This is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible.  One must understand the context of Paul’s statement.  For Paul also would write in I Corinthians 11:5, “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth. . . .”  The word “Prophesieth” in the Greek is “prophetaia,” and means to predict or foretell or “to serve God as an inspired speaker.”  This one verse tells us that women can prophesy, preach, or teach, for prophesying is preaching.  The Bible speaks of Prophetesses’ in Exodus 15:20, Judges 4:4, II Kings 22:14, II Chronicles 34:22, Isaiah 8:3, and Luke 2:36.  There are many women mentioned in the Bible as preachers, such as Miriam, Deborah, Anna, and Philip’s daughters.

Paul’s statement concerning I Corinthians 14:34 had reference to the fact that in the Early Church, which was then almost exclusively Jewish, the men sat at one side of the room and the women on the other.  Many of the women were not very educated and knowing nothing but the Law of Moses were calling out to their husbands as Paul was trying to teach, asking their husbands what Paul was meaning, so Paul was just saying wait until you get home and ask, don’t disrupt the Service.  If we are to take Paul literally, then the moment a woman walks into church they would not be able to speak to anyone, sing, or pray.  So let’s use wisdom and appreciate the role of women in the Church.

“MANY DECEIVERS ARE ENTERED INTO THE WORLD”

In II John, Verse 7, John warns us of deceivers in the Church.  The word “deceiver” here means “fraudulent,” one who is a “fraud,” one who misrepresents himself, one who pretends to be one thing or teach that which they say is correct, but is, in fact, false, a false teacher who leads the Church into heresies.  These fraudulent teachers function with the help of seducing spirits, teaching doctrines of devils.  They boast great revelations, at times there is even some supposed manifestations taking place, intending to prove they are God’s men.  But don’t forget Pharaoh’s magicians produced manifestations, but they were not men of God.

John was so adamant about not tolerating false prophets, that it is said of John that while visiting a public bathhouse he saw Cerinthus, a noted false teacher, and crying aloud stood up and shouted, “Let us flee, lest the building fall; for the foe of truth is within.”  Now listen to me, if the preacher you are sitting under is not preaching the Cross in all its fullness, he is a “foe of truth.”

WHAT IS DOCTRINE?

In the Greek, “doctrine” means “instruction,” or “teaching,” as it regards a specific matter.  It is a “principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief.”  “Doctrine” is fundamental truths of the Bible arranged in systematic form.  “Bible Doctrine” is God’s Revelation of truth as found in Scripture.

Myer Pearlman, a noted Bible scholar, said: 

“It is often said that it does not matter what a man believes so long as he does right.  This is one way of dismissing doctrine as having no importance in relationship to life.  But every person has a theology or doctrine whether he knows it or not; man’s actions are influenced by what he believes.”

D.C. Hodge, another Bible scholar, said:

“Let no man think error in doctrine a slight practical evil.  No road to perdition has ever been more thronged than that of false doctrine.  Error is a shield over the conscience, and a bandage over the eyes.”

WHAT IS THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST?

Simply put it is, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).

The Doctrine of Christ pertains to:

1.  Who Christ is; and,
2.  What Christ has done.

Who “He is” is God.  He is God manifest in the flesh, which means He is “very God and very Man.”  He is the Living Word Who was made flesh, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world,” John the Baptist would proclaim. 

What He did was to die on Calvary’s Cross to atone for man’s sin.  The Blood of the Law (lambs, bulls, goats, and turtledoves) couldn’t take away sin but only cover man’s sin.  But one drop of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, could and did take away all sin, past, present, and future.

That’s the Doctrine of Christ, not silver or gold and baubles that will better no one, but the Cross, man’s Redemption from sin is, was, and shall ever be the only Doctrine that can save mankind.

Your Evangelist,
Donnie Swaggart

This coming March, my daughter, Jennifer, is having her first baby.  It’s going to be a little girl and her name is going to be Harper.  Debbie and I are so happy for her and Cliff, who is a wonderful son-in-law. 

This will be number five, four girls and one boy.

As well, Matthew, my youngest son, who is a fantastic photographer, has just started a new company manufacturing Camera gear for photographers.  His website for his company is www.holdfastgear.com.  It’s amazing that in just a few short weeks of launching his business website, he has received orders from all over the world.  If you are a photographer, be sure and check out his site.  His gear was mentioned by one of the Myth Buster’s hosts as his personal tweet.  I thought that was really cool.  Matt is such an ingenious and creative person.  Needless to say, Debbie and I are very proud of him, Jennifer, and Gabe.

