The Sword of the LORD

"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