The Sword of the LORD

“Paul, and Silvanus [Silas] , and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:1, 2).   The Apostle Paul visited the City of Thessalonica about 50 or 51 A.D. during his second missionary journey.  During this trip, he had intended to go into Asia and preach the Gospel there, but the Holy Spirit prompted him not to.  He would have then traveled to Bithynia, but, again, the Spirit forbade him to do so.  It was then that Paul had a vision.  In it he saw a Macedonian man who prayed for Paul to come to Macedonia and help them.  Such clear direction from the Lord couldn’t be ignored.  Paul and his group, which included his fellow minister Silas, and the young disciple Timothy, promptly reversed directions. They passed through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica.    Wheneve...

“ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing...Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.” (John 15:5, 8).   “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth [prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. ” (John 15:2, 3).   “And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection .” (Luke 8:14).   Every fruit or nut bearing tree, and every fruit bearing shrub or vine, should produce healthy, mature fruit.  This is what they were created to do, and they do it quite naturally given the proper conditions:  good fertile ground, ample sunlight, consistent watering,...