In other news, my back is in the best shape it’s been in for the last couple of years.  One can’t imagine how painful it is to be flying and your back hurting so bad you want to jump out of the plane (except for the messy landing)!

In closing, let me wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

This has been the musings and ramblings of a proud father and grandfather.

Mark 8:27-30 – “And Jesus went out, and His Disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi (places Him about forty miles north of the Sea of Galilee, and about forty miles south of Damascus):  and by the way He asked His Disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?  (Constitutes Who He really was, and the drawing out of the Disciples, as to Who they thought He was.  The Greek Text says, ‘He kept on asking,’ meaning that the question so startled them that at first they did not answer.)

“And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elijah; and others, One of the Prophets (their answers were strange, but reflected the thinking of much of Israel at that particular time).

“And He said unto them, But whom say you that I am?  (Concerns the greatest question that could ever be asked.  It is a question that all must ultimately answer.) And Peter answered and said unto Him, You are the Christ (Peter actually said, ‘You are the Messiah,’ because that’s what the Word ‘Christ’ actually means; it was the Great Confession).

“And He charged them (commanded them) that they should tell no man of Him (relates the fact that it was now obvious that Israel had rejected Him, and consequently, there was no further point in projecting the issue).”

The question of Jesus Christ to His Disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” is the most important question in the world.  How one answers this question will determine their eternal fate, “Heaven” or “Hell.”  How one answers this question will tell you if one is truly Spiritual or just religious.  The problem in the modern church is that many know about Christ, but don’t know Christ.

WHO JESUS CHRIST IS TO ME

I cannot answer the question of Jesus Christ as it regards the reader, as I have no way of knowing your heart, as Salvation is a personal and individual act.  However, I can answer the question as it regards my own life.  To me, this Man is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, and this is what He has done for me:

•    He has Saved me from sin, and given me Eternal Life.
•    He has baptized me with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other Tongues.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

•    He is the One Who healed me of the most severe form of migraines.
•    He is the One Who has sustained me and kept me safe in His Arms when I was broken and wounded.
•    He is the One Who has given me joy and peace.
•    He is the One Who has brought me through the storms of life.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

•    He is my strength when I am weak.
•    He is my eyes when I cannot see.
•    He is my legs when I don’t think I can take another step.
•    He is my compass, when I don’t know which way to go.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

•    He is my Hope, my sure Foundation, an ever-present Help in time of need.  He is my Elder Brother, He is my King, Provider, Doctor, and Lawyer.  He is my great High Priest, my Mediator, and Intercessor.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

Isaiah said, “He is a nail in a sure place” (Isa. 22:23).  He is my Strong Tower, He is my Shepherd Who “makes me to lie down in green pastures:  He leads me by the still waters and restores my soul” (Ps. 23).  He is my Rod and Staff that I lean on in times of distress and travail.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

He is the Branch, the Bread of Life, the Comforter, Counselor, and Cornerstone.  He is my Deliverer, He is Faithful and True, the Gift of God, He is my Blessed Hope, He is the Horn of Salvation, and the Hope of Glory.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

He is the Righteous Judge, the Lamb of God, the Light of the world, the Lily of the Valley, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, He is the Living Stone, He is Living Water, He is my Master, my Mediator, my Passover Lamb, and the Prince of Peace.

WHO IS THIS MAN?

He is Prophet, Purifier, Redeemer, He is the Resurrection of Life, He is the Rock, the Root of David, the Rose of Sharon, the Son of David, the Son of God, the Star out of Jacob.  He is my Teacher, He is my Truth, my Way, my Wisdom.  He is my Great Physician, my Balm in Gilead.

Who is this Man?  He is Jesus Christ my Saviour.  That’s Who He is to me and I pray you can say the same.

THE TIME OF THE QUESTION

This event, as recorded in Mark, Chapter 8, took place about six months before the Master’s Crucifixion.  Please understand, His Disciples had been with Him now for three years.  They had seen the Miracles, they had sat at His Feet as He spoke as no man had ever spoken, as One having Authority not of this earthly realm.  Yet, at this moment He would probe His Disciples as to their own personal belief and understand as to Who He was, and what His True Mission on Earth was.

ASSOCIATION VERSUS RELATIONSHIP

One must never forget that association doesn’t always mean that one has a relationship.  Untold numbers in the modern church “associate” themselves with Christ, but they have no true relationship, in other words, they may be religious but they are not Born-Again.  Too many church goers are interested in dating Christ, but not marrying Him.  We must be vigilant that we don’t become complacent as it regards our relationship with the Lord.  Jesus Himself said in His Sermon on the Mount, “But seek you first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mat. 6:33).

WHO IS THIS JESUS?

