The Sword of the LORD

One thing that every man or woman of faith has in common is that their lives will reflect the One on Whom they believe.  Because Jesus is the Living Word, then as we place our faith in Him, the Word becomes manifested in our mortal flesh, and folks begin to see Jesus in us.  The apostle Paul expressed it in an interesting way when he said that we are living letters from Christ which have been written, not with ink on paper or carved on tablets of stone, but written by the Spirit of God on the tables of our hearts (2 Corinthians 3:2, 3).  Even those who walked by faith under the old covenant witnessed the grace that God would bestow through His Son.  King David, the ancient King of Israel, was one such man.  His life in many ways reveals the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.   The prophet Ezekiel clearly revealed the connection between David and Christ when he foretold the coming of the Messiah, saying, " And David My servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one S

When God met with Moses on Mount Sinai, He made a covenant with the people of Israel.  The covenant was simply this: if the Israelites would carefully follow and obey the commandments and statutes that God delivered to Moses, then they would be blessed and inherit everlasting life.  Seemed like a fair trade, and a very good deal for the Israelites.  What they found was that this was not as easy as it sounded.  The harder they tried to keep the commandments, the more they found it difficult to do so.  Ultimately, God became grieved with His people and said, “They do always err in their heart; and they have not known My ways.” (Hebrews 3:10).   As a result, He spoke through His Prophet Jeremiah and said, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant th

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, Whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in His hand, and He will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. ” (John the Baptist, Matthew 3:11, 12).   God anointed John the Baptist to call the Israelites to repentance in preparation for the coming of the Messiah.  The message that the LORD gave to John was simple: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3).  Repentance was necessary if the people were to receive Christ’s teachings.  Those who did repent and responded to John’s message, he baptized, washing away their sins in the waters of regeneration.  Those who came and only feigned repentance, however, he challenged, saying, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?...Bring fo

"And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.  And when He was come into the house, the blind men came to Him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto Him, Yea, Lord.  Then touched He their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.  And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.  But they, when they were departed, spread abroad His fame in all that country." (Matthew 9:27-31).                                             This simple story from the gospel of Matthew reveals some profound truths about faith.   Yes, it is the record of a notable miracle that our Lord performed on two blind men centuries ago, but it also teaches us principles which will enable miracles to take place in our lives today.     The two men in this story were blind.   Their need was more apparent than those who followed Jesus a

According to Webster’s New World Dictionary , the original meaning of the word “inspire” was “to breathe, or blow upon or into,” and, “to infuse life into by breathing.”  Before Jesus ascended to heaven after His death and resurrection, He appeared to His disciples and said to them, “Peace be unto you: as My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you.”  Scripture says that He then breathed on them and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.”  Also, when God created man, He breathed into Him the breath of life, and from that time on man could only survive as he continued to draw breath.  When Jesus breathed on the disciples that day, however, it was something more.  It was the infusing of the Holy Spirit into their lives; and just as it was necessary for them to breathe to sustain their life, it would now be necessary for them to draw life from Jesus through the Holy Spirit that He breathed into them.    It is this breath of God, this inspiration of the Almighty; that is vital to the Christ

As the air grows crisper, and the trees begin to show signs of fading, I am reminded of the perpetual ebb and flow of the seasons around us.   Just as surely as summer explodes into fall, I know that fall will eventually fade into winter which, in turn, will yield to spring's regeneration.   Many people complain about certain seasons, or various aspects of them, but I have grown to appreciate them all.   Just as there are challenges to every season, there are also just as many blessings that can be found in each one.     Each season is unique and offers opportunities or tasks that are specific to that time, and that time only.  People who lived during the 18th and 19th centuries understood this much better than we do in this modern age.  They paid close attention to the changes of seasons and the phases of the moon.  "Moon seasons" governed when the best time to fell wood, plant various crops, or drive cattle to market would be.  There were things that our ancestors w

“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief. ” (Mark 9:24).    I don’t know about you, but many times I have found myself praying this same prayer that the distraught father in Mark chapter 9 prayed.   I find that it is easier to believe that God will help others who are going through struggles than it is to believe for myself.   It is also easier to believe for generalities than it is to trust God for one specific and very desperate need.   I can say I believe that God will meet all my needs, heal my body, and protect me from harm, and I can really mean it, but until my finances are threatened, my health is compromised, or danger is looming near, it is all theoretical .   When these things touch my life, I must learn to apply God’s Word in practical ways.   It is no longer a matter of what God could do, but a matter of what He wants to do right now for me.   This is where my faith can often use a boost: “ Lo

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25).   “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16).   Walking is one of the most natural things that we can do.   Usually it is employed just to get us from one place to another.   It is also recommended as an easy form of exercise, and we are all urged to get our 10,000 steps in daily.   The Bible has some very important things to say about walking, but especially about walking in the Spirit.   The Apostle Paul put great emphasis on wanting believers to learn to walk in the Spirit.   In several of his letters to the churches Paul makes a clear distinction between walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh.   There are many Christians today, however, who are confused about what it means to walk, or to be led, by the Spirit.     To begin with, let’s answer this basic question: “Who is the Spirit?”   The answer to this lies in underst