The Sword of the LORD

As John the Baptist began preaching in the wilderness of Judea, his message was simple and direct: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was sent to announce the imminent appearance of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the ushering in of a new dispensation. Later, after John was cast in prison, Jesus began His earthly ministry by proclaiming much the same message as John’s. He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” The “time” that Jesus mentions being fulfilled here is the time, or dispensation, of the law and the prophets. This we know because He says in Luke 16:16, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.” That the preaching of the kingdom of heaven was to take center stage is evident because it is mentioned 118 times in the gospels and another 31 in the Book of Acts whereas “church” is only mentioned twice in the gospels. It ...

As the apostles, Peter and John, were about to enter the temple in Jerusalem for prayer, they encountered a man who was lame sitting at the gate and asking for handouts. The man was over 40 years old, and had been born lame and, so, had never walked. When he saw Peter and John, the man asked them for some money. This man received healing that day because these two men were obedient to God and stopped to minister to the need. Five things stand out to me that preceded this miracle, and these five things I believe are pre-requisite to becoming useful servants of God, and, ultimately, channels for miracles: “And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him…” First, and foremost, before we can minister to others, we must be willing to see their needs. It is too easy to look past them, or worse, through them, as we speed through our busy schedules. The apostles were on their way some place else, but took the time to examine the need before them. Likewise, we must be willing to stop and see what ...

When Jesus was 12 years old, His parents took Him to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. This was the custom of the Jews for the families to go up once a year to offer gifts and praise to God. Many of Joseph and Mary’s kinfolk traveled with them to go to the feast making it a great time for family and “catching up”. After their time at Jerusalem was finished, they began the long trip back to their homes, again, traveling together. When they had gone a day’s journey out from the city, they began looking for Jesus among the relatives, and, to their horror, discovered that He was not with them! Can you imagine what they must have been feeling? Think of traveling with your children to Chicago or New York for a family reunion and driving a day home before realizing that Johnny wasn’t riding with Uncle Bob, but that you had left your young child alone in the city! Of course, Joseph and Mary frantically hurried back to Jerusalem to seek their son. They spent three days searching for Hi...

How essential it is for me to quiet myself before God. It’s easier, though, to pour out all the things that are on my mind than it is to listen to what my Father has to say to me. Have you ever tried to get your point across to someone who wouldn’t let you get a word in edgewise, and when you finally did get to speak, you knew that they weren’t hearing you because they were too busy framing their next comment? That’s how the Lord must sometimes feel. Faith, God says, comes from hearing - not speaking – and hearing comes from the Word of God. It’s only when God can reveal Himself to me through His Word, that I can see myself in truth and be changed more into Christ’s image. Then it is that I relinquish the control of my life to Him and truly know that He is God. As I was praying before church one Sunday morning, I became aware of a stinging sensation in my finger. Looking closely at it, I found that I had driven a wooden splinter deep into the flesh of my right index finger. I was a...

A Three-Minute Reflection Gideon stood on the outskirts of the Midianite army’s camp with his 100 men waiting for the right moment to utter the words that would change the course of history for his oppressed people. His enemies numbered 135,000 warriors; his own army was but 300, divided into three companies that were scattered around the camp waiting for their captain’s signal. All of a sudden, Gideon lifted his trumpet to his lips and gave a shrill blast that split the silence of the night air. He then broke open the clay pitcher that was in his other hand and the flame that was inside illuminated the darkness. Last of all, Gideon raised his voice, and with all his strength shouted, “The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon!” (Judges 7:20) Three hundred brave Israelites followed their leaders example and did as he had done. The Midianites, awaking out of their sleep and hearing the commotion and seeing the lights, were filled with fright and confusion, and turned their swords on their...