    
The question, “And by the way He asked His Disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?” constitutes Who He really was and the drawing out of the Disciples as to who “they” thought He was.

The Greek Text says, “He kept on asking,” meaning that the question so startled them that, at first, they did not answer.

The answer to this great question, as to who He actually is, constitutes the entirety of His Ministry, from the Incarnation to His glorious Resurrection and Ascension.  If the Disciples had a misunderstanding about this great Truth that Jesus is God manifested in the Flesh, then they would misunderstand everything else as well.

As Christ was drawing out His Disciples, we as well must be drawn out by the Holy Spirit, we too must not have any misunderstanding concerning Who Christ is, “God manifested in the Flesh,” and what He did, “die on Calvary’s Cross to redeem man from the curse of sin.”

Someone once asked me the question, “What is the New Covenant?”  The answer is very simple, the New Covenant is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified for the sins of humanity.

MOSES

To further explain the idea of being “drawn out” let’s look at Moses for a moment.  The name “Moses” means “to draw out,” or “to be drawn out.”  As an infant he was “drawn out” of the water, at the age of 40 he was “drawn out” of Egypt, at age 80 he was “drawn out” from the backside of the desert.  Then he was anointed to “draw out” the Children of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  Let the reader understand that the Lord is in the “drawing out” business.  We are drawn out of sin to Salvation.  Then we are drawn out by the Lord to the mighty infilling of the Holy Spirit, and then the desires to “draw us out” to a closer fellowship and deeper relationship.

“SOME SAY”

    
The Disciples answered and said, “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others one of the Prophets.”

This answer shows us how blind Israel was to Christ even though He was in their midst.  Many had seen the Miracles, many had heard His Words spoken in Power and Authority, yet they still did not believe He was their Messiah.

Edward Bickensteth, a noted Bible Scholar who lived many years ago, said this:  “The Great Body of them (Israel) were offended at His poverty and humility; for they thought that the Messiah would appear among them with royal state as a temporal king.”

Israel’s problem was they couldn’t accept the fact they needed a “Saviour” before they could have a king, and why was this the case?  They simply couldn’t believe that a carpenter’s Son from Nazareth was their Messiah.  How many in the modern “seeker sensitive” church and “Emergent Church” is in the same boat?  They really don’t believe in Jesus Christ or the Bible anymore, for if they did they wouldn’t be ordaining homosexuals or condoning abortion, and following the ways of the world.

“BUT WHOM DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

Notice how the Lord brings the question down to a personal level.  You see Salvation is personal.  It all comes down to the individual.  You must know the answer to that question yourself.  You can’t make it to Heaven because your mother or father is or was a Christian, you must know and accept Jesus Christ as the only means of Salvation.

“YOU ARE THE CHRIST”

In the Greek, Peter actually said, “You are the Messiah” because that’s what the word “Christ” actually means.  Who is this Man?  He is God’s Son and man’s Redeemer.  He is the Mender of broken hearts.  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He is a Father to the fatherless, He is the only One Who can break the chains of sin and liberate mankind.  He is all knowledge, hope, and peace.  He is the Bread of Life and the Great Shepherd who watches over His Flock.  He is Grace and Mercy, He is Everything, He is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Your Evangelist,
Donnie Swaggart

John 20: 14-15 – “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back (would have been better translated, ‘she was caused to turn back’; perhaps she noticed the Angels looking past her at someone else; Williams said, ‘to a wounded heart seeking Christ Himself, Angels, however glorious, have no interest’), and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus (regarding our Lord’s appearances after the Resurrection, there seem to have been two reasons He was not easily recognizable; the first was unbelief, and the second was that His Appearance was changed, at least to a small degree; but unbelief was the biggest problem!).

“Jesus said unto her, Woman, why do you weep?  (This is identical to that asked by the Angels.  By virtue of His Death and Resurrection, He for all practical purposes had removed the cause of weeping.)  Whom do you seek?  (This presents the second question asked by Jesus, and really gets to the heart of the matter.)  She, supposing Him to be the gardener (evidently means she thought this man worked for Joseph of Arimathaea, who owned this garden; still, there is no thought of Resurrection!), said unto Him, Sir, if you have borne Him hence, tell me where you have laid Him (in her mind, the Sacred Body was to be embalmed with the precious spices, which quite possibly she had spent her all to buy; she probably knew that the Jews desired to take His Body and place it in the garbage dump, so she was concerned), and I will take Him away (simply means that if they will allow her, she will give Him a proper burial).”

