The Sword of the LORD

  “ Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.   Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.   Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name .  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.” (Psalm 100). My wife, Terry, and I were both saved in 1971.   It was toward the end of the “hippie” era, and we considered ourselves part of that counter culture.   We were part of a rock and roll band along with a few of our friends.   We did covers of songs by many popular rock bands of the time.   We were involved with all of the experimentation and excess that went along with that culture.   We experienced much of the angst associated with the civil unrest, racial tensions, anger and frustration over the Vietnam war t

“But as many as received Him [Jesus, the Word] , to them gave He power to become the sons of God , even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12, 13). To those who receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, is given the power (authority, right, and privilege) to become sons of God.   Through the new birth, we have been adopted into the family of God, and been promised an eternal inheritance in heaven.   This power does not come by natural birth.   It doesn’t matter what station in life we are born into, how much money our family has, or the strength of our physical stature.   It has nothing to do with our bloodline.   The force of our human will cannot secure this power for us no matter how hard we try.   It is altogether a gift of God’s grace.   Man is powerless to obtain it by any other means than just accepting it from the hands of a l

  "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his ." (Hebrews 4:9, 10 NKJV).  It is very rewarding, after spending hours mowing and trimming the grass, edging around the walkways, and mulching the flower beds, to sit down with a cold drink in hand and rest from one's labors.   It is good also, after feeling the stress and activity of one's job all year long, to just get away on vacation and relax for a time.   Such times of rest are all the sweeter to us because we feel that we have earned them by our labors.   God’s view of rest is not the same as our view of rest, however.   God has a different rest that He has promised to His people.   In the Old Testament (under the old covenant), God commanded the Israelites to cease from all their work and rest every seventh day of the week.   "But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou sh