The Sword of the LORD

"And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? And I answered, Who art Thou, Lord? And He said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, Whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of Him that spake to me. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do." (Paul's account of his conversion, Acts 22:6-10) What an extraordinary conversion Paul had! To have a light shine on him from above, and to have the Lord speak to him directly from heaven is incredible; but what really intrigues me is how violent this religious man had become toward the followers of Christ. Before his conve

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:22-26) We all have mountains in our lives. They are those seemingly immoveable obstacles that keep us from pursuing the will of God fully. Lusts of the flesh, besetting sins, financial difficulties, or even physical afflictions - all of these can appear as unscalable as a mighty mountain to us.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) So. I woke up one morning with a desire to revitalize my prayer life. I have never been the greatest conversationalist; I usually am a better listener, and this has translated to my prayer life as well. I spend a lot of time waiting to hear what the Lord wants to say to me, but not as much time expressing my wishes. On the surface that may seem like a good thing, a less selfish thing, but not when it comes to praying for others. I also have a tendency to pray in my heart, and not out loud. This isn't really an important issue, but I wanted to force myself to talk to God as if He were in the room with me (which He is, of course), rather than someone who is far off whom I was communicating with telepathically. So I had this thought to invite God to tea. I got out two porcelain mugs, and chose my favorite one for the Lord (it's my Ohio State mug), I selecte

"And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto Him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. But He said unto them, Give ye them to eat." (Luke 9:12, 13a) When the disciples saw such a great need before them - at least five thousand tired and hungry men - their natural thought was to send them away to where their needs could be met. They knew that they did not have the resources to minister to such a crowd, either in food, or money to buy food. Jesus, however, saw things quite differently. His resources were unlimited, and He was about to teach His followers a classic lesson in supply and demand. His command to the disciples was clear, "Give ye them to eat." Whether the need is great or small, we often look within ourselves and think that there is nothing that we have that can satisfy that need. Whether it is sharing the Lord wit

"But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory, I have formed him; y

"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:4) Not many months ago, I ran across a list of unclaimed funds in our local newspaper. Being motivated by nothing but a desire for wealth, I began reading through the names that were listed of people to whom money was due. After failing to find my name( very disappointing), I searched for my wife's, and then my children's names. I was delighted to find a son's name on the list. Of course, I promptly called him and told him who to contact and how. The money that he received was fairly substantial. Just this week, my daughter's name showed up on a similar list, and I contacted her as well. It struck me how much God's promises are like these unclaimed funds. The folks who are on these lists are unaware that there is money owed to them. Usually, this is be

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:5, 6) It should be evident that the goal of every Christian is to please God, although many live as though it were God's sole task to please them. They would still tell you, however, that they wish to please Him. Scripture tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith, and we are then given the two things that our faith must embrace. First, we must believe that God is - that He exists. Secondly, we must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Let's examine these two beliefs so that we can better understand what is necessary to please our heavenly Father. Believing that God ex

" A nd he said to them, How is it that ye sought Me? knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?" (Luke 2:49) Joseph and Jesus' mother had gone up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover and taken Jesus, who was then 12 years old, with them. After the feast days, they headed back toward their hometown of Nazareth with all of their other relatives. After traveling a day's journey, they realized that Jesus was not with the group, as they had supposed. They hurried back to Jerusalem to search for Him, and after three days they found Him in the temple listening to the doctors of the law, and asking them questions. Mary, of course, began to scold Him, but Jesus reply was very simple and innocent, "How is it that ye sought Me? knew ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?" First of all, Jesus words reveal that He was amazed that they were seeking Him at all . You see, He hadn't left them - they had left Him. Jesus was right where He

"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness." (Psalm 29:1, 2) What is it about worshiping the Lord in holiness that is so beautiful, anyway? I have been preparing for a yard sale. As I've been going through my attic, basement, and garage, I've found that things end up in one of three categories. One pile is to discard - stuff I no longer need or want, and probably no one else will either. Another pile is to put in the sale, try to get some money out of it, and end up taking most of it to Goodwill. The third pile, however, is to keep - stuff that I set apart because I intend to use it. The best definition of holiness that I have ever heard is "set apart." God has separated us from the world because He intends to use us. We are HIS people, and the sheep of His pasture. Not only has He chosen us, but He has purchased us with the life of