John 20:19 – “Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week (proclaims the first gathering on a Sunday), when the doors were shut where the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews (the ‘fear’ expressed here pertained to the idea or thought that the religious authorities having now murdered Jesus, may very well seek to do the same to His closest Followers; the Day of Pentecost would remove this ‘fear’), came Jesus and stood in the midst (gives us no information as to how this was done; He just seems to have suddenly appeared), and said unto them, Peace be unto you (presents a common salutation, but coming from Him, and especially at this time, it spoke volumes).”

John 20:25 – “The other Disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord (was the greatest announcement they had ever made, at least since their conversion).  But he said unto them, Except I shall see in His Hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His Side, I will not believe (unbelief ever takes us lower and lower; the problem with untold millions is that ‘they will not Believe’).

John 21:3 – “Simon Peter said unto them, I go a fishing (even though the Scripture is not clear, it seems this fishing expedition was not for pleasure, but rather the necessity of making a living for their families; however, a Ministry which originates in the energy of the carnal will is fruitless; but when under the Governance of the Head of the Church, it brings forth rich fruit). They say unto him, We also go with you (represents the other six Disciples present; we aren’t told where the remaining four were at this time).  They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately (probably referred to one of the vessels formerly used by Peter and the sons of Zebedee in their former fishing business); and that night they caught nothing (points to the fact that they were doing this for income, not for pleasure).

Everything Jesus Christ did during His earthly Ministry had a specific purpose and meaning.  Nothing was done by chance or happenstance.  As well, after His Resurrection from the Garden tomb and appearances for 40 days, all that transpired had purpose and meaning as well.

In John, Chapters 20 and 21, after the Resurrection the Scripture records four appearances of the Lord that addressed four great enemies of the human heart.  They are:  “sorrow, fear, doubt, and care.”

SORROW

The first appearance recorded is found in John 20:14-15 and concerns Mary Magdalene.  Mary’s heart was broken and filled with sorrow.  The Master was gone, His Body disappeared, or so she thought.  Sorrow had gripped her and her grief was overbearing; this is a perfect picture of the world today because of sin.  How many in the world today have no hope, no joy, no peace, and their hearts are troubled and filled with sorrow because of the Fall.  The Text tells us that Jesus stood before her and yet, because of her overwhelming sorrow and grief, she doesn’t recognize the Master.  In her weeping, the Lord responds to her and says, “Woman, why do you weep?”  What a statement, and, in fact, the Lord is asking the same question to us all.  Why?  Because His Resurrection and Ascension shows us the fact that Calvary is a Finished Work.  At Calvary all sorrow ultimately was banished.  Jesus Christ, by virtue of His Death and Resurrection, has taken away the cause of weeping and sorrow as it regards the great difficulties of life.

FEAR

This great truth is found in John 20:19.

The Text says the “Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews.”  The fear expressed by the Disciples pertained to their fear of the religious authorities who had crucified Christ.  They feared too that they would be put to death next.  This fear the Disciples were dealing with was a test of their Faith.  They knew the Lord had told them He would die for man’s sin and be Resurrected, yet, they were human, they let the circumstances of the day rob them of their Faith and joy.  But all of a sudden, without warning, Jesus Christ appeared in their midst and said, “Peace be unto you.”

Peace and fear cannot cohabit together.  His appearing to them was telling them that everything was going to be alright.  True Faith and trust in Christ will bring peace to one’s heart.

The greatest loss to a Believer is the loss of one’s Faith.  Everything is turned upside down, one’s confidence is shaken, but proper Faith placed exclusively in Christ and what Christ did for us at the Cross will then bring in the Holy Spirit to guarantee the Peace of God.  Christ proved this by showing them “His Hands and His Side.”  In effect, saying, “Not only do I have the Power to come back from the grave, but I am more than capable of handling the problems of life we face.”

DOUBT

Verse 24 says that Thomas was not present when the Lord appeared to the Disciples.  When he was told that the Lord had appeared to the others, he replied, “Except I shall see in His Hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His Side, I will not believe” (Vs. 25).  Verse 26 says, “After eight days again His Disciples were within, and Thomas with them:  then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.”  In Verse 27 the Lord says to Thomas, “Reach hither your finger, and behold My Hands and reach hither your hand, and thrust it into My Side:  and be not faithless but believing.”  By doing this He was taking Thomas back to the Cross.

Doubt is faithlessness in action.  How many today in the Church doubt the great Miracles of God, or doubt the Lord can handle the problem they are facing?  The phrase, “but believing,” simply means have Faith, never forget Faith begets Faith, while doubt begets doubt.

The Appearance of Christ to Thomas shows to us today the Love of God, He could have written him off, but He didn’t, and He won’t write you off if you keep believing.

