The Sword of the LORD

Recently, during my devotions, the Lord led me to a verse that I had read many times before, and thought I understood well.  This time, though, the Lord let me see something rather surprising about His intention for us as believers, and the seriousness of the call that He has placed on us as Christians.   The scripture is in St. Matthew 14, right after the account of the miraculous feeding of the 5,000.  It reads, “And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” (Matthew 14:22).   There are two tasks that the Lord is directing in this verse: He is sending His disciples across the sea ahead of Him, and He is dismissing, or sending away, the multitude.  The Lord seems very deliberate in accomplishing these two tasks; and, so He was, for He did nothing that was not intentional.  Everything had plan and purpose.  We see in His actions, therefore, a clear separating of two groups of people:

"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him.  And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed ." (Daniel 7:13, 14).   " And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High , Whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." (Daniel 7:27).   It is God's intention to establish His Kingdom on the earth, and it is also His will that Jesus, His only begotten son, should reign as King of kings over that Kingdom.  "Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10).  It is also God&#

Peter and John had had a very good day.  As they were going to the temple to pray, they had encountered a man who was lame for 40 years sitting at the gate.  The man asked for a handout; but they gave him the gift of healing and salvation and he went about walking and leaping.  Seeing what had happened, a great crowd gathered; and Peter, seizing the opportunity, preached to them about Jesus Christ.  Five thousand men believed and were converted to the faith.  It was a very good day!   Some of the religious leaders were grieved, however, that the Apostles taught the people about Jesus, and so they took them and cast them in prison.  The next day, they were brought before the rulers to answer for their actions.  When given the chance to speak, God anointed Peter again with words of salvation.  Scripture records, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been