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together." (Psalms 34:3) I remember being very curious as a boy; I guess most boys are. There was no end to my exploring, examining, and dismantling of anything and everything. One of my best memories, though, was when my parents bought me a microscope one Christmas. There was very little that escaped being placed on a slide and smashed under a cover slip so that I could peer at it. It was like opening a brand new world to me. Things that were commonplace and familiar became exotic and alien when zoomed in at high magnification. The intelligent design, and intricate construction, of even a blade of grass, or a human skin cell, turned the mundane into the divine. Years later, when I was introduced to the verse above, it made perfect sense to me. As we go through our life, there are many things that confront us that seem very large to us. Even the simplest of difficulties can throw us for a loop and appear unconquerabl

"Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." (Psalm 119:67) There is a poem by William Henley which greatly inspired former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Nelson Mandela. The poem is entitled Invictus , which is Latin for unconquered. The author was diagnosed with tuberculosis of the bone at age 12, and at 25, had his leg amputated below the knee in order to save his life. Despite his disability, he went on to complete his education at Oxford, and became a poet, editor, and critic. A popular movie dramatizes the story of Nelson Mandela and takes as its title the name of this poem. Nelson Mandela's story is very inspiring. It illustrates a principle that is basic to all who would seek excellency in Christ. The principle is that of affliction, and its work in molding man's character. We find that this principle was clearly at work in the lives of Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Paul, and coun

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live." (Isaiah 55:1-3a) The food and drink that these verses refer to is the truth contained in the Word of God - the Truth that sets us free. It is the one thing, and only thing, that can satisfy the hungering and thirsting soul. Just as water sustains the life of every living thing, so also does Jesus, the Fountain of Living Waters, sustain the spiritual life of believers. And as bread and meat nourish the body, and give it the necessary nutrients to encourage growth and give strength, Jesus also, the Bread of Life, strengthens us spi

"When He (Jesus) had heard therefore that he (Lazarus) was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was." (John 11:6) It appears that, as Christians, if we would be wise, then we must become foolish; if we would have power, then we must become weak; and if we would know true life, then we must experience death. This, of course, runs contrary to all that we think should be true. Concepts such as these are alien to our natural reasoning, and to all of our human inclinations. We always want to excel, we always want to be blessed, and we always want to have all the answers; but God often works the opposite to what we expect. Chapter 11 of St. John tells the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, very much. When He heard that His friend was sick, however, Jesus waited two more days before going to him, knowing that Lazarus would die during that period. He told His disciples before they left to go to B

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." (John 6:51) We Christians talk much about the precious blood of Jesus and its efficacy in cleansing our sins, and washing our souls white as snow. There is no other agent in the universe that can atone for, and blot out, the sin of mankind. What we do not talk as much about, however, is the body of Jesus Christ - that is to say, His flesh. Jesus said, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in Him." (John 6:53-56) Here Jesus makes it very clear that both His blood and His flesh are necessa

"But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." (1 Corinthians 15:13, 14) The resurrection of the dead is a fundamental truth of the Christian faith. Upon this one truth lies the hope of every man and woman who names the name of Christ. Jesus' entire life and ministry was driven toward this one outcome: that He would give His life freely as an offering for our sin, and that God would raise Him from the dead to gain the ultimate victory over death, sin, and the devil. The mystery of eternal life begins in Genesis, in the very beginning when God created man and woman. He planted a garden in Eden, and in it He placed two trees. The one tree was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The other tree was the Tree of Life. God told Adam and Eve that they could freely eat of any tree in the garden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This included

"For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear." (Matthew 13:12-16) There has never been a time in the history of the world when the gospel message has been so thoroughly proclaimed. Volumes of books, magazines, and tracts are published every year on vari

"And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." (Luke 4:16-21) There is an interesting backdrop to this story in Luke chapter 4. Jesus had just been in the wilderness for forty days of fasting. While He w