CARE

The last appearance recorded by John is found in Chapter 21.  Verse 3 says the Disciples had fished all night and caught nothing.  This act of fishing was not for sport, but as a means to make a living and to care for their families.  They didn’t know how they were going to provide for their families.  Verse 3 says, “They caught nothing.”  Can you imagine their thoughts, how are we going to put food on the table, how are we going to provide for our families?

Verse 4 says, “But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore:  but the Disciples knew not that it was Jesus.”

Get the picture; the night was over, morning has now come, and there stands Jesus.

Jesus says to them, “Children, have you any meat?”  In this statement, Jesus was directly addressing their livelihood.  In essence, the Master was saying, “Do you know how you will care for your families?”  Their answer was, “no,” but then Jesus said, “Cast your net on the right side of the ship and you will find.”  The Text says they obeyed “and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.”  Jesus then said, “Come and dine” (Vs. 12).  He wasn’t inviting them to an empty table, but He was telling them “I can provide for you, I will take care of you,” and so no matter what problems of life you face, Jesus has already handled the situation. 

Sorrow, fear, doubt, and care be gone – Christ has risen, and HE will take care of His Children.

Your Evangelist,
Donnie Swaggart

I Thessalonians 4:13-17

Due to space restraints I will not be able to go into great detail concerning this all important subject, therefore I want to include a suggestion of material that will give you more information.  My suggestion is the book “BRO. SWAGGART, HERE IS MY QUESTION ABOUT BIBLE PROPHECY…” and two Study Guides, “GOD’S PLAN FOR THE AGES” and “A STUDY IN BIBLE PROPHECY”.

The primary purpose of this article is to deal with the two words “caught up” in Verse 17.  But first I feel it’s important for you, the reader, to know that many Theologians believe I Thessalonians was the first Book that the Apostle Paul wrote.  If that is true then the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to include this great Doctrine in the first Book written in the New Covenant.

“CAUGHT UP”

Though the word Rapture is not used in the Text it does come from the words “caught up.”  The Latin word is “Raptus” which in English we devise the words “rapt” and “rapture,” meaning “to be lifted up and carried away.”  Also it means “ecstasy or joy.” In the Greek Text the words “caught up” is “Harpazio” and has four distinct meanings.  These are

“TO CARRY OFF BY FORCE”

This tells us that Satan and his demon spirits who rule the worlds system will not be able to stop the departure of the Saints of God, with the Lord using force if necessary against Satan’s powers.  Paul in Ephesians 6:12 wrote:  “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”  THE EXPOSITOR’S STUDY BIBLE notes state:  “Our foes are not human; however Satan constantly uses human beings to carry out his dirty work.”  “But against principalities” the notes state that this refer to rulers or beings of the highest rank and order in Satan’s kingdom.  “Against powers” refers to “the rank immediately below the principalities.”  “Against the rulers of the darkness of this world”:  “those who carry out the instructions of the powers.”  “Against spiritual wickedness in high places”:  “This refers to demon spirits.”

The reader must understand that there is much more demonic activity today in the world than one may realize.

“TO SNATCH AWAY”

The second meaning of the word “Harpazio” means “to snatch away” referring to the fact that the Rapture will occur so suddenly that it will take the whole world by surprise. Can you imagine in a split second untold numbers of Believers all over the world will be taken away in the blink of an eye.

“TO SIEZE AND CARRY OFF SPEEDILY”

This refers to the use of Divine Power transferring the Believer swiftly from one place (earth) to another (Heaven).  The Holy Spirit reemphasizes the suddenness of this great event.  That is why the Believer must be ready, must be expecting this great day to happen at any moment.  We must not grow complacent or lethargic, but anticipating the Rapture could take place at any time.  The Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 13:5 said, “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the Faith; prove your own selves.  Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates?” The word “examine” here means “to test, to try.”  In other words, we should try ourselves to see whether Christ truly lives in our heart and life.  It is no enough just to say “I believe”; we must test ourselves continually.

“TO CLAIM FOR ONES SELF EAGERLY”

The idea of this meaning is that the Lord Jesus Christ as the Bridegroom who comes from Heaven to claim His Bride, the Church, to eagerly take us up with Him to Glory. What a day that will be when the Trump of God will sound and corruption will put on incorruption, mortality, immortality (I Cor. 15:51-58).

As the song says, “Some day soon, Church I’m leaving, going to a meeting around the Throne.”

Are you ready?  I pray you are.

As the race for the 2012 Presidential Campaign is now beginning, with the Republican Presidential debates in full swing, I am confused as to why Herman Cain is being shunned by the Lamestrea m media? Especially in light of his very credible presentation in the last debate, and in light of his Florida Straw Poll victory gaining 37% of the 2,657 votes cast, way ahead of runner up Rick Perry at 15.4%.

For the sake of full disclosure I am not a registered Republican, contrary to what many may say or think. I owe no allegiance to any political party. I am a Christian, and a 100% Conservative. When it comes to Presidential candidates, the first thing I look for is where they stand on abortion and same-sex marriage.

Mr. Cain’s bio is impressive; he has a Mathematics Degree from Morehouse College, a Masters Degree in Computer Science from Purdue University. He’s worked for the Department of the Navy as a civilian employee developing fire control systems for ships and fighter planes.

After that, he went to work for Coca-Cola, and then later on to the Pillsbury Corp., where he advanced to the position of Vice-President. He became the regional Vice-President for Pillsbury Burger King division, and later became the President and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a company that was going under. In just 14 months he turned the company back to profitability, and eventually bought the company out.

There is no debate as it regards his business acumen, I mean the man has worked from the bottom to get to where he is today, which is more than some candidates can say and even perhaps the President, as I don’t call being a Community Organizer a job.

When it comes to his faith, this is what Mr. Cain has to say:

“Our Founding Fathers recognized a higher power in the formation of this nation when they said in the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and that they are ‘endowed with certain unalienable rights.’ It was no accident that in some of our earlier years as a free and independent nation, that our leaders added ‘In God we Trust’ to all of our currency.

And to send a message to the rest of the world when Communism was on the rise in the 1950’s, Congress added ‘Under God’ to our pledge of allegiance. They were not just words. It was a collective reaffirmation that we know the ultimate source of our greatness as a nation. America’s moral foundation does not need to be rewritten. It needs to be respected and taught to our children and grandchildren. It is the basis for our concept of freedom. As former President Ronald Reagan reminded us many years ago:

‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the blood stream. It must be fought for and protected and handed on for them to do the same. Or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and grandchildren what is used to be like in the United States when men were free.’

We are free because ‘In God We Trust’.”

I would encourage everyone to visit Mr. Cain’s website, www.hermancain.com, and read all of his positions on the issues of the day.

This has been the Musings and Ramblings of one who wants a change in Washington.

I recently ran across a great article written by David Barton of WallBuilders. The article concerns the Separation of Church and State, and how activist judges are trying to circumvent the intent of our Founding Fathers.

After you read, I would also suggest that you visit David’s website at www.wallbuilders.com

HOW COURTS INVENTED CHURCH-STATE ‘WALL OF SEPARATION’
After 150 years of honoring Founders’ intent, activist judges took radical new direction
By: David Barton

Editor’s note: “The separation of church and state” – a phrase found nowhere in the Constitution or any other founding document – is a modern legal doctrine, an invention of 20th century courts based on a quote from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson.
David Barton, whose WallBuilders organization has exhaustively documented the Christian history of the United States, explains the origin of the “the separation of church and state” in America.

The First Amendment was never intended to separate Christian principles for government. Yet today, Americans constantly hear the First Amendment coupled with the phrase“separation of church and state.” The First Amendment simply states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Obviously, the words “Separation,” “church,” or “state” are not found in the First Amendment, nor in any other founding document.

Before the Founders approved the final wording, the First Amendment went through nearly a dozen different iterations and extensive discussions. Those discussions – recorded in the Congressional Record from June 7 through September 25 of 1789 – make clear their intent for the First Amendment. By it, the Founders were saying, essentially: We do not want in America what we had in Great Britain. We don’t want one denomination running the nation. We will not be Catholics, or Anglicans, or any other single denomination. We do want God’s principles, but we don’t want one denomination running the nation.

This intent was well understood, as evidenced by court rulings after the First Amendment. For example, a 1799 court declared: “By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed on the same equal footing.”

Thomas Jefferson, to whom the now-popular phrase “separation of church and state” is attributed, also believed, as did the other Founders, that the First Amendment simply prevented the federal establishment of a single denomination – a fact he had made clear in a letter to Benjamin Rush. In that letter, Jefferson committed himself as a president to not allowing the Episcopalians, the Congregationalists or any other denomination to achieve what Jefferson called the “establishment of a particular form of Christianity.” So what is the source of Jefferson’s now infamous phrase?

On Nov. 7, 1801, the Baptists of Danbury, Conn., wrote Jefferson, concerned that the guarantee of the “free exercise of religion” appeared in the First Amendment.  To them, this suggested that the right to religious exercise was a government-granted rather than a God-granted right, thus implying that someday the government might try to regulate religious expression. They believed that freedom of religion was a God-granted, unalienable right; and that the government should be powerless to restrict religious activities unless, as the Baptists explained, those activities caused someone to “work ill to his neighbor.”

Jefferson understood their concern. In his response he assured them that the free exercise of religion was indeed an unalienable right and would not be meddled with by the government. Jefferson pointed out to them that there was a “wall of separation between church and state” to ensure that the government would never interfere with religious activities.

Today, all that is heard of Jefferson’s letter is the phrase “a wall of separation between church and state,” without either the context or the explanation given in the letter, or its application by earlier courts.

The clear understanding of the First Amendment for a century-and-a-half was that it prohibited the establishment of a single national denomination. National policies and rulings in that century-and-a-half always reflected that interpretation.

For example, in 1853, a group petitioned Congress to separate Christian principles from government. They desired a so-called “separation of church and state” with chaplains being turned out of the Congress, the military, and other parts of government. Their petition was referred to the House and the Senate Judiciary Committees, which investigated for almost a year to see if it would be possible to separate Christian principles from government.

Both the House and the Senate Judiciary Committees returned with their reports. The following are excerpts from the Hose report delivered on March 27, 1854 (the Senate report was very similar):
“Had the people (the Founding Fathers), during the Revolution, had a
suspicion of any attempt to war against Christianity, the Revolution
would have been strangled in its cradle. At the time of the adoption
of the Constitution and the amendments, the universal sentiment was
that Christianity should be encouraged, but not any one sect (denomination)
….In this age, there is no substitute for Christianity….That was the
Religion of the founders of the republic, and they expected it to remain
The religion of their descendants.”

Two months later, the Judiciary Committee made this strong declaration:

“The great, vital, and conservative element in our system (the thing that
Holds the American system together) is the belief of our people in the
Pure doctrines and divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

The committees explained that they would not separate these principles, for it was these principles and activities which had made America so successful – they had been the nation’s foundation, its basis.

During the 1870’s, 1880’s and 1890’s, yet another group that challenged specific Christian principles in government arrived before the Supreme Court. Jefferson’s letter had remained unused for years, for as time had progressed after its use in 1802 – and after no national denomination had been established – his letter had fallen into obscurity.  But now – 75 years later – in the case of Reynolds v. United States, the plaintiffs resurrected Jefferson’s letter, hoping to use it to their advantage. In that case, the Court printed a lengthy segment of Jefferson’s letter and then used his letter on “separation of church and state” to again prove that it was permissible to maintain Christian values, principles and practices in official policy.

For the next 15 years during that legal controversy, the Supreme Court utilized Jefferson’s letter to ensure that Christian principles remained a part of government. Following this controversy, Jefferson’s letter again fell into disuse. It then remained silent for the next 70 years until 1947, when, in Everson v. Board of Education, the court, for the first time, did not cite Jefferson’s entire letter, but only selected eight words from it.

The court now announced: The First Amendment has erected “a wall of separation between church and state.” That wall must be kept high and impregnable.

This was a new philosophy for the court. Why would the court take Jefferson’s letter completely out of context and cite only eight of its words? Dr. William James, the “father of modern psychology” – and a strong opponent of religious principles in government and education – perhaps explained the court’s new strategy when he stated: “There is nothing so absurd but if you repeat it often enough people will believe it.”

This statement precisely describes the tack utilized by the court in the years following its 1947 announcement. The court began regularly to speak of a “separation of church and state,” as if to say: This is what the Founders wanted – separation of church and state; this is their great intent.

The court failed to quote the Founders; it just generically asserted that this is what the Founders wanted. The courts continued on this track so steadily that, in 1958, in a case called Baer v. Kolmorgen, one of the judges was tired of hearing the phrase and wrote a dissent warning that if the court did not stop talking about the “separation of church and state,” people were going to start thinking it was part of the Constitution! Nevertheless, the court continued to talk about separation until June 25, 1962, when in the case Engel v. Vitale, the court delivered its first ever ruling that completely departed Christian principles from education; the case struck down school prayer.

Even the World Book Encyclopedia’s 1963 Yearbook noted that this case was the first time there had been a separation of church and state in education. In that 1962 case, the court redefined the meaning and application of a single word: “church.” For 170 years prior to that case, the word “church” – as used in the phrase “separation of church and state” – was defined to mean “a federally established denomination.” However, in 1962 the court explained that the word “church” would now mean “a religious activity in public.” This was the turning point in the interpretation of the First Amendment.

Understand what the court had just announced: No longer would the First Amendment simply prohibit the establishment of a federal denomination; it now would prohibit religious activities in public settings. This current doctrine of separation is a brand new doctrine; it is not something from the Founding Fathers, and it is not in any founding document. Even outside observers recognize this policy is a recent one. Yet notice how much has been relinquished in recent years under this new doctrine.

School prayer was the first casualty of the redefinition of the First Amendment in the 1962 Engel case. School prayer had never before been challenged; for, clearly, school prayer had never established a national denomination and therefore had always been acceptable. But under the new definition, school prayer definitely was a religious activity in public and was therefore now deemed to be unconstitutional.

That 1962 case that first redefined the First Amendment and then removed school prayer was notable in a number of aspects. Recall that the 1892 Supreme Court case offered 87 precedents to maintain the inclusion of Christian principles in our laws and institutions. This 1962 case which removed school prayer was just the opposite; it was the first case in court history to use zero precedents – the court quoted zero previous legal cases.

Without any historical or legal base, the court simply made an announcement: We’ll not have prayers in schools anymore; that violates the Constitution.

A brand new direction was taken in America. Within a 12-month period of time, in two more cases in 1963, the court had removed not only prayer, but also Bible reading, religious classes and religious instruction. This was a radical reversal.

The preceding was excerpted with permission from David Barton’s “America’s Godly Heritage.” David Barton is the founder of WallBuilders, on the Web at www.wallbuilders.com

Psalms 73:1-3

This Psalm was written by Asaph who was in charge of David’s music program as it regards musical worship to God. Music is the second greatest force for God in the world, second only to the preaching of God’s Word, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, music is never for entertainment but for worship.  It is to prepare ones heart to enter into the Presence of God.

The Book of Psalms contains five Books corresponding to the five Books of the Pentateuch.  They are as follows:

BOOK ONE:  Psalms 1-41 – GENESIS
BOOK TWO:  Psalms 42-72 – EXODUS
BOOK THREE:  Psalms 73-89 – LEVITICUS
BOOK FOUR:  Psalms 90-106 – NUMBERS
BOOK FIVE:  Psalms 107-150 – DEUTERONOMY

Therefore, Psalms 73 is the first Psalm of the third Book, which corresponds to Leviticus.

The subject of the first Book (Ps. 1-41) is the Blessed Man (Christ).
The subject of the second Book (Ps. 42-72) is Israel (His people).
The subject of the third Book (ps. 73-89) is the Sanctuary (His place).
The subject of the fourth Book (Ps. 90-106) is the wanderings of the wilderness of which Numbers is about.
The subject of the fifth Book (Ps. 107-150) is the promise of prosperity if God’s people would be obedient to the Word of God.

ASAPH’S PERPLEXITY

Verse 3 says, “For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”

Asaph is perplexed with the problem that the ungodly prosper and the children of God suffer at times.  This same question plagued Job along with untold numbers of Christians.

            The wicked prosper for a number of reasons, such as:

●          If they are smart enough to acquire great wealth, the Lord allows such to be because they are not a part of His program and plan.

●          The wicked are in a system that is controlled by Satan, with Satan sometimes helping some wicked to prosper for his own evil means.

●          As it regards the wicked, this life is all they have for their eternity is to be cast into the Lake of Fire.

Actually, the truth is while there are a few wicked who prosper, still in the totality of the world, the far greater majority don’t prosper at all.

ASAPH’S TRUE PROBLEM

Asaph’s true problem was the problem we must all face and that is “self.” Preoccupation with self always leads to self absorption and spiritual distraction.  Self will has always been mankind’s Achilles heel.  Even the Christian must recognize that self will continually rear its ugly head.  Most problems in a church are caused by self will.  Self will always lead one downward.  If one is not careful, self will become in one’s heart like a raging fire in the woods that destroys everything in its path.

Jeremiah in Chapter 17, Verse 9, wrote:  “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?”

As stated, Asaph is being ruled by self, preoccupied with “self.”  Notice in Verses 13-16 the number of times he uses the personal pronoun “I.”  In doing so he is forgetting what Salvation really is.  Salvation is not the abundance of things that one can possess, but peace with God.

ASAPH’S REPENTANCE

Verse 17 says:  “Until I went into the Sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.”  The Sanctuary is where God dwelt.  Now, He no longer sees the alleged prosperity of the wicked, but the Glory of God.

The Sanctuary presents the Spirit of the Lord and when one enters into God’s Presence, one sees the Lord and not himself.  Then and only then does self become swelled up in Christ.  There is an old song that says:  “Let me lose myself and find it Lord in Thee.”  That’s the only answer for self.

True prosperity is having your sins forgiven and being in right relationship with the Lord.  John said in John Chapter 3 Verse 30:  “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Don’t let self will dominate and destroy your life.  The Cross is the answer to self will and the only answer.